IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIN DRUMS' OR ROLLERS USED IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING FIBROUS MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF OTHER DRUMS, ROLLERS, OR TUBES OF METAL, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE WITH
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Little, of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TIN DRUMS' OR ROLLERS USED IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING AND SPINNING FIBROUS MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF OTHER DRUMS, ROLLERS, OR TUBES OF METAL, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE WITH."
Sealed the 22nd February 1867, and dated the 25th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Little at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th August 1866.
I, GEORGE LITTLE, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF 'TIN DRUMS' OR ROLLERS USED IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING
AND SPINNING FIBROUS MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF
OTHER DRUMS, ROLLERS, OR TUBES OF METALS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in a system of manufacturing tin drums,
rollers, or tubes, whereby I am enabled to employ machinery for that purpose,
and to produce the articles with great truth and economy.

page_text: The general feature of my Invention consists in soldering or otherwise
joining the seams of metal while they are held in a true form by a cylinder
or cylinders, and in certain cases hereafter to be mentioned by an internal
and expanding mandril.
Another feature of my Invention consists in the use of a roller which rolls
the article on its interior surface while it is held by a cylinder; this roller I
also use for producing a corrugated surface.
To illustrate my Invention I will suppose it desired to manufacture a "tin
drum" for cotton machinery. The metal is in the first instance bent round
by the usual means; it is then placed upon a mandril and is drawn into a
cylinder, and the said mandril by expanding forces it into the required form.
The cylinder is provided with a slit corresponding in situation to the joint to
be made, and along this the workman passes his soldering iron. The joined
metal being now removed constitutes one length to be attached to others to
form the whole length of drum; this length is placed in another cylinder, and
a roller capable of being pressed on to its internal surface rolls the metal and
at the same time swages the ends for making the joint with another length,
for which purpose two lengths are made as above described, and kept true to
each other by the cylinders holding them, and having been brought together
end to end they are caused to revolve, the workman at the same time holding
his soldering iron upon the joint, and these operations are repeated until the
entire drum is made. I propose to employ two sets of gearing for causing
the drum. to revolve, one set for the soldering, as above mentioned, and
another for imparting a greater speed for skimming the drum as usual.
In order to illustrate my Invention I have above described the operation
of making a "tin drum" for cotton machinery, but it is applicable to the
manufacture of any similar articles of any desired material made in lengths
or in one length only so far as it refers to the longitudinal joint and the
internal rolling. The articles above mentioned as tubes may be parallel or
formed taper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Little in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE"
LITTLE, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters

page_text: Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and in the thirtieth year of IIer
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Little, Her special license that I, the said George Little, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Little, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF TIN DRUMS' OR ROLLERS USED IN MACHINERY POR PREPARING AND SPINNING
FIBROUS MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF OTHER DRUMS,
ROLLERS, OR TUBES OF METALS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Little, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Little, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (and accompanying Drawings, that is to say)
-
My Invention consists, firstly, in a system of manufacturing tin drums,
rollers, or tubes whereby I am enabled to employ machinery for that purpose,
and to produce the articles with great truth and economy.
The general feature of my Invention consists in soldering or otherwise
joining the seams of metal while they are held in a true form by a cylinder or
other casing, and in certain cases, hereafter to be mentioned, by an internal
and expanding mandril.
Another feature of my Invention consists in rolling the article on its interior
surface while it is held by a cylinder or casing, and by which roller I also
effect a swaging for junctions. The mere mechanical arrangements by which
my Invention may be carried out may be varied to a considerable extent,
but I will now proceed to describe machinery which I have found to
answer the purpose, and shall by way of illustration suppose that it is desired
to manufacture what are commonly called tin drums or rollers in spinning
machines.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the first machine I
employ, that is for the purpose of bringing a length of metal into true form
and for enabling the soldering of its edges to be performed; Fig. 2 is longi-
tudinal section of the working parts, and Fig. 3 is a detached cross section of
the cylinder in which the tube is formed. Upon the framework a are mounted
two standards b which carry a cylinder c, the internal diameter of which
corresponds to the intended external diameter of the tube to be made. Within
the cylinder is a mandril d formed conical for a portion of its length, and upon
its periphery are placed wedge-formed pieces e, e¹, e, distributed around the
said mandril, as seen in Fig. 3. The cylinder c terminates at f, but is continued
by brackets g which support a cross shaft h on which there is an excentric i
situate within the open end of a rod j, and this rod at its other end is furnishe
with a cap piece k situate against the end of the wedge-formed pieces e, and
connected thereto by set screws 1, which set screws, however, pass through
slots in the said cap piece so as to allow the wedges e to move outward slightly
as hereafter to be described, the said set screws, however, enabling the rod j
and cap k to move the wedges outward in the cylinder and preventing them
from turning.
On reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the cylinder c is flattened on its
upper side and a slit m extending lengthwise is formed therein. The wedge
pieces e have grooves formed in their peripheries, within which are placed
circular springs n, but these springs do not extend beyond the edges of the
slit m, and the said slit is therefore open to the interior of the cylinder. The
circular springs n act so as to draw the wedge pieces inward and keep them
in contact with the mandril d. The wedge piece, which is opposite the
slit m is provided with a longitudinal groove, within which is placed a strip of
wood o or other non-conducting material of heat, and upon this is placed a
thin metal strip. At q is a rod which passes through guides r and furnished at
the other end with a handle s, the lower end of which projects downward at t
a short distance below the bottom of the slit m. At u is a handle fixed to the
shaft h which may thereby be turned so as to cause the excentric-i to thrust
forward or withdraw the rod j, cap k, and wedge pieces e.
The operation of this part of my Invention is as follows:-According to
the position of the parts shewn in the Drawing, a finished tube has just been
discharged and the metal for another is to be applied, which metal is in
the first place brought into a form approaching cylindrical by the ordinary
means. The attendant in the first place pushes back the rod 7 by means of
the handle s'until the part t is beyond that point in the slit m which will be

page_text: reached by the tube when applied thereto as at w. The bent metal is now
thrust into the cylinder c by hand, or by any suitably formed tool, and when
in that position the shaft is turned by means of the handle u, and the
excentric i being thus caused to rotate will draw forward the rod j and cap k,
the latter of which by acting on the wedge pieces e will cause them to
advance, and as they must in doing this travel upon the mandril d they will
be caused to expand radially and press the sheet of metal against the interior
periphery of the cylinder c, the expansion of the said wedge pieces being
permitted as before mentioned by the slots in the cap piece k. It will of
course be understood that inasmuch as the edges of the metal are to be
soldered there must, according to the usual method of making these tubes be
a lap joint, and the sheet of metal used is sufficiently wide for that purpose,
it is also so introduced into the cylinder c that the said lap shall be opposite
the slit m formed therein. The tube is now held firmly in the said cylinder,
and the workman passes his soldering bit along the seam to be soldered after
the usual manner, during which operation the strip of wood or other non-
conducting material o will prevent a too rapid cooling of the solder, while the
thin strip of metal above will protect the said non-conducting material from
being burnt. In order to remove the finished tube the excentric i is turned
back by means of the handle u, by which means the wedge pieces e will be
withdrawn from pressing thereon, then the handle s is drawn forward, and as
the part t projects slightly below the bottom of the slit mit abuts against the
tube which will be drawn forward with it. Tubes made after this manner
may be used for any desired purpose, but they may be joined to other lengths
of tubes as now to be described.
The first operation in joining lengths of tubes made on this system together
is to prepare them by swaging an end into a recessed form, as is well under-
stood; this I do by the machine now to be described, and also roll the interior
cf the tube.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the machinery I employ, and Fig. 5 is an end view
in section. Upon the framework 1 are placed 2 rams 2, 3, which may be
actuated as desired, but in this instance I shall describe them as worked by
bydraulic power. The cylinders 4, 5, are each provided with a water pipe
6, 7, furnished with two-way cocks, when the fluid is let through the pipes the
rams are forced forward, and when the water is allowed to flow therefrom the
rods 8, 9, and consequently rams 2, 3, are drawn backward by weights or
by hand. Between the two rams is placed a cylinder 10, shewn detached
at Fig. 6, and which is caused to revolve through the medium of a spur

page_text: wheel. 11 formed thereon, and driven from a shaft hereafter to be mentioned.
Within the cylinder 10 is a roller 12 formed on an axis 18 carried on one
side by a rod 14 connected to a cross head 15. On the other side of the said
cross head is another rod formed in two parts 16, 16*, the latter swinging
upon the former, so that it may be moved transversely clear of the line of the
cylinder 10, or brought into position for receiving the axis 18 of the roller 12.
The central rod 17 of the cross head is connected to a bydraulic ram within
the cylinder 18, and may thereby be raised on the admission of water through
the pipe 19. The driving shaft is at 20, upon which is a pinion 21, which
through the intervention of the train of wheels shewn imparts rotatory motion
to the roller 12 and cylinder 10. On commencing operations with this
macbine water is allowed to flow into the cylinder 18 and the ram will
then raise the cross head 15 and roller 12 through the medium of the
rods. 14 and 16, 16*. The swinging arm 16* is then moved from the
arm 16, and turned on one side so as to leave space for the introduction
of the end of a soldered tube into the cylinder 10, and the ram 2 is caused by
hydraulic pressure to advance, pressing upon the edge of the tube and
thrusting it into the cylinder; this having. been done the water is allowed
to flow from the cylinder 4, and the ram is withdrawn into the position shewn,
then the swinging arm 16* is brought opposite to the axis 13 and slidden
forward thereon, the shoulder 21 forming an abutment for the other part 16
of the rod. The water is now allowed to flow from the cylinder 18, and the
weight of the cross head brings the roller 12 to bear upon the tube situate
within. the cylinder 10, or the said cross head may be loaded with an
additional weight if desired. The roller 12 and cylinder 10 are now caused
to revolve in the same direction by the application of motive power to the
shaft 20, and the tube becomes perfected in cylindrical form at the same time
that the swaged part at 22 is formed by a smaller diameter of the roller 12,
these effects being produced by rolling the tube between the roller 12 and
cylinder 10. The roller 12 is provided with a flange 23 which confines the
tube within the cylinder during the above described operation of rolling.
The tube having been thus rolled true to the cylinder 10, and the swaging of
the part 22 having at the same time being completed, water is admitted to
the cylinder 18, by which means the roller 12 is raised, the arm 16* moved
on one side as before described, and the ram 3 is caused to advance and
expel the finished tube. In order to allow the rams 2, 3, to move towards
the cylinder 10 the said rams are made as portions of hollow cylinders, and
their motion is not therefore obstructed by the arms 14 and 16*. The

page_text: tubes having been united at their longitudinal edges and swaged in order to
form true recesses for other lengths of tubes are taken to another machine to
be joined, which machine is shewn in side elevation at Fig. 7, and in plan
view at Fig. 8. In this instance there are two cylinders 25, 26, mounted true
to each other and supported upon a bed plate 27, by standards 28, 28, and 29.
Upon one of these cylinders 25 are two pullies 30, the one being fast and the
other loose, and driven by a strap proceeding from any conveniently situated
shaft, by which means the said tube 25 may be caused to revolve at pleasure.
Upon the cylinder 25 is also a spur wheel 31 driven by a pinion 32 upon a cross
shaft 33, and which pinion is in gear with a worm 34 carried by an upright
shaft 35. This shaft is mounted in a step 36 against which is a lever 37 turning
upon a fixed centre at 38 and embracing at its lower end a pin 39 attached
to a bell crank foot lever 40, a spring 41 presses the outward end of this lever
upward, and the lever 87 being therefore turned upon its centre 38 thrusts
forward the step of the shaft 35; and keeps the worm out of gear until
the treadle 40 is pressed downward and then the wheel 31 and consequently
cylinder 25 will be caused to revolve. The second cylinder 26 is also
furnished with a wheel 31* driven by a worm 34* on the axis 33, and
provided in like manner with a treadle apparatus for putting it in and out of
gear, the same parts being denote by similar letters, and either of the
cylinders may therefore be driven at pleasure, but must always revolve
together inasmuch as they are connected by the pinions 32, 32*. The
worms 34, 34*, on the shafts 35, 35*, are of different pitch driven by any
convenient arrangement of motive power, and the cylinders may also therefore
be driven quicker or slower at pleasure by using the one or the other of the
said worms. At the end of the cylinder 25 is a shutter 42 capable of closing
its end and mounted so as to turn upon the shaft 33 by means of a handle
abutting against a stop on the shaft 76*, but when turned over the end of the
cylinder will be open. The second cylinder 26 is also provided with a similar
shutter 42*, and further on is another 42*, which arrangement is repeated as
often as may be necessary, as hereafter to be described. Upon the bed plate
27 are standards 44, within which is mounted a sliding ram 45, carrying at
one end a collar 46 loosely thereon, but the said collar is held in position by
a catch 47. The other end of the ram 45 is provided with a screw 48 passing
through a nut 49 mounted between the two standards 44, 44*, and furnished
with a pulley 50 driven from any convenient source. The arrangement
consisting of two fast and one loose pulley as in ordinary use for lathes and
other machines. The screw 48 and ram 45 are slotted, and ordinary fixed

page_text: pins prevent them for revolving; when therefore rotatory motion is con-
municated to the pulley 50, and consequently nut 49, the ram 45 will be
caused to travel backward or forward according to the pulley upon which the
strap is situate. At 51 is a rod constantly drawn towards a definite position
in the direction of the arrow by a spring 52; upon this rod are mounted three
stops 53, 54, 55, in such manner that they can be turned downward at
pleasure, and by these means any one of them may be used for a moving
part to arrive in contact with. Upon the rod 51 is an arm 56 carrying an
incline 57, which at certain times hereafter to be described arrives in contact
with one end of a lever 58 turning upon a fixed centre at 59. The other
end of this lever 58 is situate beneath a sliding rod 60, and can hold it at
intervals by passing into a notch 61. The sliding rod 60 moves in guides
62 and is furnished with a rack 63, in gear with which is a wheel 64
mounted upon an upright shaft 65 and furnished with a lever handle 66,
by turning which handle therefore the said rod may be caused to slide, but it
is always drawn in the direction of the arrow by a spring 67. At 68 is a
strap guide for shifting the strap to the loose or fast pulley 30, 30. The
operation of the machine is as follows:-According to the positions of
the parts shewn, the strap 69 is on the loose or middle pulley of the above-
mentioned arrangement, the strap is also on the loose pulley 30, and the
worms 34, 84*, are by the above described arrangements put out of gear. A
length of metal tube ready for being joined to another (and with an end
for carrying a shaft if desired) is now placed with its end in the cylinder 25,
the swaged part being outward, and when adjusted the lever 66 is turned, by
which means an ordinary guide on the shaft 65 is caused to shift the driving
strap on to one of the two fast pullies, and at the same time bring the notch
61 in the rod 60 over the end of the lever 58 which will pass therein, for as
the shaft 65 is turned the wheel 64 will through the medium of the rack 63
move the said rod forward. The pulley 50 now being driven will cause the
nut 49 to revolve, and the screw 48 and consequently ram 45 will be forced
forward, carrying with them the collar 46, which slips slightly over the
circumference of the metal tube to support it, while it is forced into the
cylinder 25 by the ram 45 until it arrives in contact with the shutter 42.
The stops 53, 54, 55, are all shewn in the Drawing as in one plane, but
before starting the machine as above described they are all turned downward
excepting one, and as the ram 45 advances a projecting part 70 thereon
arrives in contact therewith, and this happens just at the time that
the tube has been thrust the proper distance into the cylinder 25. The

page_text: effect of this will be that the rod 51 will be caused to slide and bring the
incline 57 under the tail end of the lever 58, thereby causing it to turn upon
its centre and liberate the rod 60, which is then drawn by the force of the
spring 67, thus turning the shaft 65 and shifting the strap on to the other
fast pulley and causing the nut 49 to revolve in the opposite direction to that
above described, and carrying back the ram 45 to the position shewn in
the Drawing; this return motion of the ram 45 will have brought the pro-
jecting part 70 mounted thereon into contact with the stop 71 attached to the rod
60, and the main strap will thus be shifted on to the loose pulley. There is now
a tube in the cylinder 25, and another is then introduced with the swaged
part forward; the lever handle 66 is again turned to throw the driving strap
on to a fast pulley, and the ram 45 is again caused to advance, pressing
forward the secondly applied tube, which in its turn thrusts forward the tube
which was first applied, and at the same time effects a junction therewith by
the usual swaged part; a third tube is now adapted to the cylinder 25 when
the operations above described being repeated the combined tubes will be
moved forward until the swage joint occupies a position as at A, and a portion
of the tube has passed into the second cylinder 26, by means of which the
whole is held in a true axial position. I will here remark that the use of
the three stops 53, 54, 55, shewn in the Drawing, is simply to accommodate
the machine for the different widths of sheet metal employed in making the
tubes, for as some are wider than others it is obvious that the ram 45 must
travel varying distances. The joint of the two tubes having thus been
brought into the space between the two cylinders, and they being held true to
each other by the said cylinders the soldering may be performed; this is
effected by placing one of the worms 34 or 34* in gear with its wheel by the
means before mentioned, say that shewn at 84*; the cylinders 25, 26, will
then be caused to revolve so as to carry round with them the united tubes at
a comparatively high speed, and the attendant then distributes the resin and
solder around the joint, after which the worm 34* is ungeared, and that
shewn at 34 is geared, which by causing the cylinders 25, 26, and consequently
the tubes to revolve at a slower speed enables a flowing distribution of the
solder to be effected by means of the usual bit; when this has been done the
last-mentioned worm is also thrown out of gear and the strap is placed upon
the fast pulley 30 so as to turn the tubes at a suitable velocity for their
being skimmed in the ordinary manner. The above-described operations
complete the junction of two lengths of tubes, and they are repeated according
to the length of drum or tube required. In the case of repetition, the joined

page_text: tubes will pass out of their supporting cylinders, and they are carried in their
passage by rollers 75, which are placed with their axis in a line with the
cylinder 25, 26, so as to revolve with the tubes during the above described
operations, and this system may be carried to any desired length together
with intervening stops or shutters, as at 42*, similar to the shutter 42; the
stops 53, 54, 55, are so designed so as to register the distance to which the
tube shall travel at each movement, but in order to secure each part being
thrust home to another the shutters 42* are adapted, but as they must not be
absolutely rigid, and in order that they may not bear against the ends of the
tubes when they are moved out of the way thereof, the following arrangement
is adopted-The shafts 76, 76, upon which the said stops or shutters are
mounted are capable of sliding in bearings, but are kept towards the
cylinder 26 by a weighted lever 77 pressing against a studs 78, and an
elastic medium is therefore afforded, but when the shutters are to be raised
then the attendant by turning a lever handle 79 mounted on a centre 80
causes another. arm 81 to raise the weighted lever 77 and so liberate the
pressure. As the manufactured tube accumulates in length the shutters
42, 42*, are of course successively turned over to allow it to pass. The first
shutter 42 is not mounted so as to give way with the others; I have not
found this necessary, but if desired it may be forced against the cylinder by a
spring which will yield to pressure.
I have in the foregoing description particularly alluded to the construction
of cylindrical tubes, but so far as the machinery described in reference to
Figs. 1 and 2, 3, 4, 5, is concerned tubes of conical and other forms may be
made.
I have also illustrated my Invention by describing the production of
lengths joined together suitable for tin drums or rollers of spinning ma-
chinery, but it will be obvious that it may be applied to other rollers or
tubes constructed on the same principle, and I desire it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise construction of parts shewn and
described, but claim as secured to me under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the manufacture of such articles as aforesaid by soldering or
joining the seams of metal while they are held in a true form by a cylinder or
other outward casing; also the use for the purpose above set forth of an
expanding mandril.
Secondly, the rolling and swaging of such articles as aforesaid on their
interior surface, while they are held by a cylinder, cone, or other such casing.

page_text: Thirdly, joining together lengths of tubes, and also soldering the same
while they are beld in a cylinder or cylinders or other outward casing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Little, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE LITTLE. (L.S.)