Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Flanging the Ends of Steam Boiler Furnaces or Flues.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Flanging the Ends of
Steam Boiler Furnaces or Flues.
I, SAMSON Fox of Leeds Forge, Leeds, in the County of York, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is usual, in the manufacture of steam boiler furnaces or flues to wholly or
partially flange the same at one end, sometimes at both ends, to adapt the flue or
furnace for rivetting to a juxtaposed part or parts of the boiler.
Such flanging as generally performed by hand, is a tedious and expensive
operation.
Now my present invention has reference to machinery or apparatus whereby such
end flanges can be readily efficiently and economically produced.
For this purpose upon a suitable bed plate is provided a vice-die adapted to
receive and hold a flue or furnace to be flanged and having a movable part forming
a door which after a flue has been put in place can be closed so that then the vice-
die will hold the flue in position to be operated upon by a suitable die, which is
operated by appropriate apparatus, such as a hydraulic or other press, or as I prefer,
a steam hammer.
In the latter case within that end of the flue to be flanged is placed the flanging
die, which is secured by means of bolts and cotters to the tup guide; the tup guide
being secured in a like manner to the vice-die. To the piston rod of the steam
hammer is attached a tup so shaped that one part of it will partially bend or flange
the required part of the end of the flue; and after the tup has been sufficiently
turned another part of it will complete the required flanging operation.
The flue to be operated upon having been heated and placed in position, the tup
actuated by the steam hammer and moving in the tup guide is brought down until
the part adapted for partially flanging the flue comes into contact with that portion
of the end of the flue it is intended to flange and completes the first operation.
The cotters and bolts are then knocked out, the tup and tup guide are turned
half-way round, and they are cottered up fast again.
The tup is then brought down upon the partially flanged flue finishing the flange
to the required radius.
The operation may be carried out at one or more heats.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Flanging the Ends of
Steam Boiler Furnaces or Flues.
1, SAMSON Fox, of Leeds Forge, Leeds, in the County of York, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
It is usual in the manufacture of steam boiler furnaces or flues to wholly or
partially flange the same at one end, sometimes at both ends, to adapt the flue or
furnace for rivetting to a juxtaposed part or parts of the boiler.

page_text: Such flanging as generally performed by hand, is a tedious and expensive
operation.
Now my present invention has reference to machinery or apparatus whereby such
end flanges can be readily efficiently and economically produced.
For this purpose upon a suitable bed plate is provided a vice-die adapted to
receive and hold a flue or furnace to be flanged and having a movable part forming
a door which after a flue has been put in place can be closed so that then the vice-
die will hold the flue in position to be operated upon by a suitable die, (hereinafter
called for distinction the flanging die) which is operated by appropriate apparatus,
such as a hydraulic or other press, or a steam hammer.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate in longitudinal section and plan respectively, a flanging
machine constructed according to this invention the flanging die being arranged to
be operated by hydraulic pressure.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the vice-die forming part of such machine.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the linex Fig. 1.
1 is the fixed part, and 2 the movable part or cap of a vice die within which is
fitted a removable ring 3 made in segments and the inner surface of which is
formed to fit the exterior of the boiler flue 4 that is to be partly flanged at one
end. The part 1 of the vice-die is fixed upon a base plate 5. The movable part
or cap 2 of the said die is arranged to be held .in place by the rams 6, 6ª of two
hydraulic cylinders 7, 7" respectively to one of which it is journalled as shown at 2ª
and to the other of which it can be connected by a cotter passed through a slot 6*
in its upper end.
The flanging die comprises a cylindrical portion 8 adapted to enter the open end
of the boiler flue held in the vice die and formed at its rear end with a circular
portion 9 to support that part 4ª of the edge of the flue that is not to be flanged
and with a bevel portion 9 that extends partly around the portion 8 and is adapted
when the flanging die is forced forward to enter the open end of the boiler flue
and impart a bevel shape to the remaining unsupported edge portion thereof as
shown at 4 (Fig. 1). 10 is a face die adapted to enter the cylindrical portion 8 of
the flanging die as shown and surround the bevel portion 9ª thereof so that when
the flanging die, of which it then forms part, is again moved forward, it will act
against the partly flanged portion 4 of the boiler flue and bend the same into a
position at right angles to the axis of the flue as shown in dotted lines at 4°. This
face die 10 is carried by the head 11 of the ram 12 of a hydraulic cylinder 13 by
which it can be raised and lowered into its operative and inoperative positions
respectively. It is formed with a dove-tail shaped projection 10 adapted to slide
horizontally in a corresponding groove in the head 11 of the ram, and with similarly
shaped projections 10 arranged to slide in grooves formed in vertical slides 14
that are arranged to slide horizontally in suitable guides 15, and are bolted to or
cast in one with the ram 16 of a hydraulic cylinder 17 to which the flanging
die 8 9 9 is also secured. By this construction the face die is firmly held and
guided whilst being moved into its operative and inoperative positions, and whilst
it is being moved forward to complete the flanging operation.
18 is a smaller hydraulic cylinder fitted with a ram 19 that is connected by a
cross head 20 and side rods 21 to lugs or projections 22 on the ram 16, the arrange-
ment being such that by admitting water under pressure to the cylinder 18 the
ram 16 can be easily returned after each flanging operation. 17° and 18ª are pipes
that serve for supplying water under pressure to the cylinders 17 and 18
respectively and also as exhaust pipes as well understood.
23, 23 are side frames that connect the part 1 of the vice-die and the hydraulic
cylinder 17 and serve to hold these.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
The cap piece 2 is lifted by the ram 6 to which it is journalled and swung into
the position shown in Fig. 3; the upper segment of the ring 3 is removed; the
edge portion of the boiler flue to be flanged is heated to a suitable temperature

page_text: say a red heat and the end of the flue then placed on the lower segment of the
ring 3. The upper segment is then replaced, the cap 2 swung back and lowered
upon the upper end of the ram 6 to which it is connected by a cotter, and the
rams 66 and cap 2 lowered by hydraulic pressure so as to firmly clamp the flue
in position. The ram 16 is then caused to move forward so that the cylindrical
portion 8 of the flanging die is caused to enter the flue and the bevel edge portion 9ª
thereof to act against the unsupported heated edge portion of the flue and bend
the same into the position shown at 4b (Fig. 1), the face die 10 being at this time
in its lowered and inoperative position. The ram 16 and flanging die are then
returned to their original positions by admitting water under pressure to the
hydraulic cylinder 18, the face plate 10 is raised into its operative position, shown
in Fig.
by admitting water under pressure to hydraulic cylinder 13, and the
flanging die is again moved forward by the ram 16 so that the face die, which now
forms part of the flange die, acts against the partly flanged portion 4° of the flue and
forces the same into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in which it is at right
angles to the axis of the flue, thereby completing the flanging operation which by the
means described, can be effected at one heat. The ram 16 and flanging die are then
returned as before the face die lowered into its inoperative position, the cap 2 raised
and swung to one side, the upper segment of the ring 3 withdrawn and the
finished flue removed.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation; and
Fig. 6 a vertical section on the line y y (Fig. 5) of a machine constructed
according to this invention in which the flanging die is arranged to be operated by
a stean hammer or by a hydraulic press.
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line z z (Fig. 6).
In this arrangement the fixed part 1 of the vice-die is arranged to support the
boiler flue 4 vertically, the end thereof to be flanged being uppermost, and the
movable part 2 of the said die is hinged at 2ª so that it can be opened and closed
by hand, being held in its closed position by a nut 2b.
Within that end of the flue to be flanged is placed a segmental die 9* that serves
to support that portion 4ª of the end of the flue that is not to be flanged. This
die is secured by means of a bolt 23 and cotter 24 to a tup guide 25 which is
secured by bolts 26 and cotters 27 to the fixed part 1 of the vice-die. To the
piston rod 28 of the steam hammer or ram of press (not shewn) is attached a tup 8*
that is flat at its underside 8* and is formed with a bevel face at 9* this bevel face
extending around the tup to a distance corresponding to the length of the edge of
the flue to be flanged over. The bevel face serves to partially bend or flange the
required part of the end of the flue and after the tup has been sufficiently turned
round its under flat side 8* will serve to complete the required flanging operation.
To enable this latter operation to be readily effected the vice-die is arranged to
support the boiler flue with its axis to one side of the axis of the piston rod 28.
The end of the flue to be operated upon having been heated to a suitable
temperature and clamped in position, the tup 8 actuated by the steam hammer or
press ram and moving in the tup guide 25 is brought down until its bevelled face
portion 9 (for partially flanging the flue) comes into contact with that portion of
the end of the flue it is intended to flange and completes the first portion of the
flanging operation bending the said portion into the position shown at 4° in
Fig. 6.
The cotters 24 and 27 are then knocked out, cotters or bars are inserted through
the slots 28 in the tup guide 25, the tup and tup guide are raised by steam
pressure turned half-way round, and then lowered, the cotters or bars removed from
the slots 28", and the tup guide again cottered up fast to the bolts 23 and 26.
The tup 8 is then again brought down upon the partially flanged edge portion 4'
of the flue so that its flat underside 8* is caused to bend the same into the position
shown in dotted lines at 4° thereby fiuishing the flange to the required radius.
The tup, tup guide and die 9* are then raised and the finished flue removed.

page_text: The two flanging operations may be carried out at one or more heats as may be
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For flanging the ends of steam boiler furnaces or flues, machinery or
apparatus comprising a vice-die adapted to receive and hold the furnace or flue to
be flanged, a flanging die adapted to act upon the end portion of the flue to be
bent or flanged, and means such as a hydraulic or other press, or a steam hammer
for operating the said flanging die substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. For flanging the ends of steam boiler furnaces or flues, machinery or apparatus
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings annexed.
3. For flanging the ends of steam boiler furnaces or flues, machinery or apparatus
constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to and shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 25th day of February 1893
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per W. Cross,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.