Improvements relating to the Production of Metal Strip for Button Making and other Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements relating to the Production of Metal Strip for Button
Making and other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Wordsworth House, Highfield Road, Saltley, in the
City of Birmingham, Metal Wire and Tube Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements relating to the production of metal
strips to be employed in the manufacture of buttons, eyelets, and other articles,
my object being to produce strips of a uniform thickness at small cost from old
or disused boiler and other tubes.
In the manufacture of my improved strips from old or disused boiler tubes, I
first split or open the tube longitudinally, preferably by placing it on a draw
bench and drawing through it a cutter of a prismatic shape mounted in a head
or bulb formed upon or secured with a mandrel rod.
After the tube has been split or opened by the drawing through of the cutting
tool, I pickle the metal, thus thoroughly cleansing the same, and flatten down
one end in any convenient manner for a short distance to permit of its insertion
between ordinary rolls. By the action of the rolls and a wedge like block
placed on the entering side of the same the split tube is opened out
and flattened down into a flat strip form throughout its entire length
and by subsequent rolling it is reduced to the required gauge or thickness to suit
the purpose for which it is to be employed.
By my invention I am enabled to produce at small cost metal strips having a
uniformity of thickness, the thickening frequently occurring along the middle of
strips rolled down from heavy ingots being avoided.
Dated this 11th day of May 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Production of Metal Strip for Button
Making and other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Wordsworth House, Highfield Road, Saltley, in the
City of Birmingham, Metal Wire and Tube Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention consists of improvements relating to the production of metal
strips to be employed in the manufacture of buttons, eyelets, and other articles,
my object being to produce strips of uniform thickness and of good quality at
small cost from old or disused boiler and other tubes.
In the manufacture of my improved strips from old or disused boiler tubes, I
first split or open the tube longitudinally, preferably by placing it on a draw
bench and drawing through it a cutter of a prismatic shape mounted in a head
or bulb formed upon or secured with a mandrel rod.
After the tube has been split or opened by the drawing through of the cutting
tool, I anneal and pickle the metal, thus thoroughly cleansing the same, and
flatten down one end in any convenient manner for a short distance to permit of
its insertion between ordinary rolls. By the action of the rolls and a wedge like
block placed on the entering side of the same the split tube is opened out and
flattened down into a flat strip form throughout its entire length, and by subsequent
rolling it is reduced to the required gauge or thickness to suit the purpose for
which it is to be employed.
Before splitting or opening the tube as herein before described, I sometimes
reduce the thickness of the metal to the gauge of the required strip by drawing
the complete tube on a mandrel through a reducing die in the ordinary manner.
I also sometimes reduce the diameter of the tube before splitting or opening it
to obtain a strip of the desired width.
By my invention I am enabled to produce at small cost metal strips of good
quality and having a uniformity of thickness, the thickening frequently occurring
along the middle of strips rolled down from heavy ingots being avoided. The
treatment of old boiler tubes in accordance with my invention so thoroughly clears
the metal of corrosion and also of the sulphur taken up from the boiler fires, that
the resulting strip is much more preferable for re-casting purposes than the
ordinary old boiler tube metal.
On the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings.--
Figure 1 is a side elevation, with part in section, and Figure 2 an end elevation.
illustrating the splitting or opening of a tube by means of a cutter as A fixed in
the head B formed upon or secured with the mandrel rod B. The tube C to be
split or opened is placed on a draw bench with one end abutting against the die
or die block D. The mandrel head B is then drawn by the ordinary bench gear
through the tube, and during such movement the cutter A splits or opens the tube
throughout its length. The abutting end c of the tube is swelled or enlarged
as shown in any ordinary manner.
Figure 3 is a side elevation and Figure 4 a plan showing another type of tube
opening or splitting tool, consisting of a mandrel rod E having a head E of a
suitable form for carrying a pair of circular cutters as F F arranged respectively
over and under each other. The said figures are drawn to a larger scale than the
preceding Figures 2 and 3. The tube to be split or opened (of which a portion is
represented by dotted lines at Figure 3) is supported and sustained in a stationary
position on the draw bench, and the cutting head on the mandrel rod E is drawn

page_text: through it, the cutter F passing through the outer surface of the tube and the
cutter F through the inner surface as illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Metal strips for button making and other purposes produced from old or
disused boiler and other tubes, substantially as described.
2. The method and means for producing metal strips of uniform thickness,
and of good quality from old or disused boiler tubes, substantially as described and
as illustrated.
Dated this 6th day of February 1900.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, & 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.