Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and other Metal Tubes, and in the Apparatus or Machinery for the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and other Metal Tubes,
and in the Apparatus or Machinery for the same.
We, THOMAS BUDWORTH SHARP, of County Chambers, A, Martineau Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, and FREDERICK BILLING, of
Livery Street, Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of steel and
other metal tubes and in the apparatus or machinery for the same and is intended
to cheapen the production.
We will first speak of our invention as applied to the production of seamless
steel tubes:Inside a strong hollow cylinder open at both ends, we place a heated
circular steel billet. The external diameter of this heated billet is preferably a
shade less than the inside of the strong hollow cylinder-the best result will be
obtained when it is of such a size that it can be pushed in, without much force on
the one hand or without much "shake" on the other hand. The internal bore
of this strong hollow cylinder, which we will call the "billet cylinder" is pre-
ferably, though not necessarily, a very little larger at one end than the other, with
a gradual iaper from end to end. Opposite one end of this billet cylinder (and
we mean opposite the slightly larger end, when the hole is not made parallel
throughout) we place a strong pointer, or piercer. This piercer is only a short
distance away from the open end of the billet cylinder, and we make the axis of
the piercer, when viewed endwards coincident with the axis of the billet cylinder;
that is to say they are both in the same straight line. This piercer may consist of
a strong uniform round steel rod, pointed at the end nearest to the billet cylinder
and somewhat longer than the heated steel billet under treatment; its other end
presses up against an immoveable stop. The pointed end of this piercer, may if
requisite be replaced by a renewable end or pointed bulb fitted with any ready
means of attachment. To keep this piorcer in position we place it inside a
guiding cylinder,” the axis of which also coincides with the axes of the pointer
and the billet cylinder. This guiding cylinder is larger, as to its internal diameter,
than the cylinder containing the billet, but has about the same internal diameter
as the outsider diameter of the tube we are about to make. We now fit inside this
guiding cylinder one or more discs, with holes in them; which holes fit the rod
of the piercer. These loose discs or washers (when more than on is used) are
placed at suitable intervals along the rod and so keep it in position; but one
washer should always be placed ns near the pointed end of the piercer as possible.
When we have a loose bulb we place this one particular washer immediately
behind the said loose bulb. When the piercer is in position, and the heated billet
inside the billet cylinder we introduce at the other end of the said billet cylinder
**

page_text: (and at that end away from the piercer) a ram preferably driven by hydraulio
power. This ram forces the billet out at the piercer end of the cylinder and causes
the said piercer to force a hole into the said billet, and so form it into a tube.
(The billet is forced out of the cylinder in which it was first placed and on to and
over the rod of the piercer.) We can either force the ram so far that the point
of the piercer shall go right through the billet, or let it-that is-the ram stop
short in its action, in which case. We have a tube closed at one end after the
manner of a thimble or test tube. The tube, whether it has one end closed or
both ends open is now taken out of the guiding cylinder, and off the piercer, to be
further manipulated in any desirable way.
We may if we prefer have a small hole up the billet, before it is put through the
operation just described and we may also if we prefer take our newly formed tubo
through too or more sets of our new apparatus--of course suitably altering the
dimensions of the said apparatus. Up to now we have only spoken of steel but
it will easily be understood that we may use any other metal or alloy which is of
a sufficiently ductile nature, and which will stand the strains to which the process
subjects it.
We have also spoken of the metal being treated in a heated state, but we may
when requisite, treat the billet or tube in a cold state, as for instance, if the metal
or alloy under treatment is of the nature of lead. We have spoken of the cylinders
into which the billet is first placed as being very slightly enlarged towards tho
end which is nearest to the pointer. This is to prevent undue friction, and con-
sumption of unnecessary power. For the same reason we make that part of our
piercer, which is just behind the point a shade larger than the rest of the rod
and when we use a loose renewable end. We make the greatest diameter of this
loose renewable end, or bulb, a shade larger than the rod to which it is temporarily
attached. We have spoken of the two cylinders, and the piercer, as being
stationary and of the rain as being movable, but of course the same result would
be obtained if the ram were stationary and the cylinders and piercer movable or
if both the ram and the cylinders and the pointer were all movable.
We have hitherto spoken only of circular billets in circular holes being made
into circular tubes, but, we may if we like deal with billets of a square oval
hexagonal or other suitable section and we can if we like somewhat vary the
relative shapes of the sections of the billet and the tube while transforming the
said billet into the said tube. This modification of our invention however is so
obvious that it need not be further described.
The billet and guiding cylinders may each be made in two halves, split longi-
tudinally for convenience when inserting the billet or extracting the tube; in this
case after closing them they may be secured by external rings, or with pins and
cotters as in ironfounders moulding boxes.
Dated this 29th der of May 1897
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel and other Metal Tubes,
and in the Apparatus or Machinery for the same.
We, THOMAS BUDWORTII SILARP, of County Chambers, A, Martineau Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, and FREDERICK BILLING, of

page_text: Livery Street, Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
Our invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of steel and
other metal tubes and in the apparatus or machinery for the same and is intended
to cheapen the said manufacture and facilitate the inore rapid production of tubes
especially in regard to the earlier stages in their production from the billets. We
effect this object by treating the billet while in a hot or plastic state. We treat
these billets to produce the hollow shell by pressure applied by our special appara-
tus or machinery which we are about to explain by reference to the accompanying
drawings which are given as examples of the mode we pursue in the said manu-
facture and from which as an example others will have no difficulty in applying
our invention to general practice and in the substitution of various mechanical
members for those shewn to produce the required effect as herein set forth.
Figure 1 is a part sectional plan of our improved apparatus or machinery for
manufacturing steel and other metal tubes.
Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing a smaller portion of the appara-
tus with the billet B somewhat advanced or in progress.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1 showing the back stop arrangement.
Figure 4 is an end view of the billet cylinder.
Figure 5 shows the discs or guides for keeping the rod which carries the piercer
from bending or buckling.
Figure 6 shows an alternative mode of using the stop arrangement and
Figure 7 is an end view of Figure 6.
The
In carrying our invention into practice we form the strong hollow cylinder A
preferably made of steel provided with the lugs a' and a² which we call the "billet
cylinder" and is preferably, though not necessarily, a little larger in diameter at
the end where the pointer or piercer P is situated with a gradual taper from end
to end so as to lessen the friction as the billet B advances. This pointer or
piercer may be arranged so as to be only a short distance from the open end a³ of
the billet cylinder and is formed from a strong round steel rod pointed or rounded
at the end p and somewhat longer than the heated billet B which fits into the
billet eylinder. The opposite end of the rod P is thinned down and is provided
with the hole for the purpose of withdrawing it when required.
shoulders butt against the movable stop C which fits into the recess formed
in the back portion D of our apparatus as shown at Figure 1 or the stop C may
be used at the front D as shown at Figure 6. It will be noticed that the end pt
is larger than the rod P and has the notches 75, and receives the rod P which is
fastened by the pin and by this modification the manipulation of the rod is
easier as the hole d' through D is much larger. To keep this piercer in position
we place it inside the guiding cylinder E the internal diameter being larger than
the internal diameter of the billet cylinder and larger in diameter than the tube
which it is intended to make and it is provided with the lugs and Fitted
inside this guiding cylinder are the divided discs and e' (but it must be under-
stood that we may have only one, or we may have more than two of these discs
and they may be placed at either end of the guiding cylinder. A plan of these
discs is shown at Figure 5 from which it will be seen that the junctions e mitre
together so that the hole is quite effective in maintaining the rod P quite straight
until the billet B has advanced sufficiently forward against them when they
retreat upon the hinge pins or pivots e and close into the recesses e.
springs S bring the divisions of the discs back into position when the billet is
removed or has passed. Various kinds of springs may of course be used to answer
the same purpose.
The
Fitted between the guiding cylinder and the billet cylinder is the renewable
filling in piece F which is so tapered as to be clear of the billet as it is enlarged

page_text: by the piercer but still sufficiently near to steady the billet should there be a
tendency on its part to bend or to turn materially out of its course.
We never
squirt the metal but keep the area of the hole in the part F and E sufficiently
large so that by our process the length of the billet when punched is shorter than
when we commence. The steel rods H and H are provided for holding the parts
together and pass through holes formed in the lugs a¹ and a³ and e¹ and e and
also through the holes formed in the lugs of the filling in piece the distance
pieces and being provided so as to keep the back portion and the guiding
cylinder the required distance apart. When the piercer and the healed billet are
in the position as shewn at Figure 1 the ram R preferably driven by hydraulic
power forces the billet on to and over the piercer and thus forms it into a tube
the discs passing away before the billet as it advances as hereinbefore explained.
The hollow steel pusher J which is placed inside the billet cylinder and between the
billet and the ram is provided so as to allow the point of the piercer to enter after
the billet has been pushed over the piercer and formed into a tube and the end of
the piercer drops into it loosely. The distance pieces K and K' are arranged
between the lugs on the end of the billet cylinder and the hydraulic cylinder. The
ram may only be operated so as to force the billet partly on to the piercer that is
to say we form a tube with one end closed after the manner of a thimble or test
tube. The tube whether it has one end closed or both ends open is then taken out
of the guiding cylinder and off the piercer to be further manipulated in any
desired manner.
We may if we prefer have a small hole formed up the centre of the billet before
it is put through the operation just described and we may also if we prefer pass
the newly formed tube through two or more sets of our new apparatus, of course
suitably altering the dimensions of the apparatus.
Instead of using billets of steel it will be quite evident that we may use any
other metal or alloy which is of a sufficiently ductile nature while hot and which
will stand the strains to which the process subjects it.
We generally form the end of the piercer as shown with a loose bulb or it may
be formed from a pointed bulb and fitted with any other ready means of attach-
ment or the rod itself may be pointed or formed into the desired shape.
vary the
It will be quite evident that the two cylinders and the piercer may be made to
advance instead of remaining stationary or the ram and the cylinders and the
piercer may all be movable. It will also be understood that instead of circular
billets in circular cylinders being made into circular tubes we may deal with
billets of a square oval hexagonal or other section and we may somewhat
relative shapes of the sections of the billet while transforming it into a tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
OLAIMS.
First The improvements in the manufacture of steel and other metal tubes
from hot billets and in the apparatus or machinery for the same consisting of the
cylinder A aud cylinder or guiding chamber or medium with its discs for
keeping the rod 1 straight and with the separating piece F, or not, and the
piercer on the rod l' or its equivalent by which the billet is pierced by pressure
and with the back stop C arranged and operated in the manner substantially as
hérein before set forth.
Second: In machines for forming metal tubes from hot billets the discs as
shewn at Figures 5 1 and 2 for preventing the rod P from buckling substantially
as herein set forth.
Third: In machines for forming metal tubes from hot billets the stop C in
connection with the back part D substantially as herein set forth and shown at
Figures 1, 6 and 7.

page_text: Fourth-The machinery for making tubes from hot billets herein set forth.
and shown upon the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 1
TL1000
T. B. SHARP and
F. BILLING,
By George Barker,
Agent, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.