Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing the Bodies of Metal Barrels and other similar Vessels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Da of Application, 18th Feb., 1891
E
Complete Specification Left, 17th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing the Bodies of Metal
Barrels and other similar Vessels.
I THOMAS CRITCHLEY BARRACLOUGH of 20 Bucklersbury in the City of
London, Engineer, .do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of the bodies of metal barrels
and other similar vessels with strengthening ribs from a hollow ingot or weldless
tube or from a welded tube, and the invention comprises a special construction of
machine for rolling and expanding the tubes, and a special construction of machine
for forming the rolled or expanded tubes into barrel bodies with or without a swell
or "bellyand for finishing these bodies and in combination with this machine
there is, when desired, an apparatais for flanging the ends of the barrel bodies.
Before being submitted to the first of my machines the hollow ingot or tube to
be made into a barrel body is formed with internal ribs, and this object can be
conveniently attained by inserting into the ingot when heated a round steel
mandrel having circular grooves corresponding with the ribs to be produced and
then passing the ingot with its mandrel several times through a set of suitable rolls
such as are used for rolling round steel bars. The mandrel with its tube is then
placed in my rolling and expanding machine.
This machine which not only reduces the metal in thickness and expands the
tube, but also allows of the mandrel being readily withdrawn from the tube, is
constructed as follows:-
Two rollers of chilled cast iron, steel or other suitable material are placed one
above the other in a true vertical line between housings. The lower roller has its
necks or journals in fixed bearings while the necks or journals of the upper roller
are in bearing blocks which can rise and fall in guideways in the housings. These
blocks are preferably made in two parts so as to take up the wear of the brasses.
The driving power is connected to the lower roller and is transmitted to the upper
roller by gearing so arranged as to cause the two rollers to revolve in the same
direction. This revolving of the two rollers in the same direction is necessary in
order to produce the required expansion of the tube.
The round mandrel having the tube to be operated upon outside it and in the
state in which it left the bar-rolling mill is placed in open-top bearings of a
carriage mounted on rails. The carriage is then run forward until the mandrel
and tube are exactly between the top and bottom rollers, a stop or catch ensuring
that the carriage shall be pushed only so far as will bring the mandrel and tube
exactly into position.
To allow the mandrel and tube to enter between the rollers the upper roller is
counterpoised so that it is forced up, except when downward pressure is applied as
hereinafter described. This counterpoising may conveniently be effected by weights
on the ends of levers whose other ends are connected to a lifting plate from which
vertical rods rise to the bearing blocks of the upper roller. The downward
pressure above referred to is obtained from hydraulic cylinders on the top of the
housings, this pressure when applied overcoming that of the counterweights. When
the machine is in motion this pressure is applied to the upper roller and the tube
on the mandrel begins to gradually expand or increase in sectional area by bulging
out at the sides of the mandrel.
When the tube has thus been sufficiently expanded it is withdrawn together
with the mandrel from the machine; the mandrel is then removed from the tube

page_text: and the latter after having been heated in a furnace is submitted to the action of
my machine for giving it the form of a barrel body with by preference the required
swell or belly.
This machine comprises a roller having a convexity corresponding with the
required swell or belly, and having also circular grooves to complete the formation
of a corresponding number of circular ribs inside the barrel bodies during the
process of rolling. There are caps fitting over the necks or journals of this convex
roller, and these caps are raised by hydraulic power to enable the tube or barrel
body to be placed upon, and when finished, removed from the roller, and the same
power gives the necessary downward pressure when the roller is caused to rotate
for the purpose of rolling the barrel body. The machine also comprises a fulling
roller attached to a carriage which receives a reciprocating longitudinal traversing
motion from a hydraulic piston. This fulling roller begins to act at the middle of
the tube or barrel body and the hydraulic piston has a gradually increasing stroke
imparted to it until the full length of the barrel body has been traversed. The
fulling roller carriage is kept concentric with the convex roller by means of a
copy or template having the same curve or radius. The fulling roller can be
adjusted in a direction at right angles to the axis of the barrel body.
In order that while the fulling roller is at work the barrel body which is of
larger diameter than the convex roller may maintain its circular shape the machine
is provided with adjustable guide rollers, the adjusting mechanism being under the
control of the attendant
When the fulling roller has completed its operations the outer surface of the
barrel body will be more or less rough in the form of a series of faint grooves.
To remove this roughness and give a smooth and even finish to the barrel body
the machine is provided with finishing rollers having their surfaces shaped to
correspond with the surface of the convex roller. They are actuated by a hydraulic
cylinder and are capable of adjustment.
If instead of a barrel-shaped body a body of cylindrical form is required the
convex roller will be replaced by a cylindrical roller and other parts of the
machine will be correspondingly modified.
When it is required to bend over or flange the ends of the bodies I fit a flanging
apparatus to the machine. This apparatus which will be duplicated so as to act
on the two ends of the body is fitted on that side of the machine where the finishing
rollers are situated, these rollers being, however, arranged so that they can be
removed entirely away from their working position to make room for the flanging
apparatus. This apparatus is composed of V-grooved rollers, in conjunction with
which are conical rollers for forming a sharp corner underneath the flange when
this is completed. The guide rollers herein before described are set up to the
extent necessary to force the barrel body against the convex roller, the barrel body
being thus made to revolve. As soon as it begins to revolve other guide rollers
are set up until they touch it. After this the V-grooved rollers are brought into
action by the attendant and the ends of the barrel body are thereby bent over and
pressed against the conical rollers, the required flange at each end being thus
formed.
In connection with both the machines hereinbefore described apparatus is applied
for heating the tubes or barrel-bodies during the rolling or forming processes.
This apparatus may consist of a series of jets burning a mixture of gas and air
supplie under pressure.
Dated this 18th day of Wal 1001
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing the Bodies of Metal
Barrels and other similar Vessels.
I, THOMAS CRITCHLEY BARRACLOUGH of 20 Bucklersbury, in the City of
London, 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 :—
This invention has reference to the manufacture of the bodies of metal barrels
and other similar vessels with strengthening ribs from a hollow ingot or weldless
tube or from a welded tube, and the invention comprises a special construction of
machine for rolling and expanding the tubes and a special construction of machine
for forming the rolled or expanded tubes into barrel bodies with or without a swell
or "belly" and for finishing these bodies; and in combination with this machine
there is when desired an apparatus for flanging the ends of the barrel bodies.
Before being submitted to the first of my machines the hollow ingot or tube to
be made into a barrel body is formed with internal ribs, and this object can be
conveniently attained by inserting into the ingot when heated a round mandrel, of
steel or other suitable metal having circular grooves corresponding with the ribs
to be produced and then passing the ingot with its mandrel through a set of
suitable rolls such as are used for rolling round steel bars or by other means.
this preliminary operation and the machinery for effecting it form no part of my
present invention."
But
The mandrel with its tube is then placed in my rolling and expanding machine.
This machine not only reduces the metal in thickness and expands the tube, but
also allows of the mandrel being withdrawn from the tube. The chief charac-
teristic features of the machine are the combination of two horizontal rolls or rollers
placed one above the other with their axes in the same vertical plane and rotated
in the same direction, one of these rolls being mounted in bearings which can
move in vertical guideways, this roll when the rolling is being effected being forced
towards the other roll by hydraulic or other power. while when this power is
removed the said roll automatically moves away from the other roll and the
combination with rolls arranged and working as above explained, of a mandrel and
tube carriage by which the tube to be operated upon and its contained mandrel are
introduced sideways into position between the rolls and again removed after the
rolling has been completed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation partly in section on
the line CD of Figure 2 and the rails being also in section, of a rolling and
expanding machine constructed according to this part of my invention in its
preferred form.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, one of the hydraulic cylinders being shown in mid-
section.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan on line A B of Figure 2.
a is a bed plate. bare two main housings fixed on the said bed plate and held
together by cross stays c c. dd' are two rolls of chilled cast iron, steel or other
suitable material placed one above the other between the housings & b with their
axes in the same vertical plane. The lower roll has its necks or journals in
fixed bearings formed in the lower portion of the two housings bb, while the necks
or journals of the upper roll d are in bearing blocks e which can rise and fall in
guideways in the housings. These blocks e are preferably made in two parts as
shown, so as to take up the wear of the brasses g. The driving power is connected
to the lower roll d' and is transmitted to the upper roll d by gearing so arranged
as to cause the two rolls d d' to revolve in the same direction. This revolving of
the two rolls in the same direction is necessary in order to produce the required
expansion of the tube. The gearing shown in the drawing consists of a toothed

page_text: wheel on the end or the roll d', a toothed wheel on the end of the roll d and an
intermediate wheel gearing with both the wheels and and transmitting motion
from the one to the other. It is obvious that any other suitable arrangement of
gearing may be substituted for that shown provided the rolls d d' are rotated in the
same direction.
The round mandrel marked 'having the tube to be operated upon outside it and
in the state in which it left the bar rolling mill is placed in open top bearings pof
a carriage m mounted on rails which are supported partly by the housings b b
and partly by standards k. The carriage m is then run forward until the mandrel
and tube are exactly between the top and bottom rolls dd', a stop or catch ensuring
that the carriage shall be pushed only so far as will bring the mandrel and tube
exactly into position.
9
To allow the mandrel and tube to enter between the rolls the upper roll dis
counterpoised so that it is forced up except when downward pressure is applied as
hereinafter described. This counterpoising in the preferred arrangement which is
that illustrated in the drawings is effected by weights on the ends of levers sat
each side of the machine. These levers are fulcrummed at t and their other ends
are connected by links t' to lifting plates u from which vertical rods rise to the
bearing blocks e of the upper roll. The downward pressure above referred to is
obtained from hydraulic cylinders on the top of the housings bb, this pressure
when applied overcoming that of the counterweights. When the machine is in
operation this pressure is applied to the upper roll & and causes the tube on the
mandrel to gradually expand or increase in circumference by bulging out at the
sides of the mandrel at the same time reducing it in thickness. It is obvious that
other power such as that of screws can be employed in lieu of hydraulic power as
described for exerting downward pressure on the bearing blocks e.
Although it is preferred that the upper roll d should be the roll mounted in
movable bearings, it is obvious that the lower roll d' may be mounted in movable
bearings in which case the bearings of the upper roll will be fixed, the vertical
guideways will be adapted to the lower roll and the hydraulic or other power
for exerting the necessary pressure will be arranged below the lower roll so as to
act upon this roll and force it towards the upper roll d; the counterpoise will then
be unnecessary as the lower roll will descend of its own weight when the hydraulic
pressure is removed.
When the tube has thus been sufficiently expanded it is withdrawn together with
the mandrel from the machine; the mandrel is then removed from the tube and
the latter after having been heated in a furnace is submitted to the action of
my machine for giving it the form of a barrel body with or without a swell
or belly.
The chief characteristic features of this machine are, (1). The combination
with a roller upon which the expanded tube to be operated upon is to be loosely
placed, and which has a longitudinal contour or convexity corresponding with that
required in the finished body, of a fulling roller having a reciprocating longitudinal
traversing motion for acting upon the expanded tube and imparting to it a contour
corresponding with that of the roller which carries it. (2). The combination with
the said roller upon which the expanded tube is to be placed and with the said
fulling roller of guide rollers for the purpose of maintaining the circular shape of
the barrel body. (3). The combination with the said roller upon which the
expanded tube is to be placed and with the said fulling roller, of finishing rollers
for removing any roughness or unevenness left on the barrel body after the action
thereon of the fulling roller. (4). The combination with the said roller upon which
the expanded tube is to be placed of apparatus for giving an out turned flange to
each end of the barrel body.
Figure 4 is a plan of my machine in its preferred construction for forming the
barrel body and of the Hanging apparatus which I combine therewith.
Figure 5 is a side elevation."
Figure 6 an end elevation nartly sectional

page_text: igure
a decan view showing the hanging roners D D, conical roners ШУ
and roller a.
a is a roller which is shown as convex to correspond with the required swell or
belly on the barrel body; but if the body is to be cylindrical the roller a will also
be cylindrical and other parts of the machine will be correspondingly modified as
will be well understood. The said roller is shown with the circular grooves a' for
the purpose of completing the formation of a corresponding number of internal
ribs in the barrel body when it has been previously formed with such ribs. It is
driven by any suitable engine the motion from which is transmitted to the toothed
wheel on the roller shaft. is a cap fitting over one of the necks or journals of
the roller a and this cap is raised by hydraulic power to enable the expanded tube
or barrel body to be placed upon and when finished removed from the said roller,
and the same power gives the necessary downward pressure for preventing the
roller from springing away from its work when rolling the barrel body. The
hydraulic power is applied by means of a hydraulic cylinder b with ram, the rod c
of which is cottered on a crosshead d from which rise two vertical rods e e to
which the cap is attached. It will readily be understood that when downward
pressure is required for rolling a barrel body it is obtained by admitting water into
the top of the cylinder and that when the barrel body is finished and has to be
removed from the machine the valves of cylinder bare reversed water being thus
admitted to the bottom of cylinder b so that the cap is forced up and the barrel
body can be removed.
9 is a
fulling roller attached to a carriage h which receives a reciprocating longi-
tudinal traversing motion through the intermediation of rods and a crosshead
(not shown) from the end of a ram working in a hydraulic cylinder: This fulling
roller begins to act at the middle of the barrel body and the ram in has a gradually
increasing stroke imparted to it until the full length of the barrel body has been
traversed. The fulling roller carriage is made to follow the exact shape of the
convex roller a by means of a copy or template k and it is guided during its
traverse by slides 1. The fulling roller can be adjusted in a direction at right
angles to the axis of the barrel body and set up to its work on starting by means
of the screw m and capstan nut n which rigidly maintain the roller g at its work
without further adjustment until the fulling operation is completed. They are
connected with the carriage and enable this to be raised and lowered as
required.
In order that while the fulling roller g is at work, the barrel body which is of
larger diameter than the convex roller a may maintain its circular shape, the
machine is provided with guide rollers o, these are carried on a bracket fixed
to a cross rail the whole being adjustable by means of the screws which are
actuated simultaneously by the worm shaft and worm wheels being under the
control of the attendant, a key or hand wheel being fitted for the purpose on the
end of the said shaft.
When the fulling roller has completed its operations the outer surface of the
barrel body will be more or less rough in the form of a series of faint grooves. To
remove this roughness and give a smooth and even finish to the barrel body the
machine is provided with finishing rollers u having their surfaces shaped to
correspond with the surface or longitudinal contour of the roller a. They are
kept in contact with the barrel body by the rams of hydraulic cylinders vand
when it is required that they shall move away from the said body the exhaust
passages of the cylinders are opened and the rams then descend of their own
weight.
I will now describe the flanging apparatus to which the barrel body is submitted
after having been shaped and finished as already explained.
This flanging
apparatus is duplicated so as to act on the two ends of the barrel body, and is
placed on that side of the machine where the finishing rollers uw are situated.
When the flanging apparatus is required to be put into operation the rollers uu are
withdrawn from their working position. The flanging apparatus is carried on the

page_text: cross-rail and is composed of V-grooved rollers B B. in conjunction with which
are conical rollers E E for forming a sharp corner underneath the flange when this
is completed. The rollers B B are mounted on studs K K and actuated radially
by hand wheels L L, worm shafts M M and worm sectors N N all of which are
carried on brackets or frames C C. Adjustment of the apparatus in the direction
which is parallel to the axis of the barrel body is obtained by means of the
bolts FF which when their nuts are slacked are free to be slid along slots G G in
the rail A. Adjustment in the direction which is at right angles to the axis of the
barrel body is obtained by means of the dovetail slides H H which can be moved
forward or backward by means of the screws J J and hand wheels II. The guide
rollers o o already described are set up to the extent necessary to force the barrel
body against the convex roller a, the barrel body being thus made to revolve. As
soon as it begins to revolve other guide rollers D D on the opposite side are set
up until they touch it. After this the V-grooved rollers B B are brought into
action by the attendant by means of the hand wheels L L, worm shafts M M, and
sectors N N and the ends of the barrel body which is indicated at X in Figures 4
and are thereby bent over and pressed against the conical rollers E E the
required flange at each end being thus formed.
Instead of employing hydraulic power for bringing the necessary downward
pressure upon or for lifting the cap and for moving the finishing rollers u u into
or out of their working position it is obvious that other power such for example
as screw power can be employed; also that steam or other fluid pressure can be
substituted for hydraulic pressure for imparting the reciprocating motion to the
fulling roller. carriage h.
Both the rolling and expanding machine Figures 1 to 3, and the forming and
shaping machine Figures 4 to 7, should be provided with suitable apparatus, such
for instance as a series of jets burning a mixture of gas and air supplied under
pressure for heating the tubes during the rolling and expanding and the shaping
and finishing and flanging processes.
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 in respect of machinery for manufacturing the bodies of metal barrels and
other similar vessels is :-
1. In a machine for rolling and expanding metal tubes the combination of a roll
or roller mounted in fixed bearings, a roll rotating in the same direction as the first
named roll and mounted in movable bearings which are fitted in vertical guideways
and when in operation forced towards the said fixed bearings by powerful pressure,
and a mandrel and tube carriage adapted to introduce a mandrel with the tube to
be expanded upon it into position sideways between the two rolls, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In a machine for rolling and expanding metal tubes, the combination with a
lower roll mounted in fixed bearing of an upper roll driven in the same direction
as the lower roll and mounted in movable bearings. forced down when in operation
by powerful pressure, vertical guideways, for the movable bearings and a counter-
poise adapted to lift the upper roll and its bearings when the pressure is removed,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. The combination or arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, constituting an improved machine
for rolling and expanding metal tubes.
4. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels, the combination with a roller upon which the tube or
barrel body to be operated upon is to be loosely placed and which has a longitudinal
contour or convexity corresponding with that required in the finished body,ofa
fulling roller adapted to come in contact with the barrel body and having a
reciprocating longitudinal traversing motion whereby it imparts to said barrel body

page_text: a contour corresponding with that of the roller which carries it, substantially as
herein before described.
5. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels, tlie combination with a roller upon which the tube or
barrel body to be operated upon is to be loosely placed and a fulling roller adapted
to come in contact with the barrel body and having a reciprocating longitudinal
traversing motion during which it acts upon the barrel body, of guide rollers
adapted to come in contact with the barrel body whereby its circular form is
maintained during the shaping operation, substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a machine for shaping and finishing metal bodies for barrels or other
similar vessels, the combination with a roller upon which the barrel body to be
operated upon is to be loosely placed and a fulling roller adapted to come in contact
with the barrel body and having a reciprocating longitudinal traversing motion
during which it acts upon the barrel body, of finishing rollers adapted to come in
contact with the barrel body whereby any roughness or unevenness left on the
barrel body, after the action thereon of the fulling roller, is removed, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
7. In a machine for shaping and flanging metal bodies for barrels or other similar
vessels, the combination with a roller upon which the barrel body to be operated
upon is to be loosely placed and a fulling roller adapted to come in contact with
the barrel body and having a reciprocating longitudinal traversing motion during
which it acts upon the barrel body, of flanging rollers adapted to come in contact
with the ends of the body and flange the same, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
8. In a machine for shaping and Hanging metal bodies for barrels or other
similar vessels, the combination with a roller upon which the barrel body to be
operated upon is to be loosely placed, a fulling roller adapted to come in contact
with the barrel body and having a reciprocating longitudinal traversing motion
during which it acts upon the barrel body, and flanging rollers adapted to come in
contact with the ends of the body and flange the same, of conical rollers working
in conjunction with the said flanging rollers and adapted to enter the corner formed
underneath each flange whereby the said corner is sharpened, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
9. In a machine for shaping, finishing and flanging metal bodies for barrels or
other similar vessels, the combination of the following rollers substantially as
hereinbefore described and shown in Figures 4 to 7, viz.-A roller upon which the
barrel body to be operated upon is to be loosely placed, a fulling roller adapted to
come in contact with the barrel body and having a reciprocating longitudinal
traversing motion during which it acts upon said barrel body, guide rollers adapted
to come in contact with the barrel body and to maintain its circular form, finishing
rollers adapted to come in contact with the barrel body and to remove any roughness
or unevenness left thereon after the action of the fulling roller, and flanging rollers
adapted to come in contact with the ends of the body and to flange the same.
10. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels the combination with the roller a (Figures 4 to 7) upon
which the tube or barrel body to be operated upon is to be loosely placed, of the
movable cap fitting over one of the necks or journals of the said roller, the
rods ee attached to the said cap and the hydraulic cylinder b the ram of which is
connected with the said rods whereby the rods and the cap can be raised or
lowered as required and downward pressure can be brought upon the roller a,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
11. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels, the combination with the fulling roller (Figures 4 to 7)
and its carriage and carriage slides 1, of the hydraulic cylinder ; and its ram
I
.

page_text: connected with the said carriage h whereby reciprocating longitudinal traversing
motion can be given to the carriage and to the roller g, substantially as herein before
described.
12. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels, the combination with the reciprocating longitudinal
traversing fulling roller (Figures 4 to 7) and its carriage h and carriage slides l
of the screw m and nut whereby the roller g can be adjusted in a direction at
right angles to the axis of the barrel body and set up to its work on starting and
rigidly maintained at its work until the fulling operation is completed, substantially
as hercinbefore described.
13. In a machine for forming or shaping metal tubes (such as those produced as
set forth by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3) into bodies for barrels
or other similar vessels, the combination with the reciprocating longitudinal
traversing fulling roller g (Figures 4 to 7) and its carriage and carriage slides 7, of
the copy or template having a curve suitable for forming that required in the
barrel body, substantially as hereinbefore described.
14. In a machine for shaping and flanging metal bodies for barrels or other
similar vessels, the combination with the flanging rollers B B (Figures 4 to 7) of
the worm shafts M M and worm sectors N N whereby the said rollers cau be moved
radially and of the slotted cross-head A' along which the said rollers can be
adjusted in the direction which is parallel to the axis of the barrel body, the
slides H Hadapted to move with the said rollers in the direction at right angles to
the axis of the barrel body, and the screws JJ for moving said slides, substantially
as hercinbefore described.
15. In a machine for shaping and flanging metal bodies for barrels or other
similar vessels the combination with the flanging rollers BB (Figures 4 to 7)
adapted to be moved radially, of the guide rollers oo adapted to be set up against
the barrel body and the guide rollers D D also adapted to be set up against the
barrel body substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
16. The combination or arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 4 to 7 constituting an improved machine for
the manufacture of bodies of barrels or other similar vessels from metal tubes such
as those produced by the machine represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
Dated this 17th day of November 1891.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.