Improvements in Means and Apparatus for making Joints with Metal Tubes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1897--Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for making Joints with
Metal Tubes.
I FRANK WYNNE of Number 13 Ashley Gardens in the City of Westminster Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-―
My invention relates to Improvements in making joints with or by means of
inetal tubes by the effect of sudden and permanent expansion produced in one tube
or ferrule by the explosion of a suitable explosive in that part of it which is inserted
in another tube or lug the effect of the pressure or blow produced by the explosion
which I localize and limit so as not to be destructive being to force the inner tube
against the outer tube and into any recesses or round any protuberances in the same
and so to join and bind them together.
In carrying out my invention I provide that the inner or inserted tube or that
part of it which has to be permanently dilated by the explosion shall be of a suitably
ductile metal to suffer the dilatation without undue injury, and that the outer or
holding tube or lug shall be of such material and such dimension, or be so supported
as to resist without injury or deformation the pressure or blow on it froin the
explosion and the pressure of the dilated inner tube and I provide for the support
where required of the holding tube or lug as well as of any other parts of the tubes
or apparatus which is exposed and liable to deformation during the explosion by
surrounding it with a jig or supporting frame suitably designed and held together
and where this does not give sufficiently close support, I prefer to pin in a metal or
cement or other suitable material between the supporting jig and the outside of the
holding tube or lug, and I sometimes wind wire round the tubes.
I generally prefer to embed the explosive in clay, putty, sand or other suitable
material as tamping and for distributing the resultant pressure, which I place
preferably between the explosive and the inserted tube, and I sometimes provide an
adjunct to the inside tube or continue the tube itself for purposes of holding
tainping which adjunct or continuation I can afterwards remove, and I sometimes
provide central or other air spaces in the tamping to regulate and limit the effect of
the explosion.
The explosive can be conveniently applied in the form of a cord or ribbon of
explosive but I do not limit myself to this form, and I prefer to explode the explosive
in such a way as to conveniently localize its effects.
In the outer or holding tube or lug I generally provide recesses which may take
the form of a spiral thread or groove inside it, or of punctures in its material and
I sometimes provide protuberances on its inner side which however must be clear of
the inserted tube and for this purpose I sometimes provide grooves or corrugations
on the surface of the inserted tube.
The tubes I use are not necessarily round but may be tubes of any convenient
cross section.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for making Joints with
Metal Tubes.
I, FRANK WYNNE, of 13, Ashley Gardens, Westminster, 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:-
This invention relates to the making of tubular joints and although the invention
is applicable to such joints in general I will describe it as applied to cycle frames and
the like, to which it is specially applicable. The expression "tubular" joint or joints
hereinafter employed is to be understood as including a joint in which only one of
the parts is strictly tubular as well as joints comprising more than one tubular
portion.
In carrying out my invention I take the parts to be joined, say for example one of
the frame tubes, the end of which I insert into a tube, or lug, or angle-piece, or
ferrule, or socket, hereinafter called the "lug," which is the other part, and I place
them in any suitable supporting device or mould, in which I hold or secure them in
a manner to support the parts as may be required.
I employ explosive force produced inside one part (the inserted part) to effect
sudden and permanent expansion and so force it on to, or against the outer or other
part; so as to grip it, and into any suitable grooves, recesses, or holes or their
equivalent hereinafter called "grooves," or against or round any suitable protuber-
ances or edges in the same, and so to join and bind them together and I localize
and limit the effect of the explosion to that part where I desire the tubular joint to
be made, and I provide that the inner or inserted tube, or that part of it which has
to be permanently dilated or bulged, shall be of a suitably ductile metal to suffer the
dilatation without undue injury, and that the lug shall be of such material and such
dimensions, and if necessary, be so supported as to resist without injury or change of
shape, other than such as it may take without injury to the joint, the pressure or
blow on it from the explosion and the dilatation of the inner tube, and I provide for
the support of the lug as well as of other parts, such as the tubes of the frame outside
the lugs, so as to preserve them from deformation by surrounding them with a
mould or jig suitably designed and held together, and where this does not give the
desired support, I put in cernent or fusible metal or other suitable packing between
the tubes or lugs and the jig, but I do not limit myself to making an even or
continuous support to the outside of the tubes or lugs and I sometimes give the
desired support by means of wire wound round the parts.
The grooves or protuberances in the outer part and the grooves or corrugations in
the inner part may be formed in the process of manufacturing that part as by
rolling, casting, forging or the like.
The protuberances in the inside of the lug and the grooves in the inserted part,
must be so arranged in their mutual relation that they are clear of each other in
such a way as to admit of the ready insertion of the one inside the other, when they
will interlock, and where the protuberances take the form of a thread or spiral in the
lug, the grooves on the inserted tube must also be in the form of a similar spiral or
thread to allow of its insertion preparatory to receiving the explosion.
In certain cases the joint can be improved by a preparatory tinning or plating with
copper or other suitable metal of the surfaces which have to be bound together by
the explosion.
By this invention all the parts can be finished before the joints are made, so that
no subsequent filling or similar operation is generally required, and the whole frame,

page_text: or most of it may be put together at once but I prefer not to make all the joints
simultaneously but preferably successively or in pairs.
I do not limit myself to making all the joints in the aforesaid manner for I some-
times make some of the joints as for instance that of the back-stays with the back-
fork as well as other joints by brazing.
I place the explosive which may conveniently be in the form of a prepared
cartridge of gunpowder or cordite or other suitable explosive preparation of nitro-
cellulose, or other explosive, or combination of explosive and preferably a quick
burning explosive, wholly or mostly inside the inserted part in the lug, and preferably
round the inner circumference of the part to be bulged, this annular shape being
suitable both for localizing and limiting the effect of the explosion, and I place
clay, putty, sand, plaster-of-paris, metal or other suitable material centrally as
tamping to support the explosive, and sometimes place tamping round the explosive
between it and the inserted tube to limit or distribute the explosion, and I generally
provide an adjunct to the inside tube in the form of a short piece of tube or tubular
construction inside it, for the better support and tamping of the explosive, and to
provide the central air spaces which I find convenient for the purpose of regulating
and limiting the effect of the explosion-this adjunct I afterwards remove-these
central openings I employ to relieve the other parts of the tube that have not to be
bulged and I sometimes fill this part of the tube, or the part of it close to the
explosive with tamping, and I sometimes continue the tube itself heyond the joint,
(removing it afterwards) for the better support and tamping of the explosive.
I sometimes find it convenient to explode the explosive in such a way as to
localize its effect, as by detonating it in small charges.
I do not limit myself to the kind of fuse I employ, but I generally, use electrical
fuses.
In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate like parts,-
Fig. 1, is a central section partly broken of a tubular joint where A. is a tube of
the frame with one end inserted in the lug B. C. C. are circumferential grooves
in the lug; D. is a removeable adjunct as hereinbefore described, which in this case
is shown as made of a piece of tube, flanged at one end and having strengthening
rings threaded along it, the last ring E. being provided with a flange and being
screwed on to the inner tube, this built up adjunct being so made for convenience
of insertion and removed after the explosion; the explosive is placed in the annular
space betwen the adjunct and the walls of A. and such tamping as is requried is
placed in position round, under, over, or against it. F. is part of the support
or jig.
Fig. 2, is a central section, partly broken, of a similar tubular joint, in this the
removeable adjunct is shown in one piece; G. G. are passages or punctures to allow
of the escape of air from the grooves and so allow them to be better filled by the
bulging of the inserted part into them; H. is a hollow removeable support to the
arljunct or another form of, or supplement to the adjunct which allows the escape
of any gases from a tube through the central air space; I is tamping shown of
annular shape in Fig. 2, but full or filling part of the tube in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a vertical central section on a smaller scale of the Jig, or support, or
mould, where such is employed, which takes the front portion of a plain diamond
frame, it is shown with the top tube A¹ and the bottom tube A included, and the
Ings including the bottom bracket lug J. for joining the tubes of the front portion
of a diamond frame.
Fig. 4, is a vertical central section of the head-tube and its lugs for joining it
to A and As showing the ends of these broken.
Fig. 5, is a vertical central section of the down-tube and the top lug and the
bottom bracket lug with the ends of the top tube and the bottom tube shown
broken.
Fig. 6, is a vertical section, and Fig. 6A is a cross section of a lug B. with four
protuberances M. M. parallel to its axis.
Fig. 6, is a vertical central section, broken, of the end of the inside tube for

page_text: insertion into the above with four grooves N. N. in it to clear the protuberances,
and Fig. 6° is a cross section of the same; the protuberances may be made of a
row of separate protuberances instead of each forming a continuous ridge as
shown.
Fig. 7, is a vertical central section of a lug B. in which the protuberances M. take
the form of a spiral thread; Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same.
Fig. 7, is a vertical central section, broken, of the end of the inside tube for
insertion into B. with the grooves N. made in a similar spiral and so as to clear the
protuberances on its insertion into B.
In Figs. 3 & 5, the lug at the top of the down tube, the seat pillar lug, as well as
the top of the down tube itself is shown continued beyond its due length, so as to
support if required, a longer explosive cartridge and tamping, this can be removed
after the explosion.
In Fig. 5, L. & L are supporting parts to the bottom bracket and the sent pillar
lug respectively, and in the case of L. offering suitable surfaces against which to
fasten a jig when applying the invention to the joints of the back-fork; L. & L are
held in place by the two halves of the jig, or by holding bolts K & K respectively,
the jig is made in two parts, only one, the offside, being shown in Fig. 3, and the
parts are bolted together by the bolts K.
The four members are bored out to receive the tubes and lugs; in cases where ]
sufficiently limit and localize the effects of the explosion, it is not necessary to have
the whole of the tube intermediate between the lugs supported, and the luga
themselves are sufficiently strong to resist the explosion and resultant pressure of the
inserted tube, I only require to support the parts of the tube adjacent to the lug by
circumferential support, which may be wire wrapped round them as hereinbefore
described; and I sometimes conveniently divide the jig by planes at right angles to.
the tubes and insert distance pieces, which may be of suitable lengths to suit
franes of different sizes, the built up jig being held together with suitable bolts and
flanges.
In Fig. 3, both circumferential and longitudinal grooves are shown inside the
lugs.
In carrying out the jointing of a diamond frame by this invention, I find it
convenient to joint the top tube and the bottom tube as shown in Fig. 3, on to their
respective lugs; and then to joint the head tube and the down tube on to their
respective lugs as shown in Figs. 4 & 5, using in the latter part of the process the
form of adjunct shown, by means of which the space for the explosive is shown
limited to the most essential portion.
In Figs. 1 & 2, the section line part outside the lugs and tubes indicate the
supporting jig or its equivalent where required.
In Figs. 4, 5, 6, 64, 6, 6, 7, 74, and 7", the supporting jig is not indicated.
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. Making a "tubular" joint by the direct action of an explosive exploded inside.
one tube where this is inserted in another tube or lug.
2. In a tubular framed structure having two or more joints, making more than
one of these joints by simultaneous explosions of separate cartridges inside the tubes
where they are inserted in the lugs.
3. A tubular joint in which portions of the inner part are forced into grooves in
the outer part or lug by the direct action of an explosive applied inside the inner
part.
4. A tabular joint in which portions of the inner part are forced round projections
or edges on the outer part by the direct action of an explosive.
5. A tubular joint in which the parts have been made to engage by the action of
an explosive exploded inside the inserted tube.

page_text: 6. A cycle frame wherein the parts of the joints have been made to engage
each other by the direct action of an explosive applied internally at the joint.
7. Forming "tubular "joints by expanding or bulging the mouth of a tube after
it has been inserted into its lug or socket or into the end of the outer tube, by
exploding an explosive inside it.
8. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive exploded
internally and applied at the part to be bulged, the use of an inside hollow annular
metal support between which and the inserted tube the explosive is placed
substantially as described.
9. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded internally and applied at or near the mouth of the tube the use of a central
air space in the cartridge to relieve the other parts of the tube from injurious
pressure.
10. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into its lug or socket, the use of a mould
or jig to support the lug on its outside.
11. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube, where this is inserted into its lug or socket, the use of grooves
in the lug into which parts of the inserted tube are bulged or forced by the
explosion.
12. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into its lug or socket, the use of
projections on the inside of the lug round which parts of the inserted tube are
bulged or forced by the explosion.
13. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into its lug, the use of grooves on
the inserted tube which will and can be interlocked with projections on the lug.
14. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into its lug, the use of a mould or
jig to support the exterior of the tube which is not inserted in the lug.
15. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into its lug, the use of one or more
escapements through the lug for any air between the inserted tube and the lug
or in the spaces into which part of the inside tube has to be bulged substantially
as described.
16. A jig or mould substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
17. In the making of tubular joints by the direct application of an explosive
exploded inside a tube where this is inserted into another tube or lug, localizing
the effect of the explosive by detonating it.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of July 1897