An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Lining Metal Tubes with Paper or similar Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1896--Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by EDWIN TRUMAN GREENFIELD, of No. 44 Broad
Street, New York City, in the County of New York and State of New York,
United States of America, Electrician.]
...
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Lining Metal Tubes
with Paper or similar Material.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention is more particularly applicable to the lining of metal tubes for
conduit purposes, and its objects are,
First, to effect the lining of said tubes with much greater speed than has
heretofore been possible; second, to avoid the tearing or rupturing of the paper
or analogous lining material as it is drawn into the metal tube; third, to effect the
formation of the paper lining in a tube by simply drawing it through a die in the
direction of the length of the strip from which it is formed; fourth, to thoroughly
expand, and thereby unite the paper lining to the inner wall of the tube to be
lined after it is once drawn therein; fifth, to accomplish any and all of the results
necessarily attributable to the methods of operation and the mechanism for effecting
such operation, as hereinafter described.
Prior to this invention I am aware that it has been proposed to line metallic
tubes with paper or equivalent fibrous material by first constructing a tube of such
paper or fibrous material and then coating the tube with an adhesive agent, and
finally forcing said tube into the metallic tube and allowing the two to be firmly
united by such adhesive agent. I am aware that it has also been proposed to line
a metallic tube by drawing a paper strip or strips within said tube, and simultaneously
coating said strip or strips with paste or other adhesive agent, and then drawing a
former or expanding mandrel therethrough so as to cause the two tubes to be firmly
united together. A metallic tube has also heretofore been lined by drawing a
fibrous lining within the tube and afterwards drawing an expansible lead lining
within the fibrous lining, and then forcing a piston therethrough under hydraulic
pressure so as to cause the lead lining to expand the fibrous lining and force it
against the inner wall of the tube. These methods of lining tubes, while productive
of good results, were not capable of being effected with such speed or efficiency as
is possible with my present improvement, and it is with the object of effecting
further improvements in the methods of lining tubes that the present invention has
been devised.
I will now proceed to describe my invention by referring to the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the entire apparatus for effecting the
lining of a metallic tube with paper or equivalent fibrous material.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are part sectional and part plan views of the apparatus shown
in Figure 1, said views being upon an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a metallic tube with my improved

page_text: expanding apparatus in position within said tube, this view illustrating also the
manner of expanding the paper or fibrous lining after it is in proper position for
such expansion.
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view illustrating a metallic tube provided with my
improved paper or analogous fibrous lining.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the two forming dies which give to the lining
material the necessary tubular.conformation as it is drawn from a roll of such
material, such conformation of the paper being illustrated in said figure of the
drawings in dotted lines.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to Figure 1: A represents a
table secured to the floor by standards S S S. On the upper surface of this table
are grooved rollers R R, RR, for supporting a metallic tube B which it is
designed to line-with paper. P is an air pump secured in convenient proximity to
the table A and operatively connected by a pipe or tube T with an air compression
chamber or cylinder C provided, as shown, with a pressure-gauge G. This air
chamber C is connected by a pipe p to a pair of pipes p' and p², the former
running to and being connected with one end of a metallic tube P2 secured by
standards S S to the floor and the other to the opposite end of said pipe, as
clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
v and vare valves, the former being located in the pipe p' and the latter in the
pipe p. The valve vis controlled in its operation by an arm 1 connected by
rods to automatic stops g g', the former extending from a sustaining standard e
through an opening in the table A into the path of the tube B which actuates it
during the travel from right to left, and the latter extending upward through a
similar opening in said table and adapted to be actuated by the said tube B in its
return movement through the agency of a pivoted arm secured by a standard e
on the under side of the table A, as will be fully described in connection with the
description of the mode of operation of the entire apparatus.. The valve v', located
in the pipe 2, is controlled by a spring-actuated foot-lever F and link and bell
crank lever E. This valve v is of the well known three-way type and is so
arranged that in its normal condition there is free communication from the
atmosphere through it and the pipe p² to the inner end of the metal pipe or
cylinder P2.
P (Figures 2 and 5) is a tubular piston rod located within the metallic tube P
and provided with a packed piston head H' (Figure 2) at one end and passing
through a stuffing-box S B connected to the end of the tube P2 which is located
next to the table A. That portion of the hollow piston rod P3 which is located
within the tube P2 is preferably about 10 feet in length and the outer or exposed
portion of this piston rod which extends beyond the stuffing-box SB is of about
the same length, but its exterior diameter is somewhat diminished, as clearly
shown in Figure 5, and it is provided with a large number of perforations kk, k k.
It is also surrounded with a close-fitting sleeve R' of pliable or soft rubber secured
to it at one end by wire winding and at the other by a screw-plug N, the arrangement
being such that when the close-fitting rubber sleeve is in the position shown in
Figure 5, the total diameter of the exposed portion of the piston rod and the
rubber sleeve is substantially the same as that of the enclosed portion of said rod.
The front or exposed portion of this piston rod extends, when in position, through
a pair of forming dies K and K located in alignment with each other and secured
to the top of the table A. It also extends through a cone-shaped compressing
die D provided with a sleeve F¹ connecting said cone-shaped die to a heating
die M' and thence through a guiding sleeve into a paste-chamber P¹ filled with.
paste or any analogous adhesive agent, the extreme end of said hollow piston rod
and rubber sleeve resting above the rollers RR, RR, at a point near the
approaching end of the tube B to he lined, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the
drawings. Beneath the forming die K', and secured to the table, is a metallic
heating chamber M provided with a gas burner b, b¹ being a similar gas burner

page_text: located beneath the heating die M', said gas burners being connected by a pipe p³
running to a supply of gas and controlled by a cock v³.
D represents a strip of paper entering the first forming die from a roll of paper.
The width of this strip of paper D is preferably sufficient to give to the paper
tube before it enters the metallic tube B a slight lap at its edges so that when the
said tube is expanded this lap will substantially disappear and cause the edges to
abut, thus giving to the lining a complete tubular form.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Air is forced into the chamber C,
from the pump P to the desired pressure the said chamber being kept thus filled
by the operator as the operation of lining proceeds. The operator now places his
foot upon the spring-actuated foot lever F, thereby turning the valve v to the
desired position, thus allowing air to enter, as shown, by the dotted arrows from
the air chamber C by pipe p and pipe p2 in front of the piston head H' connected
to the piston rod P3 thus forcing it into the position shown in Figure 2. The
operator now draws by hand a strip of paper D through the forming dies K K',
the conical die D', sleeve F', heating die M', sleeve F and paste chamber P₁ the
latter having been filled with paste or other adhesive agent. As the strip of
paper is thus drawn forward, it is subjected to heat by the gas burners b and b¹
under the curvilinear forming die K' and the solid tubular metallic heating die M',
and is therefore effectually ironed into tubular form under the united effect of the
dies and the heat. As it leaves the latter heating die therefore, it remains in its
tubular form around the tubular mandrel or the outer or exposed end of the piston
rod P3, the paper tube being thus drawn continuously forward by hand until it
covers the entire exposed portion embracing the perforated and pliable rubber
portions thereof, as shown by the letter B2 in Figure 5. This tube B2 remains in
its tubular form by reason of the ironing effect of the forming and heating dies
and should be, by preference, of such internal diameter that when located inside
the tube to be lined and with its axis coinciding with the axis of said tube, it will
in no instance touch the inner wall thereof, thus rendering it practically impossible
to tear the lining tube when drawn forward. At this stage of the proceedings,
the tube B to be lined is laid upon the grooved rollers R R and forced forward
by hand, thus causing the pasted tube which surrounds the outer portion of the
piston rod to be forced therethrough until the approaching end of said tube B
comes into contact with the automatic stop g forcing it forward, and thereby
causing the rod t to actuate the valve v through the agency of the lever . This
lever at the same time causes the rod t to elevate the automatic stop g¹ into the
path of the tube B when it returns in the next movement of the apparatus which
now takes place in view of the fact that the valve v is now turned into such
position that air enters from the air chamber C by pipes p and pl into the metallic
tube P2 in the rear of the piston head H', said air flowing first through the hollow
piston rod P3 and the perforations k k at the front end of said piston rod, thereby
causing the surrounding rubber tube or sleeve R' to expand under pressure and to
expand with it the surrounding paste-coated paper tube B', thus causing the latter
tube to firmly adhere against the inner wall of the metal tube B. After the
expansion of the rubber tube has effectually caused the paper lining tube to unite
itself to the inner wall of the metallic tube, the pressure becomes sufficient against
the rear end of the piston head H¹ to cause siid piston head and its hollow piston
rod P3 and all of the parts attached thereto including the metallic tube B to
advance to the right under the pressure from the air chamber C. This advancement
continues until the extreme outer end of the tube B causes the automatic stop g'-
which it will be remembered is now in its upper position, to actuate the rod t¹ and
hence the lever and valve v, thus cutting off the supply of air from behind the
piston head H and at the same time turning such valve to such a point that the
escape valve will allow the air behind the piston head H¹ to be released. The
operator now severs the paper lining from the exposed unused portion of such
lining at the left hand end of the lined tube B by carefully passing a knife around

page_text: it so as not to cut the rubber expanding tube R', and the lined tube as thus severed
is drawn from around the expanding tube and is ready for treatment with asphalt
or any other good insulating material if desired.
To restore the apparatus to its normal condition the operator places his foot upon.
the foot lever F and in so doing actuates the valve o, thereby admitting air under
pressure through the tube p against the front face of the piston head H', which it
will be remembered is now in its extreme right hand position. Consequently the
piston rod P3 is carried to the left, and with it all of the parts attached thereto,
thereby returning the expanding tube to its extreme left hand position inside of
the section of paper tube which has been drawn through the dies during the time
that the mechanism had been travelling to the right under air pressure as already
described.
It is also obvious that many of the details of construction of the apparatus may
be-departed from without avoiding the scope of the invention. I also desire to be
understood that I do not limit myself to the use of air, under pressure, for operating
the mechanism hereinbefore described, as steam, gas or liquid under pressure might
be so used if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A method of lining a tube with pliable or fibrous material, such as paper,
consisting in first forming, by ironing with heat, a tube of the pliable or fibrous
material of smaller diameter than that of the inner diameter of the tube which is
to be lined, then inserting or drawing said lining tube within the tube to be lined
and finally expanding it outwardly against the inner wall thereof substantially as
described.
2. In apparatus for lining a tube with pliable or fibrous material,' such as paper,
means for giving to a strip of such material a tubular form and a diameter somewhat
less than the internal diameter of the tube to be lined, in combination with means
for coating the outer surface of said lining tube with an adhesive agent, and means
for expanding its diameter and affixing it to the inner wall of the outer tube,
substantially as described.
3. Apparatus comprising one or more forming dies for giving to a strip of pliable
or fibrous material, such as paper, a tubular form, means for heating said forming
die or dies, and means for drawing the strip in the required direction, substantially
as described.
4. Apparatus for forming a tube from a strip of pliable fibrous material such
as paper, comprising forming dies and means for drawing the strip through the
same in the direction of its length, in combination with means for heating and
ironing the strip as it is continuously drawn forward, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for forming a tube from a strip of pliable or fibrous material,
such as paper, an air chamber for holding air under pressure, connections between
the same aud a piston operatively connected with one or more forming dies, means
for forming a tube from a strip of such fibrous material, and additional means for
causing the compressed air to move the piston in opposite directions, in combination
with means for giving to the strip tubular conformation about the outer or exposed
end of the piston rod, substantially as described.
6. Means for expanding a tubular lining against the walls of a tube to be lined,
consisting of an expansible tube adapted to be located within the tubular lining
and expanded by air under pressure and then to be withdrawn after the lining is
firmly set in place, substantially as described.
7. In apparatus for lining tubes with pliable or fibrous material, such as paper,
means for imparting a tubular form to the lining of pliable material, arranged in
combination with an expansible tube for causing the previously formed tube-lining
to adhere to the inner surface of the tube to be lined, substantially as described.

page_text: 8. Apparatus for lining a tube with paper or other pliable or fibrous material
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of August 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.