IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING AND WELDING IRON AND STEEL TUBES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Evans, of Wednesbury, in the County of
Stafford, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR FINISHING AND WELDING IRON AND STEEL TUBES."
Sealed the 26th February 1869, and dated the 2nd September 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Evans at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents,, with his Petition, on the:
2nd September 1868.
I, JAMES EVANS, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford,. Manager,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN,
MACHINERY FOR FINISHING AND WELDING IRON AND STEEL TUBES," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention refers to the welding or finishing of iron or steel tubes
whether tapering or parallel in their length, and it consists in employing
for such purpose a double set or two rows of dies arranged opposite to
and as counterparts of each other in slide rests upon a bed, and they are:
capable of advancing and receding in a transverse direction to or from"
the centre of the machine, so as to compress or close around and

page_text: securely weld the tube, which is drawn in a heated state from the fire
through the sets of welding or gripping tools upon an ordinary draw
bench. The advancing and retiring action of the dies may be obtained
by means of lever handles collared upon shafts or spindles upon which
are also collared connecting pieces attached to the transverse bars or
slides of the die holders or carriages, or such motion may be given by
means of right and left handed screws in connection with toothed wheel
gearing. One set or row of the dies may be stationary whilst the other
set or row is caused to move as required, or both sets may move simul-
taneously, or each pair of the sets of dies may be made to close upon.
the work in succession for the gradual completion of the tube, which is
passed through the dies any required number of times, and by forming.
such dies or tools of a suitable contour the tubes may be drawn through
them so as to weld and also produce a reeded, fluted, or other similar
outline to the tube in section.
In welding taper tubes the sets or rows of dies are arranged with
graduating diameters to form such taper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Evans in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES:
EVANS, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of 'Her-reign, did, for Herself, Har heirs.and.successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Evans, Her special license that I,
the said James Evans, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Evans, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, and vend within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING AND WELDING
IRON AND STEEL TUBES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Evans, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Evans, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hero-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
This Invention refers to the welding or finishing of iron or steel tubes
whether tapering or parallel in their length, and it consists in employing
for such purpose a double set or two rows of dies arranged opposite to
and as counterparts of each other in slide rests upon a bed, and they are
capable of advancing and receding in a horizontal or vertical direction
to or from the centre of the machine, so as to compress or close around
and securely weld the tube, which is drawn in a heated state from the
fire through the sets of welding or gripping tools upon an ordinary draw
bench. The advancing and retiring action of the dies may be obtained
by means of lever handles collared upon shafts or spindles upon which
are also collared connecting pieces attached to the transverse bars or
slides of the die holders or carriages, or such motion may be given by
means of right and left handed screws in connection with toothed wheel
gearing. One set or row of the dies may be stationary whilst the other
set or row is caused to move as required, or both sets may move simul-
taneously, or each pair of the sets of dies may be made to close upon the
work in succession for the gradual completion of the tube which is passed
through the dies any required number of times, and by forming such dies
or tools of a suitable contour the tubes may be drawn through them so
as to weld and also produce a reeded, fluted, or other similar outline to
the tube in section.
In welding taper tubes the sets or rows of dies are arranged with
graduating diameters to form such taper.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe my Invention more fully in detail,
and the manner in which I prefer to carry out the same, by aid of the
Drawings hereunto attached, and the letters and figures marked thereon.
The machine represented is shewn as adapted for the welding of taper
tubes.
Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing the dies closed; and Figure 2 is
au end elevation with the dies slightly open.
(a) is the bed of the machine, which may be formed so as to be mounted
upon the one end of a draw bench, the outline of which is indicated by
the letters (6). Upon the bed (a) are secured in an upright position by
means of set pins and at regular or required intervals apart the die
carriages or slide standards (c). (d, d',) are the double set or two rows
of dies, here 'shown as set opposite to and as counterparts of each other.
The die carriages (c) are suitably grooved upon their inner sides to admit
of the dies being slid down and retained in a true position; the lower
dies (d') are in this instance stationary, whilst the upper dies (d) are
capable of being brought down and closed upon the work, or released
therefrom by means of lever handles (e) pivotted to bracket pieces or
arms (f), and also to vertical arms (9) which are suitably connected
or jointed to the upper and moveable dies (d); the levers (e) are also held
in position in suitable guide brackets (m).
In order to facilitate the action of the dies and to obtain a more certain
and uniform operation of the same than can possibly be attained by the
use of manual power in connection with the levers (e), I make the
dies (d) self-acting by providing a main travelling shaft (h) mounted in
suitable bearings upon a bed. Upon this shaft (h) are formed eccentrics
or cams similar to that shewn at (i), Figure 2, with straps and connected
with crank arms (k, k',) to the ends of the levers (e), being capable
of adjustment for varying gauges of tubes. Motion may be imparted to
the driving shaft (h) by a fly wheel or driving pullies actuated by hand
or steam power. The cams or eccentrics (i) may be formed upon the
driving shaft (h) so as to be opposite to each die carriage, and the sets of
dies may be caused to act upon the tube under operation simultaneously,
or each pair of dies may do their work in alternation or succession by
forming the eccentrics or cams (i) upon the driving shaft (h) in such
manner that upon the revolution of the driving shaft each eccentric or
cam may in turn be brought into action.

page_text: Figure 3 is an edge view of one of the eccentrics or cams (i) with the
crank arms (k, k',) connected to the extremity of one of the levers (e).
I have described a double set or two rows of counterpart dies or
gripping tools arranged to work in a vertical direction, but they may
work horizontally if preferred advancing and receding to or from the
centre of the machine, in which case the lever handles are collared upon
shafts or spindles upon which are also collared connecting pieces attached
to transverse bars or slides of the die carriages, or such motion may be
obtained by means of right and left handed screws in connection with
toothed wheel gearing. In either instance the dies compress or close
around and securely weld the tube, which is drawn in a heated state
from the furnace (1) through the sets of welding tools or dies, the tube
being passed through them any required number of times. The tools
or dies are made to any desired contour according to the surface required
to be produced, and they may be formed so as to produce a reeded, fluted,
or other similar outline to the tube in section.
In welding taper tubes as described, the sets or rows of dies are
arranged with graduating diameters, as indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 1. With regard to parallel sided tubes the same operations
are performed to produce the weld, the dies being similar to each other.
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I claim,
the improvements in machinery for finishing and welding iron and
steel tubes, substantially in manner as herein more fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Evans, have hereunto set
my hand and seal. this First day of March, in the year of our Lord