An Improved Method of Making Tubes or Cylinders of Copper and its Alloys and Aluminium.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Making Tubes or Cylinders of Copper and
its Alloys and Aluminium.
I, FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES, of Godmersham House, St. Alban's, in the
County of Herts, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a process of making tubes or cylinders of any length and
diameter and other hollow ware of copper its alloys. and aluminium without a
longitudinal seam or weld whereby the defects which are liable to occur in pro-
ducing seamless tubes from hollow ingots are avoided.
My improved process consists in winding a strip of the metal about a mandrel in
spiral convolutions and at same time or after being so wound uniting the abutting
edges of the convolutions by welding, swaging, or soldering, by the local appli-
cation of heat generated by the passage of a current of electricity.
In making bent pipes the strip would be of varying width, according to the
position each part of the strip will occupy in the circumference of the pipe so as to
produce a bend of uniform thickness of metal at all points.
For the purpose of hardening the weld or seam, a rolling swage or pressure
tool may be applied to act on the seam immediately after the union of the parts.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1890
F. J. JUNED.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Making Tubes or Cylinders of Copper and
its Alloys and Aluminium.
I, FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES, formerly of Godmersham House, St. Alban's, in
the County of Herts, and now of 61, Goldington Road, Bedford, 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:-
My invention relates to a method of making tubes or cylinders of any desired
length and diameter of copper, its alloys, or aluminium without a longitudinal
seam.
My improved process consists in simultaneously winding a flat strip of metal in
spiral convolutions and welding or soldering together the abutting edges of the
convolutions by the heat generated by the local passage through the immediate
parts to be joined of a low-tension current of electricity and pressing towards each
other with the necessary force the heated edges.
In making bent pipes the strip would be of varying width according to the
position each part of the strip will occupy in the circumference of the pipe so as
to produce a bend of uniform thickness of metal at all points.
The advantage of substituting a spiral seam for a longitudinal one will be
apparent when it is considered that the strain upon a circular scam is only half that
upon a longitudinal seam; consequently the spiral seam will partake more closely
of the advantage of the former the smaller its pitch or in other words the nearer it
approaches to a circular seam.

page_text: The process of my invention may be carried out by means of apparatus such as
that illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification;
wherein Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation; Figure 2 an end elevation,
partly in section, and Figure 3 a plan, of an apparatus for making straight tubes.
Figures 4 and 5, represent similar elevations of the apparatus adapted for making
pipe bends.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The winding of the metal strip is effected by a mandrel A carrying a collar B of
unglazed porcelain (or other suitable material) truly turned upon which the strip is
wound, the mandrel being mounted in a head similar to that of a lathe and driven
by suitable gear the standard at the far end being removable to allow of the tube
being taken off the mandrel. A second collar C of metal of same diameter as B is
fitted with a feather connection so as to rotate with and be free to slide on the
mandrel A. It is furnished with clamps D by which the leading end of the strip E
is made fast for the purpose of winding it by the rotation of the mandrel A. Fis
a helical guide for the strip having a pitch substantially corresponding to the
effective width of the strip when welded which will be slightly less than the initial
width of the strip in consequence of upsetting edgewise in the act of welding. This
guide Facts as a fence whereby the strip is guided on to the mandrel and the parts
to be welded brought together with the necessary pressure. The pitch of the spiral
guide fence F would be rather greater than the initial width of the strip at the
point where the strip meets it and would gradually decrease to the normal pitch in
the circumferential distance within which the weld is effected, the object being to
gradually force the edges of the strip together as they are brought to the welding
heat. This spiral fence or guide is formed of a short cylinder surrounding the
mandrel and fixed to the headstock but insulated therefrom. G is an adjustable
spring clip embracing the mandrel and opposing by its friction sufficient resistance
to the motion of the clip head C to cause the edges at the point of welding to be
pressed together with the necessary force, as the strip is fed on against the helical
fence guide F. H is an adjustable spring clip embracing the strip whereby the
laying-on tension of the strip is regulated.
I, J, are electrical contact pieces corresponding in curvature to the circumference
of the tube and attached to adjustably loaded levers K, 1, pivoted side by side.
The contacts I, J, are blocks of iron steel or carbon and they bear respectively
upon the convolution already wound on the mandrel, and on the strip being laid on,
one at either side of the abutting edges at the point where the weld is to be effected.
The levers K, L, are insulated from each other and respectively connected at any
suitable points with the leads from the transformer.
The porcelain collar B is secured by a screw-nut on the mandrel A and the
collar B, clip head C, contact-blocks I, J, and guide fence F, are removable for
the purpose of being replaced by others corresponding to the diameter of the tube
to be made. The speed of revolution of the mandrel and the heating power of the
current must be so proportioned to each other as to effect the heating of the abutting
edges of the strip to the welding temperature concurrently with the application
of the pressure forcing those edges together, the amount of angular motion of the
mandrel within which the weld is effected being dependent on the width of
the strip.
Instead of welding the edges together they may, as above mentioned, be united
by brazing, for which purpose a wire of suitable alloy is fed in along with the strip
and between the edges of the convolutions so as to be fused between and unite the
adjacent heated edges.
The apparatus shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6, for making pipe bends is similar in
construction and operation to that above described, except that the porcelain collar
is curved to the arc of the intended bend, the welded pipe as it is forced off being
received by an arm M pivoted at a point in coincident with the radial centre of the
intended bend, the end of the bent pipe being clamped to said arm- The arm is
pivoted in a ring N concentric with the axis of the mandrel and revolved by suitable
gearing simultaneously therewith, within a stationary V-groove guide ring O, the

page_text: resistance to the thrust of the tube necessary to bring the welding edges together
being obtained by an adjustable spring clip on the arm M embracing a friction
quadrant P fixed to the ring N.
The strip to be wound and welded is cut with its edges of sinuous form (as shown
in Figure 6), the sinuosities being opposite and corresponding in pitch to the length
of convolution of the spiral so that the weld will be a true curved helix. The
mandrel terminates with the porcelain collar, the swing arm M carrying the clip
In other respects the mandrel and the contact levers are the same as
head.
before.
The before described method of making a brazed spiral joint by fusing a wire
between the abutting edges of the convolutions, is obviously applicable in this case
also and needs no special description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The herein-described method of manufacturing tubes of copper, its alloys, or
aluminium by winding a strip in spiral convolutions and simultaneously therewith
welding together the abutting edges by the heat generated by the local passage of
a current of electricity and by pressure, as specified.
2. The herein-described method of manufacturing tubes of copper, its alloys, or
aluminium by winding a flat strip in spiral convolutions and simultaneously feeding
in a soldering wire between the convolutions and effecting the union of the con-
volutions through the solder by the heat generated by the local passage of a current
of electricity and by pressure, as specified.
3. The herein-described method of making pipe bends of copper, its alloys, or
aluminium by winding a strip of varying width spirally upon a curved mandrel and
effecting the union of the abutting edges by the heat generated by the local passage
of a current of electricity coupled with pressure with or without the intervention of
a soldering wire, as specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1890.
TOTA