Improvements in Apparatus for Making Metal Cylinders, Tubes, or Pipes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Metal Cylinders, Tubes,
or Pipes.
I, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, of 49 Arlington Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark
North Britain, Tinsmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object the making of cylinders, tubes, or pipes,
in an improved and economical manner, of any suitable metal which is sufficiently
ductile at the temperature employed, an important application of the invention
had in view being for making the cylinders, tubes, or pipes of steel.
In carrying out my invention according to one modification, I take the metal
to be operated on in the form of a short hollow cylinder the internal diameter of
which is about the same as the hore of the intended article, whilst the thickness
is sufficient to yield the desired thickness on elongation. Or the bore of the short
cylinder may be less than that of the intended article or the short cylinder may
be solid. The said short cylinder may be formed by casting, forging, rolling, or
in whatever manner is best suited for the metal employed and the particular
requirements in each case.
The apparatus employed comprises a powerful hydraulic press the ram of
which is by preference forced upwards. When a hollow short cylinder is to be
operated on the hydraulic ram has fixed to it, or is made to act on a mandril
made with a collar at its lower end. The short cylinder having been put on it the
mandril is forced up into a stationary shaping cylinder the collar closely fitting
the interior of the cylinder except at the upper part where the cylinder is con-
tracted to a diameter equal to the intended outside diameter of the tube or other
article. In the case of steel or other metal not sufficiently ductile at an ordinary
temperature the short cylinder is heated before being placed on the mandril
there being by preference interposed between it and the collar of the mandril a
ring which may be heated at its upper edge but which is intended to prevent
the collar from being inconveniently heated and expanded by the heat of the
short cylinder. The pressure applied to the mandril causes it to force the short
cylinder through the contracted upper opening of the stationary shaping cylinder.
and the thickness of the short cylinder is thereby diminished and its length
increased. When the metal is very ductile from being highly heated or otherwise
I prefer to have an outer stationary mandril fixed so as to receive the elongated
tube upon it as it issues from the stationary shaping cylinder. And when the
short cylinder is solid or has a bore smaller than that of the intended tube the
outer stationary mandril must extend a short distance into the stationary shaping
cylinder and have a pointed or tapered end to perforate the short cylinder or
enlarge its hore, the moving mandril being shortened, or a plain disk of the
diameter of the collar being substituted for the collared mandril.
Instead of forcing the whole of a short cylinder through the contracted upper
orifice of the shaping cylinder a part may be left undiminished in diameter out of
which to form a faucet or spigot. The contracted part of the shaping cylinder may
consist of a separate piece held by bolts or other devices during the forcing opera-
tion and afterwards removed along with the tube and two or more such con-
tracted parts may be provided so as not to delay the repetition of the operation
on other short cylinders.
The shaping cylinder which is stationary during an operation may be arranged
to traverse on rails or guides and two or more shaping cylinders may be provided
to use in succession with one hydraulic press. A. tube or pipe may be formed by
two or more successive operations the shaping cylinder bein changed between
D

page_text: them. The contracted shaping parts or die orifices of the stationary cylinders
may if required be kept cool by means of water jackets.
Dated this Eighteenth day of November 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Metal Cylinders, Tubes,
or Pipes.
I, WILLIAM CRAWFORD, of 49 Arlington Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark
North Britain, Tinsmith, 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, that is to say:-
-
My said invention has for its object the making of cylinders, tubes, or pipes,
in an improved and economical manner, of any suitable metal which is sufficiently
ductile at the temperature employed, an important application of the invention.
had in view being for making the cylinders, tubes, or pipes of steel.
In particularly describing my invention I will refer to explanatory diagrams
upon an accompanying sheet Figures 1, and 2, thereof being vertical sections
showing the acting parts employed in two of the modifications of my improved
process.
In carrying out my invention according to one modification I take the metal to
be operated on in the form of a short hollow cylinder, A, Figure, I, the internal
diameter of which is about the same as the bore of the intended article, whilst
the thickness is sufficient to yield the desired thickness on elongation. This cylin-
der, A, may be formed by casting, forging, rolling or in whatever manner is
best suited for the metal employed, and the particular requirements in each case.
The apparatus employed comprises a powerful hydraulic press (not shown) the
ram of which is, by preference, forced upwards. The hydraulic ram has fixed to
it, or is made to act on a mandril, 13, made with a collar or shoulder, C, at its
lower part. The short cylinder, A, having been put on the mandril, B, the man-
dril is forced up into a stationary shaping cylinder, D, the collar or shoulder, C,
closely fitting the interior of the cylinder, D. The shaping cylinder, D, which
is by preference made of steel, has secured on the top of it a massive steel ring or
die, E, the inside of which forms a continuation of the inside of the cylinder, D,
but of a tapering form so as to contract the opening to the size or external
diameter to which the cylinder is to be reduced by the operation in the apparatus
shown in Figure 1, and now being described. In the case of steel or other
metal not sufficiently ductile at an ordinary temperature, the short cylinder, A,
is heated before being placed on the mandril, B, there being, by preference.
interposed between it and the collar or shoulder, C. a ring, F, which may have
its upper part or edge heated, its bottom part being kept comparatively cold so
as not to heat and cause expansion of the collar or shoulder, C. The partially
heated ring, F, also serves the important purpose of avoiding premature cooling
and hardening of the bottom of the cylinder, A. The pressure applied to the
mandril, B, causes it to force the short cylinder, A, through the contracted upper
opening of the top, E, of the stationary shaping cylinder, D, and the thickness
of the short cylinder, A, is thereby diminished and its length increased. When
about to start an operation I prefer to place in the top of the opening of the ring
or die, E, a ring, G, shaped internally to fit the upper end of the mandril, B, and
serving as a guide to insure the accurately central position of the mandril, this
guide ring, G, being carried up away from the ring, E, by the tube or reduced
cylinder (A) as it issues upwards through the ring, E. When the metal is very
ductile from being highly heated or otherwise I prefer to have an outer stationary
mandril fixed above the ring, E, so as to receive the elongated tube upon it as
it issues. Or instead of such mandril for guiding the issuing tube, there may
be a set of guide rollers or a tubular guide up into which the issuing tube may
pass; and this tubular guide as well as other parts of the apparatus may be

page_text: prevented from becoming overheated by causing water to circulate in passages
formed in it and them.
When the stationary shaping cylinder, 1), is made with a separable top ring, E,
as shown in Figure, 1, the short cylinder, A, may be introduced into the upper
end of the cylinder, D, the top ring, E, being temporarily removed for the
purpose. The top ring, E, is secured to the cylinder, D, by bolts or links, H,
which are jointed to lugs formed on the cylinder, D, and engage in notches in a
ring or in lugs, J, formed on the top ring, E, an arrangement allowing of the
top ring, E, being quickly secured in position after a heated cylinder, A, has
been introduced.
When the cylinder out of which a tube or pipe is to be formed is solid, there
must be an outer stationary mandril, K, as shown in Figure, 2, extending a short
distance into the stationary shaping cylinder, D, which in this modification is not
provided with a contracted top ring (E). The mandril K, is made with a pointed
bottom end to perforate the short cylinder, L, which in Figure, 2, is shown as
having been almost entirely formed into a tube (the most part of which is supposed
to be broken away in the figure). Instead of introducing a short partially heated
piece (such as the ring, F, Figure 1) at the bottom of the cylinder, K, I introdare
a second cylinder, M, which may afterwards itself be converted into a tube, the
upper end of this cylinder, M, being heated to about the same temperature að
the cylinder about to be operated on whilst the lower end is kept cold.
If a tube or pipe is to be made out of a cylinder having a bore of smaller
diameter than that of the intended tube or pipe, either the forcing mandril, B,
or the upper stationary mandril, K, must be made with an extended part fitting
or nearly fitting the bore of the said cylinder, and the other mandril (K or B)
must be made with a bore to receive such extended part as the mandril, B,
moves upwards.
Instead of forcing the whole of a short cylinder through the contracted upper
orifice of the shaping cylinder, D. or its top ring, E, a part may be left
undiminished in diameter, out of which to form a faucet or spigot.
Two or more of the top rings, E, may be provided so that when such a ring
has to be removed along with a tube because of a non-reduced part being left
thereon, or for any other reason, there may be no delay in repeating the operation
on other short cylinders.
be
The shaping cylinder (D) which is stationary during an operation may
arranged to traverse on rails or guides and two or more shaping cylinders may be
provided to use in succession with one hydraulic press. A tube or pipe may he
formed by two or more successive operations: the shaping cylinder, and if
necessary the forcing mandril, being changed between them; or the successive
operations may be effected in separate machines.
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 is:-
1. The process of converting solid or hollow metal cylinders into hollow cr
5 elongated hollow cylinders, or tubes, or pipes, by acting on the metal in a ductile
state and heated if necessary to render it sufficiently ductile, with a mandril
which is moved by a powerful hydraulic press, and which pressing on the metal
in a shaping cylinder forces it through a contracted annular orifice between a
part of the moving mandril or of a separate stationary mandril and the outlet
from the shaping cylinder, the parts of the apparatus employed being constructed
or arranged and operating substantially as herein before described.
2. The interposing of a partially heated ring (F) or solid short cylinder (M)
between the pressing part of the operating mandril and the hollow or solid
cylinder operated upon when the latter is employed in a heated state, substantially
5 as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Sixteenth day of September 1890.