IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CERTAIN KINDS OF JUNCTIONS FOR WROUGHT IRON TUBES, AND FOR PUNCHING WROUGHT IRON TUBES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bywater, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford,
Manager of Tube Works, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING CERTAIN KINDS OF JUNCTIONS FOR WROUGHT IRON TUBES, AND
FOR PUNCHING WROUGHT IRON TUBES."
Sealed the 30th March 1880, and dated the 5th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bywater at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November 1879.
JOHN BYWATER, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Tube Works.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CERTAIN KINDS OF JUNCTIONS FOR
WROUGHT IRON TUBES, AND FOR PUNCHING WROUGHT IRON TUBES."
My Invention has reference to machinery for the making of the junctions of
wrought iron tubes commonly called "bends" and "springs," that is, short pieces
of bent tubing used for joining pipes situated at right angles to one another or
making an obtuse angle with one another, and for punching wrought iron tubes,
and my said Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in the
Baid machinery.
"
"
My Invention is principally applicable to the formation of the said bends" and
springs" from straight pieces of tubing, but may also be applied to the punching
of holes in straight wrought iron tubes.
"
I will describe my Invention as applied to a machine for making bends and
springs. I combine in the machine side by side two or more pairs of bending tools
for making "bends" or springs" of the same or of different sizes. The fixed
lower tools are supported on the bed of the machine, and the upper moveable tools
are fixed to slides or bolts worked by a cranked horizontal shaft, the throw of the
cranks of the shaft being equal to the stroke required in the said moveable upper
tools. The acting opposed faces of each pair of tools enclose a space having nearly
the figure of the exterior of the "bend" or "spring" to be made. I prefer to arrange
in the machine two pairs of bending tools, side by side, for making "bends" or
springs" of different sizes.
«

page_text: The heated lengths of tubes to be made into bends or springs being placed in the
lower fixed tools, the moveable tools descend and close upon the fixed tools, and
bend the tubes between them into the required shape at one operation.
The cranked shaft by which the moveable tools are worked is driven by gearing
constructed as herein after described. This gearing permits the tools being worked
at different speeds according to the work to be effected, that is, either at a quick
speed when light tubes are to be bent, or at a slower speed when strong and heavy
tubes are to be bent by the machine. The changes of speed of the machine are
effected with ease and rapidity.
The said gearing consists of two parallel shafts situated at one side of the machine.
The upper shaft is the driving shaft of the machine, and on one end of it is a pinion
which gears with a large toothed wheel on the cranked shaft. The said upper shaft
also carries three pulleys, one of the said pulleys being fixed on the shaft, and the
other two pulleys turning loosely thereon. The fixed pulley carries a large toothed
wheel, and one of the loose pulleys carries a pinion. The other loose pulley is
situated between the fixed and loose pulleys described, and is without a toothed
wheel. On the under parallel shaft is a toothed wheel and a pinion. The toothed
wheel gears with the pinion of the loose pulley on the upper shaft, and the pinion
of the lower shaft is capable of sliding upon it, and can by means of a hand clutch
or crab be thrown into or out of gear with the large toothed wheel of the fixed
pulley.
When the driving band is situated on the middle loose pulley the machine is at
rest. When the machine is required to be worked at a quick speed the pinion on
the undershaft is thrown out of gear with the toothed wheel of the fixed pulley on
the upper shaft, and the driving band is moved onto the said fixed pulley. The
motion of the upper or driving shaft is thereby directly transmitted to the cranked
shaft through the pinion on the said driving shaft gearing with the large toothed
wheel on the said cranked shaft.
When the machine is required to be worked at a slower speed the pinion on the
undershaft is thrown into gear with the toothed wheel of the fixed pulley, and the
driving band is transferred to the loose pulley carrying the pinion. The motion of
the said loose pulley is transmitted through its pinion to the toothed wheel on the
under shaft, and from the said under shaft through its sliding pinion and the
toothed wheel of the fixed pulley to the driving shaft, and by the gearing already
described to the cranked shaft, which has a slow movement given to it.
When the machine is to be used for punching straight wrought iron tubes
punching tools are substituted for the bending tools described. By the use of
my Invention " bends " ог " springs" can be rapidly made, and hence the manu-
facture of the said "bends" or "springs" is much economized.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Bywater in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th April
1880.
JOHN BYWATER, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Manager of Tube Works.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CERTAIN KINDS OF JUNCTIONS For
WROUGHT IRON TUBES, AND FOR PUNCHING WROUGHT IRON TUBES."
My Invention has reference to machinery for the making of the junctions of
wrought iron tubes commonly called "bends" and "springs," that is, short pieces
of bent tubing used for joining pipes situated at right angles to one another or
making an obtuse angle with one another, and for punching wrought iron tubes,
and my said Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in the
said machinery.
"
"
My Invention is principally applicable to the formation of the said " bends” and
springs" from straight pieces of tubing, but may also be applied to the punching
of holes in straight or bent wrought iron tubes.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a machine for making "bends" and
springs."
I combine in the machine side by side two or more pairs of bending tools for
making "bends" or "springs" of the same or of different sizes. The fixed lower
tools are supported on the bed of the machine, and the upper moveable tools are
fixed to slides or rams worked by a cranked horizontal shaft, the throw of the
cranks of the shaft being equal to the stroke required in the said moveable upper
tools. The acting opposed faces of each pair of tools enclose a space having nearly
the figure of the exterior of the "bend" or "spring" to be made. I prefer to
arrange in the machine two pairs of bending tools side by side for making " bends"
or springs" of different sizes.
"
The heated lengths of tubes to be made into "bends" or "springs" being placed
in the lower fixed tools, the moveable tools descend and close upon the fixed tools,
and bend the tubes between them into the required shape at one operation.
The cranked shaft by which the moveable tools are worked is driven by gearing
constructed as herein after described. This gearing permits the tools being worked
at different speeds according to the work to be effected, that is, either at a quick
speed when light tubes are to be bent, or at a slower speed when strong or heavy
tubes are to be bent by the machine. The changes of speed of the machine are
effected with ease and rapidity.
The said gearing consists of two parallel shafts situated at one side of the machine.
The upper shaft is the driving shaft of the machine, and on one end of it is a pinion
which gears with a large toothed wheel on the cranked shaft. The said upper shaft
also carries three pulleys, one of the said pulleys being fixed on the shaft, and the
other two pulleys turning loosely thereon. The fixed pulley carries a large toothed
wheel, and one of the loose pulleys carries a pinion. The other loose pulley is
situated between the fixed and loose pulleys described, and is without a toothed
wheel. On the under parallel shaft is a toothed wheel and pinion. The toothed
wheel gears with the pinion of the loose pulley on the upper shaft, and the pinion
of the lower shaft is capable of sliding upon it, and can by means of a hand clutch
or crab be thrown into or out of gear with the large toothed wheel of the fixed
pulley.
When the driving band is situated on the middle loose pulley the machine is at
When the machine is required to be worked at a quick speed the pinion on
r est.

page_text: the undershaft is thrown out of gear with the toothed wheel of the fixed pulley on
the upper shaft, and the driving band is moved onto the fixed pulley. The motion
of the upper or driving shaft is thereby directly transmitted to the cranked shaft
through the pinion on the said driving shaft gearing with the large toothed wheel
on the said cranked shaft.
When the machine is required to be worked at a slower speed the pinion on the
undershaft is thrown into gear with the toothed wheel of the fixed pulley, and the
driving band is transferred to the loose pulley carrying the pinion. The motion of
the said loose pulley is transmitted through its pinion to the toothed wheel on the
undershaft, and from the said undershaft through its sliding pinion and the toothed
wheel of the fixed pulley to the driving shaft, and by the gearing already described
to the cranked shaft, which has a slow movement given to it.
The driving parts described may be inverted, that is, the pulley carrying the
pinion may be fast on the shaft, and the pulley carrying the toothed wheel and
the pinion which gears with the toothed wheel on the cranked shaft may turn
loosely on the driving shaft with the same result.
"
By the use of my Invention "bends" and "springs" can be rapidly made, and
hence the manufacture of the said bends" and "springs" is much economized.
When the machine is to be used for punching straight or bent wrought iron tubes
punching tools are substituted for the bending tools described.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation machinery constructed according to my
Invention for making junctions of the kinds called "bends" and "springs," and for
punching wrought iron tubes; Figure 2 represents a vertical section of a portion of
the gearing of the said machinery.
Figure 3 represents in elevation, and Figure 4 in vertical section, one of the pairs
of bending tools represented in the machine, Figure 1, used for making the junctions
called "bends"; and Figure 5 represents in elevation the punching or slotting tools
of the machine; Figure 6 represents in elevation the bolster or mandril used in the
tube during the punching operation; Figure 7 represents a junction of the kind
called a "bend"; and Figure 8 represents a junction of the kind called a "spring";
and Figure 9 represents a portion of a wrought iron tube which has been punched
or slotted by the use of the machinery.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are drawn to a larger scale than the machinery,
Figures 1 and 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a, a², and b, b², represent the pairs of bending tools of different sizes for making
bends, and c, c, represent the pair of punching or slotting tools. The lower fixed
tools a², 62, c², are supported on the bed e of the machinery, and the upper moveable
tools a, b, c, are respectively fixed to the slides or rams a³, b³, c³, connected by the
links a, b, c, to the cranks a³, b³, c³, on the horizontal shaft f, the throw of the
said cranks being equal to the longest stroke required in the said moveable upper
tools. The cranked shaft f is worked at the required speed by means of the gearing
herein after described. In Figure 1 the upper bending tool a of the pair of tools
a, a³, is represented closed upon the lower part a³ for forming a junction, and the
upper tool b of the other and smaller pair of tools b, b³, is represented raised from
the lower tool 62 to its highest position. The upper punching tool c is represented
raised to its highest position.
When the upper bending tools a, b, are raised to their highest positions, as repre-
sented in the tool b, heated lengths of tubes to be made into bends are placed across
the lower fixed tools a², b². By the descent of the moveable tools a, b, they close
upon the fixed tools a², 62, and bend the straight tubes at one operation into the
form represented in Figure 7, so as to form therefrom junctions of the kind called
‘bends." When junctions of the kind called "springs," as illustrated in Figure 8,

page_text: are to be made, tools of the proper shape are substituted for those represented in the
Drawing. The two pairs of bending tools a, a², b, 63, represented in the machine
are not ordinarily worked together, as I prefer to use a quick speed when the
smaller pair of tools b, 62, is worked, and a slower speed when the larger pair of
tools a, a, is worked.
Before punching a straight wrought iron tube by the use of the pair of tools c, c³,
I support the tube internally by means of the bolster represented in Figure 6, the
said bolster having at its contracted part a slot g of the form and size to be punched
in the tube. The bolster, Figure 6, having been driven into the end of the tube to
be operated upon, the said tube and bolster are laid in the lower die c in such a
position that the slot g in the said bolster is immediately under the upper punching
tool c. By the descent of the said tool c a hole or slot h, Figure 9, is punched in
the tube, the punching tool passing through the slot g in the bolster. By means
of the bolster the figure of the tube is preserved during the punching operation.
The bolster, Figure 6, is withdrawn from the tube after it has been punched by
means of the collar g².
The machinery is driven by gearing constructed as follows:-i is the upper shaft,
having on one end a fly wheel k, and on the other end a sleeve carrying the
pulley r, toothed wheel 8, and pinion 1, the said pinion 7 gearing with the large
toothed wheel m on the cranked shaft f. The pulley r, wheel 8, and pinion I move
together. On the said shaft i are two other pulleys p, q; the end pulley p is fast
on the shaft i, but the other pulley q turns loosely thereon. On the fixed pulley P,
or fixed on the shaft i, is a pinion t; u is the parallel under shaft, having at
one end a toothed wheel v, which gears with the pinion t on the upper shaft i, and
at the other end of the said shaft u is a pinion w capable of sliding upon the said
shaft u. By means of the hand clutch or crab at x the said sliding pinion w may
be thrown into or out of gear with the large toothed wheel 8.
When the machine is required to be at rest the driving band is situated on the
middle loose pulley q, and no motion is transmitted to the machino.
To work the machine at a quick speed when it is wished to use the small pair of
bending tools b, 62, the pinion won the undershaft is thrown out of gear
with the toothed wheel 8, as represented in the Drawing, and the driving band
The motion of the said
is transferred from the loose pulley q to the loose pulley r.
loose pulley is now transmitted through its bush or sleeve 2 to the pinion / fixed
on the said sleeve, and the said pinion gearing with the large toothed wheel mon
the cranked shaft f gives the required quick motion to the said shaft f.
In order to work the machine at a slow speed when it is required to use the
large pair of bending tools a, a, the sliding pinion won the under shaft u is thrown
into gear with the toothed wheel 8, and the driving band is transferred to the fixed
pulley p carrying the pinion t. The motion of the pulley p is transmitted through
the pinion t to the toothed wheel v on the undershaft u, and from the said shaft u
through the sliding pinion w to the toothed wheel 8, and through the sleeve 12 and
pinion to the toothed wheel m on the cranked shaft f, and the said shaft has a
slow movement given to it. In this way the machine may be driven at the speed
required by the work to be performed by the said machine.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Machinery for Making certain Kinds of Junctions for Wrought
Iron Tubes, and for Punching Wrought Iron Tubes,"-
First. The general arrangement or combination of the parts of the said machinery
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for bending
heated lengths of wrought iron tubes into junctions of the kinds called "bends
and "
springs," and for punching holes or slots in straight or bent wrought iron
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of gearing for working
the moveable tools of the said machinery, herein before described and illustrated in
tubes.

page_text: the accompanying Drawing, whereby the said tools may be worked at different
speeds at the will of the attendant to suit the work to be effected by the
machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bywater, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
JAMES MASSEY,
West Bromwich,
Staffordshire.
JOHN BYWATER. (L.S.)