IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eli Declcy, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Mill
Roller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES."
Scaled the 8th August 1876, and dated the 20th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eli Deeley at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1876.
ELI DEELEY, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Mill Roller.
IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in machinery
for the manufacture of metallic tubes.
My Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of welded iron and steel
tubes, but is also applicable to the manufacture of open jointed tubes of iron and
brass and other metals and alloys.
My improvements consist in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
machinery in the following manner :-I mount three pairs of rolls on horizontal axes
the said pairs of rolls being on the same level and constituting a train of rolls.
Each pair of rolls is situated very near to the next pair so that the strip or plate
of metal on emerging from the first pair quickly enters the second pair, and on
emerging from the second pair quickly enters the third pair. The rolls of the
first pair are so shaped as to roll into a trough-like form the strip or plate passed
between them, while the rolls of the second and third pairs are shaped so as
to give a cylindrical figure to the trough-shaped strip formed by the first pair.
The second pair of rolls converts the trough-shaped strip into a roughly shaped
tube, and the third pair completes and perfects the figure of the tube. Where,
however, great truth of figure is required in the tube one or more pairs of rolls
may be employed in addition to the pairs described by passing through which
additional rolls the required truth of figure may be given to the tube. The eye
of the second and third pairs of rolls (that is the sectional figure of the acting
parts of the pair of rolls, or the parts immediately opposed to cach other) is
circular, one half of the circular eye being formed by a semi-circular groove in the
upper roll, and the other half of the circular eye being formed by a semi-circular
groove in the lower roll. Those parts of the rolls in which the semi-circular grooves
are made are not cylindrical but conical, so that the plane in which the opposed parts
of the roll on each side of the groove are situated is not parallel to the axes of the rolls
but inclined thereto at a considerable angle. The rolls of the third pair are formed
as described with respect to the second pair, excepting that the conical part of the roll
Price Gd1

page_text: in which the groove is formed inclines in the opposite direction. The result of this
crossing of the conical parts of the rolls is that the plane of junction of the third pair
of rolls crosses that of the second pair at or about a right angle. By this method of
constructing the rolls all the advantages of pairs of rolls working alternately on
horizontal and vertical axes is obtained.
In using my Invention the strip of iron or steel raised to a welding heat is passed
quickly into the first pair of rolls. By these it is rapidly shaped into a trough form
and passed to the second and third pairs of rolls. By the action of these the c
of the trough are turned inwards and welded together and a tube formed. By
supplementary rolls the figure of the tube may be perfected. A fixed mandril or
rod passes through the eyes of the rolls and serves as a guide on which the tube is
passed from one pair of rolls to another.
In making open jointed tubes of iron and steel and other metals and alloys the
strip to be made into a tube may either be used cold or heated to a temperature
below welding heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eli Deeley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th November
1876.
"1
ELI DEELEY, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Mill Roller. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in machinery
for the manufacture of metallic tubes.
My Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of welded iron and steel
tubes, but it is also applicable to the manufacture of open jointed tubes of iron and
brass and other metals and alloys.
My improvements consist in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
machinery in the following manner :-I mount three pairs of rolls on horizontal
axes, the said pairs of rolls being on the same level and constituting a train of
rolls. Each pair of rolls is situated very near to the next pair so that the strip or
plate of metal on emerging from the first pair quickly enters the second pair, and
on emerging from the second pair quickly enters the third pair. The rolls of tho
first pair are so shaped as to roll into a trough-like form the strip or plate passed
between then, while the rolls of the second and third pairs are shaped so as to give
a cylindrical figure to the trough-shaped strip formed by the first pair. The second
pair of rolls converts the trough-shaped strip into a roughly shaped tube, and the
third pair completes and perfects the figure of the tube. Where, however, great
truth of figure is required in the tube one or more pairs of rolls may be employed
in addition to the pairs described by passing through which additional rolls the
required truth of figure may be given to the tube. The eye of the second and
third pairs of rolls (that is the sectional figure of the acting parts of the pair of
rolls, or the parts immediately opposed to each other) is circular, one half of the
circular eye being formed by a semi-circular groove in the upper roll, and the other
half of the circular eye being formed by a semi-circular groove in the lower roll.
Those parts of the rolls in which the semicircular grooves are made are not cylin
drical but conical, so that the plane in which the opposed parts of the roll on each
side of the groove are situated is not parallel to the axis of the rolls but inclined
thereto at a considerable angle. The rolls of the third pair are formed as described
with respect to the second pair, excepting that the conical part of the roll in which
the groove is formed inclines in the opposite direction. The result of this crossing
of the conical parts of the rolls is that the plane of junction of the third pair of
rolls crosses that of the second pair at or about a right angle. By this method of
constructing the rolls all the advantages of pairs of rolls working alternately on hori-
zontal and vertical axes are obtained.
In using my Invention the strip of iron or steel raised to a welding heat is

page_text: passed quickly into the first pair of rolls. By these it is rapidly shaped into a
trough form and passed to the second and third pairs of rolls. By the action of
these the edges of the trough are turned inwards and welded together and a tube
formed. By supplementary rolls the figure of the tube may be perfected. A fixed
mandril or rod passes through the eyes of the rolls and serves as a guide on which
the tube is passed from one pair of rolls to another.
In making open jointed tubes of iron and steel and other metals and alloys
the strip to be made into a tube may either be used cold or heated to a temperature
below welding heat.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same may be
performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 in side elevation;
Figure 3 in plan; and Figuro 4 in end elevation machinery for the manufacture of
metallic tubes constructed according to my Invention; Figure 5 represents a longi-
tudinal section of the machine in combination with a mandril or rod, which acts as
a guide for guiding the partially made tube through the machine. In Figure 5
the front tubular guide and the guides between the pairs of rolls are removed.
Figure 6 represents a part of the machine detached as herein-after described.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent portions of the second and third pairs of rolls
of the machine drawn to a larger scale, the said Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 exhibiting
the construction of the grooves of the said pairs of rolls. Figures 11 and 12 repre-
sent in plan and side clevation drawn to a large scale a partially shaped strip, the
said Figures 11 and 12 exhibiting the manner in which the strip or plate is first
troughed and afterwards bent into a tubular form by the operation of the rolls.
The machine is represented as constructed for the manufacture of tubes of two
sizes;
that is to say, the lower roll of the first pair of rolls and cach of the rolls of
the second and third pairs are provided with two grooves of different sizes.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of.
the Drawings. a, b, is the first pair of rolls; c, d, the second pair of rolls; and
e, f, the third pair of rolls, the said pairs of rolls being geared together and driven
by the pinions and toothed wheels g, h, i, k, l, m, and n, p, the wheel p being the
driving wheel
The pairs of rolls a, b, c, d, e, f, rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows
upon them in Figure 2, so that the strip or plate introduced between the rolls a, b,
is carried through them, and in succession through the pairs of rolls, c, d, and c, f.
Each pair of rolls is situated near to the next pair, and in front of the first pair of
rolls is a tubular guide or mouth piece q, and between the pairs of rolls a, b, and
c, d, is a guider, and between the pairs of rolls c, d, and e, f, is a similar guide s.
The acting part of the upper roll a of the first pair of rolls is convex, and the acting
part of the lower roll is concave, as best seen in Figure 4. The grooves in the rolls
of the second and third pairs c, d, and e, f, are semi-circular, or nearly semi-circular,
the junctions of the said grooves being arranged in the manner herein-after described.
By the operation of the first pair of rolls a, b, the strip or plate t raised to a welding
heat is shaped into a trough form, the said trough part being marked t. The
trough-shaped strip & emerging from the first pair of rolls a, b, is supported in the
guide, and quickly enters the second pair of rolls c, d, by the operation of which
rolls c, d, tho trough-shaped strip is shaped into a cylindrical figure marked t³,
that is, the edges of the trough are closed or brought together. The tube t³ emerging
from the rolls c, d, is supported in the guides and enters the rolls e, f, by the action
of which the edges of the tube are welded together and the figure of the tube
perfected. Other pairs of rolls behind the rolls e, f, may be employed where great
truth of figure is required in the tube.
The machine may be used with or without a mandril. In Figure 5 I have repre-
sented a mandril or rod marked u, supported in the eyes of the pairs of rolls c, d,
and e, f. The mandril or rod u is smaller than the eyes of the rolls, and acts only
as a guide for guiding the partially made tube through the machine.

page_text: For the purpose of clearing the strip or plate from scale or oxide, after it has been
drawn from the muffle, and before it enters the machine, I place in front of the
machine a delivering table v, to the back edge of which I joint a scraper lever wat
w, the acting part w³ of the said scraper lever being immediately under the plate or
strip t. The lever w is shown separately in Figure 6. As the plate or strip passes 5
to the machine pressure is put on the handle end of the lever to so as to raise and
press the acting part w' against the strip, whereby the scale or oxide is scraped from
it. I construct the second and third pairs of rolls of the machine in the manner
represented in Figures 7 and 8; Figure 7 representing a portion of the second pair
of rolls, and Figure 8 a portion of the third pair of rolls. The parts of the rolls c, d, 1
in Figure 7, in which the semi-circular grooves c², d³, are made are conical, as repre-
sented, so that the plane in which the opposed parts or junctions c³, ³, of the rolls
on each side of the groove are situated is not parallel to the axis of the rolls but is
inclined thereto at a considerable angle. The third pair of rolls is similarly con-
structed to the first pair, excepting that the conical parts e, f, of the rolls in which 1
the grooves e³,, are formed incline in the opposite direction.
By this construction the plane of junction of the third pair of rolls crosses that
of the second pair of rolls at or about a right angle, as will be understood by an
Where a second circular
examination of Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
groove is made in the same rolls the junction of the said groove is arranged in the 2
manner represented in Figure 7. Or the same result may be obtained by making
the grooves in the second and third pairs of rolls in the manner illustrated in
Figures 9 and 10, Figure 9 representing a portion of the second pair of rolls, and
Figure 10 a portion of the third pair of rolls. In this arrangement the junction of
the two rolls c, d, of Figure 9, is parallel to the axes of the rolls, but instead of a
making the grooves c, d, in them truly semi-circular the groove ² in the roll c is
made greater than a semi-circle, and the groove & in the roll is made less than
a semi-circle, the junction of the two grooves e², d², being indicated by the dotted
line in Figure 9. The grooves e, f, of the rolls e, f, Figure 10, are truly semi-
circular, the junction of the said grooves being in the plane in which the axis of
the eye is situated, as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 10. The grooves
made as represented in Figures 9 and 10 are shown in the machine, Figures 1, 2,
3, 4, and 5.
By the use of the last-described arrangement of the rolls the junctions of the two
pairs of rolls although not crossing each other, as in Figures 7 and 8, yet are situated
in different parallel planes, so that different parts of the tube passing through the
machine arc operated upon at the junctions of the two pairs of rolls, Figures 9
and 10.
When I make open jointed tubes by the use of the machine represented the
third pair of rolls and the pairs of rolls following the said third pair do not weld
the joint of the tube but only perfect the cylindrical figure of the tube.
When the second or smaller grooves in the rolls are to be used for making tubes
of smaller diameter the upper roll a of the first pair of rolls is removed, and one
having a collar or acting part of less breadth is substituted therefor. The front
tubular guide q is forked at bottom and slides upon the fixed bar q² for adjusting
the position of the said tubular guide in front of one or the other grooves of the
rolls, and the guides 7, 8, are similarly adjusted by sliding them on the bars ², s².
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 do not limit
bc
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may
varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as iny
Invention the improvements in machinery for the manufacture of metallic tubes,
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say, machinery consisting of three or more pairs of rolls turning on horizontal
axes and situated on the same level and near to each other, the junctions of
the acting parts or eyes of the second and third pairs of rolls, and the additional
pairs of rolls when additional rolls are used, being arranged as described and

page_text: illustrated, so that the planes in which the junctions of the rolls are respectively
situated cross or are inclined to one another at a considerable angle; or making
the junctions of the acting parts of one pair of rolls in a different horizontal
plane from that in which the junctions of the next pair of rolls is situated sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eli Deeley, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
aight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
TSAIAN M. MORGAN,
Walsall.
ELI DEELEY. (L.S.)