Improvements in Machines for Closing the Locking Bar or Bars used in the Construction of certain kinds of Rivetless Pipes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SIMULTICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Closing the Locking Bar or Bars used
in the Construction of certain kinds of Rivetless Pipes.
I, MEPHAN FERGUSON, of The Olderfleet, Collins Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of rivetless pipes from iron or
other metal plates by upsetting the edges of such. plates then bending them
round to the age of a circle and securing their edges together by means of an
H-shaped locking bar which after being placed in position is closed down over
said edges so as to grip same and form a perfectly tight joint.
Now my present invention relates more particularly to the machines used
for effecting the last operation in such manufacture its object being to provide
a machine which will effectively close down the H iron locking bar upon the
edges of the plates at a minimum expense.
or more pairs
According to my invention I provide a machine with one
(preferably three) of vertically arranged concave rollers, between which the
curved plates together with their locking bars may be passed, the contour of the
peripheries of said rollers being arranged to correspond to the circumference of
the finished pipe. These rollers are supported a sufficient distance apart to
hold the edges of said plates within the grooves along the H iron locking-bars
and they are mounted in such a way within a strong frame-work that their
position can be adjusted to suit different sizes of pipes. Over the centre of the
pipe I arrange a closing tool or anvil which may be carried by a strong bridge
piece extending across the frame carrying the concave guida rollers above
described. In a corresponding position underneath the machine is arranged a
hydraulic cylinder the upper part of whose piston or ram carries another closing
tool whose end is shaped so that it will impart the requisite shape to the locking-
bars. A central stationary mandrel is arranged to extend through the centre
of the pipe and is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting closing tools
arranged to bear against the inner faces of the locking-bars and whose inner
ends bear against a wedge connected to a rod, the end of which is coupled,
through the medium of a lever and connecting rod, to a bell crank adapted to
be operated by the rise or fall of the ram or piston carrying the bottom closing
tool, so that when the hydraulic or other pressure is applied beneath said closing
tool to cause it to rise and act upon the locking-bars, this wedge will be drawn
back so as to force the inside closing tools further apart and thus ensure rigid
resistance between the upper and lower tools, the effect being to close down
the sides of the locking bar over the dove-tail edges of the curved plates above
mentioned thus completing the manufacture of the pipe.
The plates and locking bar or bars of which the pipe is to be constructed may
be forced forward between the guide rollers above described by a face plate which
O can be caused to travel along the mandrel by means of a crank handle fitted with

page_text: a small pinion gearing in a rack provided for the purpose along the top of said
mandrel.
If preferred instead of the hydraulic or pneumatic ram actuating the closing
tool as above described, one or more pairs of vertically adjustable closing rollers
might be mounted in suitable adjustable bearings so that they can be forced
against the locking-bars and thus effect the closing against other rollers arranged
upon the mandrel inside the pipe. The distance apart of these inner rollers
can be vertically adjusted by inserting a wedge in the end of the mandrel
carrying them.
Motion may be imparted to the outside closing rolls by suitable spur or other
gearing and their adjustment can be conveniently effected by means of a worm
and worm wheel gearing.
In the above described arrangement the rollers remain stationary, whilst the
pipe is caused to travel-between them in order to effect the closing, but it is.
obvious that this might be reversed, the pipe being kept stationary whilst the
_ closing tools are drawn along the surfaces of the locking bars, and instead of
using rollers, frictional pressure blocks might be employed those on the inside
of the pipe being, by preference, made adjustable by means of wedges or other-
wise. Both the inner and outer closing tools are connected by a cross-head
which can be drawn along by a hydraulic cylinder or other convenient source of
motive power, the effect being to cause the tools to close down the flanges of the
Hiron over the dove-tail edges of the plates from which the pipes are to be
formed.
Suitable guides are provided for retaining the curved plates and locking-bars
in position whilst passing through the locking-bar closing machine.
Dated this Thirtieth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-seven
MEPHAN FERGUSON.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machines for Closing the Locking Bar or Bars used
in the Construction of certain kinds of Rivetless Pipes.
I, MEPHAN FERGUSON, of The Olderfleet, Collins Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, 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:
This invention relates to the manufacture of rivetless pipes from iron or
other metal plates by upsetting the edges of such plates, then bending them
round to the arc of a circle and securing their edges together by means of an
H-shaped locking bar which after having being placed in position is closed
down over said edges so as to grip same and form a perfectly tight joint.
It consists in the machine hereinafter described for effecting the closing of
the locking bar and has been devised in order to provide a machine which will
perform this operation at a minimum expense.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe it with
the aid of the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation of my improved machine for closing two of said lock-
ing bars simultaneously.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a view shown partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central
section of an internal expanding mandrel over which the pipe is placed when
the locking bar is to be closed.
Fig. 4 is an end view of said mandrel.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A represents a substantial casting supported upon a solid foundation and pro-
vided with stout uprights A' connected together at their upper ends by a bridge
piece A³. This latter carries an anvil B underneath which is a hydraulic
cylinder C fitted with a ram or plunger c¹ carrying at its upper end a closing
tool 3 of similar construction to the anvil B. This closing tool like said anvil
is shaped, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, to conform to the required shape
into which it is desired to compress the locking bars D to be used for holding
the upset edges d of the metal sheets forming the main portion of the pipe.
E represents a stationary mandrel or tube over which the plates and locking
bars to be connected together in order to produce the pipe are placed, said plates
and bars being temporarily held in position by clamps or otherwise.
The mandrel E is carried upon suitable supports as F for instance, and it
extends to between the closing tool c and the anvil B. At this end of said
mandrel a vertically sliding closing tool G is mounted so that it can be projected
through the top of said mandrel until it bears against the under side of the upper-
most locking bar D. A similarly constructed tool G¹ is secured upon the out-
side of the mandrel E immediately under the adjustable tool G.
In order that this tool G may be projected when it is desired to close the
locking bars D a horizontally sliding block H, having its upper surface inclined
as illustrated at h Figure 3, is arranged to slide within the end of the mandrel E
and is connected to a rod h¹ extending along said mandrel to the opposite end
thereof. This rod is coupled through the medium of other rods h² and cross-
heads h³ to the rod i of a piston I working within a hydraulic cylinder 2.
This cylinder is constructed with hydraulic packing as shown and its ends
are connected to a hydraulic pump or other convenient source or power water
through the medium of a valve whereby either of said ends may be supplied
with such power water whilst the opposite end is opened to waste.
Provision is also made for connecting the ram cylinder C with the source of
power water, the valve (whereby communication is opened and closed thereto)
being preferably placed alongside of the other valve upon one of the supports F
or in any other position convenient to the operator. These valves being of
ordinary construction are not shewn in the drawings.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
The metal sheets and locking bars of which the pipe is to be made having been
placed in position and clamped together temporarily are slipped over the man-
drel E between the closing tools c³ B.
Power water is then supplied to the left hand end of the cylinder ¹ the effect
being to force back the piston I and thus through the medium of the rods h³
and h¹ drawing back the sliding block H and causing the incline
on its upper
surface to force the tool G upwards against the top locking bar as illustrated
in Fig. 4. In this way there will be a rigid resistance block between the inner
faces of the two locking bars D D. Water is then allowed to enter the hydraulic
cylinder C in order to force the ram cupwards thereby compressing the sides
of the locking bars D on to the thickened edges of the plates and forming a
perfectly water-tight joint. The pressure within the ram cylinder C is then
released, the left hand end of the cylinder i is opened to the exhaust and power
water is run into its opposite end thereby returning the block H to its inopera-
tive position and allowing the tool G to fall thus releasing the pipe which can
then be moved forward a few inches by levers or in any other convenient manner
when the operation above described can be repeated and so on until the closing
of the locking bars has been effected throughout the entire length of the pipe.

page_text: 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 herein described machine for closing the locking bar or bars used in
the construction of certain kinds of rivetless pipes, consisting of the various
parts constructed arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for closing the locking bar or bars used in the construction
of certain kinds of rivetless pipes a mandrel (such as E) having a block (such
as H) with an incline adapted to project a tool (such as G) upwards, said block
being connected to a piston (such as I) working within a hydraulic cylinder
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a machine for closing the locking bar or bars used in the construction
of certain kinds of rivetless pipes an expanding mandrel arranged within the
interior of the pipe in combination with a hydraulic cylinder and a ram carry-
ing a closing tool (such as c³) substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-first day of July One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-eight
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.