IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TUBES AND HOLLOW CYLINDERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO DP PMDLAVED IN GAID MASTOLD & CRIE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Webb, of Smethwick, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TUBES AND HOLLOW CYLINDERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO
DP PMDLAVED IN GAID MASTOLD & CRIED P
Sealed the 17th August 1866, and dated the 21st February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Webb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
February 1866.
I, WILLIAM WEBB, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TUBES AND HOLLOW CYLINDERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE
EMPLOYED IN THE SALD MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in increasing the diameter of tubes and hollow
cylinders by the process of rolling, conducted in the manner herein-after
explained; and secondly, in the rolling machinery herein-after explained to
be employed in the said rolling process.
In order to increase the diameter of tubes and hollow cylinders according to
my Invention. I subject them to a rolling process, in which process one of the
rolls is within the tube or hollow cylinder and the other outside the tube or
cylinder. When the rolls are made to rotate under pressure the tube or

page_text: cylinder is rolled between the said rolls, and the metal of the said tube
or cylinder is expanded. The said tube or cylinder is increased in diameter
without
any increase or with but a small increase in length.
The machinery I employ in the said rolling process is constructed as
follows:-The
follows: The machinery consists essentially of a pair of rolls, the upper one
of which is of a diameter sufficiently small to go inside the tube or cylinder to
be operated on. The lower roll may either be of the same or larger diameter.
The upper roll is capable of a sliding motion as well as a rotatory motion. The
sliding motion of the upper roll is for the purpose of permitting it to be
introduced into and withdrawn from the tube or hollow cylinder. In intro-
ducing the tube or cylinder into the machine the upper roll is made to slide
in the direction of its axis, being liberated thereby from its bearing at one end.
The tube or cylinder is then placed upon the said upper roll, and the said
upper roll is restored to its normal position so as to enable it to engage and
rotate in its bearings. Pressure is put upon the rolls which are set in motion,
and by their action increase the diameter of the tube or cylinder upon the
upper roll. When the tube or cylinder has been sufficiently operated upon it
is removed from the machine by removing the pressure from the rolls, stopping
the rolls, and sliding back the top roll, when the tube or cylinder can be
removed from it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Webb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WEBB, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant, unto
me, the said William Webb, Her special licence that I, the said William
Webb, my executors,, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Webb, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TUBES AND HOLLOW CYLINDERS, AND
IN THE MACHINERY TO BE. EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Webb, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, .or .one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-..
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Webb, do hereby declare the-
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,...
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,..
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say).:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in increasing. the diameter of tubes and
hollow cylinders by the process of rolling conducted in the manner herein-
after explained; and, secondly, in the rolling machinery herein-after explained.
to be employed in the said rolling process.
In order to increase the diameter of tubes and hollow cylinders according to-
my Invention I subject them to a rolling process, in which process one of the
rolls is within the tube or hollow cylinder and the other outside the tube or
cylinder. When the rolls are made to rotate under pressure the tube or
cylinder is rolled between the said: rolls and the metal of the said tube or
cylinder is expanded. The said tube or cylinder is increased in diameter
without any increase or with but a small increase in length..
The machinery I employ in the said rolling process is constructed as
follows: The machinery consists essentially of a pair of rolls, the upper. one
of which is of a diameter sufficiently small to go inside the tube or cylinder to
be operated upon. The lower roll may either be of the same or larger
diameter. The upper. roll is capable of a sliding motion as well as a rotatory
motion. The sliding motion of the upper roll is for the purpose of permitting
it to be introduced into and withdrawn from the tube or hollow cylinder. In
introducing the tube or cylinder into the machine the upper roll is made to
slide in the direction of its axis, being liberated thereby from its bearing at
one end. The tube or cylinder is then placed upon the said upper roll, and
the said upper roll is restored to its normal position so as to enable it to
engage and rotate in its bearings. Pressure is put upon the rolls which.are
set in motion, and by their action increase the diameter of the tube or cylinder
upon the upper roll. When the tube or cylinder has been sufficiently operated

page_text: upon it is removed from the machine by removing the pressure from the rolls,
stopping the rolls, and sliding back the top roll when the tube or cylinder can
be removed from it.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations; and Figures 3 and 4, end
elevations (partly in section) of the machinery or rolls which I. cimploy in
rolling tubes or hollow cylinders according to my Invention. In Figures 1
and 3 the tube or hollow cylinder is represented before it is expanded by the
rolls, and in Figures 2 and 4 the said tube or hollow cylinder is represented
after it has been expanded by the rolls. The same letters indicate the same
parts in each Figure.
The said machinery consists essentially of a pair of rolls a, b, supported in.
the standards or housings d, d. The said rolls are both of the same diameter
as represented, but the upper roll a must be of a diameter sufficiently small to
go inside the tube or hollow cylinder to be operated upon. The lower roll b
may be of the same diameter or of larger diameter. The upper roll a is
capable of sliding out of the standards or housings d, d, as well as rotating
therein. This sliding motion of the lower roll a is for the purpose of per-
mitting it to be introduced into and withdrawn from the tube or hollow
cylinder. At one end of the rolls are two uprights e, e, upon which the upper
roll a is supported when withdrawn from the housings d, d. The rolls a, b,
are geared together by the ordinary or any convenient gearing; fare. the
brasses of the upper roll a, and g are the brasses of the lower roll b. The
brasses f slide in guides in the housings d, d, and. are connected to the screws h,
by turning which screws the said brasses can be raised from or lowered upon
the necks of the said roll a
In increasing the diameter of a tube or hollow cylinder according to my
Invention I proceed as follows:-I ungear the rolls a, b, from one another,
and by means of the screws h raise the brasses f from the upper roll a. I
then withdraw by a sliding motion the upper roll a from the housings d, and
support it upon the uprights e, e, the tops of which, uprights are made concave
or hollow to fit a portion of the said roll; I now take a tube or hollow
cylinder of brass, or copper, or other metal or alloy produced by casting or
otherwise, and place it upon the upper roll a; the said upper roll a with the
tube or hollow cylinder marked i upon it is then restored to its normal position
in the housings d, as represented in the Drawing, and the brasses or bearings f
being made to engage with the necks of the rolls and the axes of the rolls

page_text: geared together, the machine is ready to be put in motion. The tube or
cylinder to be rolled is thus situated between the rolls, the upper roll being
within the tube or cylinder, and the other roll outside it, pressure being put
upon the rolls by means of the screws h, and the said rolls being set in motion
their action upon the tube or hollow cylinder i increases its diameter and
reduces the thickness of the metal of the said tube or cylinder in the manner
illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, where the expanded tube or cylinder is marked it."
The tube or cylinder is having been increased to the diameter required, the
machine is stopped, and the upper roll a thrown out of gear with the lower
roll b. On removing the pressure by raising the screws h and brasses f and
sliding back the top roll a on to the supports e, e, the expanded tube or
cylinder may be removed from the said roll and a fresh tube or cylinder to be
operated upon placed thereon when the operations already described are
repeated. Instead of the upper roll receiving the tube or cylinder and
sliding in its bearings the upper roll may be fixed and the lower roll be made
to slide in its bearings and receive the tube or cylinder. I prefer, however,
the arrangement described and represented.
.
By increasing the diameter of tubes and hollow cylinders according to my
Invention the nip or pressure of the rolls takes place at right angles to the
length of the tube or cylinder being operated upon, and the tube or cylinder is
thereby increased in diameter without any increase or with but a small
increase in length.
My Invention is especially applicable to the production of tubes and hollow
cylinders of large diameter and made of copper or brass, but may also be used
for the production of tubes and hollow cylinders of small diameter and tubes
or hollow cylinders made of other metals or alloys.
Tubes or hollow cylinders expanded or rolled according to my Invention
are much stronger than tubes or hollow cylinders expanded by being rolled or
drawn in the ordinary way.
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 myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the improvement in the manufacture of tubes and hollow cylinders
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, increasing the diameter of tubes and hollow cylinders without any
increase or with but a small increase in length, by a rolling process in which
one of the rolls is within the tube or hollow cylinder and the other rull
---

page_text: outside the tabe or hollow cylinder, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly, the improvements in machinery to be employed in rolling tubes
and hollow cylinders herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, that is to say, the arrangements for facilitating the removal
from its housings and the supporting of the roll on which the tube or hollow
cylinder to be expanded is placed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Webb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM WEBB. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.