Improvements in Flexible Bends and Expansion Joints for and in Tubular Mains, and in their Manufacture.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar,, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flexible Bends and Expansion Joints for and in
Tubular Mains, and in their Manufacture.
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, of 120 Fellows Road, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
For supplying steam to steam engines it is usual to employ tubular mains of
copper-similar mains are also used for conveying steam from the cylinders to the
condenser-and for various other purposes
When the mains are of large size the bends in such mains have to be made
of parts brazed together and the strength of the metal is often impaired in the
brazing.
To remedy this I form tubular elbow bends from solid drawn copper tubes by
forming in such tubes a succession of indentations passing nearly but not entirely
around their circumference-thereby bending the tube in any desired direction.
To form such indentations or corrugations the tube is placed on to a mandril which
is fixed at one of its ends and a roller is made to bear against the exterior of the
tube close to the opposite end of the mandril The roller is made to roll around
the tube in a circle eccentric to its centre so as to indent the upper half of the tube
but not the lower and so that each indentation is deepest at the centre and dies away
at its ends
One corrugation is formed at a time in this way and the tube is so bent gradually
into an elbow bend.
When the tube is required to be hent in more than one direction then two or more
sets of grooves are formed in at different parts of its length the deepest part of the
grooves of one set being at one side of the tube and of another set at another side
according to the direction in which each bend is to be made.
I also form bends or expansion connections for tubular mains of a number of tubes
of smaller diameter than the tube forming the straight portions of the main. Each of
the tubes forming the bend can in this way be made of thinner metal than the straight
tube and can therefore be more readily bent to the required form and will be more
flexible.
I secure the ends of all the small tubes to one disc or flange which can be bolted
to a flange at the end of a length of the straight portion of a main A narrow hollow
box may be between the flanges to give free passage from the single tube to the ends
of the smaller tubes or vice versa The ends of the small tubes may be held by
inserting them into holes in the end flange plate and expanding them into such
holes
For a single bend all the small tubes would be bent in one direction-for an
expansion Joint the small tubes might be in a circle and the bend in each tube be
disposed in a plane radial to the centre of the circle-or both for bends and expansion
joints the small tubes might be disposed in a straight line in this case the form of the
box interposed between their ends and the end of a large straight pipe would be
modified accordingly.
Similarly the straight runs of pipe may be made up of a number of small pipes
with a flange at each end common to all, so that for each set of pipes a single joint
only has to be made round the outside of the coupling flange. The expansion Joints
or bends or sets of pipes may have the pipes of which they are made twisted into the
form of a strand. In straight runs this would give expansion in every length and in
bends would render them more flexible
In putting multiple pipes together with flanges the holes in the flanges would be
.

page_text: placed opposite each other, but no joint mide round each individual pipe, the joint
only being made round the outer edge of the flange. In this way no receiving
chambers would be required between the several lengths
Dated this 1st day of Mo 1680
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Flexible Bends and Expansion Joints for and in
Tubular Mains, and in their Manufacture
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI of 120 Fellows Road, Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
For supplying steam to steam engines it is usual to employ tubular mains of
copper-similar mains are also used for conveying steam from the cylinders to the
condenser and for various other purposes.
When the mains are of large size the bends in such mains have to be made of
parts brazed together and the strength of the metal is often impaired in the
brazing.
To remedy this I make tubular elbow bends from solid drawn copper tubes by
forming in such tubes a succession of indentations passing nearly but not entirely
around their circumference-thereby bending the tube in any desired direction. A
bend thus made is shown at Figure 1.
To form such indentations or corrugations apparatus is employed such as
represented by Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section and Figure 3 is a plan
18
The tube a is placed on to a mandril b which is fixed at one of its ends and a roller c
is made to bear against the exterior of the tube close to the opposite end of the
mandril. The roller is made to roll around the tube in a circle eccentric to its centre
so as to indent one side of the tube but not the other and so that each indentation is
deepest at the centre and dies away at its ends.
One corrugation is formed at a time in this way and the tube 19 so bent gradually
into an elbow bend. d is a lever handle attached to the ring on which the roller is
cariled.
When the tube is required to be bent in more than one direction as is illustrated
by the Figures 4 and 5 then two or more sets of grooves are formed in it at different
parts of its length the deepest part of the grooves of one set being at one side of the
tube and of another set at another side according to the direction in which each bend
is to be made.
I also form bends or expansion connections for tubular mains as shown by Figures 6
and 7; of a number of tubes in this case seven in number of smaller diameter than
the tube forming the straight portions of the main. Each of the tubes forming the
bend can in this way be made of thinner metal than the straight tube and can
therefore be more readily bent to the required form and will be more flexible and
therefore more efficient as expansion connections.
I secure the ends of all the small tubes to one disc or flange which can be bolted to
a flange at the end of a length of the straight portion of a main A narrow hollow
box may be between the flanges as shown in Figures 8 and 9 to give free passage
from the single tube to the ends of the smaller tubes or vice versa The ends of the
small tubes may be held by inserting them into holes in the end flange plate and
expanding them into such holes.
For a single bend all the small tubes would be bent in one direction-for an
expansion Joint the small tubes might be in a circle and the bend in each tube be
disposed in a plane radial to the centre of the circle; as is represented by the
Figures 10 and 11-or both for bends and expansion joints the small tubes might be

page_text: disposed in a straight line as is shown (as applied to a bend) by the Figures 12
and 13-in this case the form of the box interposed between their ends and the end
of a large straight pipe would be modified accordingly.
Similarly the straight runs of pipe may be made up of a number of small pipes
with a flange at each end common to all, so that for each set of pipes a single joint
only has to be made round the outside of the coupling flange
This method of construction 19 illustrated by Figure 14. The expansion Joints or
bends or sets of pipes may have the pipes of which they are made twisted into the
form of a strand as is shown by Figure 15. In straight runs this would give
expansion in every length and in bends would render them more flexible.
In putting multiple pipes together with flanges the holes in the flanges would
be placed opposite each other but no joint made round each individual pipe, the
Joint only being made round the outer edge of the flange. In this way no
receiving chambers would be required between the several lengths.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim 19:-
1 A flexible elbow bend pipe solid drawn with a succession of indentations
passing partly around it, substantially as described and illustrated by Figure 1.
2. Apparatus for bending pipes consisting of a mandril on which the pipe is
placed and securely held and a roller which can be made to bear against the
exterior of the pipe and to travel around it in a path eccentric to the pipe, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated by Figures 2 and 3
3 A solid drawn pipe bent in two planes and with two sets of indentations
passing around it, one set of indentations being deepest in the plane of one of
the bends and the other set in the plane of the other bend; substantially as
described and illustrated by Figures 4 ani 5.
4. Multiple tube bends or expansion connections substantially as described and
illustrated by Figures 6 to 13.
5 In multiple tube bends and expansion connections, a hollow box or chamber
interposed between and serving to connect the single large pipe with the multiple
tubes substantially as described and illustrated by Figures 8, 9, 12 and 13.
6. A multitubular stranded expansion Joint or flexible bend or connection sub-
stantially as described and illustrated by Figure 15.
7. A tubular main for conveying steam to steam engines and for such like uses
composed of successive lengths of assemblages of pipes with the pipes in each length
connected together at their ends by means of flanges or boxes which serve to join
the ends of one set of pipes to the ends of another.
Dated this 1st day of February 1890.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.