Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes and Hollow Cylinders.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes and Hollow
Cylinders.
We, HOWARD LANE, of Corporation Street Birmingham, Engineer, and ARTHUR
CHAMBERLAIN of 4, New Bartholomew Street Birmingham Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to produce tubes or hollow cylinders directly
from molten metal, generally iron or mild steel, in such a manner that the tubes
or cylinders have at once a considerable length. For this purpose we employ
a rotating mould, lined with refractory material. One end of this mould has its
interior surface contracted into a generally conical form, and into this molten
metal is poured. The open end of this mould of refractory material is continued
by a cylinder, preferably of copper, the axes coinciding, and the two rotating
together. Into this composite rotating mould is loosely fitted a plug or stopper,
which enters (at the end opposite to that at which the molten metal is introduced),
to a point at which it is found by experience that the molten metal is just
beginning to solidify. The plug or stopper is provided at the end where it meets,
the cooling metal, with recesses or grooves, in which the metal solidifies and
becomes engaged.
The plug rotates at the same speed as the mould, but has
also a motion communicated to it by which it is withdrawn from the mould at a
fixed rate in a direction parallel to its axis.
The molten metal is steadily poured into the orifice of the mould, and acquires
a centrifugal force as it passes through the part of the mould which is lined with
refractory material. The metal solidifies as it passes into the metallic part of the
mould (which may be artificially cooled) and, shrinking, as it sets, is drawn along
by the plug or stopper. It is clear that the length of the tube or cylinder thus
formed is limited not by the length of the mould in which it is formed, but by
the distance through which the plug or stopper is able to move, which may be so
long as desired. The tubes are usually finished by ordinary processes of rolling
and drawing.
Dated this 18th day of September 1891
HOWARD LANE.
ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Tubes and Hollow
Cylinders.
We, HOWARD LANE, of Corporation Street Birmingham, Engineer, and ARTHUR
CHAMBERLAIN of No. 4 New Bartholomew Street, Birmingham, Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of our invention is to produce tubes or hollow cylinders directly from
molten metal, generally iron or mild steel, in such a manner that the tubes or cylinders
have at once a considerable length. For this purpose, we employ a rotating mould
lined with refractory material. One end of this mould has its interior surface
contracted into a generally conical form and into this, molten metal is poured.
The open end of this mould of refractory material is continued by a cylinder
preferably of copper, the axes coinciding, and the two rotating together. Into

page_text: this composite rotating mould is loosely fitted a plug or stopper which enters (at
the end opposite to that at which the molten metal is introduced) to a point at
which it is found by experience that the molten metal is just beginning to
solidify. The plug or stopper is provided at the end where it meets the cooling
metal with recesses or grooves in which the metal solidifies and becomes engaged.
The plug rotates at the same speed as the mould, but has also a motion com-
municated to it by which it is withdrawn from the mould at a fixed rate in a
direction parallel to its axis. The molten metal is steadily poured into the
orifice of the mould and acquires a centrifugal force as it passes through that
part of mould which is lined with refractory material. The metal solidifies as
it passes into the metallic part of the mould (which may be artificially cooled)
and shrinking as it sets is drawn along by the plug or stopper.
It is clear that the
length of the tube or cylinder thus formed is limited not by the length of the
mould in which it is formed but by the distance through which the plug or stopper
is able to move which may be as long as desired. The tubes are usually finished
by ordinary processes of rolling and drawing.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying, drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section partly in side elevation and
Figure 2 in eud elevation, the apparatus which we prefer to use in making a
metal tube or hollow cylinder according to our invention; Figure 3 represents
a portion of Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale and Figure 4 represents an end
elevation of the gearing of the apparatus drawn to a larger scale. In Figures 1
aud 3 a tube is represented in the course of being manufactured.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
a, is the compound rotating horizontal mould supported and driven in the manner
hereinafter described.
The front or feeding end of the mould is lined with a refractory material a such
as plumbago or fire clay and the said front end is continued by the metal cylinder b
preferably of copper the said metal part 6 of the rotatory mould having an internal
diameter through the greater part of its length corresponding to the external
diameter of the tube or hollow cylinder to be made. The said metal part 6 of the
mould is corrugated externally to increase its surface, and the said metal part b
may be artificially cooled in various ways; for example it may be dipped into a
trough of water or other cooling agent. In front of the lined end a of the mould
is a fixed funnel c of fire clay or like material into which the molten metal is
poured the part of the said funnel being in line with and opening into the
contracted tubular part a of the mould.
In conjunction with the compound rotating mould ab we use the plug or stopper d
the front end of which is necked at d for the solidifying metal in the front end of
the metallic part of the mould to engage with. The said plug or stopper d has
the same external diameter as the interior of the cylindrical portion of the metal
part of the mould so that the said plug or stopper can enter the mould to the
required distance and be withdrawn therefrom.
The said plug or stopper d rotates with the mould and the tube being made,
and besides has a longitudinal motion or motion in the line of the axis of the
tube being made.
Ú
The rotary motion of the plug or stopper is effected in the manner hereinafter
described and its longitudinal or withdrawing motion in the following manner.
The outer end of the plug d is made into a screw d³ with which a half screw
box e may be geared.
When the half screw box e is geared with the screw the rotary motion of the
screw causes it to advance in the screw box and give a longitudinal motion to the
plug and the tube fixed to the plug. When the half screw box is ungeared
from the rotating screw the plug and tube no longer advance in the line of their
axis. The gearing of the half screw box to and the ungearing of it from the

page_text: screw are effected in the following manner. The half screw box e is carried on
the top of the vertical rack (see Figure 1) with which the pinion g gears the axis
of the pinion having upon it the lever /.
a,
When the lever is in the vertical position represented the rack f is at its
lowest position and the half screw box e carried by it is ungeared from the rotating
screw and the latter has no advancing motion given to it. When the lever h
is turned down the rack is lifted and the half screw box e is geared with the
screw and an advance of the screw and parts connected with it takes place.
The rotating mould bis driven by frictional contact of pairs of driven discs
for plain wheels and k on which the collars m, m at the ends of the mould rest.
Over the highest part of the mould and bearing on the end collars m, m are other
discs or plain wheels p, p connected together by a shaft, the said discs p, p being
rotated by frictional contact of the collars m m against them. Between the pairs
of driven discs or wheels and k at the ends of the mould and the top discs p p the
mould rotates.
....
The tube being made marked 9 and the rotating plug or stopper dare supported
and driven by the smaller sets of discs or plain wheels ² and ³. The lower
wheels or discs of the sets are connected together by the shaft. The front set
of discs only support and drive the plug d during the early stage of the
manufacture of the tube, but as the tube lengthens and the plug d advances beyond
the front set of discs they commence to support and rotate the tube q the plug
now being supported and its rotation assisted by the second set of small discs as
represented in the drawings.
Any number of sets of smaller discs similar to those at and, at the required
distances apart may be used to support the tube and plug as the tube lengthens.
The driven discs or plain wheels are rotated in the following manner; r is the
main shaft having upon its inner end the toothed wheels or drivers sands. The
larger toothed wheels is situated between and drives the toothed wheels t, t on
the shafts 1, of the connected discs and k; and the smaller toothed wheel s*
is situated between and drives the smaller toothed wheels, on the axes of
the lower discs or wheels 2 and 3 as will be understood by an examination of
Figures 2 and 4.
The method of manufacturing a tube or hollow cylinder according to our invention
is as follows:-
The necked end of the plug or stopper d being passed into the mould a, b, say, to
the position indicated by the dotted line marked in Figure 3 and the mould and
plug being put into rotation, the molten metal is poured into the funnel e and passes
into the lined part a of the mould and nearly fills the said lined part of the mould.
The molten metal by the centrifugal force generated by the rotating mould
expands in the said part a in the form of a hollow cone which passing into the front
of the metal portion of the mould takes the figure of that part of the mould and
while still liquid advances in the said portion b and attaches itself to the necked
end of the plug or stopper d, which is at the position u Figure 3. The screwed
end of the stopper being now geared with the screw box e a retiring motion is
given to the plug or stopper thereby drawing the tube along and out of the mould,
the tube as it emerges from the mould being supported by the appliances
represented. It will thus be understood that the liquid metal entering one end of
the rotating mould emerges from the other end in the form of a solidified tube or
hollow cylinder.
A tube or hollow cylinder of any length can in this way be made by pouring the
required quantity of liquid metal into the mould and drawing out or advancing the
plug or stopper and tube to the required distance.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as our
nvention :-
Manufacturing metal tubes and hollow cylinders by the use of a rotating

page_text: horizontal mould into one end of which the liquid metal of which the tube or
hollow cylinder is to be formed is introduced and by centrifugal force made hollow
or tubular the said hollow or tubular metal while in a liquid state engaging with
and solidifying upon the necked end of a rotating plug or stopper introduced into the
mould which plug or stopper by retiring from the mould draws with it the solidified
metal tube or hollow cylinder, the process of manufacture being conducted by
appliances, constructed, arranged and working substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th day of July 1892
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.