NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDED IRON AND STEEL TUBES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clark Johnson, of Wednesbury, in the County of
Stafford, Manager of Tube Works, for an Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDED IRON AND STEEL TUBES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clark Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th March 1881.
"
JOHN CLARK JOHNSON, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Manager of
Tube Works. NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WELDED IRON AND STEEL TUBES."
My Invention consists of machinery, constructed as hereinafter described, by the
use of which machinery the manufacture of welded iron and steel tubes is facilitated,
and skilled labour to a large extent dispensed with.
On the fixed framing of the machine a vertical hydraulic cylinder is supported,
the open end in which the ram or plunger works being uppermost.. A cross head
on the top of the plunger is connected by vertical connecting rods with a platform
or support below the hydraulic cylinder. This platform has rollers on which the
skelp or partially formed tube, the edges of which are to be welded together, is
supported, and on which the tube under operation can be readily turned, as herein
after explained.
Underneath the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder the welding tool is fixed. The
acting face of this tool has the curvature of the tube to be manufactured.
The unwelded tube, when supported on the rollers described, is situated
immediately over a smith's hearth or other source of heat of sufficient intensity to
raise iron or steel to a welding heat. The unwelded tube supported on the rollers
has within it a mandril or anvil of considerably less diameter than the tube. The
upper face of this mandril has the curvature of the tube to be operated upon. By
means of a wedge this mandril can be fixed in the tube, and when so fixed its
upper face firmly supports the edges to be welded together. The mandril being
unwedged the tube is turned so that its edges to be welded are at the lowest point,
A

page_text: and the ram of the hydraulic cylinder being also in its lowest position, the edges to
be welded are exposed to the heat of the hearth or other source of heat. When the
said edges have attained a welding heat the tube is turned so as to bring the
heated edges uppermost; the mandril is wedged in the tube, and water under pressure
being admitted into the hydraulic cylinder the ram is raised, and with it the
platform carrying the tube. The heated edges to be welded. together are thus
raised forcibly against the fixed welding tool, and tool thereby welded together. The
ram of the hydraulic cylinder being allowed to descend, and the mandril in the tube
being unwedged, the tube is advanced by a sliding motion so as to bring a fresh
portion within the action of the machine, when the operations described are
repeated.
My Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of welded iron and
steel tubes of large diameter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clark Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th September 1881.
JOHN CLARK JOHNSON, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Manager of
Tube Works. "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WELDED IRON AND STEEL TUBES.”
My Invention consists of machinery constructed as herein after described, by the
use of which machinery the manufacture of welded iron and steel tubes is facilitated
and skilled labour to a large extent dispensed with:
On the fixed framing of the machine a vertical hydraulic cylinder is supported,
the open end in which the ram or plunger works being uppermost. A cross head
on the top of the plunger is connected by vertical connecting rods with a platform
or support below the hydraulic cylinder. This platform has rollers on which the
skelp or partially formed tube, the edges of which are to be welded together, is
supported, and on which the tube under operation can be readily turned as herein
after explained.
Underneath the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder the welding tool is fixed. The
acting face of this tool has the curvature of the tube to be manufactured. The
unwelded tube, when supported on the rollers described, is situated immediately
over a smith's hearth or other source of heat of sufficient intensity to raise iron or
steel to a welding heat. The unwelded tube supported on the rollers has within it
a mandril or anvil of considerably less diameter than the tube. The upper face of
this mandril has the curvature of the tube to be operated upon. By means of a
wedge this mandril can be fixed in the tube, and when so fixed its upper face
firmly supports the edges to be welded together. The mandril being unwedged the
tube is turned so that its edges to be welded are at the lowest point, and the ram
of the hydraulic cylinder being also in its lowest position the edges to be welded
are exposed to the heat of the hearth or other source of heat.
When the said edges have attained a welding heat the tube is turned so as to
bring the heated edges uppermost; the mandril is wedged in the tube, and water
under pressure being admitted into the hydraulic cylinder the ram is raised, and
with it the platform carrying the tube. The heated edges to be welded together
are thus raised forcibly against the fixed welding tool, and are thereby welded
together.
The ram of the hydraulic cylinder being allowed to descend, and the mandril in
the tube being unwedged, the tube is advanced by a sliding motion, 'so as to
bring a fresh portion within the action of the machine, when the operations
described are repeated.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan, and Figure 2 in end elevation machinery constructed
according to my Invention for welding the edges of iron and steel tubes.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both Figures.
a, a, is the fixed framing of the machine on which the vertical hydraulic
cylinder 6 is supported; a², a³, are the legs of the fixed frame; c is the ram or
plunger of the bydraulic cylinder working through its upper open top. To the top
of the ram or plunger c a cross head d is fixed, having the shape best seen in
Figure 1. The said cross head is connected by means of vertical connecting rods
e, e, e, e, with a horizontal platform or support ƒ, ƒ, below the hydraulic cylinder
for supporting the tube to be welded. By the motion of the hydraulic ram c in
its cylinder b, the tube supporting platform f, f, can be raised towards or lowered

page_text: from the fixed frame a of the machine. On the platform f, f, are rollers h, h, on
which the skelp or partially formed tube g, the edges of which are to be welded
together, is supported, and on which the tube under operation can be readily
turned as well as a sliding motion given to it; i is the welding tool secured to the
support a,. the acting face. of the said tool having the curvature of the tube to be
welded. I prefer to make the said tool i about nine inches in length, but I do not
'limit myself to any particular length of the said 'tool. Within the tube ġ is a
mandril or anvil k, the upper face of which has the curvature of the tube'to be
'welded (see Figure 2): By means of the wedge 7 the mandril . can be fixed. in
the tube g, and when so fixed its upper curved edge firmly supports the edges to
be welded together.
The machine is supported immediately over a smith's hearth or other source of
heat, of sufficient intensity to raise the edges of the tube under operation to a
welding heat.
The operation of the machine is as follows:The ram'c of the hydraulic
cylinder 6 being in its lowest position, and the mandril k released by the with-
drawal of the wedge 7, the tube 'g is turned so that its edges to be welded are at
the lowest point; and are exposed to the heat of the hearth or other source of heat
below the machine. The edges of the tube having attained a welding heat, the
tube is turned so as to bring its heated edges uppermost, as illustrated in Figure 2.
The mandril k is now fixed in the tube g, by driving the wedge between it and
the tube, and water under pressure being admitted into the hydraulic cylinder b,
the ram c is raised, and with it the platform and tube g, and its mandril k. The
heated edges of the tube to be welded together are thus raised forcibly against the
fixed welding tool i; and the said heated edges are welded together. The hydraulic
ram é being allowed to descend, the mandril k in the tube g is unwedged, and the
said tube is advanced by a sliding motion so as to bring a fresh portion of it
within the action of the machine. The operations described are then repeated. In
this way the edges of the tube are welded with great facility, and the use of skilled
labour is to a large extent dispensed with. "
My Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of welded iron and
steel tubes of large diameter, but I do not limit myself to the use of the Invention
to the manufacture of tubes of any particular size.
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 claim as my Invention,
the new or improved machinery for welding the edges of iron and steel tubes
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, the combination of the tube supporting platform d, e, f, raised and lowered
by bydraulic power, with the fixed welding tool i and mandril or anvil k, the
several parts being constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially as described
and illustrated. :
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clark Johnson, have hereunto, set my
hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
GEO. T. COLLIER,
Crown Tube Works,
Wednesbury.
JOHN CLARK JOHNSON. (LS.)