IMPROVEMENTS IN SKELP BENDING TOOLS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TUBES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ENOCH LOVE, of Bangor Terrace, Park Street South, Blakenhall, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for, IMPROVEMENTS IN SKELP BENDING TOOLS EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TUBES, to be as follows:-
Hitherto, according to one method of manufacturing tubes; one end of the strip
to form the skelps has been first partially bent by press tools, and the strips
afterwards drawn, by tongs, through a tool for bending the entire length of the
skelps.
Now the object of this invention is to modify the tool above referred to for
bending the entire length of the skelps and to combine therewith a tool which
shall act therewith to give an initial bending of the skelps through their entire
length, so as to dispense with the press tools employed to bend one end of the
strips.
A pair of tools constructed according to this invention, consists of an inner and
outer tool, both fixed rigidly to an ordinary or any convenient description of
draw-bench. The outer tool of this pair corresponds to the tool, aforesaid, for
bending the entire length of strips. The inner tool projects beyond the outer tool
at the front end, and extends within the outer tool for only a part of the length
thereof, say, approximately, rather less than half the length. A space is left
between the top of the inner tool and the underside of the top of the outer tool,
and this is of a shape in cross-section so as to readily receive the strip as it enters
between the tools. This space gradually curves over in cross-section, increasing
in such curve as the distance from the front end increases. At the back end of the
inner tool, a hole is formed through the outer tool, such hole tapering smaller
towards the back end of this tool, and corresponding to the hinder part of the
opening or hole through the tool, aforesaid, for bending the entire length of the
skelps. The usual slotted opening is formed longitudinally through the top of
the outer tool, and a similar opening is sunk in the top of the inner tool, to allow
for the passage of the tongs in pulling forwards the skolp.
The front projecting end of the lower tool is flat on the top, for the reception of
the strip, and guides are fixed on each side to guide the strip between the tools.

page_text: One pair of tools, as described, may be employed for, say, three or four different
sizes of strip, the guides being adjusted to suit different sizes. In case of the
openings at the back end of the outer tool becoming worn, or in case of a different
sized skelp being required to the size for which such hole is made, a supplementary
tool, having the necessary sized hole properly tapered down from the hole in the
outer tool, is fixed in front of such tool.
By the employment of the tools above-described, the plain strip is simply drawn
therethrough by the tongs, and is bent into a complete skelp by this single operation.
In case of a strip becoming cold in the process of drawing-through, the under-
drawn part is cut off across the projecting part of the inner tool, and then the
inner tool is drawn back, when the skelp may be readily withdrawn from the
outer tool. The inner tool may be fixed to the bed of the draw-bench by means
of a pin or pins passing through a slot or slots in such bed, in order that the tool
may be readily drawn back when required.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, Exocn Love, of Bangor Terrace, Park Street South, Blakenhall, Wolver-
hampton in the County of Stafford, mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SKELP-BENDING TOOLS EMPLOYED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TUBES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked
thereon
According to one method of manufacturing tubes, one end of the heated strip
to form a skelp has been first partially bent by press tools and the strip immediately
afterwards drawn by tongs through a tool for bending the entire length of the
skelp.
"
Now, the object of this invention is to modify the tool above referred to for
-bending the entire length of the skelp, and to combine therewith a tool which
shall act therewith to give an initial bending of the strip, so as to dispense with
the press tools employed to bend one end of the strip.
This invention is illustrated by the drawings herewith, of which figure 1 is a
longitudinal section through a pair of tools constructed according to this invention
for drawing skelps for butt-welded or open-jointed tubes. Figure 2 is a plan of
figure 1, figure 3 a front end elevation thereof, figure 4 a back end elevation,
figure 5 a section on line x x of figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow e,
and figure 5 a corresponding section looking in the direction of the arrow c¹.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.
A is the tool for bending the skelp throughout its entire length ready for rolling,
and B is an inner tool (having fillets thereon, fitting sideways within the back
end of the tool A) and extending within the tool A for only a part of the length
thereof, and this tool B in combination with the front end of the tool A gives
continuously an initial bending of the skelp throughout its entire length, and
dispenses with the press tools previously employed to bend the end of the
strip. The inside of the upper part of the tool A is curved transversely at its
front end, as shewn by figure 3, and the cross section of this tool gradually
increases in curvature till at the back end of the tool B it passes froin the shape
shewn by figure 5º to the tubular shape shewn by the line b b figure 5, and from
thence reduces gradually to the internal shape shewn at 8s in the same view and
by the back end view figure 4, which latter shape is the exterior sectional form of
the skelp when drawn. Figure 6 is a transverse section of a skelp drawn by the
tools. The part of the tool A from the back of the tool B to the back end,
corresponds with the tool previously used in combination with press_tools for
giving an initial bend to the end of a strip. The front end of the tool B projects
beyond the tool A at the front end, as shewn, and the top of this tool at the front
end is flat, as shewn at a a, and this flat part extends somewhat within the tool A.
Immediately at the back of the flat part a a the upper surface of the tool B curves
upwards longitudinally, as shewn in section figure 1, and also transversely, as

page_text: shewn by the curved line c c figure 3, and from the upward longitudinal curvature
the top of this tool is shaped, in a backward direction, to the shape of the interior
of the top of the tool A, for the distance to which the tool B further extends
within the tool A, but so as to leave a space between the upper part of the tool B
and the inside of the upper part of the tool A for the passage of the strip. d d'are
slots in the tools A and B, respectively, for the passage of the usual drawing tongs.
In order to draw a skelp by means of the tools described and illustrated, the
end of the strip is first laid upon the flat part a a of the tool B, being entered
between the tools as far as the part a a extends within the tool A. The strip is
then gripped by the drawing tongs and drawn forward, by which means it is first
curved between the forward interior curved surfaces of the tools, and as it is drawn
through the hinder or tubular part of the tool A it is finished to the section
required previously to rolling. It will be seen that the initial bend produced by
the curved front ends of the tools is continuous throughout the whole length of the
strip. A rounded corner is formed at f figure 1, and a hollow at fi to allow of the
escape of the scale or oxide removed from the skelp during the process of drawing.
C Care guides fixed by means of bolts to the back end of the tool B, and net to
guide the strip as it is drawn from the furnace through the tools. These guides are
curved outwards on plan towards their front ends, and will guide a strip from the
side of the furnace, thus rendering it unnecessary to place the whole length of
strip in or near the middle of the furnace so as to be approximately in line with
the tools. The flat surface a a prevents the strip from twisting whilst being
drawn.
-
The same pair of tools may be employed for three or four different sizes of
strip, by employing in conjunction therewith a nose-piece, as hereinafter described,
to suit the desired size. The guides C C are made preferably with the parts above
the top a a of the tool B projecting inwards from the lower parts, as shewn at
figure 3, so that they may be set inwards to project somewhat over the part a a
and thus be closer together for the guidance of a narrower strip. gg are packing-
pieces between the tool B and the guides C C, and, when it is desired to close in
the guides, these packing-pieces are replaced by thinner ones, or the guides are
fixed against the sides of the tool. It is not necessary to adjust the guides for
each variation in the width of the strips, as the same adjustinent will answer for
two or three sizes.
The tool A is held down to the ordinary drawbench by means of the clamps DD
bearing upon the flanges E E of the tool, and fixed to the bench by means of the
bolts FF GG are packing-pieces under the clamps D D (see figure 4). For
small sizes of strip (say up to 84 inches in width) the tool B may be simply placed
within the tool A, but for larger sizes it should be held by means of a set-pin H
passing up through a slotted hole in the bench, so that if the pin is slackened the
tool may be readily drawn back when required, as in the case of a strip having to
be cleared after becoming cold whilst in the tools.
In the case of a strip becoming cold in the process of drawing through, the
undrawn part is cut off across the flat projecting part of the tool B, and then such
tool is drawn back, when the skelp may be readily withdrawn from the tool A.
h is a piece of steel dovetailed into the back end of the tool A to take the
excessive wear at this point.
J is a nose-piece, preferably of iron, and having a piece of steel h¹ dovetailed
therein corresponding in shape and purpose with the piece h, and this nose-piece is
fixed to the back of the tool A by means of the set-pin K, and also bears solidly
upon the bench.
This nose-piece has a tapered holo therethrough, as shewn,
corresponding at its outer or back face with the exterior section of the desired
skelp, and is fixed in the position shewn after the interior of the back end of the
tool A has become enlarged by wear. In such case the skelp is drawn somewhat
open by the tool A and the nose-piece is employed to close up the skelp. When
the nose-piece becomes enlarged by wear, it may be closed in somewhat and
re-bored, or otherwise cleaned out; to give it the necessary interior size and shape,

page_text: The slot d is, of course, continuous through the nose-piece. A nose-piece may also
be employed when it is desired to form the skelp to a smaller size than the tool A
is otherwise constructed for.
.
Figure 7 illustrates the upper part of the back end of a tool A constructed to
draw skelps for lap-welded tubes. is a section of such a skelp shewn within
the tube. In this case the interior of the back end of the tool is formed with the
ordinary shoulder to throw one edge of the skelp to lap over the other, as shewn.
This shoulder gradually dies out into the bottom of the tubular part of the tool,
such graduation extending to near the front end of such part. Otherwise the tools
are the same for skelps for lap-welded tubes as for butt-welded or open-jointed,
except that it is preferred to shape the tools ro as to give a greater internal
bending to the skelp previously to drawing it, through the tubular part of the
outer tool. A piece of steel corresponding to that lettered his used also in this
case, and a nose-piece is also employed as before described.
For bending large sized skelps I prefer to invert the tools described, substantially
in the manner illustrated by figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings, of
which figure 8 is a view corresponding to figure. 3, and figure 9 a view corre-
sponding to figure 1, but with the tools inverted so that the tongs may have a
more direct pull upon the skelp. Sufficient only of these tools is illustrated to
enable the variation. between them and the previously described tools to be readily
understood.
A' is the tool corresponding to the tool lettered A figure 1, and B' the tool
corresponding to that lettered B figure 1. a¹ a¹ is a flat part underneath the front
end of the tool B', and corresponds to the flat part a a of the previous figures. At
the inner end of this flat part a' a' the tool B curves downwards and also
transversely, as shewn, and the inside of the bottom of the forward end of the
tool A' is curved transversely as shown, so that the curve of the tool B' and this
curved part of the tool A¹ correspond with the similarly but inversely curved parts
of the tools A and B. The part of the tool A at the back of the too! B¹ is
formed tubular, the interior of the back end of such tubular part being shewn
chiefly by dotted lines figure 8, and has the shoulder to cause the lap of the
skelp at the joint, at the top thereof instead of at the bottom as in figure 7.
m m¹ are slots in the tools A and B', respectively, for the passage of the drawing
tongs. The tool B₁ is kept down in the tool A' by means of the lugs n n (shewn
only by dotted lines) on the tool B¹ which are slid into corresponding grooves in
the tool A', and the tool B¹ is kept in its endway position by means of the bolt O
passing through snugs pp on the tools A' and B₁ respectively.
C¹C' are guides shewn in section. These guides correspond to those lettered C C
figure 3, and are held to the tool B¹ by means of bolts, as shown. The scale falls
out through the slot m. A piece of steel corresponding to the piece h, figures 1
and 4, is dovetailed into the end of the tool A'; and a nose-piece is employed in
the case of these tools as in the case of the tools previously described.
When large sized strips are to be formed into skelps, the usual roller is carried
at the front of the bench, to assist in supporting the weight of the strip.
It will be seen that when these last-described tools are employed, the initial
curve to the strip is formed downwards, instead of upwards as in the case first
described, and thus the pull of the tongs is kept low down upon the bench.
The tools A and B, and A¹ and B', are preferably made of cast iron.
By the employment of the tools above described, according to either modification,
the plain strip is simply drawn therethrough by the tongs, and is bent into a
complete skelp by this single operation,
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 hereinbefore described improvements in skelp-bending tools employed in
the manufacture of tubes, according to which the tools are constructed with a flat

page_text: part to receive the end of the strip from which a skelp is to be formed and with
curved parts to give a continuous initial bending to the strip, and with a tubular
part to complete the bending of the skelp, the initial and complete bending being
continuously produced at one operation by means of drawing tongs operating in
the usual manner upon a drawbench of the ordinary type.
2. In skelp-bending tools employed in the manufacture of tubes, 'the com-
bination of parts to produce a continuous initial bending of the skelp with a part
to complete the bending of the skelp, both of such effects being produced at one
operation, substantially as herein described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
3. The tools for drawing skelps employed in the manufacture of tubes, substan-
tially as herein described and shewn by the drawings.herewith.
4. The nose-piece J, substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and
shewn by the drawings herewith.
5. The adjustable guides C C, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described, and shown by the drawings herewith.
100K