IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBING, AND IN RENEWING OR REPAIRING OLD OR IMPERFECT TUBING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBING, AND IN RENEWING OR REPAIRING
OLD OR IMPERFECT TUBING." A communication from abroad by William
McKenzie and Frank Pelnedus Perkins, both of the City, County, and State
of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 18th April 1879, and dated the 3rd December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd December 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBING, AND
IN RENEWING OR REPAIRING OLD OR IMPERFECT TUBING." [A communication
from abroad by William McKenzie and Frank Pelnedus Perkins, both of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention consists, first, in contracting and welding together the end of the
tube or tube blank and forming thereon a hook, which is engaged by the tube.
drawing machinery; and second, in heating old or imperfect tubes nearly to a
welding heat and passing them through a scraping die to remove the scale and
excrescences; then passing them through a draw plate or reducing die, and finally
drawing them repeatedly through grooved rollers while hot, so as to perfectly weld
the seams, and to expel slag and impurities and thoroughly refine the iron.
In carrying out the first part of the Invention I take the tube blank and bring
together its edges in a tube form, and weld to it a piece of bar iron, which I after-
wards form into a short hook. The operation is similar when tubes already made
are to be reduced to diameter by the process of drawing or rolling. Tubes prepared
in this manner are drawn between loose rolls by applying the power to the hook.
The tube is prevented from collapsing by the conical form of the end, and the book
affords a reliable hold for the drawing machinery.

page_text: In carrying out the second part of the Invention I thoroughly clean the old or
imperfect tube both internally and externally, and heat it to a welding heat, and
rapidly draw it through a scraping die until all of the scale and excrescences are
removed. I then pass it through reducing dies or draw plates until the seams are
closed and the iron is solidified. I then draw it through rollers having half round
circumferential grooves, which are graduated in size, so that as the tube passes
from one set of grooves to another it is gradually reduced in diameter, and during
the operation the slag and impurities are expelled from the iron while the seams
are perfectly welded. Instead of rolls having a number of grooves I may employ
a pair of rolls having only a single groove, said rolls being made adjustable, so that
the diameter of the pipe can be varied by bringing the rolls together. The tubes
are heated from time to time during the process to keep them continually at or
near a welding heat.
By this improved process iron pipe and tubes may be converted into new and
perfect tubes, and the quality of the iron greatly improved.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
May 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBING, AND
IN RENEWING OR REPAIRING OLD OR IMPERFECT TUBING." A communication
from abroad by William McKenzie and Frank Pelnedus Perkins, both of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to the manufacture of metal tubing, and the renewing or
repairing of old or imperfect tubing, and it consists, first, in contracting and
welding together the end of the tube or tube blank or skelp, and forming thereon
or welding thereto a hook, which is engaged by the tube drawing machinery; and
secondly, in heating old or imperfect tubes nearly to a welding heat and passing
them through a scraping die to remove the scale and excrescences; then passing
them through a draw plate or reducing die, and finally passing them while hot
repeatedly, that is to say, from two to twenty times, according to the condition of
the tubes, through grooved rollers until the seams are perfectly welded, and the slag
and impurities are expelled, and the iron is thoroughly refined.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
side elevation of an end of a tube shewing the manner of preparing the tube ends
for drawing or rolling; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; Figures 3
and 4 represent dies for cleaning and reducing the tubes; and Figure 5 represents
rolls employed in rolling down the tubes after the iron is compressed and rendered
solid by the dies; Figure 6 shews a front elevation of the same; Figure 7 is a
sectional view of reducing rolls having a single groove only.
In carrying out the first part of the Invention I take the tube blank or skelp
and bring together its edges in a tube form, and contract the end thereof, and weld
to it a piece of bar iron, which I afterwards form into a short hook a, Figures 1
and 2. (The operation is similar when tubes already made are to be reduced in
diameter and refined, and rendered more dense by the process of drawing and
rolling hereafter described, that is to say, the end is closed in or welded together,
and to a short piece of bar iron, upon which the hook a is formed). The bent
skelp thus prepared has its seam welded to form a tube by the process of rolling.
The tube is prevented from collapsing while being rolled by the conical form of the
end, and the hook affords a reliable hold for the drawing machinery.
In carrying out the second part of the Invention I contract the end of the old
or imperfect tube and form on it a hook, or weld to it a short piece of bar iron,
upon which the hook a is formed, and I thoroughly clean the tube both internally
and externally by heating it and rapidly drawing it through the scraping die
(shewn in Figure 3) until all of the scale and excrescences are removed from the
outside, and the scale separates from the inside of the tube in consequence of the
reduction of its diameter. I then pass the tube through a series of steel reducing
dies or draw plates, (one of which is shewn in Figure 4,) until the seams are closed
and the iron is solidified, the said reducing dies or draw plates varying by one six-
teenth of an inch or thereabout in internal diameter. I then pass it through rollers
having a number of half round circumferential grooves, which are graduated in size,
so that as the tube passes from one set of grooves to another it is gradually reduced
in diameter, and during the operation the slag and impurities are expelled from
the iron while the seams are perfectly welded. Instead of rolls having a number
of grooves I may employ a pair of rolls, each roll having a single groove only of
approximately semicircular shape, being flared slightly near the junction of the
two rolls to prevent the pinching of the pipe at that point. The said rolls are
made adjustable by means of screws, so that the diameter of the pipe can be varied

page_text: by bringing the rolls together. The reducing of the tube in this case is effected
by passing the tube five or six times between the rolls and turning it after each
passage, so as to present a new surface to the bottom of the grooves in the
rolls.
The tubes are heated in the furnace from time to time during the process to keep
them continually at or near a welding heat.
By this improved process old iron pipe and tubes may be converted into new
and perfect tubes, and the quality of the iron greatly improved.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A tube or tube blank having its end closed or welded together, and to a
bar having a book for engaging the tube-drawing machinery, substantially as
shown and described.
2nd. The method of cleaning tubes by drawing them while hot through a
scraping die, as herein specified.
3rd. The process of refining and welding tubes by heating them to a welding
heat, and while hot passing them repeatedly through rolls, as herein specified.
4th. The process of refining and welding tubes by passing them while hot
through reducing dies, and afterwards passing them at a welding heat through rolls,
as herein specified.
5th. The process herein described of making new and perfect tubes from old or
imperfect tubes without altering their cylindrical form except by reducing them in
diameter, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine..