Improved Means for Joining the Edges of Metal Plates or Sheets to each other, principally Useful in the Manufacture of Pipes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Joining the Edges of Metal Plates or Sheets to
each other, principally Useful in the Manufacture of Pipes.
I, MEPHAN FERGUSON, of "The Olderfleet" 475 Collins Street, Melbourne, in
the Colony of Victoria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what mauner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing some cheap and
efficient means for joining together the edges of metal plates or sheets so as to
make a tight, durable and secure joint. It consists, first, in forming an enlarge-
ment on each edge of the plates or sheets to be joined together, and second,-in
providing a bar or strip of metal baving a deep groove or recess on each side and
in apposition to each other into which the enlarged edges of the plates or sheets
are led. Pressure is then applied so as to close the grooves or recesses tightly on
the edges of the plates or sheets thereby producing the equivalent of a dove-tailed
joint.
In using this invention in the mauufacture of pipes it is evident that in some
cases only one sheet of metal needs to be used in which case the two edges of the
same sheet would be joined together, but in other cases two or more sheets or
plates may require to be joined together in order to form one pipe or tube in which
case the edge of one sheet or plate would be joined to that of its neighbour.
It is also evident that my invention may be used for the joining together of flat
or curved sheets of metal for any purpose whatever.
The enlargement at the edges of the plates or sheets may be of any shape
preferred and made in any approved way such as by rolling or otherwise.
The joining bar or strip will vary in thickness according to the purpose to which
it is to be applied and must correspond in length with that of the sheets to be
joined together. It is evident, however, that the grooves or recesses on each of its
sides must be sufficiently large in the first instance to receive the enlarged ends of
the plates or sheets and that the subsequent pressure must be sufficiently great to
perfectly close down such grooves or recesses tightly on to the metal plates or
sheets inserted therein so as to make a tight joint although if preferred the joint
between the bar and the plate may be packed in the ordinary way.
This construction will be more clearly understood on reference to the
accompanying drawings wherein,-
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the adjacent edges of the metal sheets
or plates of which the pipes or other articles are to be made.
Figure 2 is a perspective sectional view of the grooved joining bar or strip
bereinbefore referred to.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the edges of the metal sheets or plates laid in
position in the grooves of said bar or strip, whilst,
Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view of part of a length of pipe jointed
according to this invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout.
AA represent the enlargements which according to this invention are formed
along each edge of the sheet B (or sheets) to be joined together, whilst C represents
the bar or strip having a groove D on each side to receive the edges of said sheets
as indicated in Figure 3 after which the sides of said bar are forced towards each

page_text: other so as to grip the enlarged edges of the sheets B between them as indicated
in Figure 4.
This closing of the joint by forcing the sides of the bar towards each other may
be effected in many different ways as will be readily understood by engineers and
other experienced metal workers. For instance the joint might be drawn between
a pair of rolls mounted one inside and the other outside the pipe, or an anvil or
support might be arranged inside the pipe so that the joint might be closed down
by hammering on the outside or a pair of hammers might be arranged to work
simultaneously the one inside and the other outside the pipe, or hydraulic or other
pressure might be used acting either from without upon an anvil or support or
from both within and without after the manner of a hydraulic rivetting
machine.
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 is :-
The herein described means for joining the edges of metal plates or sheets to
each other consisting essentially in forming an enlargement on each edge of the
plates or sheets to be joined together and in a metal bar or strip having a deep
groove or recess on each side to receive the enlarged edges of said plates or
sheets substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of September One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six.
MEPHAN FERGUSON.