IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW METAL ROLLS AND TUBES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW METAL ROLLS AND TUBES."
A communication from abroad by the American Tube Works (Incorporated),
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 13th February 1877, and dated the 21st December 18
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st December 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HOLLOW METAL ROLLS AND TUBES." A communication from abroad by The
American Tube Works (Incorporated), of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
These improvements pertain to the manufacture of hollow metal rolls and tubes
and are more especially designed for the manufacture of hollow print rolls and
tubes of copper, although, as will appear from the description herein-after given,
they are applicable to the manufacture of hollow rolls and tubes from other metals
besides copper to be used for various purposes.
The said improvements pertain particularly to the production of hollow rolls and
tubes from hollow and tubular metal castings or ingots, and relate first to the
manner of condensing and solidifying the metal of the casting while the casting is
in the mould. This part of the said Invention consists in pouring a suitable cooling
liquid, such as water, into the mould to come in direct contact with the molten
metal in the mould, immediately after ceasing to pour the metal or as soon there-
after as possible, and in a quantity sufficient to at once condense and practically
chill and solidify the molten metal with which it comes in contact to such a degree
and depth, at the same time shrinking it on the core, as to set and fix it; through
such setting the rest of the molten metal is so held within the mould that when the
casting has been sufficiently cooled for removal the metal composing the casting will
have a density and solidity equal, or nearly equal, to that given to it by hydraulic
or other pressure, as heretofore practised for the same purpose, which is practically
all that is necessary for the after manipulations of the casting to complete its
manufacture into a hollow roll or tube.

page_text: The said improvements relate, secondly, to the treatment of a hollow or tubular
metal casting which has been condensed, as above described, or otherwise suitably
condensed for its manufacture into a hollow roll or tube, suitable for use as a print
roll or for other purposes.
This part of the said Invention consists,—
First. In making the hollow, or tubular casting, or ingot of an oval shape, and
substantially of an even and uniform thickness in cross section, and subjecting it to
pressure in the direction of its longer axis either by passing it between grooved
pressure rolls or otherwise in any suitable manner, so as thereby to open it out
into a round or nearly round shape, and then compressing and shaping it either by
passing it with a suitable internal mandril or former between grooved pressure
rolls, or by drawing it in the usual manner with a suitable internal mandril
through a die of suitable shape, or by both rolling and drawing it, as aforesaid, or
by any other suitable means."
Second. In making the hollow or tubular casting or ingot either of an oval or of
a round shape, and substantially of an even or uniform thickness in cross section,
which casting, if it be of an oval shape, is first rounded by pressure in the direction
of its longer axis, as above described, and then compressing and shaping such
casting upon an internal mandril or former provided with a groove, or spline, or
equivalent construction along and in the direction of its length by passing the two
together between grooved pressure rolls, or by drawing them in the usual manner
through a die of suitable shape, or by both rolling and drawing, as aforesaid, or by
any other suitable means. By this treatment the said casting or ingot internally
is shaped to the external shape of the mandril, giving it an internal-rib or spline
or equivalent form in the direction of its length, which is the exact counterpart of
the groove or spline formation of the internal mandril or former.
Third. In making the hollow, or tubular casting or ingot, either of an oval or
of a round shape, and substantially of an even and uniform thickness in cross
section with an internal rib, or spline, or equivalent form, running lengthwise of
the casting or ingot, which casting, if of an oval shape, is first rounded by pressure
in the direction of its longer axis, as above described, and then compressing and
shaping it either by passing it with a suitable internal mandril or former shaped to
receive the said rib or spline between grooved pressure rolls or by drawing it in
the usual manner with a suitable internal mandril or former properly shaped, as
aforesaid, through a die of suitable shape, or by both rolling and drawing it, as
aforesaid, or by any other suitable means.
Fourth. In the production from a hollow, or tubular casting, or ingot, which
interiorly is made either straight or taper from end to end of an internally taper
roll or tube, through compression or shaping said casting or ingot on an internal
mandril or former which is taper in the direction of its length, by passing said
casting and mandril or former together through grooved pressure rolls, or by
drawing them together in the usual manner through a die of suitable shape, or by
both rolling and drawing, as aforesaid, or by any other suitable means.
The said Invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in
which,―
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are cross sections of hollow or tubular castings or ingots,
to be manufactured into tubes or rolls according to these improvements.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, are cross sections of tubes or rolls, made repectively from
the castings or ingots shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 9 is a side view, partly in longitudinal section on the line x, x, Figures
6, 7, and 8.
Figure 10 is a cross section, illustrating the general shape to which a casting or
ingot, of oval shape, is brought by pressure in the direction of the longer axis of the
casting or ingot.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of a tube or roll internally taper from end to
end. The remaining Figures are herein-after described.
In the manufacture of metal rolls and tubes according to these improvements,

page_text: I first make a hollow or tubular casting or ingot of the proper length by casting
the ingot in any of the ordinary modes of casting hollow ingots, and condense and
solidify the metal of the casting in any of the ordinary modes, or, as herein
described as a part of these improvements, by pouring water or other suitable
cooling liquid into direct contact with the top of the molten metal in the mould
immediately after ceasing to pour the molten metal.
A pailful of water is sufficient, and practise has proved that with a depth of
twenty-four inches of molten metal in the mould, being a pouring of 180 pounds
of metal, copper inore particularly, the casting when removed shows only a length
of twenty-one inches or thereabouts, making a reduction in length of about three
inches with the same amount of metal, or in other words, it shows that the said
amount of metal is in a length of casting of twenty-one inches instead of twenty-
four, obviously securing and giving an increased density and solidity to the metal
of the casting, substantially equal to what would be obtained by hydraulic or other
pressure acting through a plunger or piston constructed, arranged, and operated in
the ordinary manner.
The casting marked A in the Drawings may be made of an oval shape, as in
Figures 1 and 2, or of a round shape, as in Figures 3 and 4, and it is to be sub-
stantially of an even or uniform thickness in cross section.
In either form, whether oval or round, the casting may be made either with or
without an internal rib or spline a, as in Figures 2 and 4, or its equivalent, and if
so made such rib or spline extends for the whole length of the casting. Or the said
casting or ingot may be made internally straight or taper from end to end.
Should the casting A be of an oval shape it is opened into a round shape, or
into a shape substantially round, as in Figure 10, by pressure in the direction of
its longer axis. Then the metal of which it is composed is subjected to pressure,
as if it were originally cast of a round shape instead of an oval shape, as herein-
after described.
To open the oval casting into a round shape, as described, it is preferably passed
between grooved pressure rolls B, B, which are placed and arranged one above the
other and operated in the ordinary manner, and aro shewn in Figures 12 and 13,
which are a side elevation and a transverso vertical section of a rolling mill. The
pressure of said rolls will act on the casting in the direction of its longer axis, as
at b, Figure 12.
In lieu of opening out the oval casting into a round shape by passing it between
grooved pressure rolls as above particularly shown and described, it may be similarly
opened out by forcing or drawing it through dies of suitable shape to exert a
pressure in the direction of its longer axis or by hammering or otherwise.
The tubular casting or ingot A, whether made in the first instance of a round or
of an oval shape, and then opened out into a round shape is then (preferably after
being heated to a proper degree) placed on a mandrel or former C, having a
groove or other proper construction and also preferably heated, and the two
together are then passed between grooved pressure rolls B suitably shaped to work
upon the outer side of the casting and to compress and distend the metal of the
castings, and by this compression and distention of the metal the casting is shaped
and disposed to the periphery of the mandrel or former, and thereby a hollow roll
or tube is produced having an internal rib or spline, or equivalent form which
extends along its length. The rolling of the casting or ingot between pressure
rolls as above described increases the density and length of the metal casting.
If the ingot be cast without a rib or spline or equivalent formation this rolling
of the ingot produces a rib or spline, or other equivalent form in the roll or tube
through a compression of the metal which makes up the body of the roll, and if the
ingot be cast with a rib or spline this rolling of the ingot in its compression of the
metal which makess up the body of the roll also compresses the metal which makes
up the rib or spline, or other equivalent formation of the casting.
After the casting or ingot A has been compressed by rolling as above described,
it is preferably drawn with a suitable mandrel shaped to fit its interior through a

page_text: die in the usual manner by which drawing the tube or casting is more perfectly
shaped both exteriorly and interiorly, and after this operation the exterior is
Simoothed off by turning it in a lathe.
In lieu of running the mandrel and ingot or casting together through the pressure
rolls as described, the mandrel may be held stationary and the tubular ingot drawn
over it, and again in lieu of rolling the ingot on the mandrel or former, it may be
'with the mandrel or former drawn through a die in the ordinary manner of drawing
tubes, and thus the metal composing the body of the tubular ingot will be com-
pressed and formed internally to the rib or spline or equivalent part of the mandrel;
and again when on the mandrel or former it may be compressed, and thereby made
to conform to the shape of the mandrel or former in many other ways, as for
instance, by hammering the metal of which the casting is composed upon its outer
side, but the mode of compression above described is preferable.
The rib or spline may be of various shapes, and if desired the roll or tube may be
made with more than one rib or spline, and in lieu of ribs may havo grooves, but
the particular construction above described is preferable. The said rib or spline or
equivalent internal part of the roll or tube adapts the roll or tube to be secured to
a carrying shaft which is suitably formed to receive the said rib or spline, so that
it cannot turn thereon, but will turn with the same.
The internal diameter of the casting should be equal or thereabouts, that is to
say, about one-eighth of an inch larger in diameter than the external diameter of
the shaft on which it is to be used, and the thickness of the metal of the casting
should be sufficient for it to be reduced to the proper density and to be extended in
length.
If the tube made as herein described is to be applied to a shaft to be used as a roll,
it is preferable to make it internally of a slight taper from end to end for the
reason that it secures a better and tighter fit of the tubo on the shaft, and is casily
removed when desired. This internal taper form may be given to the tube, either
by casting the ingot internally taper from end to end, or by casting the ingot
straight from end to end, and then in either case rolling or drawing or otherwise
operating upon it, as herein described on a mandrel or former of the proper taper
form from end to end. This internal taper form of the roll or tube would be about
one-cighth of an inch three feet in length, and to secure it in the roll or tube the
ingot is preferably cast properly taper, but it is not essential that it should be so
formed.
The mandrel shown in Figures 14 and 15 is taper from end to end.
A casting A made of an oval shape and then rounded preparatory to being rolled
or otherwise shaped as described, is of itself a novel feature in the manufacture of
tubes or hollow rolls, irrespective of the formation of an internal rib or spline or
equivalent construction, either in casting it in the ingot and then rolling or other-
wise compressing the ingot as described, or in producing it by rolling or otherwise
compressing the ingot as described.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The improvement herein described in casting metals, the same consisting
in pouring water or other suitable cooling liquid into direct contact with the
molten metal in the mould, as above described and for the purpose specified.
Second. A hollow metal roll or tube having its inner side or periphery formed
with a spline or rib or equivalent part by a compression of the metal which
composes the body of the said roll.
Third. A hollow metal roll or tube having its inner side or periphery taper from
end to end, and formed with a spline or rib, or equivalent part by a compression of
the metal which composes the body of the said roll.
Fourth. The manufacture of a hollow metal roll or tube with a spline or rib, or
equivalent part or device upon its inner side by passing the metal which makes up
the body of said roll in conjunction with an internal mandrel or former of suitable

page_text: shape between grooved pressure rolls, as above described and for the purposo
specified.
Fifth. In the manufacture of hollow metal rolls or tubes with an internal rib or
spline casting the hollow blank from which the roll or tube is to be made with an
internal rib or spline, and then compressing and shaping it on a mandrel adapted to
receive it and its rib or spline as above described.
Sixth. In the manufacture of hollow metal rolls or tubes from a hollow casting or
blank casting, the hollow blank of an oval shape and of uniform thickness or
nearly so, and then rounding it by pressure in the direction of its longer axis, and
afterwards compressing and shaping its metal on a mandrel, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
17M DADE
ATT