IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAW BENCHES AND CARRIAGES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND OTHER DRAWN TUBES, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING THE SAID TUBES, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF "SKELPS " AND NON-WELDED TUBES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Stewart and James Stewart, both of the Firm
of Andrew and James Stewart, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, and John Wotherspoon, Manager to the said Firm, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAW BENCHES AND CARRIAGES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND OTHER DRAWN TUBES, AND IMPROVEMENTS
IN MANUFACTURING THE SAID TUBES, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF "SKELPS " AND NON-WELDED
TUBES."
Sealed the 27th December 1879, and dated the 6th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Stewart, James
Stewart, and John Wotherspoon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 6th October 1879.
ANDREW STEWART and JAMES STEWART, both of the Firm of Andrew and James
Stewart, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and JOHN
WOTHERSPOON, Manager to the said Firm. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAW BENCHES
AND CARRIAGES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND OTHER DRAWN TUBES, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING THE SAID TUBES, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS
BEING APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF "SKELPS AND NON-WELDED
TUBES."
"
According to this Invention, a draw bench and the carriago which moves thereon
are constructed as follows:-
The carriage is provided with a horn which projects from its side inwards to the
centre of the carriage. To the inner end of this horn a chain is attached, which by
virtue of the position of the point of attachment secures a central pull on the
carriage as it is traversed upon the bench. The upper part of the bench is formed
with a V or equivalently shaped groove for facilitating the manipulation of the
tube in the course of its manufacture. The motion of the chain is not continuous,
but is under the control of the operator, and when the tube is drawn through the
die or welding matrix, it is by the reversing of the motion of the carriage run at
great speed back into the furnace for the subsequent heat or heats required until

page_text: the manufacture is completed. This motion may be given to the carriage by screw
or other reversing gear from a motive power engine directly actuating chains, ropes,
or belts, or by hydraulic pressure, or other mechanically equivalent arrangement.
When using a hydraulic cylinder, this might not require a regulator, as the speed
could then be regulated by a stop valve. This cylinder may either be the full
length of the tube to be drawn with the tube fixed on the end of the piston rod, or
the travel may be increased by the employment of multiplying pulleys and chains,
ropes, or bands, as hereinafter set forth with reference to driving the apparatus by
steam, or an endless chain may be used driven by reversing gear. By preference
however we use steam for driving the apparatus, the steam being generated by
the exhaust heat of the welding furnace.
Our improved arrangement for this purpose is as follows:-We place a cylinder
of any convenient length under the draw bench provided with a piston and piston-
rod, which piston-rod projects and passes through each end of the cylinder cover.
To each end of the piston-rod, which works in guides, we attach one or more pulleys,
as may be required for the length of the draw-bench, and after leading the chain
over these pulleys and the pulleys at each end of the bench, one end of each chain
is fastened to the bench, the other end to the carriage. By this means, as the
piston is moved, the carriage of the draw bench is made to travel the requisite
distance.
For the purpose of controlling the speed of the bench, we place a cylinder filled
with water or oil parallel to, or in any suitable position relatively with the steam
cylinder, and we attach the piston of this cylinder to the piston of the steam
cylinder by a chain which passes round a horizontal pulley at each end of the draw
bench. By a valve or valves we regulate the flow of the water or oil from one end
of the cylinder to the other, and thus regulate the speed of the steam piston, which
can thus be made to travel rapidly in one direction, and slowly in the other direction,
thus giving control of the speeds.
By means of a lever which actuates the slide valve, the piston is brought to a
state of rest after the carriago travels to the end of the bench, where it remains until
the piston is started in the opposite direction.
In operating with this improved bench, we by preference weld the whole length
of the tube at the same time, and to do this we first weld a rod or porter on one
end of the hoop, or on the "skelp," but by preference on the hoop, and when the
hoop is heated, the rod is attached to the carriage and drawn through the bending
die. The piston is then reversed, thereby running the tube into the furnace, and a
second and following dies are passed over the rod and the tube drawn through
again until it is of the proper size and finish.
When using this Invention for the production of "skelps" or non-welded tubes,
these are either drawn through the bending die only, or if drawn through the
second and following dies, they are not heated to the welding temperature.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Andrew Stewart, James Stewart, and John Wotherspoon in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd April 1880.
ANDREW STEWART and JAMES STEWART, both of the Firm of Andrew and
5 James Stewart, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and
JOHN WOTHERSPOON, Manager to the said Firm. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAW
BENCHES AND CARRIAGES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON AND OTHER DRAWN
TUBES, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING THE SAID TUBES, THE SAID
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF "SKELPS" AND
NON-WELDED TUBES."
According to our Invention, a draw bench and the carriago which moves thereon
are constructed as follows :—
The carriage is provided with a horn which projects from its side inwards to the
centre of the carriage. To the inner end of this horn a chain is attached, which
5 by virtue of the position of the point of attachment secures a central pull on the
carriage as it is traversed upon the bench. The upper part of the bench is formed
with a V, or equivalently shaped groove for facilitating the manipulation of the
tube in the course of its manufacture. The motion of the chain is not continuous,
but is under the control of the operator, and when the tube is drawn through the
die, or welding, or closing matrix, it is by the reversing of the motion of the carriage
quickly run back into the furnace for tho subsequent heat or heats required until
the manufacture is completed. This motion may be given to the carriage by
screw, or other reversing gear from a motive power engine, preferably provided
with a speed regulator and controller directly actuating chains, ropes, or belts, or
by hydraulic pressure, or other mechanically equivalent arrangement.
using a hydraulic cylinder this might not require a regulator, as the speed could
then be regulated by a stop valve. This cylinder may either be the full length of
the tube to be drawn with the tube fixed on the end of the piston rod, or the
travel may be increased by the employment of multiplying pulleys and chains, ropes,
or bands, as hereinafter set forth with reference to driving the apparatus by steam,
or an endless chain may be used driven by reversing gear. By preference however
we use steam for driving the apparatus, the steam being preferably generated by
the exhaust heat of the welding furnace.
When
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in side elevation, and Figure 2
in sectional plan, our improved draw bench as arranged for being actuated by
steam. We place a cylinder A of any convenient length under the draw bench
proper B, the said cylinder A being provided with a piston and a piston rod a,
projecting through the cylinder covers at each end. To each end of the piston rod
we attach a frame C, sliding in guides c, and carrying pulleys c², whose number in
accordance with the length of the draw bench is sufficient to multiply the short
stroke of the piston, so that it can produce the travel of the carriage D over the
full length of the bench. The carriage D runs upon the draw bench B, by means
of wheels d, d, as seen more clearly in Figure 3, which represents a transverse
section of the said bench B, whose upper part is connected with its lower part by a
web b, which is situated towards one side of the centre of the said bench, in order
to accommodate the horn d², with which the carriage D is provided. This horn d³
projects, as is shewn, from the side of the carriage inwards to the centre thereof, and is
for the attachment of the chain by which the traversing motion is given to the
carriage D. The upper surface of the bench is formed with a V or equivalently
shaped groove b², for facilitating the manipulation of the tube in the course of its
inanufacture. The standards B of the draw bench at each end thereof carry
pulleys b³, and a chain E is fastened at one end to the horn d² on the carriage D,
then passed over the pulleys 6³ and c, as shewn in Figure 1, and fastened at its

page_text: other end to the standard of the bench. Similarly another chain E is also attached
at one end to the horn d', and passed over the pulleys 6s and c³, and fastened to
the standard at the other end of the bench. By this means the movement of
the piston rod a is caused to give the requisite length of movement to the
carriage D.
For the purpose of regulating and controlling the speed of the carriage we place
parallel to, or in other suitable position relatively with the steam cylinder A, a
speed regulator consisting of a cylinder G filled with water, or oil, or other liquid.
This cylinder G is furnished with a piston, and with a piston rod g projecting from
both ends; two pipes g² open communication with the cylinder G on each side of
the piston thereof, and alternately with the upper and under sides of the valves g³.
A chain H is connected at one end to the piston rod g, and passing over a pulley h
mounted in the standard at one end of the draw bench, is attached at its other end
to the sliding frame C, as shewn in Figure 2. Another chain H passing over &
pulley also connects the other end of the piston rod g with the other sliding
frame C at the opposite end of the draw-bench. Adjustable valves g³ are provided
at each end of the pipe g² of the cylinder G, to regulate the openings for the passage
of liquid from one end of the cylinder to the other, so that in proportion to the
extent of the openings so adjusted the speed of the steam piston will be regulated
by the rate at which the liquid flows through the valves, and by this means the
carriage D may be traversed quickly in returning the tube to the furnace and slowly
in the other direction. The slide valves A2 of the cylinder A, are arranged to be
. operated for starting the mechanism by means of a hand lever a². At each end of
the cylinder A are tappets I, upon shafts i, which are connected by rods with
the starting lever a². The said tappets I are in such position that at the end of
the stroke of the piston of the cylinder A in either direction, one or other of the
sliding frames C comes into contact with one or other of the said tappets I, and
accordingly moves the valves to cut off steam from the cylinder A, and stop the
traverse of the carriage D, until steam is again admitted by moving the lever a³
further to the right or left so as to open the admission port. This may be effected
by so arranging the valves that they cut off steam when in mid-position, and
arranging the tappets I so that the frames C move them to this position. The
remainder of the traverse of the said valves in either direction to admit steam to
either side of the piston for traversing the carriage D in one or other direction is
effected by means of the hand lever a³.
In operating with this improved bench, we by preference weld the whole length
of the tube at one operation, and to do this we first weld a rod or porter on one
end of the hoop or on the "skelp," but by preference on the hoop, a notch being
made in the porter to hold it in the carriage, and when the hoop is heated, the rod
or porter is attached to the carriage and drawn through the bending die. The
piston is then reversed, thereby running the tube into the furnace (the front of
which is represented by the line X, in Figure 1), and a second and following dies
are passed over the rod, and the tube drawn through again until it is of the proper
size and finish.
When using our Invention for the production of "skelps" or non-welded tubes,
these are either drawn through the bending die only, or if drawn through the second
and following dies they are not heated to the welding temperature.
It will be understood that although we have described our Invention in connection
with a furnace, yet it may be employed in the manufacture of tubes such as brass,
or copper, tubes which are not heated before being drawn.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that
what we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement or combination of mechanism constituting the draw-
bench, essentially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying

page_text: Drawings, that is to say, a draw-bench having its top table or frame unimpeded
with chains or other mechanism, so that the tubes can be freely manipulated
thereon during their manufacture, the said bench being operated directly or
indirectly by steam or an equivalent motor, whereby the tubes are not only
drawn out, but also returned into the furnace by the reversing action of the
motor.
Second. The carriage constructed as described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, provided with an arm or its equivalent for the attachment of the chains
to give a central pull on both traverses of the carriage.
Third. The combination with a draw-bench, operated as herein before described,
of a speed regulator or controller consisting of a cylinder and piston, with adjustable
openings or valves by which liquid is caused to pass from either end of the said
cylinder to the other end at a regulated speed, so that the rate of movement of the
steam piston in either direction may be adjusted as desired and essentially as
herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Stewart, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.