Improvements in the Manufacture of Various Articles from Copper or Copper Alloys.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Various Articles from
Copper or Copper Alloys.
I, GEORGE ALEXANDER DICK, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of bars of certain sections tubes and
various other articles from copper or copper alloys such as become plastic
and malleable at a temperature of about 800° or 900° F.
Now, I have discovered that a body of copper or copper alloy in a heated and
plastic state may be longitudinally divided and if the temperature is maintained and
the air excluded so as to prevent the surfaces of the parts from becoming oxidised the
two parts will again unite and form one solid mass without risk of separation at the
joint and this discovery I utilise in the manufacture of bars of special sections, tubes
and other articles in the following way.
I employ any suitable pressure chamber or container for the plastic metal or alloy
and at one end thereof I provide a suitable die and working in the pressure chamber
or container I arrange a suitable piston or plunger.
Or, the die may be arranged at the end of the ram which in this case must be
hollow so as to let the produced bar or tube pass through it.
In connection with the die, I employ a short mandrel carried by a bridge or girder
supported by the die or otherwise and this bridge or girder may in elevation take the
form of a seginent of a circle whilst in transverse section it should be more or less of
an inverted V-shape so as to present a sharp edge to the advancing metal or alloy
whilst the mandrel is formed on or fixed or otherwise arranged in connection with
the bridge or girder and extends into the die.
The girder may be at its base with advantage formed to the are of the interior
of the pressure chamber so that when the same is placed therein it will at once
centralise itself and the mandrel with relation to the die.
The bridge or girder may be formed in one span or three or more parts or legs
nay radiate from the centre thereof.
A body of metal, in a sufficiently heated state, placed in the pressure chamber or
container and forced forward by the plunger or piston, will on meeting the sharp
edge or edges of the girder become divided in two or more parts and upon entering
the die which is formed with a bevelled, flared or curved mouth for that purpose the
two or more parts will be pressed around the mandrel and against each other and will
thereby become firmly welded together or united in such manner that it will be
difficult or impossible to discover the point of junction in the finished bar or tube.
It will be understood that the metal or alloy must be maintained in the required
plastic condition until the parts have united in the manner herein before described.
The surfaces of the divided mass of plastic metal or alloy, whilst separated by the
bridge or girder, are in close contact therewith and are protected from atmospheric

page_text: influence, whilst immediately that they pass beyond the bridge they are forced
closely around the mandrel and together by the form of the die, and as they are not
exposed to atmospheric influence no oxidation of the surfaces takes place to interfere
with the successful uniting of the parts.
By the means herein before described, bars of various shapes and tubes of copper or
copper alloys may be made rapidly, accurately and economically; whilst the length
thereof is merely governed by the quantity of metal within the container or pressure
chamber. The process being done under great pressure it is possible to manufacture
articles of great strength whilst there is no perceptible joint in the same, when
finished.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Various Articles from
Copper or Copper Alloys.
I, GEORGE ALEXANDER DICK, of No. 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My said invention relates to the manufacture of hollow bars of various sections,
tubes and various other articles from copper and such copper alloys as become plastic
and malleable at a temperature of about 800° to 900° F. by squirting, squeezing or
pressing the same while in a plastic condition through a die in connection with
which a mandrel is arranged.
It has before been proposed to manufacture tubes and other articles, for the
production of which a mandrel is required, by squirting, squeezing or pressing copper
or alloys thereof while in a heated and plastic state through a die, but for this
purpose a long mandrel passing into the die has been employed, the said mandrel
either being carried by and travelling with a ram or plunger working within a
pressure chamber containing the heated metal and employed to exert the necessary
force thereon or fixed outside the pressure and projecting into the die.
This long mandrel (which necessarily became highly heated) owing to its being
unsupported at one end and to the great pressure exercised by the rain during the
squirting or squeezing operation, was unsteady, and, when carried by the plunger,
became elongated and drawn out of shape, thus rendering the operation useless for
practical purposes.
Some of these objections applied to the employment of a mandrel fixed outside
the chamber beyond the die and extending into the latter, in addition to which in
this case the length of tube was necessarily limited to the length of the mandrel.
Hitherto it has been considered necessary in order to produce tubes or like articles
from plastic copper or copper alloys by squirting or squeezing the same through a
die, that the mass of copper or alloy acted upon should not be cut or divided or other-
wise interrupted in its passage to the die, but that the inetal must be forced directly
into the die and around the mandrel so that the tube or other article may be
produced uninterruptedly from the homogeneous mass.
I have discovered that a body of copper or copper alloy of the nature above stated
in a heated and plastic state may be divided, and if the temperature be maintained
and air excluded so as to prevent the surfaces of the parts becoming oxidised, the
two parts of the divided metal will, when brought together under pressure, again

page_text: unite and form one solid mass without risk of separation at the joint, and this
discovery I utilise in the manufacture of hollow bars of various sections, tubes and
other articles in the following way
I employ any suitable pressure chamber or container for the plastic metal or.
alloy, and, at one end thereof, I provide a suitable die, and, working in the pressure
chamber or container, I arrange a suitable piston or plunger.
Or, the die may be arranged at the end of the ram which in this case must be
hollow so as to let the produced bar or tube pass through it.
In connection with the die, I employ a short mandrel carried by a bridge or girder
supported by the die or otherwise and this bridge or girder may in elevation take.
the form of a segment of a circle, whilst in transverse section it may be more or
less of an inverted V-shape so as to present a sharp edge to the advancing metal or
alloy whilst the mandrel is formed on or fixed to or otherwise arranged in connection
with the bridge or girder and extends into the die.
The girder may, with advantage, be formed at its base to the arc of the interior of
the pressure chamber so that when the same is placed therein it will at once centralise
itself and the mandrel with relation to the die.
The bridge or girder may be formed in one span or three or more parts or legs may
radiate from the centre thereof.
A body of metal, in a sufficiently heated state, placed within the pressure
chamber or container and forced forward by the plunger or piston, will, on meeting
the edge or edges of the girder, become divided into two or more parts and upon
entering the die, which is formed with a bevelled, flared or curved mouth for that
purpose; the two or more parts will be pressed around the mandrel and against each
other and will thereby become firmly welded together or united in such manner that it
will be difficult or impossible to discover the point of junction in the finished bar or
tube.
It will be understood that the metal or alloy must be maintained in the required
plastic condition until the parts have united in the manner herein before described.
The surfaces of the divided mass of plastic metal or alloy, while separated by the
bridge or girder, are in close contact therewith, and are protected from atmospheric
influence, whilst, immediately that they pass beyond the bridge they are forced closely
around the mandrel and together by the form of the die, and, as they are not exposed
to atmospheric influence, no oxidation of the surfaces takes place to interfere with the
successful uniting of the parts.
And, in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an apparatus suitable for carrying the invention
into effect, in this figure the bridge or girder is shown formed in one span, and,
Micune
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an apparatus suitable for carrying the invention
into effect, in this figure the bridge or girder is shown formed in one span, and,
Figure 2 is an end view of a bridge on girder, drawn to an increased scale with
three radiating arms, for supporting the mandrel.
a represents a strong frame, b represents a hydraulic cylinder, b¹ represents the
ram, 62 represents an extension of the ram which I call a plunger, and c represents a
pressure chamber or container of any suitable and well known construction
designed to resist the extreme degree of heat and heavy pressure to which it is
subjected in the operation hereinafter described, and g represents the plastic metal
contained in the pressure chamber c.
The pressure chamber or container c, which is open at one end, is provided with a
die holder formed with an orifice f¹ through which the formed tube or the like is
forced, and e* represents such tube issuing therefrom.
Within the die holder f is received a die d adapted to impart the desired form to
the issuing tube or the like whilst the necessary pressure to force the plastic metal g
through the die d is obtained from the plunger 62 which works within the

page_text: pressure chamber or container c and the die holder f and die d are held in place by
means of separate jaws h.
Within the pressure chamber or container c in connection with the die dis
employed a short mandrel e¹ which is carried by a bridge or girder e which is
supported by the die das represented in the drawings or it might be otherwise
supported, as will be readily understood.
The bridge or girder e for the purpose of strength in elevation is shaped to the
form of two intersecting ares of circles, whilst in transverse section on its acting face
it may be bevelled so as to present a sharp or more or less rounded edge e** to the
advancing plastic mass of copper or alloy g whilst the mandrel e¹ is formed or fixed
on the rear side thereof or is otherwise arranged in connection with the rear or
thickened side of the bridge or girder e and extends into the opening d¹ of the die d.
The girder may be, with advantage, formed at the extreme points of its base to
enter into corresponding notches or recesses formed in the die d, or, it may be
formed to the arc of the interior of the die holder f or otherwise arranged, so that
when placed in position it will at once centralise itself and the mandrel e¹ with
relation to the die d.
A body of metal g, in a sufficiently heated state, placed within the pressure
chamber or container c and forced forward by the plunger or piston 62, will, on
meeting the edge e** of the girder e, become divided into two parts and upon
entering the die d, which is formed with a bevelled, flared or rounded mouth to
facilitate the entry thereof, the two parts will be pressed around the mandrel e¹, and
the freshly divided surfaces of the plastic metal g will be brought together under
great pressure and will thereby be caused to be firmly welded together or united in
such manner that it will be difficult or impossible to discover the point of junction in
the finished article.
The surfaces of the divided mass of plastic copper or alloy g, whilst separated by
the bridge or girder e, are in close contact therewith and are protected from
atmospheric influence, whilst, immediately that they pass beyond the bridge or
girder e, they are forced closely around the mandrel e¹ and together by the formation
of the mouth d¹ of the die d, whilst the advancing metal closely fills the die around
the mandrel e¹ and thereby completely excludes air, and, as after the first entry of
the metal into the die, the divided parts are not exposed to atmospheric influence,
no oxidation of the surfaces can take place to interfere with the successful uniting
thereof.
It will be understood that the copper or alloy g must be maintained in the required
plastic condition until the parts have united in the manner herein before described.
By the means hereinbefore described, tubes or the like of copper or copper alloys
of the nature above stated may be produced rapidly, accurately and economically,
and the length thereof is. merely governed by the quantity of plastic metal within
the container or pressure chamber c, whilst, inasmuch as the process is effected under
great pressure, it is possible to manufacture tubes or the like of great strength and
without any perceptible joint in the finished article.
I am aware that apparatus similar to that herein before described has been employed
in the manufacture of pipes from lead, and I would therefore have it understood that
I make no claim to such apparatus which is herein shown and described merely as a
convenient means for carrying my invention into effect.
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 manufacture of hollow bars, tubes and other articles from copper or copper
alloys of the nature above stated, by forcing the latter in a heated and plastic state
by means of a plunger through a die and around a short mandrel entering the die and
supported by a bridge or girder arranged between the body of heated metal and the
die plate, the metal, which is, during the process, cut or divided by the bridge or
girder; having its cut surfaces protected from contact with air and brought together

page_text: in the die under heavy pressure, while still so protected, so that they again unite,
substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose stated.
Dated thin 7th dove f
1000
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.