IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING STRAIGHTENING AND FINISHING METAL TUBES AND BARS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Farmer at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 17th May 1882.
JOHN FARMER of Glasgow in the County of Lanark North Britain IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING STRAIGHTENING AND FINISHING
METAL TUBES AND BARS
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for rolling,
straightening, and finishing metal tubes and bars; and the present Invention also
comprises improvements on the Invention described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to the present applicant and dated 24th November 1877, No. 4425.
According to the present Invention, tubes of iron or other metal are rolled over
a central mandrel by means of skewed or oblique rolling surfaces, the one internal
and the other external, so disposed and carried in movable housings hung on a
single centre that the angle or obliquity of the axes of the rolls may be varied and
reversed during their rotation, the object of this arrangement being to cause the
tubes to be traversed over the mandrel and return to be delivered from it without
stopping the machine. Means are also provided to regulate the distance apart of
the rolling surfaces, to enable tubes of different diameters and thicknesses to be
operated on by one machine.
According to one modification the improved machine or apparatus comprises a
strong framing upon which is hung by gudgeons, an oscillating frame or bracket
serving as a housing or bearing for an annular rolling ring disposed transversely to
the direction in which the tubes are fed forward. On the same centre is hung
a second framing consisting of two cheeks or plates on which housings or
bearings are formed to carry a roll or roller, between the periphery of which and
the inner surface of the annular ring, the tube to be operated on is led, and made
to pass over a long mandrel, the end of which lies idle between the rolling
surfaces. On one side of the annular ring is formed or fitted a bevil wheel in gear
with a bevil pinion on a rotating shaft, fitted in bearings on the main framing of
the machine, and which shaft may be driven by a belt and pulley, by gearing from
a counter shaft, or direct from a motive power engine. The spindle of the solid
roll is fitted with a bevil wheel driven by a bevil wheel on a second rotating shaft,
which may be parallel to and be actuated from the first by gearing to drive it in

page_text: the opposite direction. The housings of the internal revolving ring and of the roll
or roller which rotates within the rings are caused to swivel on their gudgeons or
centres to any desired angle, by means of a worm and screw, or other gearing
acting on the housing frames, and operated either by hand or from one of the
rotating shafts. The degree of obliquity of the skewed rolling surfaces may thus
be regulated or varied to cause the tube to be fed forward over the mandrel and
returned at a speed to correspond to the degree of finish to be imparted to the
tube; and the reversing of the angle or inclination of the rolling surfaces to each
other, to cause the tube to return after it is rolled over the mandrel, may be
effected by means of a reversing clutch arrangement operated either by hand or
automatically.
One of the housing frames is fitted to move in the line of its centre or gudgeons,
and is traversed by means of a screw operated by a hand wheel, for the purpose of
varying or regulating the distance between the rolling surfaces where the tube is
gripped between them.
The mandrel on which the tubes are rolled is carried at its outer end in a
bearing block secured to the table or bed of the machine, so that it may be free to
roll or revolve with the tube. The mandrel may consist of a long shaft or stem
fitted with a movable head or bulb, which may be taken off and replaced by
others to suit the size of tubes being rolled. The mandrel may also be made
hollow, and may be kept cool by circulating water within it, and the head of the
mandrel may be perforated to allow water to escape for the purpose of keeping
cool and lubricating the surface of the mandrel head and of the interior of the tube
passing over it.
When the machine is designed for rolling, straightening, or finishing round bars
or rods the mandrel is removed or dispensed with.
In cases where tubes are required with parts or ends expanded, the central
mandrel may be made to expand, and the rolling surfaces adjusted at the same
time to suit the diameter of "swell" required, and the operated mechanism may
be so fitted as to produce, during this part of the operation, revolving motion only
of the rolls.
Instead of the tubes being expanded by the mandrel between the actuating
rolling surfaces, this may be done at the far end of the tube already delivered from
the machine, by inserting a widner or expauder, and the tube at this part may be
guided in a bush with hinged cover at the end of the table. The table may also
be "trimmed on ends at the same time as desired. Instead of the ring and roll
being both skewed, as herein before described, one of them only might be skewed,
while the other might be kept at right angles to the tube or bar being operated
upon, and in this way a high burnishing action could be obtained.
"
Nov: 24
1877,
As an improvement upon machines or apparatus of the kind described in the
Specification of the said Letters Patent No 4425 for rolling, straightening,
and finishing metal tubes, a central mandrel is fitted in combination with each of
such machines, to extend from between the skew rolls of the machine to a bearing
or bearings at some distance, so that the tubes may be rolled over the central
mandrel, as herein before described. Instead of two rolls being used for producing
variable, revolving backward and forward motion, as described in the said former
Specification, three or more rolls might also be applied set at equal angles in the
framing round the central mandrel, and be actuated simultaneously for producing
the various motions to the tube under operation.