IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBULAR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whitehead, of Walkley, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
ROLLING TUBULAR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL."
Sealed the 17th October 1879, and dated the 21st April 1879.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whitehead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April 1879.
GEORGE WHITEHEAD, of Walkley, in the County of York. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBULAR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for rolling
tubular forms applicable chiefly to the manufacture of cylindrical boilers and boiler
flues of iron and steel.
This Invention consists essentially of one or more rolls (external rolls) driven by
any ordinary gearing, and rotating in moveable bearings in housings or standards
in conjunction with or in combination with one or more rolls (internal rolls) carried
in moveable bearings in, upon, or around a mandril or stay, the moveable bearings
of all the rolls being so constructed, fitted, and actuated as that they can be drawn
inwards or extended outwards (to and from a common centre) for the purpose of
operating upon varying diameters of tubes, rings, or other tubular forms of iron
and steel for the purpose of enlarging or diminishing the diameters thereof, the
improved machinery or apparatus above specified being such that the tubes or rings
can thereby be extended in length as well as enlarged or diminished in diameter.
The moveable bearings can be actuated by a wedge or wedges by means of a
screw or screws, or by a wedge or wedges actuated by a hydraulic ram or rams, or
directly by hydraulic rams, the pressure in each of the above named cases being so
applied as that the set of external rolls and the set of internal rolls can each be
moved simultaneously equal distances inwards or outwards, as required, the said
bearings and their prime movers being so constructed, fitted, and arranged as that
the said bearings can be set at any desired point and remain in that position as
though they were fixtures.
In giving practical effect to this Invention the external rolls will be carried in
moveable bearings (as aforesaid) in frames or housings, and will be driven by

page_text: gearing or otherwise rotated at equal speeds; these rolls will operate on the external
surface of the tubes or rings.
The internal rolls aforesaid are carried by and are free to rotate in moveable
bearings around a mandril or stay, the said mandril being carried by one or more
standards, and being fitted with one of the appliances (wedges, hydraulic rams,
et cetera) above specified for adjusting the position of the moveable bearings and
rolls.
In using the improved machinery the tube or ring to be operated on will be
placed in the standards or housings between the external rolls, the mandril carrying
the internal rolls will then be caused to enter the tube or ring, and the external
and the internal rolls will then be drawn towards and extended from their common
centres until the external rolls bear against the outer surface of the tube and the
internal rolls bear against the inner surface thereof, and the external rolls being
rotated and pressure being applied to them by one of the appliances above specified
(wedges, hydraulic rams, et cetera), the tube will be lengthened, the operation being
varied for enlarging or diminishing the diameter of the said tube or ring.
In the arrangement of the improved machinery above specified the external rolls
only are driven, and the internal rolls rotate freely on their axes by the frictional
pressure of the rotated tube derived from the external rolls; but in practise it may
be found advisable and convenient in some cases and for some purposes to cause
the internal rolls to be driven by gearing or otherwise, as well as or instead of the
external rolls.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Whitehead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
October 1879.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
GEORGE WHITEHEAD, of Walkley, in the County of York.
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBULAR FORMS OF IRON AND STEEL"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for rolling
tubular forms applicable chiefly to the manufacture of cylindrical boilers and boiler
flues of iron and steel.
This Invention consists of rolls (external rolls) driven by any ordinary gearing
and rotating in moveable bearings in housings or standards in conjunction with
or in combination with rolls (internal rolls) carried in moveable bearings in, upon,
or around a mandril or stay, the moveable bearings of all the rolls being so con-
structed, fitted, and actuated as that they can be drawn inwards or extended out-
wards (to and from a common centre) for the purposes of operating upon varying
diameters of tubes, rings, or other tubular forms of iron and steel for the purpose of
enlarging or diminishing the diameters thereof, the improved machinery or
apparatus above specified being such that the tubes or rings can thereby be
extended in length as well as enlarged or diminished in diameter. The moveable
bearings can be actuated by a wedge or wedges by means of a screw or screws, or
by a wedge or wedges actuated by a hydraulic ram or rams, or directly by dydraulic
rains. The pressure in each of the above named cases being so applied as that the

page_text: set of external rolls and the set of internal rolls can each be moved simultaneously
equal distance inwards or outwards as required, the said bearings and their prime
movers being so constructed, fitted, and arranged as that the said bearings can
be set at any desired point and remain in that position as though they were
fixtures.
In giving practical effect to this Invention three external rolls will be carried in
moveable bearings (as aforesaid) in frames or housings, two or all of which will be
driven by gearing or otherwise rotated at equal speeds; these rolls will operate on
the external surface of the tubes or rings.
Three internal rolls (as aforesaid) will be carried by and be free to rotate in
moveable bearings around a mandril or stay, the said mandril being carried by one
or more standards and being fitted with one of the appliances (wedges, hydraulic
rams, et cetera) above specified for adjusting the position of the moveable bearings
and rolls.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrates in a
general manner machinery or apparatus by which the principles of my Invention
are carried into effect. Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, but with the roll
housings and bed plate in section; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is a back end
elevation; and Figure 4 is a back end view in elevation of the housings, and shows
the necks of the rolls and the tapered mandril in section as taken through the
dotted line Y, Z, (Figure 1). The same detail parts in each Figure of the Drawings
are marked with the same letter of reference. A is the mandril tapered at its front
end and chased or screwed at the back end thereof; B is a hollow spindle or shaft
enclosing the mandril A; E, F, and G are standards carrying the spindle B and
mandril A; C and D are housings carrying the external rolls T, U, V, and bearing
the weight of the tube and resisting the pressure necessary to roll out the said tube
when it is being operated upon; H is the first motion spur wheel; J and K are
pinions of equal size driven by the spur wheel H; N and O are pinions of equal
size which drive the two bottom external rolls; L and M are shafts on which are
fixed the said pinions J, N, and K, O, the said shafts rotating in pedestals R, R',
and S, S; P and Q are pinions of equal diameter fixed on the necks or spindles of
the two bottom external rolls; T, U, are the two bottom external rolls which are
actuated by the pinions P, Q, from the first motion spur wheel H; V is the top roll
of the three external rolls and revolves freely in a sliding bearing in the upper part
of the housings C, D. 1, 2, and 3 are three rolls of equal size rotating freely in
sliding bearings in the spindle or shaft B; 4, 5, and 6 are the sliding bearings
carrying the internal rolls, 1, 2, and 3; 7, 8, and 24 are sliding bearings carrying
the three external rolls T, U, V; 9, 10, 11, and 12 are sliding packings; 13 and 14
are wedges fitting into the housing C and in contact with and acting on the sliding
packings 11 and 12 and connected to the screwed spindles 15 and 16; 17 and 18
are worm wheels fixed on the spindles 15 and 16; 19 is a horizontal shaft chased
or screwed and geared into the worm wheels 17 and 18; 20 is a hand wheel by
which the shaft 19 is rotated. A second set of bearings, packings, wedges, spindles,
and hand wheel alike in every respect to those lastly above described are fitted to
the housing D for the purpose of acting on the other ends of the necks or shafts of
the rolls T, U. 21 is a vertical screwed or chased spindle geared into and rotating
the worm wheel 22, the said worm wheel being internally chased or screwed and
fitting on to the chased or screwed mandril A; 23 is a hand wheel fixed on to the
vertical spindle 21.
To slide the bottom rolls T, U, to and from the common centre of the set of
external rolls the wedges 13 and 14 are lowered or raised by rotating the hand
wheel 20 and shaft 19 on the housing C (and the corresponding ones on the
housing D), the said shaft 19 rotating the worm wheels 17 and 18 and thereby
lowering or raising the spindles 15 and 16 and wedges 13 and 14.
To slide the set of internal rolls 1, 2, and 3 to and from their common centre the
hand wheel 23 and vertical screwed or chased spindle 21 are rotated, the screwed
spindle 21 rotating the worm wheel 22, thereby sliding the screwed and tapered

page_text: "
mandril A in and along the spindle or shaft B. The sliding bearings 4, 5, and 6 of
the internal rolls 1, 2, and 3 being in contact with the tapered portion of the
mandril A are forced to and from their common centre as the tapered mandril is
moved from back to front and from front to back of the apparatus.
The two bottom rolls T, U, are actuated from and by the first motion spur wheel H
by the pinions J, N, and K, O, fixed on the shafts L and M, the pinion N on the
shaft L gearing into and actuating-the pinion P on the spindle of the roll T, and the
pinion on the shaft M gearing into and actuating the pinion Q on the spindle of
the roll U.
In using this apparatus the end of the tube or cylinder to be operated upon is
entered at the front end of the machine between the internal rolls 1, 2, 3, and the
external rolls T, U, V. The external rolls can be set to the size that the tube-is
required to be externally when finished, and motion being imparted to the two
external rolls T, U, the said tube is compressed between the internal and external
rolls, and in being so compressed the tube travels from front to back of the machine.
The direction of the motion of the spur wheel H is then reversed and the internal
rolls 1, 2, 3, extended from their common centre, when on motion being again
imparted to the bottom rolls T, U, the tube travels from back to front and is thereby
again reduced in thickness and extended in length. To cause the tube to travel the
back. neck of one or both of the bottom rolls (that is to say, the neck or necks
furthest from the point where the tube enters) is brought nearer the tube than is
the. front neck of. the said roll, thus causing a certain amount of "draft" on the
rolls.
The external and internal.rolls I prefer to use are parallel in the centre for about
one third part of the length thereof, and tapered at the ends thereof.
'
Instead of the.external rolls T, U, V, and the internal rolls 1, 2, 3, being moved
to. and from their common centre by wedges, as above.described, they can be moved
or adjusted directly or indirectly by hydraulic rams.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, .and. the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
Improvements in machinery or apparatus for rolling tubular forms of iron and
steel by the employment of internal and external rolls rotating in bearings capable
of adjustment to and from. the common centre of the said internal and external rolls,
the said apparatus being so constructed and worked as that the tube under operation
travels endways, backwards, and forwards, in the said apparatus as hereinbefore
specified and described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Whitehead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
GEORGE WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)