Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 8th Feb., 1887.
FREDERICK HUGGINS of the firm of William Huggins and Sons of Britannia Tube
Works Glover Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Tube Manufacturers
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of machinery constructed essentially as hereinafter described
for the manufacture of iron and steel tubes whether welded or open or close jointed.
The essential parts of my new or improved machinery are two pairs of grooved
rolls and a die having a trumpet shaped axial opening in it.
The said pairs of rolls turn on horizontal shafts working in bearings on the frame
of the machine. The rolls at the front of the machine that is at that part of the
machine at which the strip of iron or steel from which the tube is to made enters are
of a shape suited to bend the strip of iron or steel passed between them into a trough
shape that is nearly semi-tubular one of the said rolls having a groove semi-circular
in cross section and the other having a projection or flange semi-circular in cross
section the said flange on one roll working in the groove in the other. The second
pair of rolls consist of two similar rolls that is rolls each of which has in it a groove
semi-circular in cross section the opposed grooves having the same radius as the finished
tube. Between the first and second pairs of rolls the die having a trumpet shaped axial
hole in it is situated the said die being fixed close to but without touching the first
pair of rolls. The wide end or mouth of the bell shaped opening is turned towards the
first pair of rolls. The rolls are geared together with ordinary gearing and are driven
by steam or other power.
The action of the machinery is as follows The machine is situated near the furnace
in which the strips of iron or steel to be made into tubes are heated. The end of a
heated strip is taken hold of by the workman by means of a pair of tongs and intro-
duced between the first pair of rolls. The strip seized by the rolls passes rapidly
between them and is bent into a semitubular form. Emerging from the first pair of
rolls the trough like strip enters the bell shaped opening of the die the axis of the said
17

page_text: opening being in line with the axis of the "eye" of the rolls. The trough shaped
heated strip of iron or steel in passing through the said die is bent into a tubular form
and on leaving the said die passes between the second pair of rolls the eye of which
is in the same line as the axis of the trumpet shaped opening in the die and the "
of the first pair of rolls By the action of the second pair of rolls the drawing of the
tube through the die is completed and the surface of the tube is improved.
eve"
The heated strips of iron or steel may be made by the use of iny machinery into
welded lap jointed or butt jointed tubes or into unwelded tubes commonly called open
jointed tubes or close jointed tubes. When lap jointed welded tubes are to be made
the ends of the strips are inclined and the width of the strip is such that in passing
through the die described the edges are made to overlap and are welded together.
When butt jointed welded tubes are to be made the edges of the strip are flat and
are presented face to face and the width of the strip is such that when it passes
In making
through the die the edges are pressed forcibly together and welded
welded tubes the strips are raised to a welding heat and passed through the machine
quickly. When unwelded tubes are to be made the strips are heated only to bright.
redness and need not be passed so rapidly through the machine.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Machinery for the Manufacture of Iron and
Steel Tubes.
I FREDERICK HUGGINS of the firm of William Huggins and Sons of Britannia
Tube Works, Glover Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Tube Manu-
facturers do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention consists of machinery constructed essentially as hereinafter described
for the manufacture of iron and steel tubes, whether welded or open or close jointed.
The essential parts of my new or improved machinery are two pairs of rolls and
a die having a trumpet shaped axial opening in it. The said pairs of rolls turn on
horizontal shafts working in bearings on the frame of the machine. The rolls at the
front of the machine, that is, at that part of the machine at which the strip of iron or
steel from which the tube is to be made enters are of a shape suited to bend the strip
of iron or steel passed between them into a trough shape, that is, semi tubular or

page_text: nearly semi tubular, one of the said rolls having a groove semicircular in cross section
and the other having a projection or flange semi circular in cross section, the said
flange on one roll working in the groove in the other. The second pair of rolls
consists of two similar rolls, that is, rolls each of which has in it a groove semi circular
in cross section, the opposed grooves having the same radius as the finished tube.
Between the first and second pairs of rolls the die having a trumpet shaped axial hole
in it is situated the said die being fixed close to but without touching the first pair of
rolls. The wide end or mouth of the bell shaped opening is turned towards the first
pair of rolls. The rolls are geared together with ordinary gearing and are driven by
steam or other power.
The heated strip to be made into a tube in passing through the first pair of rolls has
a trough shape given to it and in passing through the die the trough shaped strip is
bent or bent and welded into a tubular form and the surface of the tube improved and
the tube drawn forward through the die by the action of the second pair of rolls.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure represents in side elevation Figure 2 in front elevation and Figure 3 in
plan, machinery constructed according to my invention for the manufacture of iron
and steel tubes; Figure 4 represents in longitudinal section and Figure 5 in front
elevation, the trumpet shaped die detached; Figure 6 represents an elevation of the
gearing by which the two pairs of rolls are driven.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
drawings; a, b are the front rolls by which a trough or nearly semi tubular figure is
given to the heated strip and the strip forced through the die to the back or finishing
rolls. The said rolls are carried by the shafts a², ²; c, d are the back or finishing
rolls by which the drawing or carrying forward of the tube through the trumpet
shaped die is assisted and the surface of the tube improved. The front pair or trough-
ing rolls
consist of a lower roll & having in it a groove semi circular in cross
section and an upper roll a having a projection or flange semi-circular in cross
section as best seen in Figure 2. The back or finishing rolls c, d are alike in con-
struction, each roll having in it a groove semi circular in cross section as seen in
Figure 3. The two pairs of rolls a
and are geared together and driven in the
direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 by the arrangement of gearing shown
in Figures 2, 3 and 6.
e is a fixed shaft on which the driving pulley rotates. Connected to and turning
with the said pulley is a toothed wheel which gears with the toothed wheels y², * on
the shafts of the upper rolls, of the two pairs of rolls and the toothed wheels g²,
also gear with the toothed wheels ', 7ª on the shafts of the lower rolls b, d of the two
pairs of rolls as best seen in Figure 6.
The distance of the upper rolls a, e from the lower rolls, d is adjusted by the screws
h, acting upon the bearings of the rolls, the said screws being raised and lowered by
means of a handle engaged in the heads of the screws. A handle marked for the
purpose described is represented engaged with the head of one of the adjusting screws
of the upper roll a.
is the trumpet shaped die supported in the box or holder and situated between
the front and back pairs of rolls a, b and c, d the said box or holder being supported
by the part fixed to the standard of the machine. The wide end of the opening in
the trumpet shaped die ² is turned towards the front pair of rolls a, b.
The trumpet shaped die is held in its place by the screw m working in the screw
box m² on the standard of the machine, the said screw m being raised and lowered by
turning the hand wheel at its top. By raising the said screw m, the die may be
removed and replaced by a fresh one, or one of a different kind to suit the tubes being
manufactured.
The action of the machinery is as follows:-
The machine is situated near the furnace in which the strips of iron or steel to be
made into tubes are heated. The end of a heated strip marked n in Figure 1 is taken
hold of by the workman by means of a pair of tongs and introduced between the first

page_text: h
pair of rolls a, b. The strip » seized by the rolls (1, b passes rapidly between them
and is bent into a semi tubular form. Emerging from the first pair of rolls a the
trough like strip indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 is forced by the rolls a,
through the trumpet shaped axial opening of the die the axis of the said opening
being in a line with the axis of the eye of the rolls a, b. The trough shaped heated
strip of iron or steel in passing through the die 2 is bent into a tubular form and on
leaving the said die passes between the second pair of rolls, the eye of which is in
the same line as the axis of the trumpet shaped opening in the die and the "
of the first pair of rolls a. b. By the action of the second pair of rolls, the drawing of
the tube through the die is completed and the surface of the tube is improved. The
finished tube passing from the rolls dis marked 1"
eye
2:
The heated strips of iron or steel may be made by the use of my machinery into
welded butt jointed tubes or into unwelded tubes commonly called open jointed tubes
or close jointed tubes.
When butt jointed welded tubes are to be made the edges of the strip are presented
face to face and the width of the strip is such that when it passes through the die k²
the edges are pressed forcibly together and welded.
In making welded tubes the strips are raised to a welding heat and passed through
the machine quickly. When unwelded fubes are to be made the strips are heated only
to bright redness and need not be passed so rapidly through the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed 1. declare that what I claim is :-
In machinery for the manufacture of iron and steel tubes whether welded or open
or close jointed, the combination of the troughing and forcing front pair of rolls a, b
and the drawing forward and surface improving back pair of rolls c, d, with the die k²
between the said pairs of rolls, the axis of the bell or trumpet shaped opening in the
said die being in the same line as the "eyes" of the two pairs of rolls for the purpose
and substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
FREDERICK HUGGINS.