IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIFTING OR EXPANDING TUBES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, DAVID MARSHALL, of the Glasgow Tube Works, Swanston Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIFTING OR EXPANDING
TUBES" to be as follows:-
My said Invention relates to the operation by which in the manufacture of tubes
the ends of the tubes are brought to a finished size and proper shape. This opera-
tion is ordinarily performed by means of a drift or tapered spindle or mandril which
is driven into the end of the tube by means of a hammer, the precise extent to
which the drift is driven in, depending on the skill of the workman and being
liable to alight variations.
By the present Invention a small hydraulic cylinder is employed being fixed at
one end of a bed frame at the other end of which there is a pair of gripping jaws.
The gripping jaws slide in transverse guides and are adjustable by a right-hand
and left-hand screw spindle so as to grip tubes of different sizes in a central
position. The hydraulic cylinder is provided with a valve or valves for directing
water under pressure to either end of it; and the outer end of its piston rod is
screwed or otherwise fitted to receive drifts or tapered mandrils of different sizes.
In using the apparatus a tube is secured in the gripping jaws, and the drift is
forced into it by the hydraulic pressure on suitably moving the valve or valves
by means of a hand lever, the drift being withdrawn again on reversing the valve
or valves,
EDMUND HUNT)
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, DAVID MARSHALL, of the Glasgow Tube Works, Swanston Street, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
"
FOR DRIFTING OR
EXPANDING TUBES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is
to say :-
My said Invention relates to the operation by which, in the manufacture of
tubes, the ends of the tubes are brought to a finished size and proper shape. This
operation is ordinarily performed by means of a drift or tapered spindle or mandril,
which is driven into the end of the tube by means of a hammer, the precise extent
to which the drift is driven in depending on the skill of the workman, and being
liable to slight variations.
By my present Invention a small hydraulic cylinder is employed being fixed at
one end of a bed frame at the other end of which there is a pair of gripping jaws.
The gripping jaws are adjustable to suit tubes of different sizes; and the hydraulic
cylinder is provided with a valve or valves for directing the water to and from
either end of it, whilst the outer end of the piston rod is adapted for receiving drifts
or tapered mandrils of different sizes.
A machine as made for practically carrying out my Invention is represented on
back end
the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings, figure, 1, being a.
elevation, figure, 2, a side elevation, and figure, 3, a front end elevation. The
same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they
are repeated.
Upon one end of the bed frame, 4, of the machine there is fixed horizontally an
hydraulic cylinder, 5, having its piston rod, 6, passing out through a stuffing box
at its inner end. At the other end of the bed frame, 4, a pair of gripping jaws, 7,
is fitted for holding the tube to be operated upon, such tube being indicated by
dotted lines, 8, in figure, 2. The gripping jaws, 7, are fitted to slide in transverse
guides, 9, upon the bed frame, and are adjustable by means of a screw spindle, 10,
having on it right-hand and left-hand screw threads for gripping tubes of different
sizes in a central position. The screw-spindle, 10, has spokes or levers, 11, fixed.
on it for turning it by, and is held centrally by a bearing block, 12, fixed to the
bed frame. The water is led to and from the cylinder, 5, by pipes, 13, 14, having
branches, 15, 16, connecting them to the two ends of the cylinder, the communica-
At each end of
tions with the cylinder being through stopcocks, 17, 18, 19, 20.
the cylinder one hand lever, 21, 22, controls both the inlet and outlet stopcock, the
hand lever being fixed on the plug of one stopcock and connected by a link, 23, 24,
with a short lever fixed on the plug of the other stopcock. The outer end of the
piston rod, 6, is screwed to receive a coupling ring, 25, into the other end of which
is screwed the drift or mandril, 26, to be used in operating on the tube, 8, and on
this drift or mandril there is adjustably fixed a ring, 27, to serve as a stop to limit
the distance to which the drift or mandril is forced into the tube. A gauge or
stop, 28, having a hole through it for the passage of the drift or mandril, 26, is
adjustably fixed on the bed frame, 4; and the workman in placing the tube, 8,

page_text: in the gripping jaws, 7, pushes it up to this stop, 28, and then secures it by means
of the handles, 11, and screw spindle, 10. The piston rod, 6, which is represented
at the inner end of its stroke, is then by a suitable manipulation of the stopcock
levers, 21, 22, made to thrust the drift or mandril, 26, into the end of the tube, 8,
and afterwards to withdraw it therefrom. The drift or mandril, 26, and the gauge
or stop, 28, are changeable to suit different sizes of pipes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of parts constituting the machine for drifting or expanding
tubes substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The hydraulic cylinder having its piston rod fitted to receive drifts or
expanding mandrils of various sizes and arranged for forcing the same into the
ends of tubes substantially as hereinbefore described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.