IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR WELDING AND FINISHING TUBES."
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Knight Northall, of Netherton, in the
County of Worcester, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR WELDING AND FINISHING TUBES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Knight Northall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th November 1869.
I, JOHN KNIGHT NORTHALL, of Netherton, in the County of Wor-
cester, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR WELDING AND FINISHING
TUBES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My improvements are more particularly applicable to the manu-
.facture of parallel sided tubes, but are not limited thereto.
The apparatus or machinery consists of a double draw bench provided
with two waggons furnished with grippers; at the end of this

page_text: drawbench near to the fire is formed a standard, framework or housing
for the purpose of supporting and carrying slide rods fitted in suitable
guides on each side of the housing, and actuated by lever arms having
a crank action. The one slide rod carries an upper die fitted thereto,
a counterpart or lower die being fixed in the bed, the dies turn or
form the skelps from the strips of iron in the ordinary manner. The
second slide rod on the other side of the housing carries a pair of upper
dies arranged side by side, a counterpart pair of lower dies being secured
in the bed, these dies receive the turned skelps, and weld and finish
the tubes as follows:-The strip or length of iron having passed from
the fire and through the bending or single set of dies in the ordinary
manner is when thus formed placed within the first pair of the "side
by side" sets of dies, in such manner that the tube again passes from
the fire, and then through the dies, when the tube will be partially
welded the tube is then placed into the third or finishing set of dies,
the tube being again heated by passing through the fire and then
through the dies, the operation of reheating the tubes preventing
blowers" and other defects in the manufacture of the same.
26
I have described the operation of working the machine for one tube
only, but when the apparatus is fully at work there will be three tubes
under operation at one time, for the turned or bent skelp having been
placed in the welding or second pair of dies, another strip is supplied
to the bending dies, and when the partially welded tube is placed in the
finishing dies another skelp is supplied into the second dies in its place;
all three tubes are then drawn out at one time, the skelp upon one
waggon, and the partially welded tube and finished tube upon the
second waggon, thus a finished tube is brought out at each traverse of
the waggons.
I prefer to cast the dies used in my improved machinery or apparatus
in bell metal, and they are formed of suitable diameter and contour to
meet the requirements of the size of tube desired to be produced.
By means of the improvements described a great saving of time,
manual labour, and material is effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Knight Northall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KNIGHT NORTHALL, of Netherton, in the County of Worcester, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Knight Northall, Her special licence,
that I, the said John Knight Northall, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Knight Northall, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR WELDING AND FINISHING TUBES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Knight Northall,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Knight Northall, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My improvements are more particularly applicable to the manu-
facture of parallel sided tubes, but are not limited thereto.
The apparatus or machinery consists of a double draw bench provided
with two waggons furnished with grippers; at the end of this draw bench
near to the fire is formed a standard, framework, or housing, for the

page_text: purpose of supporting and carrying slide rods fitted in suitable guides
on each side of the housing, and actuated by lever arms having a crank
action. The one slide rod carries an upper die fitted thereto, a counter-
part or lower die being fixed in the bed; these dies turn or form the skelps
from the strips of iron in the ordinary manner. The second slide rod on.
the other side of the housing carries a pair of upper dies arranged side by
side, a counterpart pair of lower dies being secured in the bed; these dies
receive the turned skelps and weld and finish the tubes as follows:-The
strip or length of iron having passed from the fire and through the
bending or single set of dies in the ordinary manner is when thus
formed placed within the first pair of the "side by side" sets of dies in
such manner that the tube again passes from the fire and then through
the dies, when the tube will be partially welded; the tube is then placed
into the third or finishing set of dies, the tube being again heated by
passing through the fire and then through the dies, the operation of
re-heating the tubes preventing "blowers" and other defects in the
manufacture of the same.
I have described the operation of working the machine for one tube
only, but when the apparatus is fully at work there will be three tubes
under operation at one time, for the turned or bent skelp having been
placed in the welding or second pair of dies another strip is supplied to
the bending dies, and when the partially welded tube is placed in the
finishing dies another skelp is supplied into the second dies in its place;
all three tubes are then drawn out at one time, the skelp upon one
waggon, and the partially welded tube and finished tube upon the second
waggon, thus a finished tube is brought out at each traverse of the
waggons.
I prefer to cast the dies used in my improved machinery or apparatus
in bell metal, and they are formed of suitable diameter and contour to
meet the requirements of the size of tube desired to be produced.
By means of the improvements described a great saving of time,
manual labor, and material is effected.
I will now proceed to describe my Invention more fully in detail by
aid of the accompanying Drawings, and the letters and figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a sectional plan of my
improved apparatus or machinery for welding and finishing parallel
sided tubes, such apparatus or machinery being also applicable for the

page_text: manufacture of other than parallel sided tubes by suitable alterations of
the dies employed.
I form a standard, framework, or housing such as (a) for the purpose
of supporting and carrying the slide rods (b, b',) working in suitable
guides formed in the arms (a¹) upon each side of the standard (a); the
slide rods (b, b',) are actuated by the lever arms (c, c',) having a crank
action by means of the links (e, e',) and working upon the centre (f).
The slide rod (6) is for the purpose of carrying an upper die (9) secured
thereto, a counterpart or lower die (9¹) being fixed in the bed of the
machine by any suitable means, these dies turn or form the skelps
from the strips. of iron in the ordinary manner. The second slide rod (¹)
on the other side of the standard (a) carries a pair of upper dies (h)
and (i,) arranged side by side or in one piece, a counterpart pair of lower
dies (h) and (2) being secured in the bed of the machine, these side by
side pairs of dies receive the turned skelps and weld and finish the tubes
as hereafter described. (k) is a double draw bench, which in working
is provided with a pair of waggons furnished with grippers; (2) indicates
the position of the furnace or fire hole.
The operation of the machine will be as follows:-A strip or length
of iron having passed from the fire and through the bending or single
set of dies (9, 9',) in the ordinary manner is when so formed re-heated,
and passes from the fire through the first pair of side by side dies (h, h',)
by which operation the tube will be partially welded, the tube is then
again heated and is passed from the fire through the third or finishing
dies (i,,) the operation of re-heating the tubes preventing "blowers
and other usual defects in the manufacture of the tubes.
"
I have described the working of the machine for the making of one
tube only, but when the apparatus is fully at work there will be three
tubes under operation at one time, for the turned or bent skelp having
been placed in the welding or second dies (h, h',) another strip is
supplied to the bending dies (g, g',) and when the partially welded
tube is placed in the finishing dies (i, ¹,) another skelp is supplied into
the second dies (h, ',) in its place; all three tubes are then drawn out
at one time, the skelp upon one waggon, and the partially welded tube
and the tube being finished upon the second waggon, thus a tube is
finished at each traverse of the waggons.
I prefer to cast the dies used in my improved apparatus or machinery

page_text: of bell metal, and of suitable diameter and contour to suit the require-
ments of the size or description of tube to be produced.
By means of the improvements herein described a great saving of
time, manual labor, and material is effected.
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I claim without
limiting myself to these precise details the "Improvements in Apparatus
or Machinery for Welding and Finishing Tubes," substantially in
manner as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Knight Northall, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 29th day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JOHN KNIGHT NORTHALL. (L.S.)