A Method and Apparatus for Dilating, Contracting, or Smoothing Hollow Metallic Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1897--Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
A Method and Apparatus for Dilating, Contracting, or Smoothing
Hollow Metallic Articles.
I, FRANCIS EDWARD ELMORE, of Pontefract Road, Hunslet, Leeds, in the County
of York, Electrometallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to means of dilating contracting or smoothing hollow metallic
articles, as, for instance for forming external or internal corrugations of a tube, or
removing internal dents or ronghnesses. In order to form an external corrugation of
a tube, I squeeze between two blocks.like pistons a number of small hard.metal balls,
using preferably balls of slightly different sizes, thus expanding the tube into a die
put on the tube in halves.
For forming an internal corrugation, I place inside the tube a die divided in halves
transversely and outside I fix a die which may be made in halves longitudinally.
I fill the space in the outer die with balls as above desaribed and by means of a
lateral plunger I squeeze the balls, thus forcing the metal of the tube into the hollow
of the internal die, the halves of which can then be separated and removed.
When it is desired to fix a tube in a socket made with a bulge or internal
corrugation, I introduce the tube into the socket, and fix in it an abutment block,
then between this block and a block movable as a piston in the tube, I square balls,
as described above, thus dilating the tube so as to fit the bulge or corrugations of
the socket.
A tube may be dilated along any part or the whole of its length thus thinning the
metal, and, by moving the balls to and fro while under pressure, the internal metal
may be smoothed and hardened.
A column of small balls may be used to force a ball or plug throngh the bore of a
tube to remove dents or roughnesses or finish it to an exact size.
By employing balls as above described instead of fluid I avoid all necessity for
tight packings.
Dated this 20th day of November 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A Method and Apparatus for Dilating, Contracting, or Smoothing
Hollow Metallic Articles.
I, FRANCIS EDWARD ELMORE, of Pontefract Road, Hunslet, Leeds, in the County of
York, Electrometallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
Price 8d.]

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-..
My invention relates to means of dilating contracting or smoothing hollow metallic
articles, as for instance for forming external or internal corrugations of a tube, or
removing internal dents or roughnesses. In order to form an external corrugation of
a tube, I proceed as I shall describe referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section, aud Figure 2 a tranverse section of
apparatus which I employ.
By means of a hydraulic or other suitablo press A I squeeze between two blocks
like pistons D and E a number of small hard metal balls B using preferably balls of
slightly different sizes, thus expauding the tube T into a die C put on the tube in
halves.
For forining an internal corrugation, I proceed in a similar manner, placing inside
the tube a die divided in halves transversely and outside I fix a die which may be
nade in halves longitudinally.
I fill the space in the outer die with balls as above described and by means of
a lateral plunger I squeeze the balls, thus forcing the metal of the tube into the
hollow of the internal die, the halves of which can then be separated and removed.
When it is desired to fix a tube in a socket made with a bulge or internal
corrugation, I introduce the tube into the socket, and fix in it an abutinent. block,
then between this block and a block movable as n piston in the tube, I squeeze balls,
as described above, thus dilating the tube so as to fit the bulge or corrugations of the
socket.
A tube may be dilated along any part or the whole of its length thus thinning the
metal, and, by moving the balls to and fro while, under pressure, the internal metal
may be smoothed and hardened.
As shewn in longitudinal section Figure 3 and transverse section Figure 4, a
column of small balls B inny be pressed by pistons D, E so as to force a ball or plug F
through the bore of a tube T to remove dents or roughnesses or finish it to an exact
size.
By employing balls as above described instead of fluid I avoid all necessity for
tight packings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The herein described method of dilating, contracting or smoothing bollow
metallic articles by subjecting the parts to be dilated or contracted or a ball or plug
in the part to be smoothed to the pressure of a number of small balls.
2. For forming a bulge of a tube in the manner above set forth, apparatus
constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
3. For smoothing the interior of a tube, apparatus constructed and operating
substantially as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
Dated this 13th day of August 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.