Improvements in the Manufacture of Forged Tubular Connections for Steam Conduits and like purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Forged Tubular Connections for
Steam Conduits and like purposes.
I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM BARTHELS, of 4, Neumannstrasse, Hamburg, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly des-
cribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of forged tubular connections from
a single piece of metal without seam or weld.
The said invention relates chiefly to articles of copper for use as connections
in steam conduits and other purposes, but obviously such articles may also be
produced from any other metal or metal-alloy capable of being forged, laminated,
drawn, or otherwise worked into shape.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 shows a finished tubular T-connection provided with flanges..
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x-y of Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 show the tubular blank as it appears previous to the forging
operation.
Figures 5 to 8 shows the connection as it appears in the various stages of
the operations of forging, up to its completion, and
Figures 9 to 11 illustrate the manufacture of other forms of connections.
In order to produce a shaped-connection of a desired form I take a seamless
tubular body or blank of a diameter corresponding approximately to the largest
diameter of the finished article, as shown for example at a¹ in Figures 2 and 3.
The tubular piece or blank is first somewhat flattened, as indicated in Figure 5,
so that the smallest diameter thereof is about equal to that of the arm a³ of
the T-shaped connection it is desired to produce. This is then repeatedly
hammered upon mandrels and re-heated at both ends so as to contract them in
such a manner as to leave a swelling or boss b--Figure 6-at the place where
the angular branch of the T shaped connection is to be formed. After the two
ends of the T shaped connections have been formed, the swelling or boss is
provided with a small hole (Figure 7) which is then widened out by hammering
upon mandrels until it has the required diameter, whereupon the three
branches c d e Figure 8 are again hammered upon suitable mandrels to give
them the proper thickness and diameter.
Owing to the contraction of the material at the swelling or boss 6 in forming
the ends c d there is sufficient thickness to work upon as to form the vertical
branch e and also to form sharp corners at the base of this branch while having
strengthened the corners to ensure the greatest safety at these usually weakest
parts.
After providing the ends with suitable flanges as shown in Figure 1 the
article is finished.
In order to produce a cross-connection as shown in Figure 9 a tube-blank is

page_text: used having a size relative to the article to be produced, as shown by the dotted
line f.
An angular or elbow-connection, Figure 10, is produced from a tube-blank
having a diameter corresponding to the largest cross-extension of the finished
article, and Figure 11 shows in dotted lines where the contractions have to be
effected.
The advantage of such forged connections as compared with ordinary cast or
brazed articles, consists in their relatively greater strength and lightness. Such
connections or intermediate pieces for steam conduits cannot be made in cast-
ings of about 3 mm. thickness, owing to the difficulty of preventing blow-holes
and cracks or flaws in such castings, so that they require to be of much greater
thickness.
702; +
Obviously the inŕproved connections, being in comparison much thinner than
the cast article, are exceedingly 'light, which is of great importance as such
articles are usually bought by weight. Moreover as these connections are chiefly
employed in steam-conduits they have the advantage of affording greater security
than those which are brazed or cast which latter are liable to become brittle and
crack, especially when used with superheated steam, thus giving rise to many
accidents.
By thus hammering and working the parts into shape, the material thereof
can be easily driven towards, and accumulated at, the weakest places, such as
the corners in T-shaped connections and the outer bends in elbow-connections
and the like, so that no weak parts exist in the finished connections. In
Figure 10 the strengthened parts are indicated at g. in dotted lines.
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:
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The manufacture of forged tubular connections in a single piece and without
brazed joints from a seamless tubular blank having a diameter corresponding
to the largest cross-dimensions of the article to be manufactured such connec-
tions being produced by repeated contraction of the material, by hammering,
at certain parts of such blank, and then shaping the material of the parts pre-
viously left into the required form substantially as herein described and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of November 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.