Apparatus for the Manufacture of Metallic Tubes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 2nd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Manufacture of Metallic Tubes.
I, JOHN CALVIN STURGEON, of the City of Erie, in the County of Erie, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Attorney and Counsellor at Law, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of tubes by piercing
and rolling metallic billets without subjecting them to such torsional strain as
can distort the grain or fibre of the metal. Apparatus according to my invention
consists substantially of a disc and a pair of rolls overlapping the face of the disc,
and running adjacent to it and to each other, with a mandrel arranged in the
space between the disc and the rolls, so as to act on the centre of a billet or tube
during its passage between the disc and rolls; the rolls being so arranged relatively
to the face of the disc that the billet or tube is constantly advanced, and the
shape of the disc and rolls being such that the passage between them narrows
from the ingress end to the egress. The rolls and disc impart rotation to every
portion of a billet or tube passing between them, so as to reduce and elongate it
without disturbing or distorting the grain or fibre of the metal. For piercing
billets the mandrel is pointed at one end and inserted in the axis of the narrowest
or exit end of the passage between the disc and rolls and a heated billet being
then inserted between the periphery of the disc and the outer ends of the rolls
pressed forwards against
receives a rotary and longitudinal movement and
and over the point of the mandrel until it is elongated and its entire length is
pierced so as to form a tube. For further elongating and reducing the tube, a
swaging mandrel is placed in the passage between a disc and rolls, and the
pierced billet or tube being then placed on the mandrel and inserted between
the periphery of the disc and the outer ends of the rolls receives the rotary and
longitudinal movement and advances through the constantly narrowing passage
becoming elongated and reduced, and finally it passes off the mandrel as a finished
tube.
In the accompanying drawings I show approximately the shapes and relative
positions of the disc and rolls and the piercing and swaging mandrels which I
employ, but I have not shewn the frame work or housings, the gearing for im-
parting motion to the disc and rolls, the supports for the mandrels, or the other
portions of the complete machine; as these form no part of my invention and
may be of any known construction.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of the disc, and rolls, with a piercing mandrel in the
axis of the passage between the disc and rolls.
Figure 2, is a similar view with a billet which is being pierced.
Figure 3, is a part section with one of the rolls removed.
Figure 4, is an elevation of the disc, and rolls with a swaging mandrel in the
axis of the passage between the disc and rolls.
Figure 5, is a similar view of the same, with a tube which is being reduced
and rolled out.

page_text: Figure 6, is a part section with one of the rolls removed.
A is a disc supported and rotating on a shaft B driven by any suitable power,
the face of this disc has a central plane surface C surrounded by a bevelled
working surface D.
Adjacent to and overlapping the surface 1) are mounted two conical rolls E
and F, driven by suitable gear.
For piercing billets, I place a piercing mandrel G in the axis of the passage
between the disc A and the rolls E and F, so that its point extends into the end
of the passage next the centre of the disc. When a billet H is inserted between
the disc and rolls it is caused to rotate and travel through the passage becoming
gradually reduced and forced against and over the point of the mandrel G until
the billet is pierced through its entire length and reduced into a tube J. For
reducing and elongating this tube, as shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I place a swaging
mandrel I in the axis of the passage between the disc and rolls, set closer together,
the end of the mandrel extending entirely through the passage between the disc
and rolls. When a tube J is placed upon the mandrel I and inserted between
the disc and rolls, it is caused to rotate and is forced onward in the constantly
narrowing passage thereby becoming reduced and elongated until it passes out
of the passage and off of the end of the mandrel I in the form of a completed
tube. If it is desired to further reduce and elongate this tube, this operation
is repeated between a disc and rolls having a more constricted passage and with
a smaller swaging mandrel I. The forms, proportions and dimensions of the parts
described may obviously be varied to suit different billets and tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
Apparatus for piercing and rolling metallic billets into tubes comprising a
disc having its edge bevilled, a pair of conical rolls overlapping the edge and
a mandrel in the axis of the passage between the disc and the rolls, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of April 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.