IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF MAKING TUBING, SHAFTING, COLUMNS AYLES AND KINDRED HOLLOW ARTICLES DIRECT FROV PUDDLEn
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Lawrence Murphy, of the City of Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manufacturer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF MAKING TUBING, SHAFTING,
COLUMNS AYLES AND KINDRED HOLLOW ARTICLES DIRECT FROV PUDDLEn
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Albert Lawrence Murphy at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1881.
ALBERT LAWRENCE MURPHY, of the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF
MAKING TUBING, SHAFTING, COLUMNS, AXLES, AND KINDRED HOLLOW ARTICLES
DIRECT FROM PUDDLED IRON."
The object of my Invention is to manufacture a seamless homogeneous tube
direct from a solid pile or ball of puddled iron, thereby avoiding the necessity of
converting the puddled metal into any given manufactured product, and the
subsequent manipulation of such product into a tube.
In the accompanying Drawings,-
Figure 1 represents in perspective a puddled ball as it appears upon its removal
from the puddling furnace.
Figure represents in similar view the puddled ball as it appears after it has
been forged or otherwise formed into, for instance, cylindrical shape.
Figure 3 represents in similar view said forged cylindrical puddled ball after it
has been formed with a central longitudinal bore or hole.
Figure 4 represents in front elevation a convenient form of apparatus for the
rolling out into tubing of the puddled ball formed, for instance, to the shape
indicated in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side sectional elevation through one set of rolls.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In practising my Invention I first prepare my puddled ball or "pile," as it is
hereinafter for brevity termed, and then successively condense and reduce it into a
tube substantially in the following. manner:-
Referring to the Drawings, P is a puddled ball, being a solid mass of puddled or
unfinished wrought iron substantially of the character produced in an ordinary

page_text: puddling furnace. From this mass, as it is withdrawn at a white heat from the
furnace, my finished tube is directly and in the continuous manner hereinafter
detailed manufactured.
So soon as the puddled ball is withdrawn from the puddling furnace it is
immediately manipulated under a steam hammer or other kindred forging or
compacting mechanism until perfectly solid, and until such forging, compacting, or
manipulation has reduced it to a solid cylindrical or other form, as, for instance, to
the form represented by Qin Figure 2. I find a good shape to be that of a
cylinder as represented, and good dimensions to be a length of twelve inches by a
diameter of eight. I do not however restrict myself to these dimensions, nor to
the cylindrical shape, as other dimensions and other shapes will effectuate the
practice of my Invention; thus, for instance, the pile may be forged to the shape
of a parallelopipedon, or to a form whose cross section may be a triangle, a square,
or a polygon.
So soon again as the pile has. been forged as above, it is immediately, by any
suitable means, as by punching, drilling, or the like, provided with a preferably
circular hole or bore, say of two inch diameter, concentric with its longitudinal
axis, as represented by R in Figure 3, after which the pile so formed and bored is
immediately subjected to the action of any suitable rolling apparatus, which is
adapted by proper formation of its passes to successively consolidate and reduce
out the hollow pile, whatever may be its exterior configuration, the last pass of the
same being adapted to produce a tube of the desired length, breadth, and
thickness.
In the accompanying Drawing is represented a convenient form of rolls for
accomplishing this consolidation and reduction, although many other forms of
apparatus may be employed.
A represents a foundation or bed plate, upon which are erected a series of
housings B, which support a series of sets of reducing rolls.
The apparatus illustrated is a four-set series, each two high, being numbered
from one to four, and the pass of each succeeding set smaller than that of the set
immediately preceding, so that whereas the pass of set number one (1) is adapted
to take the pile as first heated, and impart to it its first reduction, the pass of
number four (4) is of such size as to impart the desired dimensious to the finished
'tubing made from the successively reduced pile.
The rolls are driven by means of toothed wheels C, to which motion is imparted
from underground shafting or the like in the usual manner. D are mandrels
supported upon mandrel brackets E in such manner that their balls F are properly
placed and retained centrally within the pass of the sets to which the mandrels are
respectively applied.
Shifter bars are enclosed within the stems of the mandrels, which latter are
made hollow. The shifter bars are controlled by hand levers H, so that they can
be shifted after the passage of the tube to project or throw the balls, which simply
rest in place by means of stems from off the mandrels.
The pile is inanipulated to the successive passes in any manner well known to
rolling men, and not therefore requiring description here.
Each set of rolls is of course driven independently of every other and at different
rates of speed. J are benches arranged back of each set of rolls, and provided with
carrier rolls K. These benches vary in length proportionately with the diameter of
the pass of the set with which they are respectively connected, that of the first set
being, for instance, five feet, while that of the finishing set is, for instance, twenty
feet. The carrier rolls K are so arranged as to carry the pile as the latter emerges
upon the mandrels in its successively reduced condition. The mandrel's brackets E
are of such resisting power as to hold the mandrels rigidly against the pile as it is
forced upon them.
By my Invention a finished tube, flue, or column is formed direct from puddled
iron, thereby saving the cost and the intermediate step of finishing puddled iron
into sheets or skelp prior to its manufacture into tubing.

page_text: The process hereinbefore set forth is practically continuous from the obtaining or
forming of the puddled ball within the furnace to its completed reduction into a
tube, the successive steps of shaping or forging, providing with a bore, and reducing
and condensing being best conducted in a continuous operation, whereby the
original beat is retained, reheating being usually unnecessary, and utilized for
the carrying out of the above several steps which constitute the process as an
entirety.
The tube, by reason of this utilization of the original heat, is, for reasons well
understood by iron workers, superior to those made by old methods necessitating
reheating.
Having thus described my Invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent,-
The method of making seamless iron tubing direct from puddled iron herein
described, which consists in conducting substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before set forth the following steps, viz. :—
First. Obtaining at a welding heat a puddled ball.
Second. Forging said puddled ball to a cylindric or other suitably shaped
pile."
Third. Providing said pile with a hole or bore co-extensive with its longer
axis.
Fourth. Successively reducing and condensing said bore-provided pile over
mandrels in a suitable rolling mill to form a tube or kindred hollow article.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert L. Murphy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of June, A.D. 1881.
ALBERT L. MURPHY.
(LS)
ALBERT L. MURPHY. (L.s.)