IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING METAL TUBES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING METAL TUBES." A communication from
abroad by John Benjamin Root, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 21st December 1876, and dated the 2nd November 1876.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING
METAL TUBES." A communication.
CE
The machinery to which this Invention relates is designed for the manufacture of
that class of metal pipes or tubes in which the seam formed by the joining of the
edges of the skelp or blank assumes a spiral form, a mode of construction that gives
great strength and stiffness to the pipes, thus permitting a much lighter gauge of
metal to be used than would be possible where the longitudinal seam is adopted,
and also greatly facilitates and thus cheapens the manufacture of the pipes.
The said machinery is capable of shaping into tubular form a blank of any desired
width, and making tubes of any desired diameter; it will also produce tubing of
any required length, the length of the finished article being determined only by
that of the blank fed into the machine, and this blank in turn may be formed by
locking, or riveting, or otherwise fastening one plate or sheet of metal to another to
any indefinite extent.
My machine has three general subdivisions,
First. A pivoted and adjustable guide or roll frame by means of which the blank
is supported and guided in its passage to and entry upon the mandril, and which if
occasion requires is to be provided with suitable beading and flanging rolls for
giving the edges of the blank the proper shape for producing the desired form of
interlocking and overlapping seam.
Second. The revolving mandril and its accessories, upon and by means of which
the blank is wound spirally into a tubular form.
Third. The finishing rolls and connected appliances, by means of which after the
blank has been brought into the tubular form the seam is closed and finished.
The said machine has a guide or roll frame provided with a series of beading and
[Price 6d.]

page_text: flanging rolls specially designed for shaping a plain sheet metal blank into the
required form.
I employ three sets of ribbed and grooved rolls, by means of which one edge of
the blank is brought into the beaded form, the edge of the blank passing between
the ribbed and the grooved roll of each set, and the rib and grooves of each
succeeding set of rolls being made somewhat sharper than in the set immediately
preceding so that the change of form will be effected gradually.
The flanging rolls by means of which the other edge of the blank is turned up
into a flange are preferably placed upon the same shafts as the first set of beading
rolls. To assist the feed of the blank the first set of rolls may be connected by
worm wheels, mitre gearing, or otherwise with the driving shaft, and the number of
sets of beading rolls used in any given machine will depend upon the form to be
given to the edge of the blank and upon the character of the metal employed.
To compensate for any inequality in the thickness of the blank, particularly for
the seam produced by locking the edges of two sheets of metal together in extending
the blank lengthwise, the bearing of the upper roll of each set should be made
adjustable by means of springs, and a similar adjustability should be given to the
seaming roll herein-after described.
Suitable lugs are provided on the interior faces of the roll frame for supporting
the blank, and for the purpose of partially turning over the flange formed upon the
one edge of the blank by the flanging roll; a guide may be attached to the inner
face of the frame behind the flanging rolls, the groove in such guide being for this
purpose made somewhat inclined on its face. This guide may by means of a set
screw working in a slot be made adjustable to and from the mandril, so as to be
kept always in proper working relation to the mandril.
In order to accommodate the roll frame to blanks of different widths, one side is
made adjustable towards and from the other side by means of slotted arms which
are properly gibbed to the opposite sides of the frame, the required adjustment in
any given case being secured by means of set screws working in the slots in these
connecting arms or in any other available way.
The guide or roll frame must always be placed at such an angle to the mandril
that the advanced edge of the blank after making one turn around the mandril will
properly interlock or connect with the other edge of the blank where it is just
passing from the guide frame and on to the mandril.
I pivot the guide or roll frame to the bed of the machine to permit the frame to
be brought to any desired angle with the mandril. The frame can be held in the
proper position when once adjusted by set screws or other suitable means.
By providing a slot in the bed of the machine for receiving the bolt which is the
pivot of the roll frame, this frame may be moved bodily to the right or left along
the line of the mandril.
The mandril is placed at the tail. of the roll frame, and is caused to revolve by
any suitable connection with the main shaft; it has its bearing in a collar which is
gibbed to the fixed support, and can be adjusted at any desired height upon such
support by a slot and set screw or an elevating screw and nut. The object in thus
making this mandril bearing vertically adjustable is to permit the use of mandrils
of different diameters.
The said mandril may be provided with a spiral guide for giving direction to the
blank after it leaves the roll frame. This spiral guide is made detachable; it is
attached to the collar which forms the mandril bearing by means of a slotted arm
and set screws.
The said mandril is also provided with a metal band or strap passing spirally
around it for causing the blank to hug the mandril and wind upon it. It may be
either stationary or arranged to travel like a belt, and it may be a plain band or
chain or a series of trucks or friction rolls.
The said band or chain can be made to encircle the mandril completely, and can
also be readily adjusted to mandrils of different sizes.
The outer end of the aforesaid mandril is supported upon a roll which is mounted

page_text: upon a shaft. This shaft may simply revolve in its bearings by frictional contact
of the roll against the tubing, or it may be driven by any suitable connection with
the main shaft. One end of this roll shaft has its bearings upon a standard made
vertically adjustable.
This supporting standard is also made adjustable longitudinally on the mandril
by means of a slot in the bed of the machine and a set screw, to change its position
according to the mandril or the width of the blank used.
After the two edges of the blank have interlocked the seam is to be set down by
means of a seaming roll located at the rear of the roll frame and directly over the
mandril, and to facilitate the closing of the joint when a thin sheet metal is used
and an interlocking joint is being made a tucker and grooved shoe may be used.
The tucker is a pivoted lever, and should be set to force the folds of the seam firmly
against each other, and should be held up to its work by a spring.
Instead of the tucker a simple groove might be employed, made somewhat inclined
and a little wider on the side where the seam enters it than on the side where it
leaves. In some instances both the tucker and the shaping groove in the shoe piece
may be dispensed with.
It will be observed that the seaming and the finishing roll operate by clamping
the tubing against the mandril to draw the work through the machine, and to this
end the surface movement of these rolls and of the mandril should be faster than
that of the rolls in the roll frame. It will thus be seen that the main function of
the first set of rolls in the guide frame so far as regards the feeding of the work is
limited practically to the first starting of the blank into the machine. By setting
the finishing roll so that instead of running exactly with the seam it will run
obliquely it can be made to aid materially in drawing the tubing from the mandril.
As the seaming roll which is driven from the main shaft must be capable of
occupying different positions with the various changes of the roll frame, it is con-
nected with the driving shaft by means of automatically adjustable or sliding con-
nections, and the same is the case with the driven set of beading and flanging rolls.
These self-adjusting connections consist of two sliding brackets and mitre gear
wheels and worm wheels. One bracket and gear wheel slides freely upon the
main shaft, while the other bracket and its gear wheel slide in a similar manner on
the countershaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
May 1877.
.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING
METAL TUBES." A communication from abroad by John Benjamin Root, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America.
The machinery to which this Invention relates is designed for the manufacture of
metal pipes or tubes in which the seam formed by the joining of the edges of the
skelp or blank assumes a spiral form; this mode of construction not only gives great
strength and stiffness to the pipes or tubes, thus permitting a much lighter gauge of
metal to be used than would be possible where the longitudinal seam is adopted,
but also greatly facilitates and thus cheapens the manufacture of the said pipes or
tubes.
The machinery herein-after described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing is capable of shaping up into tubular form a blank of any desired width
and making tubes of any desired diameter. It will also produce tubing of any
required length, the length of the finished article being determined by that of the
blank fed into the machine, and this blank may be formed by locking or rivetting
or otherwise fastening one plate or sheet of metal to another to an indefinite extent.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a plan of a machine constructed
according to the said Invention.
Figure 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section on the line x, x,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the roll frame, along the axis of the
first set of beading and flanging rolls.
Figure 4 shows a plan and transverse section of a blank of sheet metal whose
edges have been prepared for forming an interlocking seam by passing through the
rolls of the roll frame.
Figure 5 shows a transverse section of a sheet metal blank shaped for forming a
lap joint; also a transverse section of a pipe formed from such blank.
Figure 6 shows a plan and transverse section of a blank of heavier metal prepared
for forming a different kind of lock joint.
Figure 7 is a plan of a travelling belt or chain for guiding the blank around the
mandrel Figure 8 is an elevation of the same.
Figure 9 shows in plan and elevation a series of friction trucks adapted to form
the guide chain around the mandrel.
.
Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a tucker and grooved shoe, by means of which
the folds of the interlocking seam are prepared for the action of the seaming roll;
and Figure 11 shows sliding brackets and mitre wheels that form the self-adjusting
connection between the roll frame and the main shaft.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Drawings.
The said machine embodies the following improvements which constitute my
Invention, namely
-
...
First. The pivoted and adjustable guide or roll frame, by means of which the
blank is supported and guided in its passage to and entry upon the mandrel, and
which if occasion requires is to be provided with suitable beading and flanging rolls
for giving the edges of the blank the proper shape for producing the desired form of
interlocking and overlapping seam.
Second. The revolving mandrel and its accessories upon and by means of which
the blank is wound spirally into a tubular form.
Third. The finishing rolls and connected appliances, by means of which after
the blank has been brought into the tubular form the seam is closed and finished.
Fourth. The combination of these improvements in the said Invention as shown
in the Drawings and as herein-after set forth.
A, A¹, represents a guide or roll frame provided with a series of beading and
flanging rolls specially designed for shaping a plain sheet metal blank into the form
shown in Figure 4.
B, B, C, C, and D, D¹, are three sets of ribbed and grooved rolls, by means of
which one edge of the blank is brought into the beaded form, the edge of the blank
passing between the ribbed and the grooved roll of each set, and the rib and grooves
of each succeeding set of rolls being made somewhat sharper than in that imme-
diately preceding, so that the change of form will be effected gradually.
E, E, are the flanging rolls by means of which the other edge of the blank is
turned up into a flange; these flanging rolls are preferably placed upon the same
shafts as the first set of beading rolls. With a view to assist the feed of the blank the
first set of rolls may be connected by worm wheels, mitre gears, or otherwise with
the driving shaft, and the number of sets of beading rolls used in any given
machine will depend upon the form to be given to the edge of the blank and upon
the character of the metal employed.
To compensate for any inequality in the thickness of the blank, particularly for
the seam produced by locking the edges of two sheets of metal together, in
extending the blank lengthwise, the bearing of the upper roll of each set should be
made adjustable by means of springs as shown at a, a, Figure 2; and a similar
adjustability should be given to the seaming roll herein-after described.
Suitable lugs, as shown at b, b', Figure 1, are provided on the interior faces of the

page_text: roll frame for supporting the blank, and for the purpose or partially turning over
the flange formed upon the one edge of the blank by the flanging roll, a guide may
be attached to the inner face of the frame behind the flanging rolls, the groove in
such guide being for this purpose made somewhat inclined on its face. This guide
may by means of a set screw c working in a slot be made adjustable to and from
the mandrel, so as to be kept always in proper working relation to the mandrel in
the different positions which the roll frame may be made to assume.
Instead of using beading and flanging rolls of the forms shown in the Drawings,
which would reduce the blanks to the shape shown in Figure 4, any other forms
may be used according to the requirements of the special style of joint which it is
desired to make.
Figure 5 shows a lap joint which may be produced by rolls of a very simple
character.
In Figure 6 I have shown another form of the edges and one which is specially
adapted to heavy metal. These edges may be brought into this form by proper
reducing rolls or milling tools before the blank is fed into the rolls of the guide
frame, in which event these rolls may be made perfectly plain; or these rolls
may be formed into milling tools and thus be made to shape the edges of a
skelp of heavy metal upon the same machine that winds the skelp up into tubular
form.
To accomodate the roll frame to blanks of different widths, the side A¹ is made
adjustable towards and from the side A by means of the slotted arms F and G,
which are properly gibbed to the opposite sides of the frame, the required adjust-
ment in any given case being secured by means of set screws d and e working in
the slots in these connecting arms or in any other available way. Any lateral
adjustment of the operative width of this roll frame necessitates a corresponding
adjustment upon their shafts of the flanging rolls (when flanging rolls are used),
which adjustment may be effected in the ordinary manner.
The guide or roll frame must always be placed at such an angle to the mandrel
that the advanced edge of the blank, after making one turn around the mandrel, will
properly interlock or connect with the other edge of the blank, where it just
passing from the guide frame and on to the mandrel. Therefore whenever with a
mandrel of a given diameter a change is made in the width of the blank, a corres-
ponding change must be made in the angle at which the blank feeds upon the
mandrel; and the same necessity will be found to exist whenever with a blank of
given width the diameter of the mandrel is changed. This necessity is provided for
by pivoting the guide or roll frame to the bed of the machine as at H, thereby per-
mitting the frame to be brought to any desired angle to the mandrel. The frame
can be held in proper position when once adjusted by means of set screws, bolts, or
any of the usual appliances adapted therefor; or by means of a tangent screw
located at the front of the machine, which also constitutes a very ready and accurate
means of effecting the angular adjustment of the frame.
It will be understood that when the guide frame has been properly adjusted for
the working of a blank of any given width, and the making of tubing of any given
size, it is to remain stationary until a readjustment is required for a blank or a tube
of different width or diameter.
By providing a slot in the bed of the machine for receiving the bolt H, which is
the pivot of the roll frame, this frame may be moved bodily to the right or left along
the line of the mandrel as circumstances may require. This slot is shown in dotted
lines in Figure 1.
The mandrel I is placed at the tail of the roll frame, and is caused to revolve by
a belt and pulley, as shown in the Drawings, or by any suitable connection with the
main shaft. It has its bearing in a collar J which is gibbed to the fixed support K,
and can be adjusted at any desired height upon such support by means of the slot
and set screw L, or by means of an elevating screw and nut. The object in thus
making this mandrel bearing vertically adjustable is to permit of the use of mandrels
of different diameters according to the size of pipe which it is desired to make

page_text: which calls for a lowering or raising of the bearing with each change of the
mandrel in order that the upper face of the mandrel may always occupy the proper
position relatively to the delivery end of the guide frame.
The mandrel may be provided with a spiral guide M for giving direction to the
blank after it leaves the roll frame. This spiral guide is made detachable, as it
must be changed with each change of mandrel. It is attached to the collar which
forms the mandrel bearing by means of a slotted arm and set screws; this enables
the guide always to be accurately adjusted to the edge of the metal as it leaves the
delivery end of the roll frame. The face of this spiral guide may be made plain, as
shown in the Drawings, or it may be provided with friction rolls to facilitate the
movement of the blank.
The mandrel is also provided with a metal band or strap N passing spirally
around it for causing the blank to "hug" the mandrel and wind upon it. It may
be either stationary, as shown in Figure 1, or arranged to travel like a belt, as shewn
in Figures. 7 and 8, and it may be a plain band or chain or a series of trucks or
friction rolls, as shown in Figure 9. When the travelling band or chain is used
without friction rolls it should be driven by some suitable connection with the
main shaft, in which case it not only serves as a guide, but also by closely embracing
the tubing aids in drawing the work through the machine.
The aforesaid guide band or chain differs materially from the curved plate guide
sometimes used for kindred purposes, in that the said band or chain can be made to
encircle the mandrel completely, and can also be readily adjusted to mandrels of
different sizes.
The outer end of the mandrel is supported upon a roll O which is mounted upon
a shaft P. This shaft may simply revolve in its bearings by frictional contact of
the roll O against the tubing, or it may be driven by any suitable connection with
the main shaft. One end of this roll shaft has its bearings upon the standard R,
and this standard is made vertically adjustable by means of screw and nut or
otherwise, in order that its height may be varied according to the diameter of the
particular mandrel used.
This supporting standard is also made adjustable longitudinally of the mandrel
by means of a slot in the bed of the machine and a set screw; the object of this
lateral adjustment of the standard being to change its position according to the
requirement of the special mandrel or the special width of blank used so that the
roll O will always be directly under the seam, which will cause the roll to act as a
finishing tool for the more completely closing the joint or seam. This vertical and
lateral adjustability of the roll O and its supporting standard R calls for a corres-
ponding adjustability in the shaft P, which may be effected in any of the usual
modes.
After the two edges of the blank have interlocked, as above described, the seam
is to be set down by means of a seaming roll S, which is located at the rear of the
roll frame and directly over the mandrel; and to facilitate the closing of the joint,
when thin sheet metal is used and an interlocking joint is being made, a tucker m and
grooved shoe n may be employed, an enlarged view of these devices being shown
in Figure 10, which also shows their action on the partially formed seam.
tucker is a pivoted lever, and should be so set in any given case as to "crowd" the
folds of the seam firmly against each other, and preferably it should be held up
to its work by means of a spring which will permit it to yield slightly to any
irregularity in the thickness of the seam.
The
Instead of the said tucker a simple groove might be employed, but it should be made
somewhat inclined like that shown in the Drawings, and should be slightly wider
on the side where the seam enters it than on the side where it leaves the said
groove. When a simple lap joint is being formed or a tube is being made from a
skelp like that shown in Figure 6, both the tucker and the shaping groove in the
shoe piece may be dispensed with.
After the seam has passed under the action of the tucker and shoe, and of the
seaming roll, it is acted on by the roll O, which is thus made to serve as a finishing

page_text: roll, but this particular function of the roll O, while serviceable, is by no means
indispensable.
It will be observed that the seaming and the finishing roll operate by clamping
the tubing against the mandrel to draw the work through the machine; for this
purpose the surface movement of these rolls, and of the mandrel should be faster
than that of the rolls in the roll frame, otherwise the metal will be forced forward
too rapidly, and will buckle up or crimple. It will thus be seen that the main
function of the first set of rolls in the guide frame, so far as regards the feeding of
the work, is limited practically to the first starting of the blank into the machine.
By so setting the finishing roll O that instead of running exactly with the seam it
will run obliquely or at an angle to the same, it can be made to aid materially in
drawing the tubing from the mandrel.
The two
As the seaming roll, which is driven from the main shaft, must be capable of
occupying different positions with the various changes of the roll frame, it is con-
nected with the driving shaft by means of automatically adjustable or sliding
connections, and the same is the case with the driven set of beading and flanging
rolls. These self-adjusting connections consist of the two sliding brackets T and V,
the mitre gear wheels r, r, and 8, 8¹, and the worm wheels t and u.
brackets are swivelled together by a shaft, upon which the mitre wheels 7 and 8
are keyed, the faces of the brackets where they are in contact being also rebated
together. The bracket T slides freely upon the main shaft W, the gear wheel r
being so feathered to the shaft as to move freely with the bracket, while the bracket
V, and its gear wheel s¹, slide in a similar manner on the countershaft x*. The
bracket V is partly supported by a bearing upon the extended arm of the side A³ of
the roll frame, whereby it acquires greater steadiness. The worm wheelst and u are
constructed to slide upon their shafts as required by the different adjustments
of the roll frame. Ordinary mitre or bevel gear wheels may be used instead of the
worms and worm wheels shown in the Drawings.
The chief advantage in these self-adjusting connections between the guide or roll
frame and the main shaft lies in the fact that they permit of an adjustment of this
frame while the machine is running. This adjustment sometimes becomes exceed-
ingly necessary to relieve the binding of the work when it is found to be "crowding
or running too tight, which is specially liable to occur when first starting a new
piece of work upon the machine.
"
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim the improvements in machinery for making metal tubes, as above
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.