IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR TUBES
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Samson Fox, of the Leeds Forge, New Wortley, Leeds, in
the County of York, Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR TUBES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samson Fox at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1881.
SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge, New Wortley, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR
TUBES."
In making pipes or tubes to be used as boiler flues, boiler shells, and for other
purposes requiring pipes or tubes of larger diameter than can be drawn by the well
known tube drawing process, it is usual to employ strips or plates of metal bent
into a tube like form by suitable machinery, which brings the two edges of the
strip or plate into juxta-position, after which these edges are welded together thus
forming a tube. But as is well known, the welded joints of tubes so made are
much weaker than the rolled plates of which the tubes are formed. Now my
Invention is designed to produce from a plate bent, as above referred to, a pipe
or tube that shall be as nearly as may be homogeneous, and in the manufacture
of a pipe or tube according to my Invention I proceed as follows:-
Having bent a metallic plate into the form of a pipe or tube, I enclose it by
coating in a covering or casing of refractory material (it may be plumbago or
ganister), or I form a box or crucible of refractory material of such size inside
that the bent plate will just fit in it. I place the bent plate with its covering
on a suitably shaped piece of refractory material, forming a bottom for the
covering or crucible and bent plate to rest on. Inside of the bent plate I provide
a wall or annular covering which also rests on the bottom above mentioned, and
at top I provide a cover also of refractory material and perforated with test boles.
Thus the bent plate is completely enclosed in refractory material, and it is then
with its refractory covering placed within a chamber of a melting furnace, having
holes through its roof corresponding to those through the lid of the casing,
Price 671

page_text: whereby I am able to ascertain with a small rod when the bent plate within the
refractory cover or casing has melted. By thus melting the bent plate and after-
wards allowing it to cool, I am able whilst dispensing with the ordinary process
of welding, and also with the casting or pouring of molten metal to produce
practically homogenous tubes of considerable length and diameter.
Instead of bending the plate untill two of its edges meet, as above described,
solid tubes may be produced, according to my Invention, by treating as I have
described bars or strips of metal that have been coiled on a mandril into the form
of a tube, or parings of metal may be packed within the annular space of the
casing to produce practically homogeneous pipes or tubes by heating, as described.
In each case the general principle of my process is to dispense with casting,
pouring, or joint welding. On the metal contained in the refractory casings
becoming melted, the casings are drawn from the furnace by introducing a suitable
peal or flat ended lever under their bottom, and are placed in another furnace
wherein a lower temperature prevails to cool down. When cool enough the casings
are broken off, leaving the solid tube as the result.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samson Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th October
1881.
SAMSON Fox, of the Leeds Forge, New Wortley, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL PIPES OR
TUBES."
In making pipes or tubes to be used as boiler flues, boiler shells, and for other
purposes requiring pipes or tubes of larger diameter than can be drawn by the well
known tube drawing process, it is usual to employ strips or plates of metal bent
into a tube-like form by suitable machinery, which brings the two edges of the
strip or plate into juxtaposition, after which these edges are welded together, thus
forming a tube. But as is well known, the welded joints of tubes so made are
much weaker than the rolled plates of which the tubes are formed.
Now my Invention is designed to produce from a plate bent, as above referred
to, a pipe or tube that shall be as nearly as may be homogeneous, and in the
manufacture of a pipe or tube, according to my Invention, I proceed as follows:-
Having bent a metallic plate into the form of a pipe or tube, I enclose it by
coating in a covering or casing of refractory material (it may be plumbago or
ganister); or I form a box or crucible of refractory material of such size inside that
the bent plate will just fit in it. I place the bent plate with its covering on a
suitably shaped piece of refractory material, forming a bottom for the covering or
crucible and bent plate to rest on. Inside of the bent plate I provide a wall or
annular covering which also rests on the bottom above mentioned, and at the top
I provide a cover also of refractory material and perforated with test holes. Thus
the bent plate is completely enclosed in refractory material, and it is then with its
refractory covering placed within a chamber of a melting furnace, having holes
through its roof corresponding to those through the lid of the covering, whereby
I am able to ascertain with a small rod when the bent plate within the refractory
cover or casing has melted. By thus melting the bent plate and afterwards allowing
it to cool, I am able whilst dispensing with the ordinary process of welding, and
also with the casting or pouring of molten metal to produce practically homo-
geneous tubes of considerable length and diameter. Instead of bending the plate
until two of its edges meet, as above described, solid tubes may be produced,
according to my Invention, by treating as I have described bars or strips of metal
that have been coiled on a mandrel into the form of a tube; or parings of metal
may be packed within the annular space of the casing to produce practically
homogeneous pipes or tubes by heating, as described. In each case the general
principle of my process is to dispense with casting, pouring, or joint welding in the
ordinary way. On the metal contained in the refractory casings becoming melted,
the casings are drawn from the furnace by introducing a suitable peal or flat ended
lever under their bottom, or by any other suitable means, and are placed in another
furnace wherein a lower temperature prevails to cool down, or the tube with its
refractory casing may remain in the melting furnace, the temperature of which may
be lowered until the tube and its casing be sufficiently cooled for removal.
cool enough the casings are broken off, leaving the solid tube as the result.
And in order that the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practical effect, may be properly understood, I hereunto
append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to. Fig. 1 is a
plan, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of a sheet or plate of metal A bent to the tubular,
form with the edges B, B, abutting upon each other; Figs. 3 and 4 shew the said
tube A in plan and elevation encased in refractory material; the base C is the part
When

page_text: upon which the tube rests; D, D, is the outer wall of said refractory material;
E, the inner wall; and F is the lid or cover, one half of which is removed in
Fig. 3, shewing the tube in full line between the inner and outer walls; G are the
trial or test holes in the lid or cover F, through which, by means of a rod, it can
be ascertained when the tube A is in a state of fusion; this is attained by placing
the tube with the refractory casing in a suitable furnace for the purpose, the roof
of the furnace being provided with openings corresponding to those in the lid or
cover F for the insertion of the testing rod. Figs. 5 and 6 shew in plan and
elevation bars or strips of metal H, H, coiled and built up into the form of a tube ;
this is also brought to a state of fusion by being encased in refractary material
C, D, E, F, as previously described and treated, as in the case of Figs. 3 and 4.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent in plan and elevation a similar casing of refractory
material C, D, E, F; the annular space between the inner and outer walls is filled
with parings or other small pieces of metal I, and afterwards subjected to the same
treatment as described with regard to Figs. 3 and 4 and to Figs. 5 and 6
respectively; and when the metal is melted it thus forms an entirely weldless
tube. The refractory material is, as previously described, removed after the whole
has been allowed to cool sufficiently for that purpose.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which
it is to be or may be carried into practical effect, I would have it understood that
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me
under the Letters Patent herein before in part recited is,―
1st. The method of making tubes by bending plates of metal to a tubular form,
completely surrounding the same with refractory material, and then subjecting
them to an intense heat until the whole of the metal is brought to a state of fusion,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2nd. The method of making tubes by coiling bars or strips of metal on a mandrel,
surrounding the same with refractory material, and subjecting the whole to an
intense heat until the said bars or strips of metal are fused together in the required
tubular form, substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
3rd. The method of making tubes by filling an annular space formed in refractory
material, with metallic parings or other small pieces of metal, and subjecting the
whole to an intense heat, until the enclosed metal is fused together in the
form of a compact metallic tube, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samson Fox, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.