Improvements in the Process of Manufacturing Tubes and in the Machinery for the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
Improvements in the Process of Manufacturing Tubes and in the
Machinery for the same.
I, DAVID MUCKLEY of 1 Brunswick Park Road, Wednesbury, in the County
of Stafford, Fitter do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object: improvements in the process of manufacturing
tubes & in the machinery for the same which enables me to economise the metal
used in the same besides reducing the labour and number of machines used
therefor.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto two double sized sheets of drawings
showing those parts of the process affected by my process and examples of the
machinery I use therein from which it will be easy to adapt the same to other
conditions and circumstances.
Figure 1., is a side elevation of a draw bench or table D and furnace A showing
a tube T in the process of manufacture according to one modification of my
invention.
Figure 2., is a plan of the same machine with the tube T and the tongs removed
therefrom so that the parts of the machinery are more clearly seen.
Figure 3., is a front elevation of my rolls B as set upon the draw bench D showing
the operating mechanism more clearly.
Figure 4., is a front part sectional elevation of the rolls 13 enlarged so as
to show the details of the plan I adopt for taking up the wear at the ends
of the rolls.
Figure 5., shows a housing and set of vertical rolls which form a modification of
my machinery before mentioned in the process of making tubes and which I will
presently more thoroughly explain.
In the manufacture of lap welded tubes according to the present mode of
manufacture the two edges of the plates or strips of metal are bevilled upon a
bevilling table or what is the equivalent of a planing machine and this forms a
distinct & separate part of the process of making tubes. I avoid the necessity of so
bevilling the edges by a cutting tool & save the metal that would thus be cut away.
That is to say by my mode I make a 12 inch strip equal to say 124 inch strip or on
the other hand I may economise this metal in adding to the length of the strip thus
effecting a considerable per centage of saving in the metal as well as the time taken
up by the separate machine for bevilling the strips. This I effect in the following
manner :-
Instead of planing the ends of the strip of metal from which the tube is to be
made I place at the front of the furnace A a pair of rolls B which are mounted in
suitable housings or frames which receives the strip of metal T as it is drawn out of
the furnace & rolls the edge into the necessary bevil to produce the lap weld.
These rolls may have both the bevils on one side by one of the rolls being plain or
a bevil on the reverse edges of the plate by the upper roll bevilling one edge & the
lower roll beviling the other & thus any width plate could be rolled without
changing the rolls. These rolls are seen more clearly at Figures 2, 3, & 4, when
the housings N are seen in which the rolls B and B are set. When the rolls have
taken hold upon the hot strip T & carried it through them a short distance into the
usual matrix or "skelp die" E until the point issues a short distance as seen at
Figure 1 the draw tongs K are affixed to the end of the "skelp" by a boy as there
shewn & the tongs attached to the usual draw chain C by the usual grip k when

page_text: the strip is drawn into a complete "skelp" ready to be placed in the welding
furnaces for heating previous to being welded which latter part of the process is
carried out in the usual manner until the tube is finished. When the strip has
issued from the furnace to about the distance as seen at Figure 1 it is necessary to
stop its travel while the tongs K are affixed which is accomplished by an attendant
turning the handle M & through the bevil gear m², m², m³, m³ & m³ as will be well
understood lift the screws which hold down the top roll B in the housings & so
allows the springs S on their spring plate at each end to lift the top roll so that
the bite is removed from the strip T and the travel stopped for the moment.
Immediately the tongs K are affixed the handle M is reversed & the roll B
lowered when the bite of the rolls upon the strip T is removed & simultaneously the
heel of the tongs K is dropped into the draw chain C & the travel re-commences
until the strip T has passed through the rolls, & matrix or "skelp die "E when
the skelp is completed. The screw pin P passing through the block p² and screw
nut p allows the bearing X to be set up against the end of the rolls B so that when
one pair of the rolls are used for several widths of the strips the loose collars or
washers which form the ends of the rolls may be kept up to their work and no
movement occur. In fact this pressure is needed in both solid and compound rolls
as the tendency of beviling is to drive the enlargement away and this would be the
case in solid rolls when the bend was both top and bottom of the plates as seen at
Figure 6, but in the case of plates such as is shown by Figure 7, which is the usual
mode this tendency would in solid rolls be equalized. One mode of making the
rolls answer for several widths of plates is shewn by Figure 8 where B is the roll
&&are rings of steel or other suitable metal of which there may be any
variety for suiting the various diameter tubes to be made. The steel collar or
collars locks the rings in position as they may be fastened by screws as will be
well understood.
Instead of using the matrix or "skelp die "E I may use the vertical rolls R as
seen at Figure 5 which would make the action of bevilling the plate T and of
turning it into the skelp a continuous one & the draw chain would not be needed.
These rolls R & R₁ may be set in the housing V near to the rolls B and one or
both may be driven by suitable gear. The skelp is formed in the groove
portion allows one edge of the skelp to be above the other ready for welding.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is: :-
and
The improvements in process of manufacturing tubes and in the machinery for
the same; substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and as shewn upon.
the drawings.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891.
GEORGE BARKER,.
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.