Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Internally Ribbed Metal Tubes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Internally Ribbed
Metal Tubes.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by La Compagnie Française des Metaux
of 10 Rue Volney, Paris, in the Republic of France) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery for manufacturing drawn steel or metal
tubes without weld the improvements consisting more particularly in means herein-
after described for forming in the interior of such tubes continuous projecting ribs
or webs extending either in the direction of the generating line of the tube or
arranged at an angle to such line so as to form a helix.
A machine according to this invention is constructed with three or more rolls set
at an angle or skewed relatively to the axis of the tube and a mandril formed with
grooves or recesses corresponding to the projecting ribs or webs to be formed in the
interior of the tube. The rolls when three are employed are arranged around the
mandril so as to act on the exterior of the tube at three points and their axes are
inclined to or form an angle with the plane passing through or cutting the centres
of the rolls. This angle or skew is for the purpose of enabling the rolls to draw
the tube over the mandril and at the same time to diminish the circular rolling action
which would otherwise simply have the effect of increasing the diameter of the
tube. The amount of skew or angle must be so regulated that the compression or
upsetting of the heated metal may be performed without increasing the diameter of
the tube may advance automatically upon the mandril. The rolled metal is thus
forced into the grooves or recesses in the mandril and forms the ribs or webs on the
interior of the tube.
The mandril is capable of rotating on its axis but is incapable of movement in
the longitudinal or axial direction. Each roll has rotary motion imparted to it
from a shaft divided transversely being composed of three lengths for example
connected together at their extremities by sleeves fitted with sufficient play to form
a species of universal joint the lengths of shafting being of angular form in
transverse section at the part where they enter the sleeves.
These shafts are driven by pinions gearing with an internally toothed driving
wheel rotating on rings or bearings made of large diameter in order that the
central part of the wheel may be left clear for the passage of the pinion shafts and
the mandril and tube.
The three rolls are so arranged as to be capable of adjustment towards or from
the centre in order to accommodate them to the different dimensions of the tubes in
which the ribs or webs are to be formed without altering their angle or skew.
This is provided for by attaching the bearings of the rolls to an annular frame or
support provided with sockets in which the bearings can slide so that they can be
adjusted radially and fixed at the required distance from the centre or axis of the
tube. The amount of angle or skew of the rolls is also capable of being adjusted
or regulated by rotating the bearings or supports of the rolls in their sockets and
fixing them in the required position by means of keys for example.
The number of passes or operations on the heated metal depends upon the height
or distance to which the ribs are required to project into the interior of the tube
and the drawing of the tube is continued in the same or in other or ordinary
machines without heating the metal.
Either straight or helical ribs or webs can be produced by suitably regulating

page_text: the form and angle of the grooves in the mandril combined with the angle or skew
of the rolls.
Dated this 5th day of March 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Internally Ribbed
Metal Tubes.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of No. 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by La Compagnie Française des Metaux
of 10 Rue Volney Paris in the Republic of France) and in what manner the same
is to the performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for manufacturing drawn
tubes of steel or other metal without weld the said tubes being provided internally
with ribs or webs extending either in the direction of the generating line of the
tube, or arranged at an angle to such line so as to form a helix.
j
With this object a combination of rollers or rolls is employed the said rolls being
set at an angle or skewed relatively to the axis of the tube and provided with
means for adjusting or regulating their position relatively to the centre or mandril.
as hereinafter explained.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for, that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in longitudinal section an
example of a machine arranged according to this invention and constructed with
"three rolls, the section being taken through the axis of the mandril.
PAST T
Y
Figure 2 represents in front elevation partly in section the ring or frame support-
ing the bearings of the three rolls employed in manufacturing the tubes.
Figure 3 Fepresents the machine in plan the internally toothed gear wheel driving
the three pinions on the roller axes being removed.
1
This machine is constructed with three rolls a a a set at an angle or skewed
relatively to the axis of the tube as indicated in Figure 3 and a mandril 6 (Figure 1)
formed with grooves or recesses corresponding to the projecting ribs or webs to.
Be formed in the interior of the tube. The three rolls aa a are arranged con-
centrically relatively to the mandril 6 so as to act on the exterior of the tube
at three points and their axes are inclined to 'or form an angle with a vertical
plane passing through the centres of the rolls. This angle or skew is
'for the
purpose of enabling the rolls to draw the tube over the mandril and at the same
'time to diminish the circular rolling action which would otherwise simply have
the effect of increasing the diameter of the tube. The amount of skew or angle
must be so regulated that the compression or upsetting of the heated metal may be
performed without increasing the diameter of the tube and that the "tube may
advance automatically upon the mandril. The metal is thus forced into the grooves:
or recesses in the mandril and forms ribs or webs on the interior of the tube.
The mandril is capable of rotating on its axis but is incapable of movement in
the longitudinal of axial direction. The rolls a have rotary motion imparted to
them from shafts composed of three lengths 1, 2, 3 connected together by two
sleeves 4. 5 (Figure 1) fitted with sufficient play to allow of a certain amount
of lateral movement, the shafts 1, 2, 3 being of angular form in transverse
section and the sleeves 4, 5 being of corresponding form internally so as to
enable them to engage with and drive the said shafts. These shafts receive
F-
.

page_text: rotary motion from toothed gearing or pinions c gearing with an internally
toothed driving wheel or annular rack d (Figure 1) supported in a ring or
bearing 6 made of large diameter in order that the central part of the whee!
or rack may be left clear for the passage of the pinion shafts 3 and the mandril
and tube.
The three rolls a a a are so arranged as to be capable of adjustment towards
or from the mandril or centre (in accordance with the different dimensions of the
tubes in which the ribs or webs are to be formed) without altering their angle or
skew.
An example of a convenient arrangement which may be employed in order to
obtain this radial adjustment of the rolls a is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. According to this arrangement the lengths of shafting 1 carrying the
said rolls are supported in bearings attached to a cylindrical support e sliding
in a corresponding socket or recess in an annular frame f.
The outer extremity of the sliding support e of the bearings is provided with a
screw and nut e¹ and a series of rings or filling pieces r are placed between the end
of the cavity or recess in which the support e slides and a shoulder formed on the
said support. By varying the number of the said rings or by employing rings of
different thicknesses and manipulating the nut e¹ the rolls a can be readily adjusted
at the required distance from the centre or mandril b. The amount of angle or
skew of the rolls is also capable of being separately adjusted or regulated by rotating
the supports e of the rolls in the sockets or recesses in the frame and fixing them
in the required position by means of any suitable device such as the wedges or
keys represented in section at Figure 1 for example.
The number of passes or operations on the heated metal depends upon the height
or distance to which the ribs are required to project into the interior of the tube
and the drawing of the tube is preferably continued in the same or in other or
ordinary machines without heating the metal.
Either straight or helical ribs or webs can be produced by suitably regulating
the form and angle of the grooves in the mandril and the angle or skew of the
rolls a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Machinery for drawing tubes with internal ribs or webs in which the drawing
action is obtained by means of three or more rotary compressing rolls which roll
the metal and draw it over a central grooved mandril the said rolls actuated by
toothed gearing being provided with means for adjusting them radially or towards
or from the central mandril and at the required skew or angle relatively to the axis
of the tube substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements in
machinery for manufacturing internally ribbed metal tubes substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.