IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND OTHER METALLIC TUBES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Charles Stiff, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND OTHER
METALLIC TUBES."
Scaled the 1st September 1877, and dated the 29th June 1877.
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Charles Stiff at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1877.
WILLIAM CHARLES STIFF, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant
and Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND OTHER METALLIC TUBES."
In the machinery ordinarily used in the manufacture of steel and other metallic
tubes the drawing is effected either by means of hydraulic presses, or by chain draw-
benches, or by means of a rotating screw.
In machinery constructed according to my Invention the drawing is effected by
means of a screw, which screw is without rotatory motion, but has motion in the
line of its axis. The screw box, by the rotation of which the longitudinal motion
of the screw is effected, is fixed in the bush of a toothed wheel working between
strong supports at the middle of the machine.
A pinion fixed on an axis carrying at its end a driving pulley gears with the said
toothed wheel; motion being given from a steam engine or other prime mover to
the driving pulley by means of a band, the pinion described communicates rotatory
motion to the toothed wheel carrying the screw box, and by the rotation of the
said screw box the longitudinal motion of the screw is effected. The reversal
of the motion of the driving pulley causes the reversal of the motion of the
screw.
The improvements described are especially applicable to the manufacturo of steel
tubes, but may also be applied to the manufacture of other metallic tubes,
whether drawn on a mandril, or on a plug, or bulb.
My Invention consists further in adapting, in the manner herein-after described,
a series of troughs to the machinery herein-before described, or to other machinery
Price tid 1

page_text: for drawing metallic tubes. The said troughs are of such length and size, and arc
so situated that the tube under manufacture is during the whole time of the
drawing process contained within the said troughs. The said troughs in use are
filled with a solution of soap in water or other lubricant, in which lubricant the
tube under manufacture, together with the parts of the machinery immediately
concerned in the drawing process, are immersed. By effecting the drawing process
in the lubricant, not only is the drawing facilitated by the mechanical action of the
lubricant, but the said lubricant prevents any material elevation of temperature in
the tube during the drawing process, and the injurious action of the drawing pro-
cess, which ordinarily requires to be corrected by annealing, is thereby wholly or in
part prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Charles Stiff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
December 1877.
WILLIAM CHARLES STIFF, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant
and Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND OTHER METALLIC TUBES."
In the machinery ordinarily used in the manufacture of steel and other metallic
tubes, the drawing is effected either by means of hydraulic presses, or by chain
draw-benches, or by means of a rotating screw.
In machinery constructed according to my Invention the drawing is effected by
means of a screw, which screw is without rotatory motion, but has motion in the
line of its axis. The screw box, by the rotation of which the longitudinal motion
of the screw is effected, is fixed in the bush of a toothed wheel working between
strong supports at the middle of the machine.
A pinion fixed on an axis carrying at its end a driving pulley gears with the said
toothed wheel, motion being given from a steam engine or other prime mover to
the driving pulley by means of a band; the pinion described communicates rotatory
motion to the toothed wheel carrying the screw box, and by the rotation of the said
screw box the longitudinal motion of the screw is effected. The reversal of the
motion of the driving pulley causes the reversal of the motion of the screw.
The improvements described are especially applicable to the manufacture of steel
tubes, but may also be applied to the manufacture of other metallic tubes, whether
drawn on a mandril, or on a plug, or bulb.
My Invention consists further in adapting in the manner hereinafter-described a
series of troughs to the machinery herein-before described, or to other machinery
for drawing metallic tubes. The said troughs are of such length and size, and are
so situated that the tube under manufacture is during the whole time of the
drawing process contained within the said troughs. The said troughs in use are
filled with a solution of soap in water or other lubricant, in which lubricant the
tube under manufacture, together with the parts of the machinery immediately
concerned in the drawing process, are immersed. By effecting the drawing process

page_text: in the lubricant, not only is the drawing facilitated by the mechanical action of the
lubricant, but the said lubricant prevents any material elevation of temperature in
the tube during the drawing process, and the injurious action of the drawing
process, which ordinarily requires to be corrected by annealing, is thereby wholly or
in part prevented.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section machinery and apparatus for the
manufacture of steel and other metallic tubes, the said machinery and apparatus
being constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 2 represents the same in plan partly in section; Figure 3 represents a
vertical transverse section of the same taken on the line a Figure 1; and Figure 4
represents a vertical transverse section of the same taken on the line b, Figure 1.
The same parts are marked with the same letters in the various Figures; c is the
screw by the longitudinal motion of which the drawing of the tube is effected. The
said screw c is engaged with the screw box d, by the rotation of which screw box
the motion of the screw c in the line of its axis is effected. The said screw box d is
fixed in the bush e of the toothed wheelf. This toothed wheel f works between
the strong supports g, g, at the middle of the machine. The machine is double-
acting, that is, each end of the screw c is employed in effecting the drawing of a
tube, the motion of the screw in one direction effecting the drawing of a tube at
one sido of the screw box d, and the motion of the screw in the other direction
effecting the drawing of a tube on the other side of the screw box d. A slow
rotatory motion is given to the toothed wheel of and screw box d, by means of the
pinion. on the shaft, the said shaft being driven by the pinions h, k, on the
shaft, gearing with the pinions m, m, on the said shaft i. Motion is given to the
shaft by means of a band and pulley, or other gearing connecting it with a
steam engine or other prime mover.
The
The reversal of the motion of the driving pulley or other gearing reverses the
motion of the shaft and screw c. The screw c is supported at its ends by the sliding
supports n, n, keyed to the said screw. The way in which the supports n, n, engage
with flanges p, p, on the top of the trough q, will be understood by an examination
of Figure 3. The sliding supports n, n, prevent the rotation of the screw c.
cylindrical bar r, by which the drawing is immediately effected, is connected to the
screw at 8. The said bar is connected to a sliding support t; q, q, are troughs
made by preference of sheet iron. These troughs are of a length and size suitable
for holding the tube being drawn, and contain the tools and appliances immediately
concerned in the drawing process. As the drawing tools and appliances immediately
connected therewith are of the ordinary kind, and constitute no part of my
Invention, I do not consider it necessary to describe the same.
The troughs q, q, are filled, or nearly filled, with a solution of soap in water or
other liquid lubricant, as indicated in the section, Figure 4. The drawing operation
is conducted under the surface of the lubricating liquid in the troughs q, q, in which
liquid the tube and drawing tools are immersed. The said lubricant not only
facilitates the drawing operation, but prevents the tube being operated upon
attaining a temperature much above the boiling point of water, and the injurious
effect of the heat generated at that point of the tube where the drawing is being
effected is prevented.
In order to produce great uniformity in the temper or molecular condition of the
metal of the tube under treatment,, I prefer to warm the lubricating liquid in the
troughs q, q. This heating may be conveniently effected by means of steam pipes
fixed along the bottoms of the said troughs. By means of the said steam pipes the
lubricating liquid in the troughs may be kept at or near the temperature of boiling
water, and as the whole tube under operation partakes of this temperature, and the
part of the tube being operated upon cannot be heated above the boiling point of
the lubricating liquid, the strain or tension on the metal is reduced to a minimum,
and the drawing operation is performed under the most favourable circumstances.

page_text: The lubricating solution I ordinarily employ consists of water, in every gallon of
which about eight ounces of soft soap has been dissolved.
My Invention is especially applicable to the manufacture of steel tubes, but may
also be applied to the manufacture of tubes of other metals and alloys.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,
-
First. The improvements in machinery for the manufacture of steel and other
metallic tubes herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
that is to say, tube-drawing machinery, consisting essentially of a screw having a
longitudinal motion, but incapable of a rotatory motion, the longitudinal motion of
the said screw being effected by the rotation upon it of a screw box fixed in the
bush of a toothed wheel driven by toothed or other convenient gearing, the drawing
being effected by connecting the drawbar with the said screw substantially as
described and illustrated.
Secondly. The apparatus herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing to be used in the manufacture of steel and other metallic tubes,
that is to say, adapting to tube-drawing machinery of the kind herein-before
described, or other tube-drawing machinery, troughs or vessels containing a liquid
lubricant, by preference heated, in the lubricant in which troughs the tube in
course of being drawn, and the parts immediately concerned in the drawing
operation, are immersed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Charles Stiff, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM WILSON,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM CHARLES STIFF. (L.S.)