US1117686A - Machine for forming spiral tubing. - Google Patents

Description

A. MQMURTRIE.- MACHINE PoR romania SPIBAL TUBING.

v APPLwATIox rum) 011121.11110. 1 1 1 7,686. f Patented Nov,.17, 1914 h, 'p1/5 fg Figa. y

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE,

Annan M'cMURTEIE. or NEW YORK, N. Y.. A-ssIGNon To THOMAS & BETTs COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR FCJRWI'IZEI'G SPIRAL TUBING.

v Specification of Letters latent.

Patented'Nov. 17., 1914.

` Application led October 1, 1910. Serial No. 584,925.,y

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADNAH MoMUnTmE, of New York, N. Y., have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Forming Spi forming spiral tubing, and is of particularA utility when employed in apparatus for manufacture of the helically coiled metal strip used as a rotective armor sheath for insulated electrical conductors, although I contemplate the use of my improvements in any field to which they are adaptedby their nature. f

An important Object of my invention 1s to provide apparatusior, a more gradualhelical deformation of the somewhat resilient metal strip of which such sheaths a e usually formed, than has been custo ary in coiling such articles heretofore, and accordingly I contemplate the treatmentbf the strip by forming the convoliitions primarily of greater diameter than that of the finished tube, and thereafter reducing vgradually but steadily, withoutlundue prolongation ofthe treatment, the diameter of the convolutions to the desired size. l

Another important object `of my invention is to accomplish in a unitary operation with the aforesaid helical shaping' of the tube, the lateral deformation o f the'stri along the axis of the helix, which is ordinarily accomplished by treatment of the l strip in @separate machine preliminary to the ccilingoperatio'n, in order to impart to y .the strip the lateral curvature which has` usually constituted the' preparation ofthe strip for its helical formation. My invention utilizes a straight strip instead of a laterally curved strip, in the helix coiling machine.

Armor strips vat the present time are of rsubstantial width and thickness -owing to the requirements of the tire underwriters and building authoritiespand the exigencies of modern building, which make it necesthat the armor shall. so far as possible `'be capable of resisting puncture by nails Sary and other destructive agencies, and such a substantial armor strip is difficult to deform laterally, especially when the strip is" of a more or less acutely bent cross 4section for purposes of causing interlockingof the convolutions in their helical form, these difficulties militating strongly against a ready Y reduction of the strip to final spiral form during the formation of the first convolution, as has been the practice heretofore in the manufacture of such armor sheaths.

Any suitable device may be adopted to carry my invention into effect, and as the preferred form of such device I may employ an apparatus comprising rolls presenting working surfaces for en agement with `the strip at an angle to the a "s ofthe helix of its formation, the angular relation being secured as desired and found suitable in various situations, as for example, by using substantially straight rolls set atan angle to the axis of the helix, and farther away from said axis at the initial point of convolution, or point of entrance of the strip, than at the region'of exit of the finished article.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out in claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view'in front elevation of the preferred form of apparatus for carrying my invention into effect, and in the'construction of which my improvements have been embodied; Fig. 2 is a conventional section taken on the line azz-m of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 2, showing in vertical longitudinal section a modified form of roll 'for usein my improved machine; While Fig. ,4 is. a sectional view of a suitable strip for treatment. Y l

In the embodiment ofmy invention selected for illustration and description to permit a ready and complete understanding ofthe preferred manner -in Awhich my invention may be carried into effect, the part designated by the reference numeral 201 is av device for deforming'the strip 205 constituting the stock under treatment to form a .flexible metallic armor tube in the instance illusicc;

trated, andthe device itself may be of any oint of entry and 'at a suit-able distance rom the' helical axis, this distance being greater thar the radius of the completed sheath, iandtin* the instance illustratedthi's p urpOseis-served,

as desired and found suitable to the exigencies of the Work on hand; thus I have shown four rolls bearing the reference numerals 201, 202, 203 and204 respectively, each with an arbor 207 having its axis inclined to the common central axis of the machine, along which the helix is to be formed, and the face of the standard 208 is preferably constructed with its respective portions as right angles to the axes of the rolls.. I prefer also to provide the apparatus with means to drive these rolls positively, for which purpose I have shown the arbors 207 as extended beyond the bearing standard 209, and provided respectively with pinions 213, keyedl at 214 to their arbors respectively, and meshing with a gear 215 secured by key 216 upon av hollow shaft 217, also journaled in the Aframe kupright 209, this shaft being provided withsui'table means such as the gear 21S keyed theretoiat 219 to permittheshaft to be driven from a suitable source of power (not shown).

I have shown a bearing standard 221 bolted at 212 to the base 210 and affording a bearing for the hollow shaft 217, the face of the standard bein preferably dished in order that this stan ard may be utilized as a thrust bearing for the arbors 207.

lVhen it is desired to form the sheath 225 in place upon an insulated conductor such as that shown at 226, the latter maybe introduced to the sheath through the axial bore of the shaft 217, and the insulated conductor will preferably, but not necessarily, be rotated with the shaft 217 and sheath 225 during the formntionof the latter, but inasmuch as such insulated conductors are ordinarily of non-circular contour as illustrated, the sheath need not fit thereupon with greater closeness than will constitute an easy slip t, the conductor performing no specilic function in the formation of the convolutions of the sheath, as will be readily understood by reference to'Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The relatively vlarge distance between the rolls at their ends adjacent to the region of entrance of the strip 205, and the correspondingly legge diameter of the first convolution, vren ers its lateral deformation easy, so that I the helical lay is imparted with least resistalice onthe part of the strip owing to the elimination qf much `of the radial resistance to bending, and when the first convolution has been made the subsequent reduction of the diameter of the helix 1s accomplished ,by successive circumferential bending strains and by increasing lateral deformation.

In the preferred. -form of machine illus- .trated in Fig. 2, the hollow shaft terminates outside of' the region of operation of the rolls, but I may provide a mandrel of suitable length, and of any suitable construction and arrangement, as for example, by providingV the hollow shaft 217 with an .integral extension 277, whichmay be formed tapered as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified form of roll comprising a sleeve 301 secured by a key 306 upon an arbor 307.

I have shown in Fig. 4 in cross section one convenient form of strip 205 for use 1n the manufacture of helical sheaths, but I do of limit myself to any particular cross section of strip for this purpose.

In the operation of my improved apparatus, the rolls 201, 202,' 203, 201 being rotated by actuation of gears 213 through the medium of gear 215 upon the hollow shaft 217, which is driven by' the gear 218 actuated in turn from a suitable source of ower (not shown), 'act upon the strip 205 ed thereto in the usual manner from the side, and the strip being engaged with the initial convolution, say of the roll 202 in the lowerA left handv osition illustrated in Fig. 2, and therea r en aged with'a roove upon the roll 203 which is setsli htigy in advance of the position of the initia groove in roll 202, and similarly. when the strip 205 lpasses to grooves on the rolls 201 and 201 successively, the respectively advanced position of these grooves develops helical deformation of the i strip, and feedsit forward into engagement with successive grooves, which operate in turn to feed forward the helical tube thus formed, the rolls 'serving by their angular disposition to form said helix in progressively decreasing'convolutions.

I do not claim herein specifically certain features of constructionwhich form the subject matter of the claims in my cio-pending applications Serial Nos. 581,923; 584,924; 584,926 and 584,927.

Having illustrated and described my invention thus fully, and suitable means b which it may be carried into effect, I wis it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction and materials shown and described by way of example, nor do I limit myself in general otherwise than as set forth in the claims 'read in connection with this specification.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of thc United States of America is 1. Ceiling apparatus; comprising aset off rolls rotatable respectively about axes'ang;

constructed and arranged. 4to deform a strip helically, and approaching said axis in the direction of formation of said helix to form said helix in progressively decreasing com volutions.

2.1Coiling apparatus; comprising a set of rolls rotatable res ectively about axes angularly disposed re atively to a common central axis, said rolls havin forming-surfaces constructed and arrange to deform a strip helically, and approaching said axis in the direction cof formation of .said helix to form said helix in progressively* decreasing convolutions; and a hollow shaft coni'iected with and to actuate said rolls, and through which an insulated conductor may be led into the sheath constituted by said helix.

3. Coiling apparatus; vcomprung a setvof rolls' rotatable re actively about axes angularly disposed re atively to a common wie tral axis, said rolls having forming-surfaces constructed and arranged to helically, and approaching said axis in the direction of formation of said helix to form ysaid helix in 1progressively decreasing convoluti'ons; and a hollow shaft connected with fand to actuate said rolls,

and through which an insulated conductor may be led into the sheath constituted by said helix, having a tapered orepart to serve as a mandrel.

Signed at'New 'York in the county and State of New Yorkthis 26th day of September, 1910. 1

ADNAH MCMUR'IQRIE. Witnesses:

WM. H'. McCoRMrcx, ALEXANDER C; PROUDFIT.'

deiorm va strip said shaft

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