US1483985A

US1483985A - Method of making spiral coils

Info

Publication number: US1483985A
Application number: US467658A
Authority: US
Inventors: Price Joseph
Original assignee: Griscom Russell Co
Current assignee: Griscom Russell Co
Priority date: 1921-05-07
Filing date: 1921-05-07
Publication date: 1924-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1941-02-19

Description

Feb. 19, 1924.` J. PRICE METHOD 0F MAKING SPIRAL ooILs Filed May 7. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J; PRICE METHOD 0F MAKING SPIRAL cons Fs. 19, 1924.A

.Fileduay v; 1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 Fe.-Y '9,"'f9224.

v J.' PRICE METHOD QF MAKING SPIRAL coIL`s v 4 Sheets-sheet s Filed' May v. 1921 vwmttoz M, 12M, my( ,Wmaa

Feb. 19, 1924;'

J. PRICE METHOD OFIMA'KING SPIRAL COILS Filed' May 7. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @Mbembe/c MM -btommf l Wn Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITI-:n STATESAVPATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PRICE, 0F NEW l YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOTHE GEISCOM RUSSELL COMPANY,

0F NEW YOBK,'N. Y., A QORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

lannion or'maxma srInAL coms.

` Application filed lay 7,

To all whom 'it may concern: v

.Be it known that I, J osnrH PRICE a citif zen of the United States, residing at lo. 203l West 11th Street, in the city and county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Spiral Coils; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and ex'act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.-

The present invention relates to method and apparatus for forming spiral coils adapted vto be used in apparatusl for ex.- changing heat between fluids, particularly of coils of the general tyie disclosed in my co-pending app ication, filed February' 8, 1919. l

Heretofore coils of this type have been formed by winding ,av length of straight tubing into the desired spiral form, eginning at the center of the coil where the radius of the turns is small and winding on successive turns until a coil of the desired diameter is produced. In forming double coils the winding must be begun approximately at the middle of the tubin 'The portion from the middle to one en of the tubin -is wound into one fiat spiral coil and t e other half of the tubing into another lat coil in parallelism with the first., a sufficient length of tubing being left at the middle to constitutea continuous Huid passage from one of the flat coil elements to the other. Since successive turns of the spiral enclose preceding turns it is impossible to accomplish the winding of such a coil upon a spool or other type of form block, and the winding has heretofore been accomplished by hand.

It is lthe prin-cipal object of the present invention to provide a method for forming fiat spiral'coils of the above type which may be carried out/"conveniently and quickly and at low expense andv in which few hand operations are necessary. v

It -is also anv object of the vinvefntien to provide a method for formin' spiral coils 'which vmay be employed equal y well in the manufacture of double coil units in which the two elements are identical, those inwhich the twov elements arel reversely wound, as well 'as those'in which the corresponding turns of the two elements conerial No. 275,746,

1921. Seal No. 467,658.

stituting the coilunit are sta gered relative .to the axisof the coil, which two lat#l In said rawings, 'Fi re 1 is a plan View showing' the man rel of the machine and its operating v mechanism;

Fig. vv2. is a vertical section through the centerline of the mandrel;

Fig. 3 is an end View looking from the ri ht of Figs. 1 and 2and showing also the tu -support and guide;

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the movement of the tube guide during the ceiling of the tube;

referred embodi- Yment of ap aratus there or.

Fig. v6 is a detail view of a portion of thc tube guide; n

Fig. 7 is an elevational view showing the coiled tube immediately after it is removed vfrom the mandrel ;I i l Figs. 8 and 9 show in section and elevation, respectively, the completed coil:

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the modied form of mandrel for producing a different type of coil; Y

Fig. 11 is an elevational View showing the tube ready for coiling on the mandrel Shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view showin the modified coil as removed from the man rel; and

Figs. 13 and 14.- Show in section and elevation, respectively, the completed coil produced on the mandrel shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings,

1 indicates my vimproved mandrel which comprises two independent portions2 and 3 having the form of cone frustums with their smaller ends adjacent, thus lending the assembled mandrel a 'form similar to that of an hour-glass. The cooperating

portions

2 and 3 of the mandrel are attached to a v vvber 7 and which serves to support the shaft and mandrel for'rotation. The overhanging portion of the shaft is provided with a .worin gear 9 fixed to the shaft and serving to rotate the mandrel from a suitable power source, for instance, the individual electric motor 10 and clutch 11 shown in the drawings.

The opposite 'end of the shaft 5 extends through the hub of the mandrel portion 2- shaft'so that it may be readily removed.- For this purpose there is provided a hand,

wheel 14 having an attached threaded collar 15 adapted to engage with the threads 13 provided onl the end of the shaft 5. At the inner end of the threaded portion 15 is a ange 16 of diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the hub of the mandrel portion. Bv screwingl up the hand wheel 14 the mandrel portion y3 is firmly clamped between the fixed inner portion andthe fia-nge 16 yof the hand wheel. A plate 17 which is diametrically split for the purpose of assembly may be fitted over the portion 15 and secured to the mandrel portion 3 by means of `-screws 18. This plate is adapted to engage against the outer face of flange 16' so that the mandrel portion will be positively drawn away from the fixed mandrel portion by un`- screwing the hand wheel.

Thev outer mandrel portion 3 has a square counter-bore in its small end to tit over the end of the squared portion of the shaft which projectssomewhat beyond the small end of the mandrel art '2, thus assuring ythat the two parts of the mandrel will be fitted prop- Y erly togetherand will be held against rela tive movement while the machine is in operation. The faces of the mandrel portions 2 land'3 are provided with a groove 19 of form depending upon the particular type of coilv which it is desiredt'oproduce. For producing Spiral coils the groove begins near the upper edge of the mandrel portion 2 and proceeds in a spiral v'course down the man` drel, the radius of its turns decreasing as it approaches the center of the mandrel, and assumesessentially the shape of a conical iral. The face of the mandrel portion 3 is anexact complement of the portion 2, and

l when placed end to end ,with the portion 2 a groove is formed extending continuously along the mandrel from end to end. lf desired, a spiral track Aor series of brackets arranged in spiral form may be positioned upon the surface of themandrel forthe purpose of shaping the tubing into.' the desired form instead of employing a groove aslshown.

A clamping plate 20 is provided at the outer edge of the mandrel portion 2 for holding in place the end of the tubing which isbeing formed into a coil. The plate` is secured in place by means of a bolt 21 and nut messes 22. There is also provided at the outer edge of the mandrel'portion 3 a handle 23 rigidly attached to the mandrel by means of a screw 24. This handle is designed as a convenient means by which to properly position the mandrel before the tubing is secured in place, and to furnish means by which the outer mandrel portion may be unscrewed from the coiled tube for dislodging the tubing from the groove 19 after the coil has been wound, so that the mandrel port-ion 2 may be withdrawn. The free end of the mandrel may,` if desired, be supported in a fixed ring 40 provided With bearing rollers 41, to relieve the bearing 6 of the overhung load tending to depress the mandrel during the coiling of the tube.

For the purpose of properly forming the coil tubing 1 on the mandrel, an independent vertical supporting stand 25 carrying a ball joint 26 is provided opposite the middle section of the mandrel and at some distance therefrom. Plunger rod 27 is screwed at one end into the ball joint 26 and extends from this joint to the mandrel. Rod 27 serves as a supporting core for the length of tubing 1 which is being formed into a coil, the tubing being first slipped over the supporting rod and then drawn off by the rotation of the mandrel.

' The ball joint 26 lis mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical direction and is also free to rotate about its vertical axis, thus giving the working end of the plunger rod 27 freedom to move from end to end of the mandrel and also to follow the pitch of thevmandrel as the diameter of the turns varies. The ball joint is preferably placed at a level somewhat above that of the mandrel axis for the purpose of causing the end yof the plunger rod in following the surface of the mandrel to lie more nearly inI they vertical plane' passing through the axis of the mandrel than would be the case if the ball joint were supported at the same height as the mandrel shaft, in which case the end of plunger rod 27 would describe roughly an, arc'each time it traveled from one end ofthe mandrel to the other. A longitudinal passage is provided throughout the length of the plunger rod and serves to deliver acooling and lubricating fluid ito the tubing being formed. This Huid mav of handle 23. A straight length -of tubing l is then selected and slipped over the pluner rod 27. The end of the tubing adjacent t e mandrel is inserted beneath the clamp- 'as t e rotation proceeds. track on the mandrel face serves as a guide ing plate `and 4the nut 22/tightened to secure it firmly in place. The power source vis then .connected to the a paratus and the mandrel rotated at a re etermined s eed, the -length of tubing ing drawn o the plun er rod and wound upon the mandrel The grooved The chief purpose of the plunger rod is to prevent the tube collapsingat the point l where it begins to bend and for that reason it is essential that the end of the rod move as closely as possible in the vertical plane of the axis of the mandrel, which is accomplished, as described above, by su porting the outer end of the rod at t e proper distance above the axis of the mandrel. The relation of the rod to the mandrel is graphically illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 4, the len of the rod is such that when pivoted in line with the middle of the mandrel, that is von line a-a,the end of the rod due to its movement in a horizontal plane as indicated by arc aa will intersect the plane of the axis of the mandrel at the large ends of the mandrel. As shown in Fig. 5, the

height of the ball joint is so determined that the vertical movement of the end of the mandrel as indicated by arc b'- causes the end of the mandrel to lie in the vertical plane of theaxis of the mandrel at the point of its smallest diameter. As the movement of theend of the rod is both vertical and horizontal in followin the surface of the mandrel its end face hes substantially at all times in the plane of the mandrel axis.

The mandrel is kept in rotation until the entire groovel from the upper end of the mandrel portion 2 to the upper end of the mandrel portion 3, or any desired portion thereof, is filled, at which time the power is shut off and the apparatus brought to rest. The hand Wheel 14 is then turned to unclamp the mandrel sections and by means of the .plate 17 Vand iange 16 to shift the mandrel section 3 off the squared portion of the shaft 5. In this movement the part 2 will also be moved along thel shaft by the tube which is Wound around both mandrel parts, until the partl 3 is entirely off l the squared portion of the shaft 5. The

hand wheel. 14 will preferably be screwed completely olf the end of 'the shaft so that the mandrel part 3 may be turned manually about the reduced round portion of the shaft 5 by means of handle 23 in a direction opposite to that in which groove 19 converges toward the center of the mandrel to lthereby unscrew the mandrel section 3 from the coil tubing. When unscrewed sufliciently for the tubin to be clear of the spiral groove, the man rel ortion 3 may e completely removed. e

clamping plate 20 will then be unfastened to re ease theend of the .tube and thus ermit the coil tubing to be unscrewed an removed from the mandrel section 2.v The mandrel is now reassembled by returning the portion 2 in place on its shaft 5 in proper relation with the part 3 and screwing up the hand wheel 14, after which another' coil may be formed. p

The character of the coiled tubing as it comes from the mandrel is illustrated in Fig. .7. The free ends 30 and 31 are at the outer extremities of the vconical portions and occur on the turns of lar est diameter. To form a double fiat spiral coll, each of the conical portions of the coil as it comes froln the mandrel is pressed into a flat coil by any convenient means, thus forming two closely adjacent parallel

flat coils

35 and 36 as shown in Fig'. 8 and Fig. 9. `Since the grooves on the two mandrel portions were so positioned as to cause the turns of one portion to be directly opposite the spaces between -turns on the other portion, the lturns of the vflat coils produced after the pressing oper ation lie in' staggered relation to the direction of the axis of the coil. This featureis of value in apparatus for exchanging heat between iuids due to the fact that it causes the fluid to be filmed through the spaces formed between the staggered coil turns and insures good contact with the heat trans ferring surface. Thecoil ends 30 and 31 are here shown extending out in parallelism at one side of the coil but may be made f to assume other positions by cutting ofi' one of the coil ends at a different length so that its opening will occur at a different point on the periphery 'of the coil.`

`While the staggered relation of turns prevails throughout the greater portion of the coil it will be observed from Fig. 9 that at two diametrically opposite points 33 the adjacent turns of the` two fiat coil portions cross each other, and at these points a 'free passage will occur throughthe double coil unit in the direction lof the coil axis. Should successive coil units be positioned 4in a heat transferring apparatus in identical relation throughout the length of the apparatus these open 'spaces would all fall in line, and there would be a tendency for some of the fluid passing through the apadapted for such displacement by causing.

the inlet and

outlet openings

30 and 31 to be positioned at different portions of thel periphery in different coil units. For ex ample, the end 3() may be shortened somewhat and the end 31 may be lengthened an amount equal to that by which the end 30 is shortened, thus leavingI the inlet and outlet, openings vin the same position relative to each other but displaced la certain angular distance relative to the body of the coil. j

This difference in the coils may readily be secured with the machine herein disclosed by merely changing the position of the clamping member 20. For the purpose the fiange of the mandrel is provided with a series of holes in any one of which the bolt 2l may be set to give the clamping member 20 a range of angular movement about the shaft 5 of aboutl 90, or any other desired amount. For the purpose of permitting the tube ends .of the completed unit the same relation to each other, the winding of the tubing is continued farther on the mandrel portion 3, this operation being accomplished with no appreciable change in the finished coil. In a given heat exchange apparatus one half of the coils may be of the type formed with the clamping member in its normal position and the other half of the type formed with the clamping member 20 displaced 90. When the coils are placed in the apparatus, alternate coils being of the difi'erent types, a staggered relation will be secured and a free fluid passage through the length of the shell will be eliminated. In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a mandrel adapted .to form double fiat spiral coil units in' such manner as to avoid having a free passage for the fiuid through both coils of the unit' at any portion of the coil. The

mandrell is divided into two portions 2a and provided at' its face, the direction of the` 3 which may be mounted for rotation in the manner already described. Each of the

portions

2 and 3 has afspiral groove groove upon the portion 3a,being the reverse of that on the portion 12a. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 a continuous rotation in a clockwise'v direction will cause the tube to follow the groove en ,to the end, while in the mandrel shown in Fig. 10 the 'groove begins at the large end 'of section 2 and proceeds down to .the center of the meshes 2a are positioned relative to those on thev portion 3a so that theyv lie opposite the spaces between grooves on the portion 3a..

In forming a. coil by means of this type Aof mandrel the length of tubing is first bent at lts middle to conform with the loop 34 formed by the meeting grooves in the-two parts of the mandrel. The bent middle portion 34a of the tube is placed at the center of the mandrel 'Where it is clamped in fixed" position by means of a bolt with a wide head which is screwed into the mandrel part 3a at'the beginning of its groove. Upon rotating the mandrelthe two halves of the tubing wind up simultaneously in the grooves on the mandrel portions 2a. and 3a, lforming two conical spiral'coilsreversely wound and connected rby the.- middle bent portion. The two spiral portions of the coil are subsequently pressed fiat and a fiat doubley coil unit -is formed, the turns of the elements constituting each' coil being `staggered relative to the axis of the coil.

It is to be noted that the turns of the two fiat coil elements comprising each unit lie in exact parallelism, they turns of one being exactly opposite the spaces between turns of the other at all portions of the unit, thus avoiding altogether points on the ...coil at which the spaces between turns of one come directly opposite the spaces :between turns of the other. This modification thus furnishes a completely staggered path for the fiuid through the unit.v

In the type of construction. illustratedin Figs. 7 and 9 the working fiuid passes com? pletely'through the coil unit from the inlet positioned at the periphery of one ofthe fiat coil elements to the outlet positioned on the periphery of the other fiat coil element, the direction of flow being the same throughout the coil. Thus the turns of one coil proceed from the outer edge of the unit to' the inside, decreasing in radius, yand the turns of the other-'element increase in radius and proceed from. the inner to the outer portion of the coil, which feature necessitates a crossing of the turns of the two' fiat coil elements and the forming of points at which,v

the staggered `relation is not maintained. In the reversely wound coil, however, the

fiuid passes from the inlet atthe outer por-V .l

tion of one of the fiatcoil elements to theY inner turns, butat the center the flow is reversed and the iiuidpasses from the inner turns of the second fiat coil element to the outlet at the periphery of the element in the A reverse direction.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred manner of carrying out my improved method of forming heat exchanging coils of the type described and have illustrated a preferred embodiment of apparatus therefor, it is to be understood that the details of the method and particular construction of the apparatus may be varied within the full scope of the appended claims. For instance, the end of the mandrel farthest from the bearing 6 may be supported by another bearing, instead of being mounted to rest upon rollers in the manner shown. If the mandrel is of unusual length a traveling carriage mounted for movement parallel to the mandrel axis may fbe employed in feeding the tubing instead of the ball joint arrangement as shown. Also any desired arrangement of clutch mechanism may be provided to eii'ect rotation of the mandrel.

I claim:

l. The method of forming flat spiral coils for heat exchanging apparatus comprising winding the material of the coil into a conical spiral and subsequently compressing the turns of said spiral into substantially the same plane.

v2. The method of forming double flat spiral coil units for heat interchange apparatus comprising winding' thematerial of the coil into two conical spirals and subsequently pressing the turns of each conical spiral into substantially a single plane.

3. The method of forming double fiat spiral coil units for a heat exchange apparatus comprising winding the material of the coil into two conical spirals having their small ends adjacent, the material of the coil being continuous throughout the length of both spirals, and subsequently compressing the turns of each spiral into substantially a single plane.

4. The lmethod of forming double Hat spiral coil units for lieat exchange a paratus, comprising winding a straight tu ing into two co-axial conical spirals and subsequently compressing the turns of each spiral into substantially a single plane, the tubin forming a continuous iuid passage throug said spirals in series.

5. The method of forming double flat spiral coil units for heat exchange apparatus, comprising forming the material of the coil into two reversely Wound conical spirals having their smaller ends adjacent, the turns of one of said spirals being opposite the spaces between turns of the other.

6. The method of forming double flat spiral coil units for heat exchange apparatus, comprising winding the material of the coil into two conical spirals and subsequently compressing the turns of each spiral into substantially a flat coil, said Hat coils lyin closely adjacent and the turns of each of sai coils being directly opposite the interstices between turns of the other.

7. The method of forming double fiat spiral coil units for heat exchange apparatus,

comprising winding up a length of tubing into a conical spiral form, then reversing the direction of the tubing, then winding up another conical spiral in a direction reversed from that of said first spiral and subsequently attening the respective conical coils into a double flat spiral coil.

8. The method of forming double flat spiral coil units for heat exchan e apparatus, comprising winding up a lengt of straight tubing into a coil of a conical spiral conformation beginning at the larger end and working toward the apex of the cone, then reversin the direction of the tube at the apex an winding up a second coil of conical spiralv conformation beginning at the apex and proceeding toward the base, the turns of said second coll lying opposite the interstices between turns of said first coil, and then suitably ilattening said respective coils to form a double flat spiral coil unit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH PRICE.