US1949197A

US1949197A - Process of forming sheet metal pipe fittings

Info

Publication number: US1949197A
Application number: US584021A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Edward S Cornell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-12-31
Filing date: 1931-12-31
Publication date: 1934-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1951-02-27

Description

Patented Feb. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS OF FORMING SHEET LIETAL PIPE FITTINGS Edward 8. Cornell, Jr., Larchmont, N. Y.

Application December 31, 1931 Serial No. 584,021

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to pipe fittings and more particularly to an improved method of construction of a T or equivalent device and the article produced thereby.

In the system of piping as invented by me and as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 555,032, filed August 4, 1931, and my copending thereof continuing application Serial No. 589,595, filed January 29th, 1932, which lastnamed application resulted in U. 8. Patent #1,850,049, patented March th, 1932, the various fittings as elbows, Ts, unions and the like are formed of metal, and preferably of sheet copper, of approximately the thickness of the pipe to 15 which the fittings are connected and such fittings are preferably built without either external or internal threads, the internal and external diameters of the portions of the connectors adapted to be attached to lengths of pipe being equal to or substantially equal toeither the internal or external diameter of the connecting pipe, the joints between the fittings and the lengths of pipe being soldered or "sweated. The present invention is an improved method of constructing a T or equivalent device from a blank of sheet copper, he laterally projecting member being formed integral with the sheet copper, the remainder of the metal being then folded about a mandrel or equivalent device into cylindrical form and the joining portion of the edges of the blank are closed by a means and by a method which causes a cold fiow of the material into a unitary mass to thereby obtain a fluid-tight joint.

An object of my invention, therefore, is an improved method of making pipe fittings.

Another object of my invention is an improved pipe fitting.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the improved article and the various steps of the process by which the same is manufactured,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a T;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the T is made,'the laterally extending portion having been formed in the center of the blank;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2 showing the same in position on a mandrel preparatory to forming the main cylindrical portion of the T;

Fig. 4 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 3 but after the succeeding step in the process has been performed thereon;

Fig. 5 is a view of the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4 showing the next succeeding step in the process performed thereon;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the joint connecting member;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a partially completed T in position on a mandrel and showing the joint connecting element being forced into position thereon;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the joint portion 00 of the T preparatory to cold welding the joint connecting strip shown in Fig. 6 onto the joint of the main cylindrical portion of the T; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged end elevation of the joint portion of the T after the cold welding operation 05 has been performed thereon.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 2, 10 designates a blank which has formed thereon by the usual drawing processes, a laterally extending tubular section 11. The oPD site edges of the blank 10 are folded up and extend at approximately an angle of 45 to the main body of the blank 10, these edges being indicated by the reference numeral 12. The blank 10 after these preliminary operations have been performed thereon, is shown in Fig. 3 and rests on a mandrel 13 or other equivalent device, after which the laterally extending portions of the blank 10 on either side of the cylindrical member 11 are folded downwardly as indicated in Fig. 4, after which a succeeding operation is performed thereon and the portions of the blank 10 on either side of the cylindrical member 11 are folded about the mandrel 13 into the position shown in Fig. 5, where it will be seen that the rolled edges of the blank 10 abut together and that the folded edges 12 are arranged to define an angle of about Referring to Fig. 6, there is shown a joint connecting member comprising a main portion 90 14 having its opposite edges folded over on one face of the main portion and these folded over portions 15 making an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the main portion 14. This joint connecting member is then forced over the folded edges 12 to enclose the same as shown in Fig. 7 and particularly as is shown in Fig. 8. Referring to Fig. 8, 16 designates a holder, the upper portion 17 of which is curved to fit the outer diameter of the now main cylindrical portion 18 of the T, and this holder 16 is recessed longitudinally as indicated by the reference number 19 to form a pocket in which fits the angularly bent edges 12 and the joint connecting member shown in perspective in Fig. 6. Slidably mounted in the longitudinal slot 19 is a plunger 20 provided with an arcuate face 21 and with a projection 22 extending outwardly from such arcuate face 21 and substantially centrally thereo The mandrel 13 and the holder 16 as well as the plunger 20 are arranged in a suitable machine and pressure then applied in the usual manner to the plunger 20 which thereupon moves upwardly as shown in Fig. 8, bringing the

portions

12, 14 and 15 into substantial parallelism with respect to the main cylindrical portion 18 of the T. Sufllcient pressure is applied to cause a cold flow, or what is practically a cold weld of the material comprising the main cylindrical portion'18 of the T, the folded edges 12, the portion 14 and inturned edges 15 of the joint connecting member shown in perspective in Fig. 6, and the projection 22 of the plunger 20 indents the portion 14 as indicated at 23 localizing the pressure at this point and causing the rounded bends of the opposite edge portions of the blank 10 or the cylindrical portion 18 to merge together into a straight line as indicated at 24. The resulting shape of the joint portion of the T is clearly shown in Fig. 9 and has been thus drawn for clearness of illustration. In actual practice, however, the dividing line betweenthe edges of the main cylindrical portion 18 of the T as indicated by 24, as well as the line of demarkation between the

edges

12, 15 and the main body 14, are obliterated due to the fact that the metal comprising these parts flows into a unitary mass.

As appears from the above, the indenting, indicated at 23, see Fig. 9, of the central longitudinal portion of the connecting member effects the positioning of the same under pressure at the line of meeting of the juxtaposed faces of the rounded bends of the opposite edge portions of the copper sheet, thus enhancing the mechanical strength of the connecting member to retain under pressure in immediate contact the juxtaposed faces of the rounded bends, and to derive a commercially satisfactory sealed joint.

It will be further observed that the projection 22 of the plunger 20, as is indicated in Fig. 9, eflects an additional bending of the turned-out edges of the edge portions, and results in an interlocking of increased strength of the connecting member with the thus bent turned-out edges of the ed e P rtions of the copper body.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific formations thereof. it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim.

The method of forming a T from a sheet of copper, which consists in taking a sheet of copper of desired length and of a width greater than the circumference of the T to be formed, forming the lateral opening and the cylindrical wall of the lateral opening, folding the sheet of copper distributed on each side of the axis of the lateral opening about a cylindrical mandrel .to proximate more and more cylindrical contour to form the body of the T, the mandrel having an outer diameter closely approximating the inner diameter of the resulting cylindrical body of the T, bending the juxtaposed edges of the sheet of copper to position the excess of copper at the respective edge portions to lie exteriorly of the body of the T and at an angle to one another, sliding over the thus formed angularly positioned edges a member having a substantially flat body portion and further having its edges inturned to enclose the angularly positioned edges of the sheet of copper forming the body and applying pressure by means of a punch having a projection on its effective face jointly to the juxtaposed edges of the sheet of copper and the connecting member to dually fold the edges of the copper sheet and the inturned edges of the connecting member into close association with one another while inturning the connecting member substantially centrally and longitudinally of its body portion to thereby substantially indent the connecting member at the stated central longitudinal portion of its body relative to the remainder of its body and to position such central longitudinal indented portion of the connecting member in immediate contact under pressure with the adjacent faces of the juxtaposed edge portions.

EDWARD S. CORNELL. JR.