US2269207A - Tube lubricator - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 6, 1942. r w kEL o 12,269,207

TUBE LUBRIGATOR Filed June 28, 1939 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 i'UNlTE D STATES... PATENT OFF-ICE. I 2,269,207 A I TUBE LUBRICATOR Jersey Application June 28, 1939, Serial No. 281,708 1 Claim. (p1. 80-11) This invention relates to the rolling of metallic pipes and tubes, and more particularly to the novel methodand apparatus for internally lubricating the same immediately prior to the rolling operation.

In the art of rolling metallic pipes and tubes it haslong been conventional to roll the pierced or tubular blank over a plug or mandrel in order to control the internal diameter and also to smooth out the interior surface thereof.

face of the blank. The earliest expedient was to station at the inlet side of the mill a man whose duty it was to insert a small quantity of coal dust, salt" or other medium in the blank immediately prior to its passageover the plug or mandrel. Due to the highly heated-condition of the blank, combustiontakes place immediately and, as a result thereof; very little lubricating effect is obtained, and that only for ashort distance from the lea-ding or advance end thereof.

" Another practice has been to provide mechanism constructed and arranged to introduce lubricant to the plug or mandrel through the bar by which it is supported, but this results in the flow of oil onto the rolls of the mill,thus reducing their tractive power by causing slippage.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for efiiciently lubrieating the interior of a metallic tubular blank in such manner that the lubricating medium cannot possibly come in contact with the' rolls of the mill.

Another object is the provision of means of the detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, this being indicative of but one'of' the number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a pipe or tube mill disclosing in section the metal-working rolls, the entering trough, and part of the blank being processed; while the mandrel, mandrel bar and device of the invention are in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line II-II of Figure 1;

This practice has resulted in severe wear on the plug or mandrel and scratcheson the interior sur- Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating 55 bustible carbonaceous material.

the position of some of the instrumentalities of the apparatus of the invention during a certain working phase thereof; and

Figure. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating another working-phase.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a pair of rolls Whose axes occupy a common vertical plane, the adjacent portions of the peripheries of the rolls providing a horizontal line of pass. Rolls of this type comprise What is referred to in the artas a high-mill; but it will be readily understood that the invention is applicable to all typesof pipe or tube mills, including those which ad Vance the blank helically, such as Mannesmann or Steifel'mi1ls.

In the type of rolling referred to hereinabove (i. e. over plug ormandrel) the plug or mandrel, designated herein-at 3, is disposed intermediate the rolls 2 and is held in position against thrust by means of a mandrel 'bar 4 which is suitably supported in any suitable manner (not shown) froma distant point. I a

At the conclusion of the passage of the blank over the plug or mandrel 3; the mandrel bar 4 lies within the tube; A second pair of rolls of opposite rotation (not shown) but-referred to hereinafter as stripper rolls, is disposed on the return side of the mill. These stripper rolls are inoperative during the rolling operation but are brought into action to strip the blank from the mandrel bar 4 and return 'it to the entering end of the mill. The metal-working rolls 2 are inactive during this phase. After the blank has been returned to the entering side of the mill, it is again passed between the metal-working rolls 2 and the intermediately disposed plug or mandrel 3, thereby duplicating the operating cycle.

The teaching of the invention comprises the injection into the leading end of the workpiece, and while it is on the entering side 'of the mill, of a suitable lubricant, such as oil or other com- When using oil or other combustible carbonaceous material, its contact with a highly heated tubular blank in insufficient air causes the production of carbon in the form of lampblack which is disposed on the interior surface of the blank. As the blank is engaged by themetal-working rolls 2- and forced over the plug or mandrel 3, the accumulation of lampblack provides the desired lubrication. 1

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral I designates the entering trough on the entering side of the mill. This entering trough 1 is shown (see Figure 2) as comprising a pair of downwardly convergent metallic plates, the lower ends of which are spaced to provide an aperture 9. At a point which is adjacent the entry side of the metal-working rolls 2 there is provided immediately beneath the aperture 9 in the entering trough l a suitable support shown in the present instance as comprising a pair of parallel spaced beams l2. Each of the spaced beams l2 carries an upwardly extending plate l3 to which there is secured on the adjacent sides thereof aligned bearings l4. Journaled within the bearings I4 is a short rotatable shaft 15 provided with an elongated vertical extension l6 which is adapted to extend into and through the aperture 9 provided by the space between the lower edges of the downwardly convergent plates of the entering trough I. The extension I6 is provided with an interior bore 11 terminating adjacent the center of the shaft IS on its inner end and on its outer end terminating in a right angular passage 20 which faces the direction of the feed of the tubular blank as it moves through the entering trough I. The rotatable shaft 15 is also provided with a downwardly depending portion 22 to which there is connected a tension spring 23. This tension spring 23 is suitably secured in such manner as to bias the upward extension iii of the rotatable shaft l into a truly vertical position.

The rotatable shaft I5 is provided with an axial bore 25. Disposed within the bore 25 of the rotatable shaft [5 is a tube 26 which is secured against rotation, as at 21, to the adjacent upwardly extending plate l3. The tube 26 is provided with a small vertical aperture 28 which is adapted to register with the inner end of the bore I! of the upward extension l6 of the rotatable shaft l5 when the said extension I6 is in a truly vertical position. When the extension I6 is in other positions, the bore I! does not register with the aperture 28 in the tube 26 and communication is therefore cut off. This tube 26 is connected by a suitable pipe line 29 to a source of lubricant (not shown). Disposed in the pipe line 29 between the source of lubricant and the tube 26 is a valve 30 which is operated by a solenoid 3| or other suitable device. I

The solenoid 3|, or equivalent device, is arranged to operate the valve 30 in such manner that the lubricant is admitted to the bore IT in the upward extension I 6 of the rotatable shaft 15 as soon as the workpiece enters the entering trough I and to stop the flow of lubricant as soon as the blank contacts the upper end of the extension l6, which is disposed in its path. When there is no blank in the entering trough 1, the tension spring 23 normally holds the extension l6 of the rotatable shaft 15 in truly vertical position; and while in this position the valve 30 is closed by the solenoid, or equivalent device,

3| and no oil flows through the bore I! of the vertical extension I6 of the rotatable shaft l5; and, accordingly, no oil is ejected through the right angular aperture 20 which forms the nozzle of the ejecting device. Of course, when the vertical extension N5 of the rotatable shaft 15 is in its truly vertical position, communication is established back to the valve 30, as previously described.

In operation:

When the blank, designated at B, starts into the entering trough I, the solenoid, or equivalent device, 3| is suitably operated to open the valve 36 wherein the lubricant is permitted to flow and to be ejected from the aperture which forms the nozzle. A spray of lubricant thus enters through the leading end of the tubular blank B. As the blank B is moved towards the metalworking rolls 2, it contacts the upward extension l6 of the rotatable shaft l5 and causes the same to be tripped into the position shown at X in Figure 3. This causes the bore 11 of the up- 'ward extension IE to move out of registration with the vertical aperture 28 in the tube 26, thus shutting oif the flow of lubricant.

After the tubular blank has moved completely over the upward extension l6 of the rotatable shaft IS, the solenoid, or equivalent device, 3|

is operated to close the valve 30, thus shutting off the flow of lubricant to the tube 26. At this time the vertical extension l6 of the rotatable shaft I5 is returned to its original vertical position by the spring 23.

Referring to Figure 4, the letter Y designates the position of the vertical extension 16 of the rotatable shaft l5 while the blank is being returned by the stripper rolls (not shown) to its original position in the entering-trough-I. The valve 30 having been closed, and no flow of lubricant permitted to the tube 26, there is, of course, no ejection of lubricant, and the instrumentalities of the invention are inoperative other than the tilting of the upward extensions IE to the position Y and the stretching of the tension spring 23. When the blank has been moved entirely over the vertical extension [6, it returns to its original position, at which time the sole: noid, or equivalent device, 3! is operated to open the valve 30 and repeat the cycle.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the present invention, it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claim.

I claim: r

In combination with a pipe or tube mill, a device for lubricating the interior of a tubular blank including a retractable ejector device disposed in the path of the tubular blank in its movement toward the mill, said retractable ejector device comprising a pivoted member extending into the path of thetubular blank and providing a feed orifice, means for supplying a lubricant under pressure to said pivoted member and through said feed orifice, said pivoted member being adapted for movement into its retracted position by contact therewith of the tubular workpiece, means operable by the retraction of said pivoted member for interrupting the supply of lubricant to said feed orifice, means for discontinuing the supply of said'lubricant to said pivoted member when the latter is in its retracted position, means for restoring said pivoted member to its unretracted position, said last named means being operable to restore communication of said feed orifice with the lubricant-supplying means, and means operable by the approach of the workpiece toward said pivoted member for supplying lubricantto said pivoted member and through'the feed orifice thereof.

JOHN W. KELSO.

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