US2882851A

US2882851A - Tube reducing machine

Info

Publication number: US2882851A
Application number: US683068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel F Graves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-09-10
Filing date: 1957-09-10
Publication date: 1959-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1976-04-21

Description

April 21, 1959 S. F. GRAVES TUBE REDUCING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1957 IS SmueL F. GRAVES,

A TTORNQY.

United States Patent TUBE REDUCING MACHINE Samuel F. Graves, North Miami, Fla.

Application September 10, 1957, Serial No. 683,068

1 Claim. (Cl. 113-52) This invention relates to a tube rolling and reducing machine and has particular reference to a machine for reducing the end portion of a tubular sleeve commonly employed as a soil pipe connection for toilets.

Heretofore a section of lead pipe, approximately 12 inches long has constituted the connection between the conventional commode and the conventional soil pipe and has necessitated the reduction of one end of the lead pipe for insertion into the usual and well known brass ferrule and heretofore, it has been necessary to pound or beat the lead pipe with a suitable tool for progressively reducing its diameter and so that it may be axially engaged within the ferrule for subsequent soldering connection.

The purpose of the present invention is to quickly and easily reduce the end portion of the lead pipe to an exact diameter, thus resulting in a very considerable saving in time consuming labor and with the resulting product having a predetermined diameter such as is capable of engaging within the ferrule and providing for a more accurate fit and soldered connection therewith.

, The invention further contemplates a rotatable mandrel upon which the pipe to be reduced is supported and with a plurality of idler rollers shiftable progressively toward the pipe whereby the rollers progressively engage the pipe to roll it in conformity with the shaped mandrel, such determining the diameter of the pipe and with the rollers being shaped in accordance with the mandrel at its reducing portion.

Novelfeatures of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view illustrating the initial engagement of forming idler rollers and with the pipe to be formed being shown in section,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the idler rollers shifted to their maximum position of engagement and with the pipe being fully reduced in accordance with the contour of the mandrel and,

Figure 6 is a composite view illustrating the pipe to be reduced and the pipe after it has been reduced.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a supporting frame, supported by legs 6. The frame is provided with a cross member 7, supporting a journal bearing 8. A similar journal bearing 9 is carried by a cross member 10 of the frame. Rotatable within the bearings 8 and 9, is a shaft 11. The shaft 11 forwardly of the bearing 8 is provided with at least one grooved pulley 12 that is driven by a flexible belt 13, from a prime Patented Apr. 21, 1959 mover 14, such as an electric motor. Beyond the pulley 12, the shaft carries a cylindrical head 15 that is of a size and weight to constitute a balance wheel. The shaft 11 is extended beyond the head 15 and is provided with a cylindrical mandrel, indicated as a whole by the numeral 16. The mandrel comprises an elongated cylindrical portion 17, a taper or frustum 18 and a reduced cylindrical end section 19. The mandrel 16 is preferably formed of polished metal and the section 17 has a diameter capable of snugly receiving a section of lead pipe 20, see particularly Figures 4 and 6. The overall length of the mandrel is substantially the same as the section of lead pipe 20 to be reduced. The drive shaft 11 and the mandrel are preferably horizontally arranged.

Disposed at opposite sides of the shaft 11 and the mandrel are fixed cylindrical guide rails 21. The guide rails are anchored at their opposite ends to the frame, through the medium of suitable upstanding bearing blocks 22. Shiftable upon the rails 21, is a carriage, illustrated as a whole by the numeral 23. The carriage embodies a metallic plate 24, welded or otherwise connected with sleeves 25 that have traverse engagement with the rails 21 in a horizontal plane. Freely rotatable upon the forward side of the plate 24 are a plurality of idler rollers 26, embodying a cylindrical portion 27 and a tapered or frustum portion 28. The rollers are preferably three in number and are disposed in a circle, the axis of which is the same as the axis of the shaft 11. The taper of the portion 28 corresponds to the taper of the portion 18 of the mandrel 16, while the cylindrical portion 27 corresponds to the reduced portion 19 of the mandrel. The rollers 26 are axially spaced apart in accordance with the thickness of the pipe to be reduced upon the mandrel. The rollers are provided with any suitable antifriction bearings whereby they may be rotatable against flexing and to withstand a compressive action upon the portion of the lead pipe to be reduced. While but three rollers have been illustrated, it will be apparent that more rollers can be employed if desired although, it has been found that the use of three rollers as the forming medium, has been highly success ful.

Also shiftable upon the rails 21, is a second carriage 29, comprising a plate 30, similar to the plate 24 and having guide sleeves 31, similar to the sleeves 25. The sleeves 31 are provided with set screws 32, whereby the carriage may be anchored against movement, for a purpose to be presently described. Threadedly engaged through the plate 30, as by enlargements 33, is an adjusting screw 34, having a hand wheel 35. The screw 34 at its forward end is rotatably anchored in any desirable manner to the plate 24 and with the screw 34 being disposed at an elevation corresponding to the axis of the shaft 11. With the screw 34 connected to the plate 24, it will be apparent that the

carriages

23 and 29 are initially shiftable in unison. Means are provided to initially shift the carriages toward the pipe to be reduced, comprising a lever 36, pivoted to one side of the frame 5 at 37 and with the lever intermediate its length being pivotally connected to the carriage 29 through the medium of a plate 38. The lever 36 extends outwardly beyond the opposite side of the frame 5 for manual actuation. The rollers 26 are also preferably highly polished.

Operation In the use of the device, the

carriages

23 and 29 are shifted rearwardly along the rails 21 and with the screw 34 being backed away to dispose the carriage 23 at its maximum distance from the mandrel 16. A section of lead pipe 20 is then engaged over the mandrel 16 to a point of abutment with the head 15 and, in such position the free end of the pipe terminates substantially at the free end of the mandrel as illustrated in Figure 4. The lead pipe may be clamped in any desirable manner upon the mandrel adjacent the head 15 to prevent any slippage during the operation. The prime mover is then actuated causing the mandrel and its supported pipe 20 to rotate. The operator then shifts the lever 36, causing the

carriages

23 and 29 to shift along the rails 21 to a point where the rollers just begin to touch the free end of the pipe. The set screws 32 are then turned downwardly, fixing the carriage 29 against reverse movement. The operator then proceeds to actuate the hand wheel 35, progressively moving the carriage 23 forwardly, and progressively rolling the lead pipe inwardly to conform to the shape of the mandrel. The hand wheel 35 is slowly operated until the rollers 26 have fully engaged over that area of the pipe determined by the frustum 18 and a reduced portion 19, progressively pressing the pipe inwardly as it rotates and since the movement is axial in its compressing action, there will be no appreciable lengthening of the pipe, as it is packed downwardly to conform to the frustum 18 and the end portion 19. After the pipe has been reduced, the hand wheel 35 is rotated in a reverse direction, moving the carriage 23 away from the pipe after which the lever 36 is shifted in a reverse direction to bodily move the

carriages

23 and 29 rearwardly to permit the removal of the formed pipe. It will be apparent, that before the carriages can be shifted rearwardly, the set screws 32 have been released.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel lead pipe reducing mechanism has been employed. The pipe is reduced in a minimum of time and presents a highly finished reduced end that has a minimum external diameter capable of a snug sliding engagement within the usual brass ferrule, where it is subsequently soldered. The structure is simple, strong, durable, cheap to manufacture and results in a very desirable means for reducing the end portion of lead pipes that have been previously cut to determined lengths and reduces the lead pipe without elongating the pipe beyond its maximum original length.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device for reducing one end portion of a cylindrical lead pipe, comprising a supporting frame having journal bearings, a shaft rotatable in the bearings and means for rotating the shaft, a cylindrical mandrel fixed upon a free end of the shaft and rotatable therewith, the mandrel having a length corresponding to the length of the pipe to be reduced, the mandrel for its major length being cylindrical and of a diameter to receive the lead pipe, the mandrel at its forward end having a frustum section and a reduced cylindrical terminal portion corresponding to the minimum inside diameter of the pipe when reduced, a pair of guide rails, a carriage shiftable upon the rails toward and from the mandrel, idler rollers carried by the carriage and with the rollers being circumferentially shaped in accordance with the frustum and the reduced end of the mandrel and with the rollers having an overall length corresponding to the combined length of the frustum and the reduced end of the mandrel, the rollers being arranged in a circle whose axis is in axial alignment with the axis of the shaft and the mandrel and with the rollers being equidistantly spaced, means for shifting the carriage and its supported rollers for an initial contacting engagement of the ends of the rollers with the end of the pipe to be reduced, screw means for progressively moving the carriage and its rollers into conforming engagement with the pipe and whereby the rollers traverse the pipe circumferentially and in a longitudinal direction to compress the end portion of the pipe into conforming engagement With the frustum and reduced end of the mandrel, the movement of the rollers longitudinally of the pipe packing the metal of the pipe against elongation, the initial shifting means comprising a lever that is pivotally connected to the frame and that engages a second named carriage shiftable on said rails whereby to shift the carriages bodily toward the mandrel for the initial engagement of the rollers, set screws carried by the second named carriage and whereby to fix the second named carriage against shifting movement upon the rails, said screw means having threaded engagement with the second named carriage and a rotatable engagement with respect to the first named carriage, a hand Wheel carried by the screw and whereby the first named carriage is fed forwardly to engage the workpiece upon the mandrel, an enlarged balance wheel mounted upon the shaft and that contacts one end of the mandrel whereby to balance the rotation of the mandrel and to limit the positioning of the workpiece upon the mandrel, the said carriages being manually shiftable away from the formed workpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 331,527 Nason Dec. 1, 1885 1,297,819 Perrier Mar. 18, 1919 2,325,522 Lauer et a1 July 27, 1943 2,448,983 Johnson Sept. 7, 1948