US3155063A

US3155063A - Machine for making spiral pipe

Info

Publication number: US3155063A
Application number: US55737A
Authority: US
Inventors: Malkki Eino Kalervo; Silde Valentin
Original assignee: ERIKOISPUTKI Oy
Current assignee: ERIKOISPUTKI Oy
Priority date: 1959-11-05
Filing date: 1960-09-13
Publication date: 1964-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-03
Also published as: FI33915A

Description

Nov. 3, 1964 E. K. MALKKl ETAL MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL PIPE Filed Sept. 13. 1960 FIG.

. gether on the former by United States Patent The invention relates to machines for making spiral pipe from a continuous strip of material. Machines that enable such articles to be obtained are already known but in these known machines, which always comprise a rotating former, the strip material is fed into the former at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the former, the marginal edges of the wound pipe are then joined toa seaming means and the completed pipe is advanced axially along the former. Since the strip material has always been fed into the former at an acute angle to the axis of the former it has hitherto always been necessary to change the acuteness of this angle to produce pipes of different diameters, and owing to this fact, prior art machines of the aforesaid type must have adjustable strip material guiding means and seaming means in proper synchronized relation to ensure that the said means will always swing perfectly into their adjusted positions. This again results in machines which necessarily are rather complicated in structure.

This invention has for its object to provide a machine of simpler structure and greater working reliability than those conventionally used for making spiral pipe. The novelty feature of the invention lies in the fact that the machine includes two rollers which bear against each other and draw strip material fed therebetween at an angle substantially a right angle relative to the axis of said rollers, and a guide means disposed around one of said two rollers and providing means such that the strip material pushed by the rollers is advanced along the inner surface of said guide means and caused to bend around the said one roller so that the strip is wound to a helix pitch before being passed by the guide means through the rollers again for seaming. Since the rollers also perform the seaming operation the one of the two rollers about which the strip is not caused to coil carries at one end thereof a seaming member which cooperates with the other roller to perform the seaming operation.

It is advantageous to provide the machine with suitable means for adjusting the pressure with which the rollers bear against the strip material fed therebetween. The length of the rollers correspond approximately to the width of the strip material in order that the pipe may leave the roller pair at the point where the pipe is formed. This is of importance because it permits the pipe as it is formed to be projected forwardly in a direction at an angle to the rollers.

The machine of the invention is not restricted to the making of spiral pipe with interlocked seam from a continuous ribbon or strip of metal only, but the same can be used for making spiral pipe from any material having a certain degree of stiffness, e.g., plastic ribbon, and the seam edges may also be secured together by Welding to provide an overlap joint or a butt-weld.

The guide means disposed about one of the two rollers consists of a head having a guide member which preferably is slightly wider than the seam to be formed and which forms a convolution corresponding to a pitch of the helix in which the strip is wound. This guide means may be secured to the machine, e.g., by screw means so that, in end view, the guide means and the roller, form circles internally tangent at the point common to the two rollers, and the said guide means begins at one end of the roller and ends at the other end of the roller. If a spiral pipe with interlocked seam is to be produced at least the outer edge of the guide member has a suitable guide groove or the like for accommodating the up-turned edge provided along one side of the strip, the up-turned edge passing into the guide groove and forcing the strip to bend to helix pitch as the strip slides between the rollers for seaming. Insofar as a spiral pipe with welded over-lap joint is to be produced at least the outer edge of the guide member has a helical shoulder inclined toward the roller and forcing the strip to form a convolution corresponding to a helix pitch as the strip passes through the rollers and is seamed. Naturally the guide means may be provided with a helical groove or slot along the whole length of convolution but such a means would be rather hard to make. However, it is not necessary that the guide means be profiled to form a helical element for the main thing is that the same will form about the one of two rollers a cylindrical surface which is tangent to said roller at the contact line of the two rollers and is provided with an element which will force the strip issuing from the rollers to bend about the one roller and to form a convolution corresponding to the pitch of helix in which the strip is wound prior to sealing by second pass through the rollers.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood the invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a face view of a machine of the invention for making spiral pipe with interlocked seam.

FIGURE 2 is a section of the line IIII of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the guide means.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the machine of the present I invention.

This machine comprises a lower roller 1 and an upper roller 2, which bear against each other to form a roller pair. The machine has an adjusting screw 3 for adjusting the pressure with which the rollers press against the strip 4 fed therebetween. The endless strip 4 from which the spiral pipe is made is introduced between the rollers along a line at right angles to the axes of the rollers. Prior to being introduced between the rollers, the marginal edges of the strip material are pro-formed for mechanical interlocking by means known in the art. Along one side of the strip is a turned-up flange 5 and along the other side of the strip is a folded-over flange 6 with a downwardly opening channel for the flange 5. The upper roller 2 has at one end a narrow portion of reduced diameter 7 for accommodating the turned-up flange 5 and the other end of the said roller is formed by a seaming member 8 which cooperates with the lower roller 1 to fold over and pinch the interengaging marginal edges into lock seam. This seaming member 8 is detachably by screws 14 or the like secured to the upper roller 2 so the said member may be changed for another seaming member when necessary so that the one and same roller may form an interlocked seam on strips which vary in material thickness.

To the machine frame F is secured, by screw means 9, a guide means 19 formed by a band of metal slightly wider than the seam to be formed, with a guide member 11 bent around the lower roller 1. It forms around the lower roller a convulution corresponding to the pitch of helix in which the strip is wound and begins from the one edge of the strip merging from between the rollers and after having made a round ends at a point on the line of contact of the rollers near the other edge of the strip. To the outer edge of this member is secured by screw means a bar 12 so that a helical slot 13 is formed on the one side of the member. To initiate the pipe forming operation the front end portion of the strip issuing from and pushed forward by the rollers is bent manually so that the turned-up flange 5 along the one edge of the strip resides in the slot 13. When successive portions of the strip are then passed through the rollers this slot 13 guides the flange 5 so it will mate in the channel in the folded-over flange 6 on the other edge of the strip. Then the seaming member 8 on the end of the upper roller 2 will cooperate with the lower roller l to loclt the seam and the pipe begins to take shape. The seamward-turned end of the lower roller 1, or the left end, as viewed in FIG. 2 and the seaming member end on the upper roller extend only up to the point at which the seam is formed, but not farther so as to allow the completed pipe to move obliquely away from the rollers immediately after the point where the seam is formed. The slot 13 at the end of the guide means provides means such that the strip on travelling around the roller will always bend a helix pitch amount, and the guide means itself provides means for producing pipe of desired diameter. When it is desired to change the pipe diameter, naturally the guide means must be changed for another one which correspond to the new pipe size. The rollers may remain unchanged if the strip width does not change. Insofar as strip width changes the rollers must be changed to correspond to the new strip width.

As is evident from the foregoing description the rollers and the

means

11, 12 for guiding the strip through the rollers need not be turnably mounted nor in synchronized relation in the machine of the invention, from which it follows that the maclfine of the invention is simpler in structure than the known machines. This, of course, is a notable advantage.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the hereinabove described embodiment for the same can be modified in many different ways within the scope and spirit of the invention. So, e.g., the rollers may function also as welding means.

We claim:

1. A machine for forming helical lock seam pipe from elongated strip material having preformed marginal edges providing along one edge of the strip a straight flange ex tending substantially normal to the strip to one side thereof and along the other edge a folded-over flange forming a channel open to the other side of the strip and adapted to receive said straight flange when said helical loch seam is being formed, said machine comprising, in combination, a machine frame; a pair of rollers mounted on said frame turnable about substantially parallel axes and spaced from each other so as to be adapted to pull said strip material fed between said rollers in a direction substantially normal to the axes thereof, one of said rollers being located at the straight flange side of said strip material and forming between that roller end which faces the machine frame and said machine frame an annular space for receiving said straight flange along one edge of said strip material, the width of said one roller equalling the distance between said preformed marginal edges of said strip material so that said folded-over flange abuts against the other end of said one roller; ring-like guide means fixed to said machine frame and extending about the other of said rollers, the inner diameter of said guide means substantially equalling the diameter of the pipe to be formed, said guide means having a narrow guide face in form of a single helical convolution of the pipe being formed, said guide face starting from a point, which when viewed in feed direction of said strip material, is located back of the rollers adjacent to the line of contact of the rollers near that marginal edge of the strip material which faces the machine frame and terminating at a point, which when viewed in feed direction, is located in front of the rollers adjacent to the line of contact of the rollers near the opposite edge of the strip material; short second guide means fixed to and extending along the terminal end of said ring-like guide means and forming with the latter a guide slot for receiving the straight flange ofthe strip material convoluted only once about said other roller and guiding said straight flange into the channel formed by the foldedover flange; and an outwardly widening frusto-conical seam folding means forming an extension of said one roller and cooperating with that portion of the other roller which is adjacent to said frusto-conical seam folding means for forcing said folded-over flange with said straight flange located therein against the outer surface of the formed pipe and into a lock seam, said other roller terminating approximately at that point where the lock seam is formed so that the finished pipe can leave the machine in a direction obliquely inclined to the roller axes.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said ringlike guide means is formed from a metal plate formed with a hole therethrough corresponding to the outer diameter of the pipe to be formed, said metal plate being cut open from one edge thereof and bent so that the edge face of said hole extends along one convolution of the helix of the pipe to be formed.

3. A machine for forming helical lock seam pipe from strip material of a preselected width and having preformed marginal edges providing along one edge of the strip a straight flange extending substantially normal to the strip to one side thereof and along the other edge a folded-over flange forming a channel open to the other side of the strip, said machine comprising, in combination, a support; a pair of rollers mounted on said support turnable about substantially parallel axes and spaced from each other so as to be adapted to engage elongated strip material fed between said rollers on opposite face portions thereof and to feed said strip in a direction substantially normal to said axes, one of said rollers having a width substantially equal to said preselected width; first stationary, narrow and continuous guide means fixed to said support and extending in form of a convolution having a pitch angle substantially equal to that of the helix of the pipe to be formed about the other of said rollers from the region of one to the region of the other end of said one roller and having an inner surface located along a cylinder having a diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pipe to be formed for engaging surface portions of said strip opposite to those engaged by said one roller for bending said strip while the strip is fed by said rollers, said first guide means having a helical side guide face engaging one side of said straight flange; second stationary elongated guide means extending only along a portion of said side guide face in the region in which said side guide face approaches said other end of said one roller for gripping said strip at said straight flange thereof during feeding of said strip by said rollers so as to coil said strip into a helix and for guiding said straight flange at one edge of the convoluted strip portion into the open end of the channel formed by the folded-over flange on the other edge of successive strip portions fed between said rollers, said second stationary guide means being fixed to said first stationary guide means spaced therefrom and extending substantially parallel thereto so as to define with said helical side guide face a gap of a width substantially equal to the thickness of said straight flange; and roller means fixed to said other end of said one roller for rotation therewith about its axis and cooperating with one end of said other roller for folding said folded-over flange with said straight flange located therein into a lock seam, said other roller having a width substantially equal to the combined width of said one roller and said roller means so that the finished pipe can leave the machine obliquely inclined to the axes of said rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 519,182 Gould May 1, 1894 1,394,116 Rendavo Oct. 18, 1921 2,136,942 Freeze Nov. 15, 1938 2,136,943 Freeze Nov. 15, 1938 2,282,176 Fay et a1. May 5, 1942 2,635,572 Hesterman Apr. 21, 1953

Claims

1. A MACHINE FOR FORMING HELICAL LOCK SEAM PIPE FROM ELONGATED STRIP MATERIAL HAVING PREFORMED MARGINAL EDGES PROVIDING ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE STRIP A STRAIGHT FLANGE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE STRIP TO ONE SIDE THEREOF AND ALONG THE OTHER EDGE A FOLDED-OVER FLANGE FORMING A CHANNEL OPEN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STRIP AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID STRAIGHT FLANGE WHEN SAID HELICAL LOCK SEAM IS BEING FORMED, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MACHINE FRAME; A PAIR OF ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME TURNABLE ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AXES AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER SO AS TO BE ADAPTED TO PULL SAID STRIP MATERIAL FED BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE AXES THEREOF, ONE OF SAID ROLLERS BEING LOCATED AT THE STRAIGHT FLANGE SIDE OF SAID STRIP MATERIAL AND FORMING BETWEEN THAT ROLLER END WHICH FACES THE MACHINE FRAME AND SAID MACHINE FRAME AND ANNULAR SPACE FOR RECEIVING SAID STRAIGHT FLANGE ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID STRIP MATERIAL, THE WIDTH OF SAID ONE ROLLER EQUALLING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID PREFORMED MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID STRIP MATERIAL SO THAT SAID FOLDED-OVER FLANGE ABUTS AGAINST THE OTHER END OF SAID ONE ROLLER; RING-LIKE GUIDE MEANS FIXED TO SAID MACHINE FRAME AND EXTENDING ABOUT THE OTHER OF SAID ROLLERS, THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID GUIDE MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLING THE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE TO BE FORMED, SAID GUIDE MEANS HAVING A NARROW GUIDE FACE IN FORM OF A SINGLE HELICAL CONVOLUTION OF THE PIPE BEING FORMED, SAID GUIDE FACE STARTING FROM A POINT, WHICH WHEN VIEWED IN FEED DIRECTION OF SAID STRIP MATERIAL, IS LOCATED BACK OF THE ROLLERS ADJACENT TO THE LINE OF CONTACT OF THE ROLLERS NEAR THAT MARGINAL EDGE OF THE STRIP MATERIAL WHICH FACES THE MACHINE FRAME AND TERMINATING AT A POINT, WHICH WHEN VIEWED IN FEED DIRECTION, IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE ROLLERS ADJACENT TO THE LINE OF CONTACT OF THE ROLLERS NEAR THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE STRIP MATERIAL; SHORT SECOND GUIDE MEANS FIXED TO AND EXTENDING ALONG THE TERMINAL END OF SAID RING-LIKE GUIDE MEANS AND FORMING WITH THE LATTER A GUIDE SLOT FOR RECEIVING THE STRAIGHT FLANGE OF THE STRIP MATERIAL CONVOLUTED ONLY ONCE ABOUT SAID OTHER ROLLER AND GUIDING SAID STRAIGHT FLANGE INTO THE CHANNEL FORMED BY THE FOLDEDOVER FLANGE; AND AN OUTWARDLY WIDENING FRUSTO-CONICAL SEAM FOLDING MEANS FORMING AN EXTENSION OF SAID ONE ROLLER AND COOPERATING WITH THAT PORTION OF THE OTHER ROLLER WHICH IS ADJACENT TO SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL SEAM FOLDING MEANS FOR FORCING SAID FOLDED-OVER FLANGE WITH SAID STRAIGHT FLANGE LOCATED THEREIN AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE FORMED PIPE AND INTO A LOCK SEAM, SAID OTHER ROLLER TERMINATING APPROXIMATELY AT THAT POINT WHERE THE LOCK SEAM IS FORMED SO THAT THE FINISHED PIPE CAN LEAVE THE MACHINE IN A DIRECTION OBLIQUELY INCLINED TO THE ROLLER AXES.