US3518405A - Production of annealed tubing by strand annealing process - Google Patents

Production of annealed tubing by strand annealing process Download PDF

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Publication number
US3518405A
US3518405A US706589A US3518405DA US3518405A US 3518405 A US3518405 A US 3518405A US 706589 A US706589 A US 706589A US 3518405D A US3518405D A US 3518405DA US 3518405 A US3518405 A US 3518405A
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United States
Prior art keywords
tubing
contact
wheel
wheels
annealing
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Expired - Lifetime
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US706589A
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English (en)
Inventor
James L Herren
Edward P Habdas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP A DE CORP
Bank of Nova Scotia
CALUMET AND HECLA CORP
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CALUMET AND HECLA CORP
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Publication of US3518405A publication Critical patent/US3518405A/en
Assigned to WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A DE. CORP. reassignment WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A DE. CORP. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: UOP INC.,
Assigned to BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, THE reassignment BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP. A CORP. OF DE
Assigned to WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP., A DE CORP reassignment WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP., A DE CORP ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.,
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
    • C21D1/34—Methods of heating
    • C21D1/40—Direct resistance heating
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/0004—Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated
    • H05B3/0009—Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated the material to be heated being in motion

Definitions

  • the invention relates to continuous annealing or heat treatment of metal tubing such for example as relatively thin-walled copper tubing.
  • the invention is not of course limited to copper but is applicable to tubing formed of copper alloys, aluminum or aluminum alloys, steel or the like.
  • the tubing may be supplied on a reel from which it is unwound and passed through the annealing equipment, after which it may be rewound on a reel.
  • the tubing may comprise straight lengths which preferably are bent for more efficient wheel contact as it passes around a contact wheel but which is straightened after the annealing process is completed.
  • annealing tubing is quite different from annealing wire or rod for example, because of the difficulty in causing the tubing to bend smoothly and uniformly as it advances around a portion of a contacting wheel.
  • Metal tubing tends to undergo local bending or kinking, leading to vibration or bouncing, which in turn leads to sparkling betweeen the contact wheel and the tubing.
  • this sparking cannot be tolerated. In the first place, it leads to pitting and possible puncture of thin-walled tubing. Even if this does not occur, the sparking results in pitting both of the tubing and the wheel and as the pit on the wheel comes around into contact with the tubing there is a tendency for further sparking which aggravates the problem.
  • tubing has a much lower tensile strength than wire having the same cross-sectional area of metal. Furthermore, bending of tubing produces temporary thickening at the inside of the bend and corresponding thinning of the tubing at the outside'of the bend. In addition, problem are encountered in introducting the necessary relatively heavy current flow into thin-walled tubing suflicient to produce the entire current density through the entire periphery of the tubing, without producing a sufliciently heavy current flow at the zone of contact to burn or otherwise damage the material of the tubing.
  • electrically conducting metal tubing preferably of relatively small size as for example between A" and 1" outside diameter
  • electrical contact wheels Associated with the electrical contact wheels are guide wheels positioned to cause the tubing to be bent as it passes around a portion of the periphery of the contacting wheels. It has been found that harmful sparking occurs most significantly at the exit contact wheel, and accordingly, at least this wheel, and if desired, both electrical contact wheels, are provided with grooved peripheral portions of spark or are suppressing material. Best results have been encountered when the peripheral grooved portion of the contact wheels is formed of electrographitic material.
  • It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide annealing equipment for thin-walled metal tubing comprising a pair of peripherally grooved electrical contact wheels over which tubing is continuously advanced, and providing at least one of the Wheels with a peripheral grooved portion formed of spark supperssing material.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view showing the annealing equipment.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-2, FIG. 1.
  • the annealing equipment is provided in an arrangement illustrated more or less diagrammatically in FIG. 1.
  • the guide wheel being provided at the tube entering end of the equipment, and the guide wheel 12 being provided at the tube exiting end of the equipment.
  • Electrical contact wheels 14 and 16 are provided to engage an intermediate portion of the tube T.
  • All of the wheels are mounted in relatively thin sealed housings 18, 20, 22 and 24, and connecting tube 26, 28 and 30 are provided intermediate the housings to protect the tubing from oxidation.
  • a gas is introduced into the housing 24 in which the wheel 12 is located, and this gas may be deoxidizing natural gas or cracked gas. The gas is caused to flow successively through the housing 24, tube 30, housing 22, tube 28, housing 20, tube 26 into the housing 18 from which it exhausts.
  • the problem in annealing the tubing is of course to bring the tubing as it is continuously advanced, to the proper annealing temperature, after which the tubing is cooled or quenched as required, such for example as by passing it through a water bath or water spary.
  • This is most conveniently accomplished during continuous advance of the tubing by causing the tubing to advance between a pair of electrical contact wheels 14 and 16 suitably connected into an electric circuit so that the portion of the tubing which is intermediate the wheels 14 and 16 forms a part of the circuit.
  • the portion of the tubing intermediate the contact wheels is heated by electrical resistance heating as it advances so that as it leaves the exit contact wheel 16 it is at the required temperature for further processing.
  • this harmful sparking which previously produced burned areas on the tubing and also produced pitting of the tube and wheel, has been substantially completely eliminated by forming at least the exit wheel 16 in an arrangement best seen in FIG. 2.
  • the wheel 16 is carried by a shaft 32 which extends through an opening 34 in the housing 22.
  • the opening is sealed by a suitable seal indicated generally at 36 which prevents escape of the deoxidizing gas circulated through the housing 22.
  • the wheel assembly 16 comprises the wheel 38, which may be formed of cooper or aluminum, and is attached to a flange 40 on the shaft 32 by suitable means such as screws 42.
  • At the periphery of the metal wheel 38 is an annular electrical contact ring 44 provided with a peripheral groove 46.
  • the contact ring 44 is secured to a mounting ring 48 by screws 50, the mounting ring 48 in turn being attached to the wheel 38 by mounting screws 52.
  • the groove 46 in the contact ring 44 is preferably provided with straight side walls having an included angle of approximately 60 degrees and terminating in a circular fillet at the bottom having a radius somewhat less than 0.200.
  • the material of the contact ring 44 is a spark suppressing material and excellent results having been obtained when the material is an electrographitic material of the type commonly used for electrical contact brushes.
  • a suitable material for this ring is furnished by the General Electric Company under their grade designation of ME18 brush material and is described by the supplier as an electrographitic material of moderate hardness, the final product being of a fairly highly graphic nature. The material is described as having the following physical properties:
  • One of the problems which is involved is relative slippage between the tubing an the peripheral portion of the electrical contact wheels due to the expansion of the tubing as it is brought to annealing temperature.
  • all of the wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 are driven at uniform peripheral speed.
  • the electrographitic peripheral portion of the electrical contact wheels apparently facilitates this slippage wtihout particular wear on the groove 46. Tests indicate that a contact ring 44 formed of the electrographitic material described 'will have a useful life of over one year, operated two shifts a day, or a life expectancy of two years if operated only a single shift a day.
  • the wheel operates efiiciently without producing serious sparking problems even prior to initial wear or break-in, and as indicated above, continues to operate with an extremely long life expectancy.
  • the electrographitic material of the ring 44 has extremely good wearing properties in contact with the advancing tubing, the material is relatively brittle and it is desirable to support the ring by a support ring 54 which engages most of the outer area of the contact ring 44 and is retained in position by a multiplicity of mounting screws 56.
  • a water spray directed against the outer surface of the wheel 38 and a suitable nozzle for this purpose is indicated diagrammatically at 58.
  • the mounting screws 56 which attach the ring 54 to the wheel 38 also mount a dished guide plate 60 in the relationship illustrated in FIG. 2, which serves as a deflector for preventing water from flowing around the underside of the wheel into the contact groove 46.
  • While the electric current may be supplied to the contact ring 46 through the shaft 32 and the wheel 38, it is preferable to provide a shorter flow path by mounting brushes 62 within the housing 22 in contact with the mounting ring 48 and in close proximity to the contact ring 44. As illustrated in the figure, the brushes 62 are maintained in contact with the mounting ring 48 by compression springs 64 located in hollow mounting brackets 66.
  • the electrical wiring 68 extends through an opening in the housing provided with a gas-tight seal 70.
  • rollers 72 are provided to engage the surfaces of the mounting ring 48 diametrically opposite to the portions thereof engaged by the brushes 62.
  • a pair of peripherally grooved electrical contact wheels a pair of guide rolls positioned to cause advancing tubing to be bent around both of the contact wheels through a substantial arc, means for connecting an electric circuit to the contact wheels so as to require current to flow through the portion of tubing intermediate the contact wheels, means for advancing the tubing continuously and rotating the wheels, the peripheral portion of at least one of the electrical contact wheels being formed of electrographitic spark suppressing material.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Strip Materials And Filament Materials (AREA)
  • Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
US706589A 1968-02-19 1968-02-19 Production of annealed tubing by strand annealing process Expired - Lifetime US3518405A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US70658968A 1968-02-19 1968-02-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3518405A true US3518405A (en) 1970-06-30

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US706589A Expired - Lifetime US3518405A (en) 1968-02-19 1968-02-19 Production of annealed tubing by strand annealing process

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3518405A (fr)
BE (1) BE726672A (fr)
DE (1) DE1907920A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR1600648A (fr)
GB (1) GB1181050A (fr)
SE (1) SE342844B (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3799518A (en) * 1973-01-04 1974-03-26 Anaconda Co Wire drawing annealers
US3830478A (en) * 1973-01-10 1974-08-20 Technofil Spa Continuous metal wire annealing furnace
US3989923A (en) * 1972-10-11 1976-11-02 International Standard Electric Corporation Wire heat treating apparatus
US4116422A (en) * 1977-05-16 1978-09-26 Essex Group, Inc. Wire annealing apparatus
US20120085745A1 (en) * 2010-10-08 2012-04-12 Cambro Manufacturing Company Dual Climate Cart and Tray for Accommodating Comestible Items and a Method of Operating the Same
CN107974546A (zh) * 2017-12-21 2018-05-01 杭州河合电器股份有限公司 一种发热管双工位局部退火自动化设备
EP3703877A4 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2021-08-11 Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings, LLC Système et procédé de chauffage et de ré-arrondissement de tuyau enroulable

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1406317A (en) * 1972-10-11 1975-09-17 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Thermal conditioning of wire

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2240019A (en) * 1938-10-21 1941-04-29 Bundy Tubing Co Method of making and cooling tubes
US3398258A (en) * 1965-09-21 1968-08-20 Gkn Somerset Wire Ltd Apparatus for improving the tensile properties of wire

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2240019A (en) * 1938-10-21 1941-04-29 Bundy Tubing Co Method of making and cooling tubes
US3398258A (en) * 1965-09-21 1968-08-20 Gkn Somerset Wire Ltd Apparatus for improving the tensile properties of wire

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3989923A (en) * 1972-10-11 1976-11-02 International Standard Electric Corporation Wire heat treating apparatus
US3799518A (en) * 1973-01-04 1974-03-26 Anaconda Co Wire drawing annealers
US3830478A (en) * 1973-01-10 1974-08-20 Technofil Spa Continuous metal wire annealing furnace
US4116422A (en) * 1977-05-16 1978-09-26 Essex Group, Inc. Wire annealing apparatus
US20120085745A1 (en) * 2010-10-08 2012-04-12 Cambro Manufacturing Company Dual Climate Cart and Tray for Accommodating Comestible Items and a Method of Operating the Same
EP3703877A4 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2021-08-11 Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings, LLC Système et procédé de chauffage et de ré-arrondissement de tuyau enroulable
CN107974546A (zh) * 2017-12-21 2018-05-01 杭州河合电器股份有限公司 一种发热管双工位局部退火自动化设备
CN107974546B (zh) * 2017-12-21 2023-05-05 杭州热威电热科技股份有限公司 一种发热管双工位局部退火自动化设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1600648A (fr) 1970-07-27
SE342844B (fr) 1972-02-21
DE1907920A1 (de) 1969-09-25
BE726672A (fr) 1969-07-09
GB1181050A (en) 1970-02-11

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Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A DE. CORP.,ALABAMA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:UOP INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004657/0711

Effective date: 19861027

Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., 2100 MARKET STREET, N.E., DE

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:UOP INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004657/0711

Effective date: 19861027

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Effective date: 19870313

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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004728/0083

Effective date: 19870318

Owner name: WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP., CORPORATION TRUST CEN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004728/0083

Effective date: 19870318