US734299A - Tube-forming apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 734,299. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

' W. CAIRNS.

TUBE FORMING APPARATUS.

N APPLICATION FILED D50. 12, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TVZ'tzzesss v 2167i 601 No. 734,299. 1 V PATENTED JULY 21, 1903. W. CAIRNS. TUBE FORMING APPARATUS.

- APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 12, 1902.

N0 MODEL. I Z'HHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES l E atented-duly 21, 19021 PATENT OFFICE.

' WVILLIAM CAIRNS, OF ELYRI A, OHIO, AS SIGNOR TO THE ELYRIA IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TUBE-FORMING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 734,299, dated July 21, 1903. Application filed December 12,1902. Serial No- 134,967. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CAIRNS, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Elyria,

in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tube-Forming Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

By the method generally employed for bending metal strips into tubular form the strip or skelp is first bent longitudinally midway between its edges into U shape, the sides of the U being after this initial bending substantially straight and nearly parallel. This bent trough-like structure is then forced through a suitable former by which these straight sides are gradually bent to bring their edges together, and the tube is finished as well as may be between finishing-rolls. This method of making tubes is objectionable,

because it is practically impossible to bend By the method which the mechanism here- I inafter described is adapted to carry out the skelp is first bent longitudinally along both its edges into the circular arc form whichthey ought to have in the finished tube; and. then the intermediate part of the slielpisbent gradually and progressively toward the 3 longitudinal center thereof until the initiallycurved edges are in contact, and thereby; there is formed a tube which is a perfect,

1 change in the radius *of curvature.

circle in cross-section.

The invention relates to mechanism for' bending the skelp int-o tubular form by the method last above referred to; and the inveution of the mechanism embodying my inven-,

tion. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view of the rolls for initially bending the skelp. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the former into which the initially-bent skelp passes after leaving the forming-rolls. Fig. 5

. .is a side View, partlyin longitudinal vertical section, of said former. Figs. 6, 7, S, 9 and 10 are respectively transverse vertical sectional views of said former in the planes of lines 6 6 7 7 8 8 0 9 10 10, respectively.

Referring to the parts by letters, A B' represent two forming-rolls mounted in suitable housings O C. On the periphery of the roll I A is an annular tongue at, which isfitted to the annular groove 12 in the periphery of the roll B, the space between the tongue and groove being of the shape in whichit is desired to initially bend the skelp. The face of the tongue at is flat; but the sides thereof are curved into circular arcs of something less than ninety degrees of the same radius as the finished tube is to be, and the groove 1) is similarly formed.

D and E represent two finishing rolls mounted in suitable housings C asuitable distance from the rolls A B. Each of these rolls D and E has a substantially semic'ylindrical groove in its periphery, one of which grooves is indicated by d inFig. 2. Between these pairs of rolls is a former, haviugbetween the fixed bottom plate G and the removable coverplate F, which rests upon the bottom plate, a channel, which at the eutrance end is shaped to fit the bent skelp as it emerges' from the forming-rolls A and B.- that is to say, this channel is flat in its middle part; but at its'sides it is curved upward in circular arcs. In assuming the cylindrical form the fiat middle part of the channel gradually grows narrower, while the curved sides thereof gradually increase in length without change of the form is gradual and such that the curve initially given to the edges of the skelp is gradually extended'inward toward the longitudinal center, which is the last part of the skelp to be given this circular curve.

A mandrel M, which is anchored to the cover plate at a suitable point, extends through this channel and out of thedischarge end thereof and' to a point between the finishing-rolls D E. As the skelp is bent bythe former the edges are carried over and around this mandrel. On the inner side of the coverplate there is a centrally-placed longitudinal tongue 1, of gradually decreasing width,

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' unequal bending of the skelp on opposite sidesofthelongitudinalcenterthereof. This tongue also holds the mandrel down, so that it shall always be the proper distance from the bottom of the channel.

The cover-plate F is made of two parts, of which the partfcovers the receiving end of the channel and the parlf covers the delivery end. At the receiving end of the former both the bottom plate and cover-plate are curved to fit the curvature of the rollsA B, between which they pass as far as practicablethat is to say, these curved edges touch or almost touch the faces of the rolls just behind the plane in which these rolls are nearest together. The partf of the cover-plate projects at its other end under a lip f project ing from the part f. A set-screw H passes through a lugf on top of the partfand engages with the end of said lip f By turning the setscrew the position of the part f relative to the rolls A B may be regulated. The part f of the cover-plate is held down upon the base-plate by the following means, to wit: Two lugs g project upward from the base-plate on opposite sides of the coverplate, and their projecting upper ends are undercut. Two lugs extend laterally from the cover-plate and are beveled to fit beneath the undercut portion of said lugs. Near the opposite end of the cover-plate there are two side lugs 9 extending up from the baseplate, which are also undercut. A wedgeshaped key N, resting upon the cover-plate, bears at one side against a shoulderf thereon, while its other edge is beveled and engages beneath the undercut portions of the lugs 9 K represents a guide for delivering the skelp properly to the rolls A B. As shown, it is a trough-like plate having a cover 7.), whose upward movement is prevented by the overhanging lugs 7t.

In using the described apparatus the skelp J is first cut into V shape at its front end, so that it may enter between the rolls A B. The skelp is then pushed along in the guide K by hand or by mechanism, as deemed advisable, until the pointed front end thereof passes between the rolls A B. Thereafter these rolls not only initially bend the sides of the skelp, but also force it along through the former G, by which it is curved, as stated. When it emerges from the former, it is almost a cylin der, and it embraces the mandrel, the front swelled end on of which lies between the two finishing-rolls D E. These rolls complete the tube, bending it closely over the swelled end of said mandrel.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus for forming tubes, the combination of two forming-rolls having respectively a tongue and groove whose faces are fiat and whose sides are curved in circular arcs, with a former into which the bent skelp is delivered from said rolls, which former contains a channel which fits the bent skelp as it is delivered from said roll, and which gradually assumes a circular form in cross-section, a mandrel in said channel anchored to the top wall thereof and extending out of the delivery end, and two grooved fin ishing-rolls between which the end of said mandrel projects.

2. In an apparatus for forming metal tubes, a former consisting of a base-plate and a removable cover-plate between which is a channel having a flat center of gradually-decreasing width from the receiving to the delivery end thereof and having are shaped sides which increase in length without changing the radius of curvature.

3. In an apparatus for forming tubes, a former consisting of a base-plate, and a coverplate, between which is a forming-channel, said cover-plate being formed in two parts of which the part covering the delivery end of the channel has a lip which overhangs the part covering the receiving end thereof, a set-screw carried by one of said cover-plate sections and engaging with the other, and means for securing together the base-plate and that part of the cover-plate which is at the delivery end of the former.

4. In an apparatus for forming metal tubes, a former curved at its front end to fit the curvature of a pair of rolls, and consistingof a fixed base-plate, and a cover-plate which rests upon the base-plate, and is formed of two parts of which the part, whose front end is curved, lies beneath a lip on the other part, a set-screw carried by the front part and engaging with the other part, there being between the base-plate and the two-part coverplate a. forming-channel, and means for securing together the base-plate and that end of the cover-plate which is at the delivery end of said former.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CAIRNS.

Witnesses:

E. B. GILOHRIST, E. L. THURSTON.

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