US3260099A - Tube forming machine - Google Patents

Description

. July 12, 1966 F. E. ELGE TUBE FORMINGMACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 28, 1964 July 12, 1966 F. E. ELGE 3,260,099

TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO? FRANK g, ELGE Ewa/M July l2, 1966 F. E. ELGE 3,260,099

TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 6

INVENTOR.

FRANK E. ELGE BMQMMK( my July 12, 1966 F. E. ELGE 3,250,099

TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1964 l f 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I NVEN TOR.

Ffm/vk E. 1.45 BY July l2, 1966 F E. ELGE 3,260,099

TUBE FORMING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 28, 1964 #als lll-HH UHU FIG. IO

INVENTOR. FRAN K E. ELGE BY i July 12, 1966 F. E. ELGE TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 F I G. I3

INVENTOR.

FRANK E. ELGE Fl G. I4

United States Patent O 3,260,099 TUBE FGRMING MACHINE Frank E. Elge, Main St., Ludlow, Pa. Filed `luly 28, 1964, Ser. No. 385,701 3 Claims. (Cl. 72-422) This application is a continuation-impart of applica- -tion Serial No. 57,571, tiled September 2l, 1960, now Patent No. 3,150,437.

This invention relates to tube forming machines, and more particularly to tube forming machines having an improved pulling device .and an improved device to reduce the size of tubes.

In another embodiment of the invention, rotating rolls are used which are mounted with their axes at two approaching angles to the central axis of the tube. Two to four rolls are separately driven rotating around the tube and are mounted in a housing which rotates in the same direction as the pressure rolls.

Due to the two adjustable angles of the -rolls the motion imparted to the tubing between the rolls tends to move the tubing forward. This method utilizing rolls having their axis at two angles to the axis of the tubing are also contoured so that a hump or projection on the rolls bite into the tube wall thus reducing the wall without the tubing being rotated.

The two to four rolls having a hump or projection approaching the axes of the tube center line at an angle of not less than 1 and not more than 12 of the center line of the tube and a second feed angle of 1 and not more than 8 in 90 to the -rst angle approach of the rolls.

Arrangement of the reducing rolls under constant high pressure thus reduces the wall of the tube against a mandrel having been inserted inside the tube.

Another feature of this invention includes an improved pull unit. This unit provides a continuous pull on the tubing as the tubing is pulled through the machine. The unit constitutes an improvement over the pull unit disclosed in the prior application. The pull unit has the advantage that it requires only a single drive unit while that disclosed in the prior application requires a dual drive unit. The present pull unit is driven directly by speed reducers, thereby eliminating the double drive unit. The present pull unit is made up of a driver and id-ler sprocket, pull chains, cleats, and pressure device. The cleats release and grip the tubing alternately. The pressure device provided closes and applies pressure to these cleats and the unit is therefore more eflicient and can exert a greater pull on the tubing than that shown in the prior application.

Another advantage of the present pull unit is that the pressure is not applied to the chain as previously done, thereby substantially elongating the life of the chain. The 'blocks or cleats in t-he pull unit are held by keepers which can be turned horizontally with the cleats as the cleats are driven along the bottom of the cycle of their revolution, thus allowing .the cleats to drop out automatically. This changing of the cleats in the pull unit requires twenty minutes in one example as compared to four hours for changing the cleats in the prior designs.

A polyurethane or similar material can also be bonded or attached to the cleats. A pressure device can be placed against the cleat holders by :screw action or by hydraulic action or other suitable means. A motor reduction drive can be attached to the pressure screws and thus with .the use of a pressure measuring device, the screw pressure or the hydraulic pressure can be automatically kept constant by the pressure measuring device.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improved .tube pull unit in combination with a continuous tube forming machine.

Another object is to provide an improved pul-l unit in combinat-ion with a tube forming machine.

A further object is to provide an improved pull unit.

Another object is to provide an improved reduction unit.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes .may be made in the form, size, proportions, and

. minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a part of a top to the invention; p

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the machine according t-o the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side View of the machine constituting the other part attached to that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the single chain pull unit;

FIG. 5 is a side View of the device shown in FIG. 4;

lFIG. 6 is a side view of one of the links taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial side view in a cross -section of the machine.

FIG. l0 is a partial view of the device shown on line 10-10 of FIG. 9 showing the rolls in the position for reducing the tubing with the mandrel supported therein;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of one of the movable cleats on the chain hub;

FIG. 12 is a side view of another embodiment of a single pull unit;

FIG. 13 is an isometric`view showing the friction material on the inside surface of the cleats;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view showing the friction material with cleat spacer in offset.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, especially FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the machine disclosed herein has a coiler 1 for supporting a coil of strip material, for example, of stainless steel. The strip is fed through horizontal forming rolls 2 where it is formed in a generally channel shape and passes around a bar 4 which is attached to a mandrel holder 3 in turn xed to the machine frame. The strip then passes through vertical forming rolls S where the channel is closed to form a tube. The forming rolls are made up of rollers freely slidable and rotatable on shafts 2. The shafts 2 are carried on journals 91 which are adjustable inwardly by jack screws 92.

The tube so formed then passes through a welding unit 6, through a water cooling unit 7 which cools it after the weld and, from thence, to a cold drawing unit 8.

view of a machine according The unit 8 includes an arrangement of dies or rolls for reducing the outside diameter of the tubing and the wall cross sectional area of the tube. The tube wall reduction unit 8 includes an inside plug 48 at this point, more particularly shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and hereinafter more fully described.

Drawing compound is poured onto the outside of the tube by a dispensing unit 9 and the formed tube passes through a washing chamber 11 shown partly in FIG. 3 and partly in FIG. 2. From the washing chamber 11, the formed tube passes through an improved pull unit 13 having a pressure plate 14 and power applying means through screws 15 with a sensing device 16 for controlling the gripping pressure. The sensing device 16 includes a gauge as shown which may be a screen switch having a contact member 17 which controls the force on the pressure plate 14 to a predetermined pressure. The contact member 17 may be in the form of an electrical contact or it could be a hydraulic sensing unit for opening or closing the pressure plate 14 at the desired pressure. After leaving the pull unit, the tube passes through guide rolls 18, through an annealing furnace 19, through guide rolls 20 and a water cooling unit 21 to a liying cut-off saw 22.

FIG. 4 shows top view of single chain pull unit and FIG. is a side view.

The side View of FIG. 5 shows a chain made up of links 114 driven by chain sprocket 115 by motor 116.

FIG. 6 shows an end view of links 114 of the chain having two movable parts 117 fastened thereto. Thus, the parts 117 can slide on link 114 to close or open around the tube 120.

The pressure is applied by rollers 118 which are part of the pressure clamp 119.

In FIG. 4 the tubing 120 entering the pull unit passes the sliding cleats 117 held open by the spacer until they move toward the converging angle of pressure clamp 119. They seal at point 121 and move forward by the driven chain composed of links 114.

As the cleats 117 slide by the pressure 4clamp 119 fricltion between the moving cleats is reduced by the rollers 118 in the side of pressure clamp 119.

The cleats 117 being compressed tightly around the tube during the length of the pressure clamp 119 are pushed open again by spacer 122 which moves the cleat 117 away from the tube.

To obtain gripping pressure of cleats, the pressure clamps 119 are made movable by action of a screw device 123 being motor driven to open or close or by hydraulic cylinders 124 performing the same function.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 9 and l0, the support 310 is shown having bearings 311 which have their outer races fixed to the support 310 and their inner races xed to the rotary reducer outside frame 315. The outside frame is also fixed to the gear 316 that is driven by the motor 317 by way of pinion 318.

The rotary reducer frame 315 supports the motor driven rolls 312 and 313 which are driven by the motors 314. The motors 314 are supported on the movable frames 319 that move radially in and out on guides 320 and are urged inwardly by spring 321. The movable frames 319 are driven toward the tube 4 by means of the piston 322 which is slidable in cylinder 323 suitably connected to a source of hydraulic pressure. The piston 322 has a piston rod 324 secured thereto which engages the cam surface 325 with its tapered point and when a pressure is exerted inside the cylinder 323 behind the piston 322, the piston will urge the cam block 327 inward and since the cam blo-ck has the motor 314 and rolls 313 attached to it, they will all move inwardly guided by the guide 320. The mandrel 330 is connected to a support rod 331 and it sizes the inside of the tube. The rollers 313 stretch reduce the tube thereby reducing the wall thickness of the tube. In this operation, the mandrel 330 4 may be slightly smaller than the inside of the tube so that it can be inserted.

FIG. l0 is a partial View of the rolls shown on line 10-10 of FIG. 9. The shafts 312 are at a l to 12 angle as well as the second angle of l to 8.

FIG. l1 shows a view of the movable cleats 417 sliding on the one piece grooved chain hub 414 which has a polyurethane lining 432 to hold the tube.

FIG. l2 shows another embodiment of the single chain pull unit, in which each link has gear teeth 525 being driven by gears 526.

The chain link 53) with gear teeth 525 are made in one piece and linked to move over non-driven pulleys 528.

The cleat 529 again is made to slide side Ways by sliding in groove cut in chain link 530.

FIG. 13 shows the insertion of polyurethane friction material on the inside surface of the cleats 633. The moulded polyurethane 632 is attached to the grooved cleat 633.

FIG. 14 shows the polyurethane 634 cut from sheet, and placed into offset space 63S in the cleat.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modiication within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are dehned as follows:

1. A pull unit for a tube comprising spaced sprockets,

Adrive means for said sprockets,

a chain on said sprockets,

spaced cleat means on the ou-ter periphery of said chain link,

sa-id cleat means having a first and a second member movable relative to each other,

a normally fixed cam member attached to said pull unit,

a movable member spaced from said normally lixed cam member, said cleat means bein-g movable between said normally 'iixed cam member and said movable merriber,

said normally fixed cam mem-ber and said movable member having rollers mounted in races thereon engaging said cleat means as they move therealong,

and means to force said movable member toward said normally fixed cam member whereby said cleat means )are forced in a line parallel to a diameter of said tube into engagement by said force me-ans whereby said chain pulls said tube in the direction of travel of a part of said chain.

2. The unit recited in claim 1 wherein said cleats have an intermediate part attached to one link of said chain and two of said cleats slidably sup- -ported thereon. 3. A pull unit for a tubing mil-l for pulling tubing through said mill comprising spaced rotating members, a chain having links around said rotating members, said chain/having cleats supported thereon, said cleats Ihaving an intermediate part attached to a link of said chain and two of said cleats being slidably supported thereon being movable laterally of said chain in translation in a line parallel to a diameter of said tube,

means moving said cleats toward each other and forcing them into engagement with said tubing whereby -said tube is clamped between said cleats,

reduction means on said machine to reduce the size of said tube,

said reduction means comprising a mandrel supported on said machine and adapted to engage the inside of said tube,

and rollers supported on said machine with their axes extending generally in the direction of said tube and inclined slightly thereto whereby the periphery of said rollers makes forcible engagement With said tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,729 r11/1919 iFriel 205-22 1,499,533 7/11924 Katzenrneyer 80-13 2,060,767 11/ 11936 Assel 80 2,060,768 11/1936 Inscho 205-7 Assel 80-5'8 McCray 80-13 Hendrickson 80-11.1 Arata 80-13 Powell 29-544 Ca-pgfras 205-22 CHARLES W. LAN-HAM, Primary Examiner.

Assel 80:13 1o H. D. HoINK-Es, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 3. A PULL UNIT FOR A TUBING MILL FOR PULLING TUBING THROUGH SAID MILL COMPRISING SPACED ROTATING MEMBERS, A CHAIN HAVING LINKS AROUND SAID ROTATING MEMBERS, SAID CHAIN HAVING CLEATS SUPPORTED THEREON, SAID CLEATS HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE PART ATTACHED TO A LINK OF SAID CHAIN AND TWO OF SAID CLEATS BEING SLIDABLY SUPPORTED THEREON BEING MOVABLE LATERALLY OF SAID CHAIN IN TRANSLATION IN A LINE PARALLEL TO A DIAMETER OF SAID TUBE, MEANS MOVING SAID CLEATS TOWARD EACH OTHER AND FORCINT THEM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TUBING WHEREBY SAID TUBE IS CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID CLEATS, REDUCTION MEANS ON SAID MACHINE TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF SAID TUBE, SAID REDUCTION MEANS COMPRISING A MANDREL SUPPORTED ON SAID MACHINE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE, AND ROLLERS SUPPORTED ON SAID MACHINE WITH THEIR AXES EXTENDING GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID TUBE AND INCLINED SLIGHTLY THERETO WHEREBY THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLERS MAKES FORCIBLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TUBE.

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