Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Back~round o~ the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for making spiral-
seamed pipe and more particularly to a non-rotating two-part
, mandrel which can be quickly ad~usted for making spiral-seamed
pipe of different diametrical sizes.
Heretofore spiral-seamed pipe has been usually made on
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rotating cylindrical mandrels, a different mandrel being required
for each diameter of pipe, or have been made using a plurality
oi' curve-plates and rollers attached to a framework requiring a
difi'erent adjustment of each plate and roller when the diametrical -
- 10 size of pipe being produced is changedO The readjustment of rollers
and the changing of parts for changing from one pipe size to the
other requires considerable time resulting in loss of use of the
machine each time the machine is readjusted.
The principal object of the present invention is to
provide a mandrel for producing spiral-seamed pipe which can -
; be quickly and accurately readjusted for producing pipes of -~
different diametrical sizes.
Summar~ of the I_vention
The present invention contemplates a two-part mandrel,
the two parts being connected by a pivot pin and being angularly
adjustable about the pin in a horizontal plane for different
diameters of pipe. Provision is made for locking the parts in
the selected ad~usted position.
Like other spiral-seamed pipe machines, the metal for
the pipe is supplied by forming a strip in a conventional forming
mill, the strip being continuously drawn in one or more layers from
a roll or rolls of sheet metal, usually steel. The forming mill
has synchronously driven rollers for forming the strip, as for
corrugating one or all layers and also for forming an upstanding
male locking hook along one edge and an upstanding and downwardly
opening female locking hook along the opposite edge~ A
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conventional bending roll bends the ~ormed strip as it comes
-~- off the mill and is continuously fed forward by the rollers of
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the mill.
The mandrel lower part is substantially semicylindrical
~or the major and outer portion of its length and has its
inner end secured to a support, such as a tower, under the
~orming mill and it projects horiæontally out from under the
` mill at an angle to the ~orward path o~ the strips so that
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the female hook at the outer edge of the strip passes above
and aligned with the axis o~ the pivot pin. The top sur~ace
of the lower part is flat along the major and outer portion
of its length and as the downwardly bent strip passes around
the mandrel it is angularly guided by the forward side o~
the mandrel lower part,
The mandrel upper part has a ~lat rectangular plate
` at its bottom through which the pivot pin passes and the plate
carries a way in which a slide is guided longitudinally of
the plate. The slide carries an upwardly convex, curved guide
plate which may conveniently be of the same radius of curvature
as the side o~ the lower part, the guide plate being pivotally
secured to the slide along one side so as to be tiltable upward
with respect to the slideO An hydraulic cylinder carried by
the slide is provided ~or selectively tilting the guide plate
upward.
The inward end of the slide is linked by a channel-
type connector to a second slide carrying a turntable. The
turntable is capable of a limited angular adjustment and means
are provided ~or locking the turntable in adjusted position.
The turntable carries a support for a roller shaft
which rotatably supports a lower pinch roll, the upper pinch
roll being adjustably carried by the tower outside the ~ormed
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pipe. The lower pinch roll sha~t has ends radially of~set from
the roller carrying center of the shaft and means are provided
on the turntable for rotating the shaft so that the roller may
be adjusted up and down with respect to the way.
: Screw and nut means are provided on the slide and
way so that the slide and turntable may be selectively positioned
along the wayO
When changing pipe size the angular adjustment of
the mandrel parts is ~irst made and then the ~irst turn of
the strip is drawn down against the lower part, then around
the mandrel and against the guide plate, and the guide plate
is raised or lowered so that the male locking hook at the
leading end o~ the first turn is directed toward the downward
opening of the female hook o~ the second turn, the curved guide
plate angularly guiding the first turn in this direction.
The upper and lower pinch rolls are then adjusted
for clinching the hooks for ~orming the seam. The pipe can
then be continuously formed. ~
An exit conveyor is provided for rotatably supporting -
the ~ormed pipe and carrying it away from the mandrel as it
is formed. The conveyor is pivotally attached to the tower `
~or angular adjustment to carry the formed pipe. The conveyor
` platform carries longitudinally extending rollers on which the
formed pipe may rotate as the ~ormed pipe is pushed away from
the mandrel by the formation process. The conveyor platform
is vertically adjustable and the conveyor roller spacing is
adjustable so that the conveyor rollers may be positioned to
rotatably support ~ormed pipe of widely different diametrical
sizes.
It has been found in practice that, whereas the
machine adjustment o~ the rotating type mandrel consumed at
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least a half of a working day's time, it requires ODly about a
half hour to adjust the mandrel o~ the present invention when the
pipe size is changed.
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Brief DescriE~l~n~ o~ the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a mandrel according to
the invention, certain parts being omitted for clarity;
Figo 2 is a side elevational view o~ the lower part
thereof;
Fig. 3, on sheet two of the drawings, is an end
elevational view thereof as viewed from the left in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a plan view thereo~;
-~ Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mandrel upper part,
~- certain parts being omitted for clarity;
Fig. 6 is an end view of a portion thereof as
viewed ~rom the left in Figo 5;
Fig. 7 is an end view oi' the slide and way portion
of the mandrel upper part as viewed i'rom the left in Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5;
Figo 9, on sheet three o~ the drawings, is a plan
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!, 20 view on an enlarged scale of the slide and way portion of the
~; mandrel upper part, the curved guide plate being elevated;
Fig. lO,is a sectional view on line 10-10 of
Fig. 9, the guide plate being in normal position;
Fig~ 11 is a side elevational view of a portion of
the slide portion of the mandrel upper part, the connection between
slide and turntable being in section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;
Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view on an
enlarged scale of the pinch roll and its support shown in Fig. 9;
Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the line 13-13 of
Figo 9;
Fig. 14 is an end view o~ the pinch roll and its support
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as viewed ~rom the right in Fig. 9;
Fig. 15, on sheet 5 of the drawings, is a plan view
on a reduced scale of the mandrel and its support and associated
structure;
Fig~ 16 is a perspective, fragmentary view, on an
enlarged scale, of the mandrel and its associated structure,
details of the turntable being omitted for clarity;
Fig. 17, on sheet ~ of the drawings, is a perspective
view on a reduced scale of a portion of pipe Pormed on the
mandrel and the mandrel as viewed from the left in Figo 16;
Fig. 18 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional view
;- of the metal strip ~ed to the mandrel as indicated in Fig. 15; and
Figs. 19 and 20 are fragmentary sectional views,
respectively, of two turns of strip interengaged, and two
interengaged turns with the seam clinched.
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Description of the Pre~erred Embodiment
Referring first to Fig. 1, a two-part or portion
mandrel 21 comprises a lower part 22 and an upper part 23 shown
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with slide and way portions omitted.
As best seen in Figs ~ 2 ~ 3 and 4, the lower part 22
comprises a steel tube which has been cut down, except for a portion
24 (Fig. 4) at one end and a ~ragmentary portion 25 (Figso 2 and
4) at the same end along one side, to a generally semicylindrical
configuration and provided with a flat plate 26 welded, as best
seen in Fig. 3~ to the cut-down tube to provide a flat top surface
extending along the major portion o~ the length of part 22
Referring to Figo 3, it will be seen that, by addition of the
plate 26, the left hand end of the part exceeds a semi-cylinder.
For forming pipe of varying diametrical sizes from
30 12" to 96" inside diameter, the outer surface o~ the part 22 is
machined and polished to a diameter of a fraction of an inch
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less than 12". Vertically extending reinforcing ribs 27 and 28
are provided, as shown in Fig~ 3~ As shown in Fig 7 4, corners
of the ends are cut away at 29 and 30, the latter being filled
and rounded as shown in Figo 3 to provide relief from interference
at this end in producing some of the smaller sizes of pipeO
At the right in Figs. 2 and 4 a carefully located rod 31
is fitted vertically with respect to the top of plate 26 and
fixed by welding, its ends extending trunnion-like above and
below part 22 and through portion 240 This provides means
i70r attaching the part 22 to its support and this end is
hereinafter called the inner end.
As best seen in Fig. 2, a slot 32 is cut between a
laterally projecting ear 33 and plate 26, it being noted that a
corresponding slot is cut through the reinforcing rib 28. Two
spaced ears 34 adjacent ear 33 project laterally from the lower
portion of part 22, as best seen in Fig. 3, the ears being
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attached by weldingO
Approximately midway between slot 32 and the left
end (Figs, 2 and 4~ of part 22 a vertically extending hole
20 is cut in plate 26 and rib 27 and pivot pin 35 is secured by
welding in the hole projecting upward from plate 26. The
end of the part to the left of pin 35 is hereinafter rei'erred
to as the outer endO
; Re~erring now to Figs~ 5 and 6, the mandrel part 23
comprises a rectangular metal bottom plate 36, a pivot pin
hole 37 extending through this plate, and an extension arm 38
welded to the plate 36, At the inner end o~ arm 38 an arcuate
clamping wing 39 is secured by welding, fillets being provided
at 40 and 41 for additional strength. Wing 39 has an arcuate
slot 43 therethrough as shown. When the mandrel is assembled
with the pivot pin 35 extending through the hole 37, part 23 is
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then swung so that wing 39 extends through slot 32.
The top surface of part 22 and the bottom surface of
; plate 36 being ground and polished flat, the mandrel parts 22
and 23 can thereafter be easily adjusted through a range of
angles and wing 39 can then be locked in position by a clamping
bolt 44, passing through slot 43 of the wing and an appropriate
hole in ear 33, and clamped to the ear by a nut 45 as shown
` in Figo 1~
, As shown in Fig. 5, a way 46 is formed on top of
10 plate 36 by gib rails 47 spaced from plate 36 by spacers 48
(Fig. 8). The rails and spacers are secured to plate 36 by
a plurality of bolts, not shown, or may be welded in place.
An end block 49 (Fig. 7) is bolted to plate 36.
Referring now to Figs. 9, 10 and 11 a slide 50 is
carried in the way 46, the slide having a pair of upwardly
projecting hinge members 51 which also project to one side of
the way, the forward side, and extend downward outside the
gib rail 47 on that side, as best seen in Fig. 10.
An upwardly convex curved guide plate 52 is carried
by slide 50. Plate 50 may be made from a portion of the tube
cut away to form the mandrel lower part 22 and a pair of spaced
hinge ears 53 are welded to plate 52, as shown, a pivot rod 54,
passing through appropriate holes in members 51 and ears 53,
hingedly connect guide plate 52 to slide 50c
Slide 50 also has an upwardly projecting control
block 55 with a hole therethrough as shown. A control bolt 56, best
seen in Fig. 16, extends through a threaded hole in end block 49
and through the hole in block 55 D A pair of nuts 57 on the bolt on
either side of block 55 are prevented from turning on the bolt
by pins therethrough so that, as bolt 56 is turned the slide is
adjusted in position along the wayO
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` As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, slide 50 also carries a hydraulic
.~ cylinder 60 whose piston ordinarily contacts the under surface of the
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guide plate 52. As shown in Figs. 9 and 16, fluid under pressure is
supplied by a flexible hose 61 which may be connected to a supply
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source connected to the support structure for the mandrel 21 and
controlled by a valve near the mandrel for selectively raising the
guide plate 52.
As seen in Figs. 9 and 11, slide 50 is connected to a
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~i second turntable slide 62 by a channel-type coupling 63. One up-
,~,,.. ' 10 standing flange of the connector 63 is received in a transversely: .
extending slot 64 in the bottom of slide 50 and the other upstanding
~,!', flange is arcuate and is received in an arcuate slot 65 in the bottom
:,~ of the turntable slide 62.
~` Turntable 62 has projecting plate 66 welded to its top
andtheprojecting portion of the plate overlies a portion of con-
; nector 63 which carries an upward projecting bolt anchor 67 welded
thereto. The bolt 68 anchored in projection 67 projects upward
; through an arcuate slot 69 in plate 66 and a nut 70 is provided
for locking plate 66 to anchor 67. The arcuate slots are arranged
- 20 around the center of turntable 66 so that the turntable is capable
; of limited rotation.
The turntable 62 also carries a U-shaped roller support
70A welded or otherwise secured to the turntable top, the two up-
wardly projecting legs 71 and 72 of the support being shown in
Fig. 9. Referring to Fig. 12, a lower pinch roll 73 is mounted on
a shaft 74 by means of a ball bearing assembly 75 whose outer race
is anchored in the roll by a snap ring 76. The axis of ends 74a and
74b of shaft 74 are off-center from the roll-carrying center of shaft 74.
A bolt 77 engaged in a groove in the end 74a secures the shaft in place
and the other end 74b is splined, as shown in Figs. 12 and 14.
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As shown in Figso 9 and 14, a turning ring 78 is
;~ secured to the splined end 74b and ring 78 has a radially
projecting ~lange 79 in which is threaded a bolt 80. The
bolt end abuts an upwardly projecting stop 81 secured to a
portion o~ the top o~ turntable 62 which is adapted to clear
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the gib rall 47 so that, when the bolt 80 is advanced, the
ring 78 and sha~t 74 are turned to raise the shaft 7~ and
pinch roll 73 and the turntable can be turned to adjust the
angle that the axis o~ roll 73 makes with respect to the way 46,
Re~erring now to Fig. 15, the mandrel lower part 22
is secured to the side of a supporting tower 82, the trunnion
ends o~ rod 31 being secured in cup like brackets 83, one above
and the other below the vertically extending rod 31. A brace -
rod 84 has one end secured between the ears 34-34 o~ the mandrel
lower part and its other end secured to a bracket 85 ~ixed to
the side of tower 82.
A ~orming mill 86 is shown in phantom lines in
; ~ig~ 15 and the tower 8~ is shown in section, it being understood
that the mandrel 21 projects from the tower under the forming
mill. Such a forming mill is more completely described and
- shown in patent 3,474,514 issued October 28, 1969 to the inventor
herein. Like the ~orming mill in the aforesaid patent, the mill
86 is adapted to draw an upper strip 87U and a lower strip 87L
from respective coils 88U and 88L supported spaced from the tower -
as shown. Forming mill 86 is also adapted to ~orm a laminated strip
89, also shown in phantom lines, with a corrugated upper layer
and an uncorrugated lower layer, the laminated strip having an
upstanding locking hook along its inner edge and an upstanding
and downwardly opening ~emale locking hook along its outer edgeO
It uill be noted that the ~emale hook is adapted to pass directly
over the pivot pin 35 o~ the mandrelO
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Although the mandrel 21 is described herein as
adapted to form a spiral seamed corrugated laminated pipe with
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~, uncorrugated interior, it will be understood that the mandrel
is equally adapted to make unlaminated, corrugated or uncorrugated
!'.`' spiral seamed pipe.
` Referring to Fig. 16 the mandrel parts 22 and 23 are
shown adjusted to a chosen angle and disposed under the discharge
end of the forming mill 86. An upper pinch roll 90 is supported
on the tower 82, it being understood that the supports 91 for the
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;~ 10 pinch roll shaft 92 are adjustably secured to the tower~ An
adjusting screw 93 is provided for adjusting the axis of
shaft 92 substantially parallel to the way 46 on mandrel part
23~ A conventional bending roll 94 is provided, the strip-
contacting portions of the roll being laterally spaced along
shaft 95 because the upper surface of the discharged strip is
corrugatedO The supports 96 for shaft 95 are secured on a slide 97
adjustably secured to t~wer 82 so that the bending roll 94 may be
adjusted downward for forming the smaller sizes of pipe~
Referring to Fig. 17 a spiral-seamed pipe 98 is shown
being formed on mandrel 21, the formed strip 89 advancing from
the right as seen in this Figure. The first turn 89a of strip 89,
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bent downward by roll 94 is led downward against the forward side
of mandrel part 22 which angularly guides the first turn 89a
down. Thence the turn is led upward and forced against the
curved guide plate 52, adjusted to position by pressure ~rom
the hydraulic cylinder 60. Adjacent and behind plate 52 the
seam 99 is formed by pinch rolls 73 and 90 which have been adjusted
angularly and verticallyO The angle between parts 22 and 23 directs
the male locking hook of the first turn into engagement within
the downward opening of the female hook of the second turn 89b
as it comes out of the forming mill 88 just prior to the
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clinching o~ the seam 99~ A~ter the ~irst turn the pipe 98 is
produced continuously.
Re~erring now to Fig. 18 a formed strip 89 is shown
; in section with a male locking hook 100 along one edge and a
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downwardly opening ~emale locking hook 101 along the opposite
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edge. It will be noted that the male ~lange 100 is inclined
upward and to the right in this Figure and the outward flange
102 of the ~emale hook is inclined downward and to the leftO
Re~erring to Fig. 16 an edge guide roll 103 ~or the ~ormed
strip 89 is provided in the shape shown ~or bending ~lange 102
inward and a similar guide roll, not shown, at the other side
of strip 89 inclines the male Plange 100 inwardO
Re~erring to Fig. 19, the male hook 100 of a first
turn 89a is shown engaged with the ~emale hook 101 o~ a second
turn just prior to the seam 99 being clinched. In Fig. 20 the
clinched seam 99 is shown in cross section.
; It will be apparent from inspection o~ ~ig. 17 that
the angle which mandrel part 23 makes with part 22 determines
the angle at which the ~ormed pipe 98 is ~orced away ~rom tower
82. For the smaller diameter pipes this angle is small, ~or the
larger diameter pipes the angle is large. A guide line 104 ~or
the edge of plate 36 may be scribed on the top sur~ace of the mandrel
lower part ~or each size o~ pipe to be produced, as æhown in Fig. 1.
Re~erring again to Fig. 15, a conveyor 105 is provided
~or carrying away formed pipe 98 as it is formed on mandrel 21.
A pair o~ spaced shafts 106 carried in suitable bearings 107
is secured to longitudinally extending members 108 o~ a plat~orm
109. It will be understood that a lower framework, not shown,
is pivotally secured to tower 82 to pivot horizontally about
a point aligned with the axis of pivot pin 35 and this lower
~ramework is provided with castors 110 adapted to ~ollow a track 111
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.` arcuately curved about the pivot point much as shown and described
in patent 2,752,873 issued to J0 Ro Freeze on July 3, 19560
A s~milar upper framework, not shown, above mandrel 21
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is adapted to plvot about the same axis and the upper and lower
frameworks are connected by vertically extending guide rods 112
.. which pass through appropriate holes in the four corners of
platform lOgo Brackets 113, adapted to be engaged by hooks
suspended from a ~actory roof-supported lift, are secured to
. each member 108 so that platform 109 is adapted to be lifted to
; 10 any level appropriate to the pipe size being formed, Rollers
114 carried on shafts 106 are adapted to engage and rotate
~ with the formed pipe 98 as it is formedO Collars, not shown,
clamped to the rods 112 under platform 109, may be provided
for securing the platform at the desired level so that the lift
may be used elsewhere in the factoryO
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Members 108 are preferably adjustable transversely o~
the platform 109, by means not shown, so that the transverse
spacing of rollers 114 may be varied according to the diametrical
size of the pipe 98 being formed. It will also be understood
that the formed pipe 98 slides on the rollers 11~ as the formed
. pipe is forced away from tower 82 by the formation process, the
- pushing force being furnished by the synchronously driven rollers
.` of the forming mill 86. The rollers 114 are positioned to support
;: the lower portion of formed pipe 98, as viewed in Fig. 17, as
-: the continuous forming of the pipe takes place~
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