US1924340A - Forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug' 29, 1933- J. N. wHlTEHoUsE 1,924,340

FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1930 .ziSheetsl-Sheet 2 f7 3 5 32 9 a f5 i 1I f7 i H5 15 4.7 5 J5 17' 182W 23 f8 e l 47315@ u a 7d 51 if "7,

INVENTOR Patented Aug. 29, Y1933 UNITED STA Tas PAT OFFICE Y 1,924,340 v FoRMING APPARATUS e `John N. Whitehouse,i New York, N. in] Application September 3, 1930. Serial No. 479,503

A1,2 claims;

This invention relates to a forming apparatus and method. It is particularly applicable to the formation of tubes from sheet material, including the formation of a tubular covering about an already existing tube.

AnV object of the invention is to providean apparatus and/ or method for economically'making tubes (including tubular coverings) from sheet material, particularly from celluloid or other readily soluble materials.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted for the production of various sizes of tubes by a singlemachine. d

A further object of the invention is toprovide an apparatus and/ or method for rapidly andeconomically making single convolution'tubes (inf.Y

cluding tubular coverings) from sheet material,

particularly from celluloid or other'readily sol,-

uble materials.

Other objects of the inventionwwillbe obviousv 'from the following disclosure.

The form of machine disclosed is constructed and operated as`follows: A reciprocating head carries a horizontally mounted, rod-like mane.H r drel. One edge of a Sheet of celluloid is mois-A tened withl a suitable solvent; and then the sheet is placed upon a divided supportbeneath'the mandrel. The mandrel is "depressed, carrying the sheet down between the two sections of the support and bending it about fthe vmandrel to` showingthe tube forming parts of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a front detail View taken in general on. the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig.4 4 is a detail view taken approximately on,

" f the lines 4-4 of Figs. 3 and 6,- the parts being partially advanced to the position wherethesheet has been bent into U-shaped form.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig'. 4, but

. showing the parts advanced to fully operated position, where the sheet' has been formed into a complete tube. y Y Fig. 6 is a detail'view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 3. A

'I is a perspective view of aV completed tube (o1.l 11i-14) formed tube.

Fig. 8. is an elevation of one form of mandrel which, the invention contemplates.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8; Fig; 10 is a cross section of a form of mandrel which maybe used in applying atubularcoverv ing rto an already existing tube.

The machine may be supported by legs 1', and;l operated by a pedal 2 which is attached toapedal arm 3, pivoted at 4. 'A stationary bracket 5'slidably supports a reciprocatory head 6. The arm 3' `is so connected with the head at ,'lthat the head will ybe l depressed `upon application rof pressure tothe pedal 2. The weight of` arm 3 is sol distributed hthat it( automatically` returns the head` v6 to its`uppermost position when peda1 2l is released.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the reciprocatory head'. 6 ,includes a frame A8 from which dependtwo frsli'dably lmounted mandrel suppQrtslI and 12.

asa covering for van already existing.

Removably secured to mandrel support 11 is ai* rod-like mandrel 13; and support 11 is rotatably mounted in its bearing v14 to permit the mandrel to be 4swung in a horizontal plane. The lower end "of mandrel support 12 is `notched' forma.-y

tion, as best shown in Fig. 2, to vreceive the right hand end ofthe mandrel.` Preferably-the man-V drel support 12 is secured against rotation, as` by a screw 15 which projects` into a slot 16 without,

however, clamping the mandrel `support 12.Y If

the celluloid tubeis to be formed asa tube covering about an already existing tube (e.g., a sheetA metal tube), such already'existingV tube 13a is placed upon thermandrel'. Then as far asi-the formation of vthe celluloid tube is concerned ,the tube .13@becomes a part of the mandrel and for convenience it will be so considered.

A sheet of @enmarcar-(Figs. aand 3i, one edge of which has been moistened with a vsuit-` able solvent, is placed upon a dividedsupp'ort comprisin'gstationary plates 18al and 18h. The

sheet may be correctly positioned by placing `it againsta stationary (but adjustable) abutment strip 21. Pressure applied to vthe pedal 2` causes the mandrel 13 to descend between stationary platesr18a and 18h, thel mandrel carrying thelcelluloid sheet with it until it has been bent into U-shaped form asshown at 17' i`n'Fig.`4. Inv

this position the bottom portion of the sheet o1' celluloid is held against aconcave'vertical slide 19, which is vbiased upwardly by light pressure helical springs 20, 20 (Fig. 3).

Upon further movement of the Vhead 6,V each end oi a reciprocatory horizontalslide 22B' is errgaged by a cam 23a (one shown) andthe slide moves inwardly. As the slde'moves it bends the righthand edge (Fig. 4) of the sheet of celluloid adjacent the top surface oi the mandrel 13. As the head 6 continues to move, a similar horizontal slide 220 is actuated by cams 231, 23b and bends the left hand edge of the strip of Celluloidv over the topof theopposite edge. At about this time downward motion of the mandrel isjterminated by vertical slide 19 striking adjustable detents 24, 24 (Fig).

Helical springs 25 and 26, associated respectively with mandrel supports 11V and 12, now yield and the movement of head 6 continues un,- til the nose 27 of pressure member 28 has been .brought against the overlapped edges ofthel sheet of celluloid. Preferably the pressure member 28 is kept hot by a suitable electric heating element 31,(Fig13) located in a bore 32 in the member 28. yThe heat quickly evaporates the Asoli/'entfaiid the overlapped edgesare so securely united as to become Virtually one piece of celv luloid'. vPreferablya second electric heating elen ment 33 is secured to the bottom ofvertical slide 19, Ythereby'keeping theslide hot. Considerable heat is transmitted tol various associated parts, including the'mandrellS, thus accelerating the evaporation of the solvent and making it possible to speed up production.

When the pedal'2 is released head 6 rises and the parts 'are returned to their non-operated positions.

Horizontal slides 272a and 22b are restoredv bya pair of links 35a, 35b (Fig. 2) 'atytached to stationary pivot 36, and biased outwardly by helical spring 37. vrIfhe spring 37surrounds a rod 33 which passes looselyfthrough the links 35" and 35h. A-smiliarpair of links is preferably located at the opposite end of slides I 22a`and 22b as shown in Fig. 3.

'."I'o remove lthe nished tube, the, operator ygrasps theright hand end `of 'the mandrel (Fig.l

3) and swings it 'awayv from mandrel support 1,2. Norrdiiii'culty is experienced in the removalj of the "finished product 'from the mandrel 13.v wherethe VCelluloid tube 17` (Fig; 7)" has been formed' as a1 covering for a sheet .metall tube 13a. Incas'es Where the Celluloid tube' is desired by 'itseha twoV part mandrelmaybe utilized to'facilitate removalof the tube. `Such a mandrel isshownin Figs. 8 andi). 'The mandrel', designated asa wholelby 40, has a'body 4l whichis channelled'at the topto ret Yceive a removable slide42; provided with a handleportion 42e. This form of mandrel fits into` the machine which has been already described. After' the Celluloid tube has been formed on the mandrel, the 'operator 'swings the right hand end of the mandrel away from lsupport V12 and pulls out the slide 421, The solvent and the'drying action causes the top portion offthe tube to adhere tofthe'slide 42. yThe tube does not, however, adhere to the' body 4l of the mandrel. Accordingly, thetube comes off with theV slide f6`5i 42 and then the slide ,can be pulled away from the wsu lof the tube.' .l

The dimension W (Fig. 9) represents the smallest vdiameter of tube to be made, and the machine is-built to operate with a `mandrel of this horizontal dimension. For progressively larger'tubes mandrels are used which have the same horizontal dimension wpbut have progressively increasing vertical dimensions h. Thus the circumference of they mandrelsl varyprogressively,

` but all can be used in-thesame machine without v any adjustment other than adjusting dents 24 ,and 22D. To minimize wear where the actuating cams engage the slides 22a and 22h, bearing surface isprovided in the form of short lengths of replaceable drill rod 47, held in by screws 48. Adjacent `vertical slide 19,v are guide plates 50, 50, the upper edges or" which are channelled at 5l to collect solvent that may be brought back by slides 22a and 22h. These channels 51' may be cleaned from time to time with a conventional pipe cleaner used by smokers.

The form of the invention disclosed is merelyr illustrative in compliance with the patent statutes and'is not to be'construed as limiting the appended claims. 'Y Y In placing tubular coverings on relatively large sheet metal tubes, it frequently happens that theA sheet metal tubes do not run true to size.v Hence, some of the individual tubesv may not properly t on a roundmandrel, suchas shown iii-Figs. 2 to 5. This dimculty maybe overcome by using a mandrel of the cross sectionalV form shown in Fig. 1D. Thek mandrel 13a is .channelled at 55 and 56, thus'permitting an under'sized tube to flatten somewhat throughouttwoA zones 'asjthe tube is applied tothe mandrel. In'this way, a comfortably tight nt is made with individual sheet metal tubes varying somewhat in actualr size from the nominal tubesize.

I claim: 1. A .tube forming machinecomprising: a re- 'ciproc'atory head, a mandrel attached to said head, means to manipulate sheet material-in con- :fjunction with said mandrel, and means to automatically actuate said manipulating means when theY head is'reciproca'ted.

2. Atub'e formingmachine comprising: a head,

a mandrel attached to the head, a divided-support .'for sheettmaterial, means to cause relative movement between the mandrel andsaid support whereby the mandrel passesbetweenv the parts of the support and carries the sheet material with it.

3. rA 'tube forming machine comprisingz' a head,

a mandrel attachedto thehead, a divided supporty for' sheet material, means to cause-relative movement between the mandrel andA said' support whereby the'mandrel passesbetween the parts of thesupport'and carries the sheet material with' it, and means to bend the sheet substantiall completely around the mandrel. Y

4. A tube forming machine comprising: a head, A `V a mandrel attached to .thehead, a divided support for sheet material, means to cause relative rmovement between the mandrel and said support whereby the Amandrel passes between the parts of the support and lcarries the rsheet material with itand meansto voverlap the edges ofv Y the sheet andapply `heat and pressureA simultaneously to the overlapped edges.

v5.- A tube forming machine comprising: a barlike mandrel, a slidefbiased toward the mandrel,

and means to causerelative movement between the mandrel and the slide whereby the mandrel engages the slide and displaces the' same.Y ,c

6. A tubeforming machine comprising: a barlike mandrel, a slide biased toward themandrel,

means to cause relative movement between the mandrel and the slide whereby the mandrel engages the slide and displaces the same, and means' to adjustably limit the displacement of the slide. 7. A tube forming machine comprising: a re` ciprocatory head, a mandrel carried by the head,

la base, a vertical slide mounted in the base and biased upwardly beneath the mandrel, means to reciprocate the head to project the mandrel with a sheet of material between the mandrel and the slide, means to adjustably limit displacement of said slide by the mandrel, and horizontal slides operable to manipulate said sheet material.

8. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head, a mandrel carried by the head, a base, a vertical slide mounted in the base and biased upwardly beneath the mandrel, means to reciprocate the head to project the mandrel with a sheet of material between the mandrel and the slide, means to adjustably limit displacement of said slide by the mandrel, horizontal slides operable to manipulate said sheet material, and means carried by the head to automatically actuate said slides successively.

9. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a mandrel carried by the head, the head being movable with respect to the mandrel and the mandrel being biased away from the head;` means to move the head to project the mandrel against a sheet of material; means to manipulate the sheet material and overlap the edges adjacent the surface of the mandrel; and means carried by said head to actuate said manipulating means.

10. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a mandrel carried by the head,

the head being movable with respect to the mandrel and the mandrel being biased away from the head; means to move'the head to project the mandrel against a sheet of material; means to manipulate thesheet material and overlap theY edges adjacent the surface of the mandrel; and means carried by the head to apply pressure to the overlapped edges ofthe sheet.

11. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a bar-like mandrel carried by the head, the head being movable with respect to the mandrel and the mandrel being biased away from the head; means to move thel head to proi ject the mandrel against a sheet of material; means to manipulate the sheet material and over-r lap the edges adjacent the surface of the man-` f drel; means carried by said head to actuate said 'vmanipulating'meana means carried by the head to apply pressure to the overlapped edges of the sheet; and means to heat said pressure applying means.

l2. A tube forming machine comprising: .fa re-A i between the parts of the divided support, and

means to complete the folding ofthe sheet about the mandrel.

JOHN N. WHITEVHOUSE.

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