Dec.11, 1934. J. U.

DEVINE 1,983,934
METHOD AND APPARATUS FORMAKING SEAMLESS TUBES
Filed July l8, l931

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INVENTOR
 Patented Dec. 11, 1934 1983934
UNITED STATES
1988.934
PATENT OFFICE
METEODANO APPARATUS FORMANG
SEAMILESSUBES
John U. Devine, struthers, Ohio
Application July 18, 1931, Seria No. 55159
i 9 Claims, (CI. 80-62) i
The present invention relates broadly to metal ingly reduced, which is of decided advantage
working as applicable to the manufacture of particularly with respect to the reheating equip
tubular objects, and more particularly to an ment. Another object of the present inventio, Is to
improved method and apparatus for the manu provide a method such that the Wall thickness o.
facture of so-called seamless tubes.
In accordance With one method of nufac the intermediate article leaving the pilger mill
turing seamless tubes as now practiced, an ingot is greater than that heretofore considered fea
after being heated to the proper temperature is sible, thus reducing to a corresponding extent the
forged on a pilger mill, after which both ends surface exposed to scaling during the reheating
are customarily cropped to a greater, or lesser operation. 0
O
extent. In many cases also the pilgered ingotis toSti another object of the present invention is
afford a method by means of which scrap
SaWed at intermediate points into two ormore losses may be materialy reduced.
sections orlengths, depending upon the number In the accompanying drawing II have shown by.
of tubes which it is desired to produce from a way of illustration only, a preferred embodiment
5 given ingot. These lengths are then reheated in of the present invention. In the drawing:
a reheating furnace, and after being brought to Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a
the proper temperature are taken to a plug mill layout in accordance with the present. invention:
effective for decreasing the wall thickness and Figure
Smoothing the interior and exterior walls. To away of a2 pierced
is a perspective vieW party broken
billet or ingot; 20
20 this end any desired number of passes is taken Figure 3 isa longitudinal sectional view through
through the plug mill. The tubes thus formed a semi-finished article asproduced in the pilger
are then taken to the reelers and sizing orreduc mill; and v
nasmuch as a pilger mill necessarily operates Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 Of an al
toreduce the wall thickness of the piercedingot, ticle asproduced in the second piercing mill. 25
25
the surface of the ingot which is exposed, is Having reference more particularly to the dia
materially greater when the ingot leaves the grammatic showing of Figure 1 of the drawing, I
pilger mill than. it is when the ingot leaves the have illustrated a layout comprising an ingot
heating furnace 2 Wherein the ingots orbillets to
piercing mill. Due to this greater surface, the
beformed into tubesmay be brought to the prOper 30
reheating operation effects a very appreciable
30 temperature. At this temperature the ingots are
scaling, the amount of scale being comparatively
large as compared to the weight of the metal carried in anywell known mannerto a firstpierc
ing mill 3 wherein they are subjected to a pierc
beingreheated. Thus from a standpoint of scale
ing operation suitable for producing a holloWin
Produced, it would be highly desirable to utilize
got orbillet 4 substantially as illustrated in per 85
abilet havingthicker walls as it leaves the pilger
35 spective in Figure 2 of the drawing. In this figure
mill. In accordance with the known manner of the
Producing tubes, however, this would not be fea pierced ingot orbillet is shown as of Substan
sible, inasmuch as the plug mill would not be tially
main
constant exterior diameter throughout the
body thereof, the exteriorand interior. Walls
effective for reducing the wall thickness to the 5 and 6 respectively at the ends extending in 40
required extent.
Present methods of forming ingots also usually slightly
a shape,
convergingrelationship. In Figure 2 Such
Which is characteristic of a piercing mill,
contemplate the utilization of an ingot of fairly is indicated in a much exaggerated Scale.
arge diameter as compared to the diameter of After leaving the piercing mill the pierced In
the finished tubes produced therefrom. since gots or billets may be delivered in any desiredi
45 the piger mill usually operates in such manner manner, as by a suitable conveyor7, to a trans
45
that it produces an outwardy flared end on O6 fer track 8 cooperating at its ends With the rolls
end of the ingot, it is necessary in accordance
9 of pilger mills driven in any customary orde
with known processes of seamless tube manufac sired manner. Cooperating with the pilger mills
ture wherein the piger mili is utilized, to crop are mandrel operating and feeding mechanisms
50 off the entire outwardly flared end portion, thus
providing a length of substantially uniform out 10. V
In accordance With the present invention, its
I side diameter. The amount of cropping thus contemplated that the pilger mills 9 will perform
required averages in the neighborhood of. 13%, less forging than has heretofore beencustomay,
this representing a large amount of waste as thereby delivering an intermediate article 11, aS.
55 compared to the total weight of the pierced ingot.
illustrated in Figure 3, which will have a rela
The present invention has for one of its objects
tively thickwall, and thus a less surface available
the utilization of an ingot of relatively smaller
di ter, for agiven sized tube, thanhas hereto for scaling. This intermediate article has a Sub
stantially uniform outside dimension throughout
fore been used. In this manner the dimensions the
60 of the handling equipment may be correspond majorportion of its length, but at the tralling
 2 1,988,984
end hasan outwardly flared portion 12, character I am aware that it hasheretofore been proposed
istic of the pilgering process. In view of the fact to practice the so-called double piercing of an
that this intermediate article has heretofore been ingot in which the piercing occurred in succes
passed directly to a plug mill, it has been neces sive steps. Such an operation as heretofore prac
sary to crop the same-so as to remove, entirely, ticed, however, has not been satisfactory for the
the outwardly flared portion. To this end crop production of a billet for plug mill operation, due
ping has usually been effected along a line Such to the amount of Working performed on the metal
as indicated at al-a in Figure 3. This cropping at the piercing mills, the amount of working being
has been not only for the purpose of squaring up Such that the ingot has been subjected to strains
0 the intermediate article, but for the purpose of sufficiently severe to produce tearing thereof. In 0
remoying the portion of the ingot in Which the accordance with my invention, although succes
segregation or piping usually appears, the ingot sive piercing is utilized, the billets or ingots are
being presented so that such piping is contained subjected to an intermediate forging operation
within the thickened end portion 12. In accord in the pilger mill, which operation is effective for
5 ance with my invention, the croploss will be ma refining the grain structure and increasing the 5
terially reduced by delivering the intermediate strength of the metal, thus permitting a second
article from the pilger mills to hot saws 14 effeC piercing operation to be performed without diari
tive for sawing the same along a line Such as ger of disruptive straining of the metal.
indicated at b-b in Figure 3. The piercing operation following the reheating
20 The saWed article With its fairly thick Walls, isalso desirable from the standpoint that it ef 20
will then be delivered to a conveying trough 15 fects substantially complete removal of the scale
and out coan inspection table 16. Here the billets formed by reheating. Heretofore when a billet
may be inspected, and if found satisfactory, may has been passed directly from a reheating fur
be rolled into a reheating furnace 17. If, hoW nace to the plug mill, the scale has given consid
25 ever, seams, scabs, or other defects show up at erable trouble. The scale being extremely hard,
this point, the biilets may eitherbe chipped at has a destructive action on Such plugs. By the
the inspection table andmade acceptable for fur present invention, the scale is eliminated, thusre
ther Working, or may be conveyed out to a chip ducing the wear on the plugs in the plug milland
ping or cross-over table 18 where they can be giving the same a materially greater life.
30 worked upon or conveyed either to a scrap pile In generally like manner, the less scale pro 30
or some other desired point, depending upon the duced in the reheating furnace due both to the
disposition to be made thereof. In the reheating decreased heating time and the less surface area,
furnace the billets will be brought to the desired is advantageously reflected in the second pierc
temperature for subsequent operations. ing mill. – - -
35 Inasmuch as the billet or ingot, utilized in the The second piercing operation also enables the 35
first instance has a relatively Smaller diameter outwardly flared portion intermediate the lines
than ingots or billets as heretofore utilized for a-a and b-bas shown in Figure 3 to be easily
the production of tubes of the same size, the di brought down to the desired thickness. A pierc
mensions of thereheating furnace may be smaller ing mill being of much sturdier construction than
40 than the dimensions of reheating furnaces cuS a plugmill, and therefore capable of taking great 40
tomarily provided. Furthermore, since the er loads, makes possible the decrease in crop
amount of forging effected by the pilger millis 1osses, since a piercing mill may readily comperi
less than that customarily resorted to, thus leaV sate for the flaring left by the pilgering proceSS.
ing a greater wall thickness, the billets leavingthe In addition to this, the piercing mill tends to pro
45 pilger mill have a smaller overall length, thereby duce tapered end portions, as before described. 45
further contributing to the use of Smaller reheat Heretofore it has been the practice to Square SaW
ing furnaces. This is advantageousnot only from thefrontends of the billets coming from the piger
the standpoint of the cost of the installation, but mills, and then feed the square sawed end over
also from the standpoint of compactness of the the plug in the plug mili. This often caused 50
50 different units. The Small amount of forging is stoppages due to the act of trying to force the
desirable in that it not only gives a lighterload square edged, square-ended billet over the plug.
on the piger mill with consequent less likelihood This resulted in slipping at the plug mill, the Slip
of roll breakage, but for the reason that it leaves ping being augmented by the large amount of
a greater Wall thickness effective for retaining a scale present. . ''
55 greateramount of the initial heat Supplied in the The tapered ends characteristic of a piercirig
furnace 2. This greaterheat correSpOndinglyre mill operation facilitate insertion of the article
duces the heating period in the reheating fur into the plug mill, and also eliminate any shock
nace l'. orjar on such mill at the time of insertion. The
Aftera billet has been reheated in the reheating intermediate article may be given any number of
60 furnace 17, it is discharged therefrom onto a suit passes in the plug mill, and the wall thickness
able conveying mechanism. 19 by which it is de reduced to substantially the finished thickness
livered to a second piercing mill 20 which may be desired. Such plug mill is effective not only for
similar to the first piercing mill 3. This second removing irregularities produced in the article bV
piercing mill will produce an intermediate article the severe working in both the piercing mills and
65 21 as illustrated in Figure 4, haVing end portions in the pilger mill and smoothing both the inside 65
22 as before described, and as characteristic of and outside surfaces, but also for giving to the
a piercing mill, With an intermediate portion of articles the desired uniformity in wall thickness
substantially constant diameter and cross sec from end to end thereof.
tion. The operation of the second piercing mill Byreference to Figure 1, it will be noted that
70 will not only tend to decrease the wall thickness, the article upon leaving the second piercing mill 70
butto increase the inner and outer diameters of 20 goes to a transfertable 23 effective for deliver
the article and increase the length thereof. It ing the same to a plug mill 24 provided with the
Will also be effective for dislodging any Scale usual plug mill pusher 25. After the article has
formed on either the inside or outside of the billet been subjected to the desired number of passes,
75 during the reheating operation. it is discharged onto a suitable conveyor 26 from
 1,988,984 - 3
Whichit may pass to reelers effective for rounding pilgering an article intermediate successive pierc
and increasing the diameter thereof, and thence ing steps, and from the improved operation of a
tosizing machines constituting no essential part plug mill occasioned by piercing an article after
of the present invention. a pilgering step. s
For purposes of a clearer understanding of the Other advantages will be apparent from the
present invention, and by Way of illustration and foregoing description taken in connection with
not by Way of limitation, it may be assumed that the accompanying drawing forming a part there
it is desired to produce a finished pipe having the of.
outside diameter indicated in the first table below. a While I have herein illustrated and described
O In Such case I may advantageouslyutilize aningot preferred method and apparatus for carrying
but the present invention, it Will be understood
0
having a diameter as indicated in the second that changes in the steps employed as well as in
table:- the apparatus utilized for performing the same,
Size of
may be made Without departing either from the
finished
Ingot Spirit of my invention or the scope of my broader 5
5 pipe (O.D.) dianeter claims.
I claim.:
6% 11 1. In the method of forming seamless tubes,
8%
10%
134
15 the steps comprising subjecting the product of
12% 174 a pilger mill to a piercing operation and then 20
20 13
16
17%
19 rolling the same in a plug mill.
2. In the method of forming seamless tubes,
Assuming conditions as represented by the above the steps comprising piercing an ingot, pilgering
tabulation, the first piercer, the pilger mill, the the pierced ingot, piercing the product of the
25 second piercer and the plug mill may then be -pilger mill, and thereafter rolling such product
operated to dimension the article as indicated in in a plug mill.
the folloWing tables: 3. In the method of forming seamless tubes,
the steps comprising heating an ingot, piercing
and pilgering the same, reheating the product
30 From first From pilger mill Fr::ºnd
piercer From high mill of the pilgering process, subjecting the pilgered 30
piercer product to a piercing operation, and then
.D.
I.D. O.D. .D, O.D. I.D.Smoothing and sizing the Same by subjecting the
O.D.
Same Successively to plug mill, reeling and sizing
44 3% 5% 2 7 62 operations.
6%
8%
6
8
8
10 i
9%
114 y
8% 4. In the method of forming seamless tubes, 35
1024 the steps comprising subjecting a pierced ingot
10% 10 12 13% 12%
10% 10 12 13% 3 to a pilgering process, tapering the end portions
13% 13 15 17 - 16 of the pilgered article, and delivering the same
to a plug mill.
The values ac indicated in the above table will 5. In the method of forming seamless tubes, 40
depend on the Wall thickness desired in the fin the steps comprising subjecting a pierced ingot
ished pipe, While the values y depend also upon to a pilgering process, tapering the end portions
the thickness desired in the wall of the finished of the pilgered article by subjecting the same to
pipe, these being subject to change asrequired to a piercing operation, and delivering thesame to
meet specified conditions. a plug mill. 45
In accordance With the present invention, it 6. In the method of forming seamless tubes,
Will be apparent that I provide a process charac the steps comprising piercing an ingot, pilgering
ized by double piercing With a refining operation the same, cropping the pilgered article so as to
i intermediate the same, the refining being effective retain a portion of the flared end, and there
for increasing the strength and improving the after removing the fared portion by subjecting 50
grain structure of the article. This constitutes the same to a piercing operation.
one of the advantages of the present invention. 7. In a tube making system, means for pierc
A further advantage of the invention arises ing ingots, means for reducing the wall thick
from the fact that a double piercing operation is ness of the pierced ingots to produce semi- .
utilized, thus decreasing the load on each pierc finished tubes, meansfor again piercing the semi 55
55 ing mill, and making it possible to employ suc
finished tubes, means for thenheating the tubes
cessive piercing operations Without danger of and a plug mill for changing the diameter of the
rupturing the metal or subjecting the same to tubes received from the second piercing means
objectionable strains.
Still another advantage of the present inven and heating means. ,
: 8. In the method of preparing articles for op
60 tion arises from the fact that by reducing the eration in a plug mill, the steps comprising sub
Wall thickness in the first piercing mill, the area jecting the same to a plurality of piercing op
of the intermediate article delivered by the pilger erations with an intermediate pilgering opera
mill for reheating purposes may be kept at a tion, and then rolling such product in a plug
minimum, thus conserving heating time and re mill. .
65 ducing Scale formation. . 9. In the method of preparing articles for op
Further advantages. arise from the use of a eration in a plug mill, the steps comprising sub
relatively smaller diameter ingot for the produc jecting the same to a plurality of piercing op
tion of a given sized pipe or tube and from the erations with an intermediate forging operation,
consequent possibility of reducing the size of the and then rolling the product in a plug mill. 70
70 reheating furnace.
Another advantage of the inventionisinherent JOHNU, DEVINE.
in the reduction in crop losses made possible by