US3825873A - Contact wheel assembly for strand annealing tubing - Google Patents
Contact wheel assembly for strand annealing tubing Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3825873A US3825873A US00236759A US23675972A US3825873A US 3825873 A US3825873 A US 3825873A US 00236759 A US00236759 A US 00236759A US 23675972 A US23675972 A US 23675972A US 3825873 A US3825873 A US 3825873A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- wheel
- ring
- assembly
- contact
- electrical contact
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R39/00—Rotary current collectors, distributors or interrupters
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
- H05B3/0004—Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated
- H05B3/0009—Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated the material to be heated being in motion
Definitions
- electrically conducting metal tubing preferably of relatively small size as for example between A and 1 inch outside diameter, is continuously advanced between a pair of peripherally grooved electrical contact wheels separated by a distance selected in accordance with the density of current flow so as to bring the intermediate length of tubing to the required annealing temperature during transit between the wheels.
- electrical contact wheels Associated with the electrical contact wheels are guide wheels positioned to cause the tubing to bebent as it passes around a portion of the periphery of the contacting wheels. It has been found that harmful sparking occurs most significantly at the exit contact wheel, and accordingly, at least this wheel, and if desired, both electrical contact wheels, are provided with grooved peripheral portions of spark or arc suppressing material. Best results have been encounteredwhen the peripheral grooved portion of the contact wheels is formed of electrographitic material.
- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elecational view showing the annealing equipment.
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-2, FIG. 1.
- the annealing equipment is provided in an arrangement illustrated more or less diagrammatically in FIG. 1.
- the guide wheel being provided at the tube entering end of the equipment, and the guide wheel 12 being provided at the tube exiting end of the equipment.
- Electrical contact wheels 14 and 16 are provided to engage an intermediate portion of the tube T.
- All of the wheels are mounted in relatively thin sealed housings 18, 20, 22 and 24, and connecting tubes 26, 28 and 30 are provided intermediate the housings to protect the tubing from oxidation.
- a gas is introduced into the housing 24 in which the wheel 12 is located, and this gas may be deoxidizing natural gas or cracked gas. The gas is caused to flow successively through the housing 24, tube 30, housing 22, tube 28, housing 20, tube 26 into the housing 18 from which it exhausts.
- the problem in annealing the tubing is of course to bring the tubing as it is continuously advanced, to the proper annealing temperature, after which the tubing is cooled or quenched as required, such for example as by passing it through a water bath or water spray.
- This is most conveniently accomplished during continuous advance of the tubing by causing the tubing to advance between a pair of electrical contact wheels 14 and 16 suitablly connected into an electric circuit so that the portion of the tubing which is intermediate the wheels 14 and 16 forms a part of the circuit.
- the portion of the tubing intermediate the contact wheels is heated by electrical resistance heating as it advances so that as it leaves the exit contact wheel 16 it is at the required temperature for further processing.
- the crater, or the projection adjacent the crater, on'the wheel made an impression on the tube every time rotation of the wheel brought the crater into contact with the advancing heat softened tube. This occurred repeatedly and caused an entire run of tubing to be defective. Since the relatively cool metal of the wheel was harder than the heat softened metal of the tube, this irregularity in the wheel remained indefinitely, and produced a corresponding irregularity in the tube at each revolution of the wheel. This required that the operation be stopped and the wheel stoned or otherwise machined to remove the crater and any adjacent projections on the wheel.
- this harmful sparking which previously produced burned areas on the tubing and also produced pitting of the tube and wheel, has been largely eliminated and substantially reduced in severity by forming at least the exit wheel 16 in an arrangement best seen in FIG. 2. More important, the repeated blemishing of the tube by repeated engagement between a spark deformed portion of the wheel and the heat softened tube is eliminated as will subsequently be described.
- the wheel 16 is carried by a shaft 32 which extends through an opening 34 in the housing 22.
- the opening is sealed by a suitable seal indicated generally at 36 which prevents escape of the deoxidizing gas circulated through the housing 22.
- the wheel assembly 16 comprises the wheel 38, which may be formed of copper or aluminum, and is attached to a flange 40 on the shaft 32 by suitable means such as screws 42.
- At the periphery of the metal wheel 38' is an annular electrical contact ring 44 provided with a peripheral groove 46.
- the contact ring 44 is secured to a mounting ring 48 by screws 50, the mounting ring 48 in turn being attached to the wheel 38 by mounting screws 52.
- the groove 46 in the contact ring is preferably provided with straight side walls having an included angle of approximately 60 and terminating in a circular fillet at the bottom having a radius somewhat less than 0.200
- the material of the contact ring 44 is a spark suppressing material and excellent results have been obtained when the material is an electrographitic material of the type commonly used for electrical contact brushes.
- a suitable material for this ring is furnished by the General Electric Company under their grade designation of ME18 brush material and is described by the supplier as an electrographitic material of moderate hardness, the final product being of a fairly highly graphitic nature.
- the material is described as having the following physical properties:
- One of the problems which is involved is relative slippage between the tubing and the peripheral portion of the electrical contact wheels due to the expansion of the tubing as it is brought to annealing temperature.
- all of the wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 are driven at uniform peripheral speed.
- the electrographitic peripheral portion of the electrical contact wheels apparently facilitates this slippage without particular wear on the groove 46. Tests indicate that a contact ring 44 formed on the electrographitic material described will have a useful life of over one year, operated two shifts a day, or a life expectancy of 2 years if operated only a single shift a day.
- Another benefit of the electrographitic material is its low frictional coefficient with copper. Because of the tensile weakness of a light walled copper tube at l,200-1,400F. it cannot tolerate any mismatch in peripheral speed of the wheels. It will readily be pulled apart should this occur with metallic wheels or wheels of high coefficients of friction. With the graphite wheels disclosed herein this tendency is largely eliminated.
- the wheel operates efficiently without producing serious sparking problems even during initial wear or break-in, and as indicated above, continues to operate with an extremely long life expectancy.
- the electrographitic material forming the contact wheel is substantially softer than the copper contact wheel previously used and this tends to prevent marking of the tube by sharp edges of pits or craters and the ridges or projections surrounding them, as occurred when using copper contact wheels.
- the electrographitic material of the ring 44 has desirable wearing properties in contact with the advancing tubing, the material is relatively brittle and it is preferred to additionally support the ring by a clamping or support ring 54 which engages most of the outer area of the contact ring 44 and is retained in position by a multiplicity of mounting screws 56.
- a water spray directed against the outer surface of the wheel 38 and a suitable nozzle for this purpose is indicated diagrammatically at 58.
- the mounting screws 56 which attach the ring 54 to the wheel 38 also mount a dished guide plate 60 in the relationship illustrated in FIG. 2, which serves as a deflector for preventing water from flowing around the underside of the wheel into the contact groove 46.
- While the electric current may be supplied to the contact ring 46 through the shaft 32 and the wheel 38, it is preferable to provide a shorter flow path by mounting brushes 62 within the housing 22 in contact with the mounting ring 48 and in close proximity to the contact ring 44. As illustrated in the Figure, the brushes 62 are maintained in contact with the mounting ring 48 by compression springs 64 located in hollow mounting brackets 66.
- the electrical wiring 68 extends through an opening in the housing provided with a gas-tight seal 70.
- rollers 72 are provided to engage the surfaces of the mounting ring 48 diametrically opposite to the portions thereof engaged by the brushes 62.
- An electrical contact wheel assembly for use in tube annealing equipment comprising an inner wheel, a contact ring surrounding and carried by said inner wheel, a mounting ring having its inner peripheral portion secured to a side of the inner wheel adjacent its periphery and extending radially therebeyond and engaging one side of the contact ring, said contact ring being formed of spark suppressing material.
- An assembly ring as defined in claim 1 comprising a clamping ring having an inner peripheral portion secured to the opposite side of the inner wheel adjacent its periphery and extending radially therebeyond into engagement with the other side of the electrical contact ring.
- An assembly as defined in claim 3 comprising an annular dished water deflector carried by said clamping ring.
- An electrical contact wheel assembly for use in tube annealing equipment comprising a circular metal wheel, an annular electrical contact ring carried by the periphery of said wheel, said ring being formed of spark suppressing material, a contact brush engageable with a side of said wheel adjacent the periphery thereof to provide a short path for electric current flowing between the brush and said electrical contact ring, and a roller engageable with the peripheral portion of said wheel at the same side as and at a point substantially 6 equipment for annealing copper tube comprising a wheel having a peripheral grooved tube contacting portion formed of electrographitic material having spark suppressing qualities.
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Abstract
Description
Claims (10)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US00236759A US3825873A (en) | 1970-03-12 | 1972-03-21 | Contact wheel assembly for strand annealing tubing |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US1888270A | 1970-03-12 | 1970-03-12 | |
US00236759A US3825873A (en) | 1970-03-12 | 1972-03-21 | Contact wheel assembly for strand annealing tubing |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3825873A true US3825873A (en) | 1974-07-23 |
Family
ID=26691620
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US00236759A Expired - Lifetime US3825873A (en) | 1970-03-12 | 1972-03-21 | Contact wheel assembly for strand annealing tubing |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US3825873A (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6383104B1 (en) | 2000-02-10 | 2002-05-07 | General Electric Company | Parts carrier with intergral rollers |
US7064291B1 (en) * | 1999-08-19 | 2006-06-20 | Maschinenfabrik Niehoff Gmbh | Annealing plant |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE504328C (en) * | 1930-08-02 | Wilhelm Witte | Socket for the electrodes of batteries, elements, etc. like | |
US2064589A (en) * | 1930-12-31 | 1936-12-15 | Wilber H Convers | Apparatus for heating wire |
FR868723A (en) * | 1938-06-11 | 1942-01-14 | Brown | Carbon contact for machines and electrical devices |
US2411797A (en) * | 1944-08-26 | 1946-11-26 | Ohio Brass Co | Current collector |
US2695942A (en) * | 1949-06-14 | 1954-11-30 | Republic Steel Corp | Work-engaging contact equipment |
-
1972
- 1972-03-21 US US00236759A patent/US3825873A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE504328C (en) * | 1930-08-02 | Wilhelm Witte | Socket for the electrodes of batteries, elements, etc. like | |
US2064589A (en) * | 1930-12-31 | 1936-12-15 | Wilber H Convers | Apparatus for heating wire |
FR868723A (en) * | 1938-06-11 | 1942-01-14 | Brown | Carbon contact for machines and electrical devices |
US2411797A (en) * | 1944-08-26 | 1946-11-26 | Ohio Brass Co | Current collector |
US2695942A (en) * | 1949-06-14 | 1954-11-30 | Republic Steel Corp | Work-engaging contact equipment |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7064291B1 (en) * | 1999-08-19 | 2006-06-20 | Maschinenfabrik Niehoff Gmbh | Annealing plant |
US6383104B1 (en) | 2000-02-10 | 2002-05-07 | General Electric Company | Parts carrier with intergral rollers |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., 2100 MARKET STREET, N.E., DE Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:UOP INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004657/0711 Effective date: 19861027 Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A DE. CORP.,ALABAMA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:UOP INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004657/0711 Effective date: 19861027 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, THE, 44 KING STREET, WEST, TO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP. A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:004696/0897 Effective date: 19870313 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP., CORPORATION TRUST CEN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004728/0083 Effective date: 19870318 Owner name: WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP., A DE CORP,DELAWARE Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.,;REEL/FRAME:004728/0083 Effective date: 19870318 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A CORP. OF AL Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004827/0237 Effective date: 19870626 Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., A CORP. OF AL,ALABAMA Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE ACQUISITION CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004827/0237 Effective date: 19870626 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., 2100 MARKET STREET, N.E., P. Free format text: RELEASED BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, THE;REEL/FRAME:005639/0755 Effective date: 19910123 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SECURITY PACIFIC NATIONAL BANK Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.;REEL/FRAME:005648/0195 Effective date: 19910124 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WOLVERINE TUBE, INC., ALABAMA Free format text: RELEASED BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:BANK OF AMERICA TRUST AND SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO SECURITY PACIFIC NATIONAL BANK;REEL/FRAME:006401/0575 Effective date: 19930108 |