Method of and apparatus for continuously producing small section welded steel tubes

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING SMALL SECTION WELDED TUBING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A COLD ROLLING REDUCING MILL FOR REDUCING THE DIAMETER OF A WELDED TUBE WHICH ADVANCES CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE REDUCING MILL, THE LATTER TENSIONING AND STRETCHING THE TUBING WHILE LONGITUDINALLY ADVANCING THE SAME; WELDING MEANS LOCATED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE TUBING IN ADVANCE OF SAID REDUCING MILL FOR WELDING TOGETHER THE EDGES OF A SLOTTED TUBE, SAID WELDING MEANS INCLUDING ROLLS WHICH ADVANCE THE EDGES OF THE SLOTTED TUBE TOWARD EACH OTHER TO FORM A TUBE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION AND SAID LATTER ROLLS BEING FREELY ROTATABLE, SAID REDUCING MILL PULLING THE SLOTTED TUBE THROUGH AND BEYOND SAID WELDING MEANS; AND DEFORMING GUIDE MEANS LOCATED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE TUBING BETWEEN SAID WELDING MEANS AND SAID REDUCING MILL FOR SLIGHTLY DEFORMING THE CROSS SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE TUBING TO A NON-CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION TO PREVENT TORSIONAL FORCES CREATED IN THE TUBING IN SAID COLD ROLLING REDUCING MILL FROM BACKING UP BEYOND SAID DEFORMING GUIDE MEANS TO SAID WELDING MEANS, SAID REDUCING MILL PULLING THE TUBING THROUGH SAID DEFORMING GUIDE MEANS.