Cluster roll assembly for tube mills

Claim 1

IN A UNIVERSAL APPARATUS FOR FORMING FROM A CONTINUOUS FLAT STRIP OF METAL A TUBE OF A PREDETERMINED SELECTED DIAMETER, WHEREIN THE FLAT STRIP IS CAUSED TO BE MOVED ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH AND INITIALLY FORMED INTO A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION; ROLL MEANS ROTATABLE ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS FOR SUPPORTING SAID STRIP ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF; A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF OPPOSED LATERALLY SPACED FORMING ROLLS DISPOSED ABOVE AND IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID SUPPORTING ROLL MEANS, SAID FORMING ROLLS HAVING A TUBE FORMING SURFACE, EACH OF THE FORMING SURFACES BEING CONTOURED TO CONTACT SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAID STRIP ADJACENT TO AND INCLUDING THE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF, SAID PAIRS OF FORMING ROLLS BEING RESPECTIVELY SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM EACH OTHER AND THE ROLLS OF ADVANCING PAIRS BEING PROGRESSIVELY DISPOSED CLOSER TO EACH OTHER THEREBY GRADUALLY TO CAUSE THE MARGINAL EDGES OF THE STRIP TO APPROACH EACH OTHER TO EFFECT AN ANNULAR CROSS SECTION; AND MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID FORMING ROLLS TO ENABLE SAME TO ROTATE ABOUT AXES NORMAL TO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID STRIP AND DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLL MEANS, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING ADJUSTABLE FOR SELECTIVE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITHIN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID STRIP WHEREIN SAID FORMING ROLLS MAY BE SELECTIVELY ADJUSTED RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTING ROLL MEANS TO ACCOMMODATE STRIPS OF METAL OF VARIOUS WIDTHS AND THICKNESSES FOR USE IN THE FORMING OF TUBES OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS.