Abstract: An improved mandrel is provided for use with a tube-finning machine. The mandrel is mounted to a stationary arbor and supports a tubular member during a tube-finning operation. The mandrel comprises a stationary body axially mounted to the arbor and a lubricated bushing which is rotatably mounted on the body. The bushing facilitates rotation of the tubular member relative to the body and supports the interior surface of the tubular member during the finning operation.

Abstract: A feeder is acted upon by opposing hydraulic drives and a spindle drive limits the advance. Hydraulic buffers are interposed either between the spindles and the feeder or between a carriage carrying the spindle drive and the machine bed. The buffer biasing force exceeds the force exerted by the feeder advance upon the feeder. The rate of buffer response is tracked separately.

Abstract: The invention relates to the manufacture of seamless tubes by the method of tube rolling. According to the method of the present invention a hollow blank is deformed with regard to its wall thickness, the deformation being alternated at least twice with a reduction of the diameter of the blank by means ofa mandrel with alternating groups of grooves for deformation and groups for reduction. The mandrel diameter at the portions corresponding to the groups of reduction grooves is smaller than the mandrel diameter at the preceding portions corresponding to the groups of grooves designed for deformation of the hollow blank to change the wall thickness thereof. During the continuous rolling, this enables subsequent levelling out of bulges at the tube ends in grooves on the mandrel during the deformation of the blank wall. As a result, the range of rolled tubes is considerably enlarged with an increased production of small-diameter thick-walled tubes and large-diameter thin-walled tubes without bulged ends.

Abstract: A method for producing zircaloy tubes from hollows or workpieces which are in the form of tubes having greater wall thickness than the finished tubes. The method is carried out upon a mill of the general type known as a McKay rocker which has a stationary tapered mandrel, but the mandrel is cylindrical and is moved with the workpiece.

Abstract: The disclosure of the present invention relates to a torque and mass compensating counterweight system employed with the drive of a cold pilger rolling mill. The counterweight is connected directly to the crank by a sliding block, displaceable in a slot provided in the counterweight, in which the counterweight is arranged to reciprocate 90.degree. out of phase with the crank and is arranged in guides to move in a plane parallel to the direction of movement of the mill.

Abstract: A system for incremently and continuously feeding tubes between dies during a prescribed angle of rotation of a crank assembly in a cold pilger mill. As a main motor drives the crank assembly, a servo-motor, receiving a signal from a digital control unit, which receives a signal from a pulsating encoder associated with the main drive, operates to incremently advance a carriage and shell a controlled predetermined distance between the dies. A reversal of the servo-motor returns the carriage to the initial position in preparation to advance another shell.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a workpiece feed apparatus for cold pilger rolling mills having at least one feed spindle for at least one feed carriage, and having a feed transmission which is connected to the main drive and comprises two branches or lines of drive, of which the first line of drive is connected with a gear wheel secured on the feed spindle for producing a continuous rotational movement of the feed spindle, and the second line of drive is connected by way of an intermittently moved lever with the feed spindle for the purpose of producing an intermittent axial movement of the feed spindle.

Abstract: In the rolling of seamless tubes using a mandrel which is inserted in a hollow bloom as it is advanced through a rolling mill, the cooling of the mandrel after the tube rolling stage is effected, for example by passing the mandrel through a cooling bath, as the mandrel is returned to a ready position upstream of the mill along a return path which is at one side of the rolling axis, so that while this mandrel is being cooled a further rolling operation can be carried out using another mandrel, the mandrels being moved in a closed cycle of successive rolling and cooling stages.

Abstract: In the manufacture of drawn and ironed, unitary, can bodies, structure and method which interrupt surface contact between an ironing mandrel and the interior sidewall of a can body being ironed to reduce friction for removal of the ironed can body from the mandrel.During passage through an ironing ring, sidewall metal is moved into a narrow-width, linearly-extended indentation in the mandrel sidewall. The metal of the protrusion thus formed on the interior surface of the can body is moved along the mandrel sidewall during passage through a subsequent ironing ring, with such movement breaking surface adhesion between the mandrel sidewall and the interior surface of the container body sidewall to facilitate removal.