Method and machine for manufacturing asbestos cement tubes

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING TUBES OF ASBESTOS-CEMENT ON A SUCCESSION OF COLLECTING CYLINDERS, THE COMBINATION OF FIRST AND SECOND, ALTERNATELY OPERATIVE TUBE FORMING DEVICES DISPOSED ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER, MEANS DEFINING AN INCLINED GUIDEWAY EXTENDING LATERALLY PAST SAID TUBE FORMING DEVICES TO RECEIVE EMPTY COLLECTING CYLINDERS AT ONE SIDE OF THE MACHINE AND TO DISCHARGE THE COLLECTING CYLINDERS, WITH TUBES FORMED THEREON, FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MACHINE, FEEDING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID GUIDEWAY AT SAID ONE SIDE OF THE MACHINE AND OPERATIVE TO PERMIT THE CYLINDERS ON SAID GUIDEWAY TO ENTER THE MACHINE ONE BY ONE, FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH STOP MEMBERS DISPOSED AT SAID FIRST TUBE FORMING DEVICE, AT TWO SPACED-APART LOCATIONS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND TUBE FORMING DEVICES AND AT SAID SECOND TUBE FORMING DEVICE, RESPECTIVELY, AND BEING INDIVIDUALLY MOVABLE BETWEEN OPERATIVE POSITIONS PROJECTING INTO THE ROLLING PATH OF THE COLLECTING CYLINDERS DEFINED BY SAID INCLINED GUIDEWAY AND RETRACTED POSITIONS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID ROLLING PATH, AND MEANS SYNCHRONOUSLY OPERATING SAID FEEDING MEANS AND SAID STOP MEMBERS, IN SEQUENCE, SO THAT, DURING THE OPERATION OF SAID SECOND TUBE FORMING DEVICE, A CYLINDER, WITH A TUBE PREVIOUSLY FORMED THEREON BY SAID FIRST DEVICE, IS PERMITTED TO ROLL ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY FROM SAID FIRST DEVICE AND IS ARRESTED BY SAID THIRD STOP MEMBER AND, THEREAFTER, TWO SUCCESSIVE EMPTY COLLECTING CYLINDERS ARE PERMITTED TO ENTER THE MACHINE AND ARE BROUGHT TO REST AGAINST SAID SECOND AND FIRST STOP MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, AND SO THAT, DURING THE SUBSEQUENT OPERATION OF SAID FIRST DEVICE TO FORM A TUBE ON THE CYLINDER ARRESTED BY SAID FIRST STOP MEMBER, THE COLLECTING CYLINDERS WITH TUBES FORMED THEREON DURING PREVIOUS OPERATIONS OF SAID SECOND AND FIRST DEVICES, RESPECTIVELY, ARE PERMITTED TO ROLL OUT OF THE MACHINE ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY AND, THEREAFTER, THE EMPTY COLLECTING CYLINDER ARRESTED BY SAID SECOND STOP MEMBER IS PERMITTED TO FURTHER ROLL ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY AND BE ARRESTED BY SAID FOURTH STOP MEMBER TO BE THEN IN POSITION FOR A SUBSEQUENT OPERATION OF SAID SECOND TUBE FORMING DEVICE.