Cam grooving machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10525517-B2
Application number	US-201615358475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A device for cold working pipe elements has two or more cams, each having a gear which meshes with a pinion to turn all of the cams. Each cam has a cam surface with a region of increasing radius and may have a region of constant radius extending around a cam body. Each cam also has a traction surface extending around a cam body. A discontinuity in each cam surface is aligned with a gap in the traction surface of each cam. The discontinuities and gaps provide clearance for insertion and removal of the pipe element between the cams to form a circumferential groove when the cams are rotated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cold working a pipe element, said device comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of gears mounted within said housing, each one of said gears being rotatable about a respective one of a plurality of axes of rotation, said axes of rotation being parallel to one another, said gears being positioned about a central space for receiving said pipe element;
a plurality of cam bodies, each said cam body mounted on a respective one of said gears;
a plurality of cam surfaces, each one of said cam surfaces extending around a respective cam body and being engageable with said pipe element received within said central space, each one of said cam surfaces comprising a region of increasing radius and a discontinuity of said cam surface, each one of said radii being measured about and from a respective one of said axes of rotation;
a traction surface extending around one of said cam bodies, said traction surface comprising a plurality of projections extending transversely to said axis of rotation of said one cam body, said traction surface having a gap therein, said gap being aligned axially with said discontinuity of one said cam surface surrounding said one cam body;
a pinion mounted within said central space within said housing, said pinion meshing with said plurality of gears and being rotatable about a pinion axis oriented parallel to said axes of rotation.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said cam surfaces further comprises a region of constant radius positioned adjacent to a respective one of said discontinuities.

3. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said traction surfaces.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said traction surface overlies one of said cam surfaces.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said traction surface is positioned on said one cam body in spaced relation to said cam surface extending around said one cam body.

6. The device according to claim 1 , comprising at most, three said gears, each said gear comprising one of said cam bodies and said cam surfaces.

7. The device according to claim 1 , comprising at most, two said gears, each said gear comprising one of said cam bodies and said cam surfaces.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said one cam surface is positioned between said gear and said traction surface of said one cam body.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said one cam surface is positioned proximate to said traction surface of said one cam body.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising
at least one projection attached to said pinion, said at least one projection extending transversely to said pinion axis;
at least one cut-out defined by said housing, said at least one cut-out positioned in facing relation with said at least one projection attached to said pinion; wherein
said pinion is movable relatively to said housing along said pinion axis between a first position, wherein said at least one projection attached to said pinion engages said cut-out thereby preventing continuous rotation of said pinion, and a second position, wherein said at least one projection attached to said pinion is out of engagement with said cut-out thereby permitting continuous rotation of said pinion.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising a spring acting between said pinion and said housing to bias said pinion into said first position.

12. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cup abutting said pinion, said cup receiving said pipe element upon insertion of said pipe element into said central space.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said cup is fixedly attached to said pinion.

14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said cup is free-wheeling relatively to said pinion.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first finger extending from a first selected cam body of said plurality of cam bodies in a direction parallel to and offset from a first one of said axes of rotation about which said first selected cam body rotates;
an actuator movably mounted on said housing, said actuator being movable into engagement with said first finger for rotating said first selected cam body about said first one of said axes of rotation.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said actuator comprises a lever pivotably mounted on said housing, said lever having a first surface engageable with said first finger for rotating said first selected cam body about said first one of said axes.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said lever has a second surface engageable with said finger for pivoting said lever into a ready position upon rotation of said first selected cam body.

18. The device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a second finger extending from a second selected cam body in a direction parallel to and offset from a second one of said axes of rotation about which said second selected cam body rotates;
a stop movably mounted on said housing, said stop being movable into engagement with said second finger for preventing rotation of said second selected cam body about said second one of said axes of rotation; wherein
upon movement of said actuator into engagement with said first finger, said stop further being movable out of engagement with said second finger for permitting rotation of said second selected cam body.

19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein said stop comprises a hook pivotably mounted on said housing, said hook having a spur extending therefrom and engageable with said actuator for rotating said hook out of engagement with said second finger upon movement of said actuator.

20. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a chuck for receiving said pipe element, said chuck being rotatable about a chuck axis, said chuck axis being arranged coaxially with said pinion axis.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein said housing is pivotably and slidably mounted adjacent to said chuck.

22. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrical motor engaged with said pinion.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein said electrical motor comprises a servomotor, said device further comprising a controller in communication with said servomotor for controlling the number of rotations of said servomotor and thereby said cam bodies.

24. The device according to claim 22 , further comprising a clutch operating between said electrical motor and said pinion for controlling the number of rotations of said pinion and thereby said cam bodies.

25. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a crank coupled with said pinion, said crank for manually turning said pinion and thereby said gears.

26. The device according to claim 25 , wherein said crank is directly coupled with said pinion.

27. A device for cold working a pipe element, said device comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of gears mounted within said housing, each one of said gears being rotatable about a respective one of a plurality of axes of rotation, said axes of rotation being parallel to one another, said gears being positioned about a central space for receiving said pipe element;
a plurality of cam bodies, each said cam body mounted on a respective one of said gears;
a plurality of cam surfaces extending around each said cam body, each said cam

Assignees

• Victaulic Co Of America

Inventors

• Dole Douglas R

Classifications

• B21H7/182

  Rolling annular grooves · CPC title

• B21D17/04 Primary

  by rolling · CPC title

• B21D15/04 Primary

  transversely, e.g. helically · CPC title

• F16H53/00 Primary

  Cams or cam-followers, e.g. rollers for gearing mechanisms · CPC title

• B21D15/00

  Corrugating tubes (wrinkle-bending using mandrels or the like B21D9/14) · CPC title