Cam grooving machine with cam stop surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441663-B2
Application number	US-201916677712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A device for cold working pipe elements has two or more cams, each having a gear, the gears being synchronized 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. One or more cams may also have 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. An engagement body is mounted between the cams to engage and disengage from a stop surface on one of the cams. Engagement between the engagement body and a stop surface prevents rotation of the cams.

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 one of said cam bodies 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 outwardly from said one cam body, said traction surface having a gap therein, said gap being aligned axially with said discontinuity of said one cam surface surrounding said one cam body;
a stop surface projecting from one of said cam bodies, said stop surface positioned adjacent to said discontinuity of said cam surface on said one cam body;
an engagement body positioned within said central space adjacent said stop surface, said pipe element contacting said engagement body upon insertion of said pipe element into said central space; wherein
said engagement body is movable relatively to said housing between a first position, wherein said engagement body engages said stop surface thereby preventing continuous rotation of said cam bodies, and a second position, wherein said engagement body is out of engagement with said stop surface, thereby permitting continuous rotation of said cam bodies.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pinion mounted within said central space, said pinion meshing with said plurality of gears and being rotatable about a pinion axis oriented parallel to said axes of rotation.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said engagement body comprises a cup, said cup receiving said pipe element upon insertion of said pipe element into said central space.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said engagement body is mounted on said pinion.

5. The device according to claim 4 , further comprising a spring acting between said pinion and said engagement body to bias said engagement body into said first position.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said engagement body is fixedly mounted on said pinion.

7. The device according to claim 4 , further comprising a spring acting between said pinion and said housing to bias said engagement body into said first position.

8. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said engagement body is free-wheeling relatively to said pinion.

9. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a rib projecting from said one cam body, said rib positioned adjacent to said cam surface on said one cam body and extending around a portion of said one cam body, said stop surface being positioned on a first end of said rib.

10. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising a second stop surface positioned on a second end of said rib, said second stop surface projecting from said one cam body transversely to said axis of rotation, said second stop surface being positioned adjacent to said discontinuity of said cam surface of said one cam body and in spaced relation to said stop surface.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said stop surface and said second stop surface each has a concave curvature.

12. 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.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said traction surfaces, each one of said traction surfaces extending around a respective one of said cam bodies.

14. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said stop surfaces, each one of said stop surfaces being positioned adjacent to a respective one of said discontinuities of one of said cam surfaces on each one of said cam bodies.

15. The device according to claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of ribs each said rib projecting from a respective one of said cam bodies, said ribs being positioned adjacent to said cam surfaces on each said cam body and extending around a portion of said cam bodies, each said stop surface being positioned on an end of each of said ribs.

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

17. 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.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said traction surface has a constant radius measured about and from said axis of rotation of said one cam body.

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

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein said cam surface on said one cam body is positioned proximate to said traction surface on said one cam body.

21. The device according to claim 18 , wherein said stop surface is positioned between said cam surface and said gear on said one cam body.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first finger extending from a first one of said cam bodies 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 one of said cam bodies rotates;
an actuator movably mounted on said housing, said actuator being movable into engagement with said first finger for rotating said first one of said cam bodies about said first one of said axes of rotation.

25. The device according to claim 24 , 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 one of said cam bodies about said first one of said axes.

26. The device according to claim 25 , wherein said lever has a second surface engageable with said finger for pivoting said lever into a ready position upon rotation of said first one of said cam bodies.

27. The device according to claim 24 , further comprising:
a second finger extending from a second one of said cam bodies of said plurality of cam bodies in a direction parallel to and offset from a second one of said axes of rotation about which said second one of said cam bodies rotates;
a stop movably mounted on said housing, said stop being movable into engagement with said second finger for preventing rotation of said second one of said cam bodies about said second one of said axes of rotation; wherein
upon movement of said actuator into

Assignees

• Victaulic Co Of America

Inventors

• Dole Douglas R

Classifications

• B21D17/04 Primary

  by rolling · CPC title

• B21H7/182

  Rolling annular grooves · 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

• B21D15/06 Primary

  annularly {(with thinning B21C37/205)} · CPC title