Abstract: A method of saw cutting relatively thin walled metal tubing in a relatively burr free fashion by causing the cutter blade to move through a path of travel which maintains an essentially tangential relative motion vector between the saw teeth and the tube wall at the place of engagement during some or all of the movement of the blade center around the tube center. Both ring blade and disc-type saws are disclosed and a two axis displacement system using digitally controlled ball screw actuators is provided.

Abstract: A method of saw cutting relatively thin walled metal tubing in a relatively burr free fashion by causing the cutter blade to move through a path of travel which maintains an essentially tangential relative motion vector between the saw teeth and the tube wall at the place of engagement during some or all of the movement of the blade center around the tube center. Both ring blade and disc-type saws are disclosed and a two axis displacement system using digitally controlled ball screw actuators is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a workstation to perform work on a moving workpiece including moving the workstation through a first length of a circular path generally parallel to the path of the workpiece, clamping the workpiece to the moving workstation, and performing work on the workpiece. A portion of the workstation moves into a fixed actuation structure which actuates a clamp on the workstation to clamp the workpiece.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for moving workstations to perform work on a workpiece, includes moving workstations through a first path generally parallel to the workpiece and performing work on the workpiece. The workstation then returns along a second return path spaced further from the workpiece than the first path. The spacing between the plurality of workstations may be controlled such that sequential workstations work on the workpiece at predetermined intervals. Several embodiments of conveyors meeting the above-described broad features may be used.

Abstract: An overload assembly is disclosed for use with a tube cutting apparatus of the type having a die set for holding a tube while a blade cuts the tube. The die set comprises two die jaws having cam followers which contact a die jaw cam to move the die jaws to clamp the tube. The overload assembly allows one of the die jaws of the die set to stop moving when an obstruction is encountered. The overload assembly includes a spring mounted through a lever arm to the cam follower. An overload biasing force is applied to the cam follower through the lever arm. If an obstruction force exceeds the overload biasing force, the lever arm is rotated and the effective length of the lever arm is reduced, causing the overload biasing force to decay to a lesser value. A scarfing blade may initially score the tube prior to cutting. In one embodiment, the overload biasing force is applied to the die jaw which does not encounter a binding force between the scarfing blade and the tube.