Apparatus for making grooved endform
An apparatus or tool for simultaneously cutting an end and forming a groove in a tube includes at least one cutter for cutting the tube and at least one roller for forming a groove in the tube. The cutter can include a profile for simultaneously cutting the tube and forming a shaped end of the tube. In one aspect, a body and a carrier are used to make the at least one cutter and the at least one roller relative to the tube. In another aspect, a pair of opposing dies are used to move the at least one cutter and the at least one roller with respect to the tube. The dies can be moved by a drive shaft connected to an output of an electric power drill.
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In the plumbing industry, water conduits have been typically formed of copper pipe. Joints between pipe sections and external connections to flexible conduits, faucets, etc., had been made with solder.
In rough framing a building or home, the pipes are mounted within the wall and/or floor or ceiling and terminate in a “stub out” which is a short length of pipe extending through an opening in a wall. Prior to connecting the stub outs to the building or home fixtures, a pressure test is required. A pressure gauge is attached by solder to one of the stub outs. All of the remaining stub outs are closed by caps which are also soldered on each stub out. The system is then pressurized to detect any leaks.
After the pressure test is completed, the caps and the pressure gauge are removed from the stub outs and the plumbing fixtures attached. Typically, a shut off valve is soldered to many of the stub outs, with an external conduit, which can be formed as a flexible hose, attached to the shut off valve by solder or tightenable compression fittings.
As is evident from the typical building or home plumbing installation, a considerable amount of time is involved in soldering the caps and the pressure gauge to all of the stub outs to perform the code required pressure test and then unsoldering the caps and the pressure gauge prior to soldering shut off valves to the stub outs for connection to the building plumbing fixtures. As a result, the plumbing industry is under increasing pressure to migrate to easy connections for service and hook up of building and home water supply systems. Such easy connections must take into account the code required sealed system pressure test and the typical drywalling around a stub out prior to the connection to the final shut off valve.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a tool to make a grooved endform or profile on the stub out suitable for connection to a water supply component having quick connection features. It would also be desirable to provide a tool to make a grooved endform that can be a manual hand tool or a power tool. It would also be desirable to provide a tool for making a groove and tube length cutting for any tube and profile application including such non-limiting examples of plumbing, automotive, and industrial applications.
SUMMARYThe present invention is an apparatus or tool for simultaneously cutting an end and forming a groove profile on a tube. The tool includes means for cutting the tube to length, means for forming a groove in the tube, and means for moving the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube. The cutting means can include at least one cutter. The groove forming means can include at least one roller. The cutting means can include means for simultaneously cutting the tube and forming a rounded and/or chamfered profile on the cut end of the tube.
In this aspect, the means for moving the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube includes a body, a carrier, and carrier moving means for moving the carrier relative to the body. The body includes the at least one cutter and the at least one roller. The body can also include adjustment means to accommodate a plurality of different diameter tubes. The adjustment means can include detent means, a restraint, and indicia associated with different tube diameters. The carrier includes another cutter and another roller positioned in opposition to the at least one cutter and at least one roller of the body, respectively.
In another aspect, the means for moving the cutting means and groove forming means relative to the tube includes a pair of opposing dies, a first gear for rotatably moving the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube, means for moving the dies relative to each other, and translation means for translating relative movement between the dies into movement of the cutting means and the groove forming means in a perpendicular direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube. The translation means can include an angled surface on the cutting means and the groove forming means which has a complementary shape to a pocket of each die. The means for moving the dies relative to each other and rotating the gear relative to the tube can include a drive shaft. An output of an electric power drill, which can be battery powered and/or plug in, can provide means for rotating the drive shaft.
The present tool allows the use of fluid quick connectors to provide an easy attachment to existing building plumbing without requiring time consuming soldering of pipe connections. This is especially advantageous during the initial pressure testing of building plumbing which requires caps to be soldered over the open ends of all stub outs before the system is pressurized. The caps are subsequently removed and other fluid conduits, stop valves, etc., connected to the stub outs in a normal fashion. The present tool cuts an end of the stub out and forms a grooved endform suitable for connection to a water supply component having quick connection features to replace all of the soldering. The present tool eliminates these time consuming procedures by enabling a single quick connector containing a shut off valve, etc., to be attached in a simple slide-on manner to a stub out.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGThe various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawing in which:
Referring to
The body 30 can be generally C-shaped as best seen in
As shown in
The restraint 42 can be polygonally shaped where the restraint aperture 62 can be positioned so that an axis of rotation 63 of the restraint 42 is a different distance from each face 65A-H of the restraint 42, where each face 65A-H is associated with one stop position 45A-H, respectively. In operation, the movement of the rotatable member 34 in the direction of the body 30 is constrained by contact with one face 65A-H of the restraint 42. Therefore, because each face 65A-H is a different distance from the axis of rotation 63, each stop position 45A-H is associated with a different distance between the at least one cutter 16 and the at least one roller 18 of the body 30 and the at least one cutter 16 and the at least one roller 18, respectively, of the carrier 32 to accomodate different diameter tubes.
By way of example and not limitation, the threaded shaft 36 can be attached to the carrier 32 as shown in
As seen in
Another aspect of the tool 10 is shown in
In this example, as seen in
The first drive shaft 110 can include a pair of apertures 128 corresponding to a pair of apertures 130 of the second gear 112 each for receiving a fastener 132 to secure the second gear 112 relative to the first drive shaft 110, where the first drive shaft 110 is received by a bore 133 of the second gear 112, as seen in
By way of example and not limitation, the second drive shaft 144 can include a first threaded portion 148, a second threaded portion 150, two unthreaded end sections 152 with each associated with one of the first threaded portion 148 and the second threaded portion 150, thread patterns 122, 123 having a complementary pattern to the threaded die apertures 118, 119, respectively, and having opposite thread directions 124, 126. A seen in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The aperture(s) 140 in the second surface 142 of the first gear 106 can be a radially extending aperture. The aperture(s) 140 can have a complementary shape to a protrusion 180 of the groove forming means 17A. The aperture(s) 140 can include a biasing means 182 for biasing the roller(s) 18 away from the tube 14 and securing means 184. The biasing means 182 could include a spring 186 for securing the biasing means 182 and the groove forming means 17A relative to the aperture(s) 140. By way of example and not limitation, the securing means 184 associated with the aperture(s) 140 can include a ring 188.
The cutting means 15A can include a base 196, a cutting wheel 24A, and rotatable attaching means 198 for rotatably attaching a cutting wheel 24A to the base 196, as seen in
Referring now to
In operation, the dies 102, 104 are moved together and apart by the drive shafts 110, 144 acting on the threaded die apertures 118, 119. When the dies 102, 104 are moved together, this motion is translated into motion of the cutting means 15A and the groove forming means 17A as discussed above. When the dies 102, 104 are moved apart, a force exerted by the pockets 202, 222 on the second surfaces 201, 220, respectively, is reduced, and the cutting means 15A and the groove forming means 17A are moved away from the tube 14 by a force exerted on the cutting means 15A and the groove forming means 17A by the biasing means 172, 182, respectively.
Claims
1. An apparatus for simultaneously cutting an end and forming a groove in the tube spaced from the end comprising:
- means for cutting an end in the tube;
- means for forming a groove in the tube spaced from the end; and
- means for moving the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting means further comprises a profile for simultaneously cutting the tube to a length and forming the end on the tube.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting means further comprises at least one cutter and the groove forming means further comprises at least one roller.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the moving means further comprises:
- a body carrying the at least one cutter and the at least one roller;
- a carrier having another cutter and another roller, respectively positioned in opposition to the at least one cutter and the at least one roller of the body;
- means for moving the carrier relative to the body.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the body further comprises:
- means for rotatably attaching the at least one cutter and the at least one roller to the body; and
- means for maintaining a pre-selected spacing between the at least one cutter and the at least one roller.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the spacing maintaining means further comprises a bushing mounted between the at least one cutter and the at least one roller.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the body further comprises means for adjusting movement of the carrier moving means to accommodate a plurality of different diameter tubes.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the adjusting means further comprises a plurality of indicia each corresponding to a one of a plurality of distinct tube diameters.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the adjusting means further comprises an adjustable stop attached to the body.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the adjustable stop further comprises:
- a restraint attachable to the body; and
- detent means for defining a plurality of stop positions for the restraint relative to the carrier.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the restraint further comprises means for rotatably attaching the restraint to the body.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the detent means further comprises:
- a member movably partially recessed in a bore of the body;
- means for biasing the member from the bore to engage the member with one of a plurality of apertures of the restraint, each corresponding to one of the plurality of stop positions.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the member further comprises a ball.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the biasing means further comprises a spring.
15. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the carrier further comprises:
- at least one shaft for rotatably attaching the at least one cutter and the at least one roller to the body;
- means for maintaining a selected spacing between the at least one cutter and the at least one roller; and
- at least one pair of apertures in the carrier with each aperture of the pair receiving an opposite end of the at least one shaft.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the spacing means further comprises a bushing.
17. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the moving means further comprises a threaded shaft attached between the body and the carrier.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the moving means further comprises:
- a pair of opposing dies;
- means for moving the dies relative to each other;
- means for translating the motion of the dies to motion of the cutting means and the groove forming means in a perpendicular direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube; and
- an actuator for rotatably moving the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a housing.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the cutting means further comprises:
- a base;
- a cutting wheel; and
- means for rotatably attaching the cutting wheel to the base.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the base further comprises:
- a first surface;
- a protrusion located on the first surface and having a complementary shape to an at least one aperture of a first surface of a first gear; and
- a second surface having a complementary shape to an aperture of the die.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second surface further comprises an angled surface.
23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the groove forming means further comprises:
- a base;
- a roller wheel; and
- means for rotatably attaching the roller wheel to the base.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the base further comprises:
- a first surface;
- a protrusion located on the first surface and having a complementary shape to an at least one aperture of a first surface of a first gear; and
- a second surface having a complementary shape to an aperture of the die.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the second surface further comprises an angled surface.
26. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the die moving means further comprises:
- at least one threaded aperture associated with each die;
- at least one drive shaft having a complementary thread pattern to the at least one aperture; and
- means for turning the at least one drive shaft.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the at least one drive shaft further comprises:
- a first gear;
- a first drive shaft including a second gear for driving the first gear; and
- a second drive shaft including a third gear driven by the first gear.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the first drive shaft further comprises an aperture corresponding to an aperture of the second gear for receiving a fastener for securing the second gear relative to the first drive shaft.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the second drive shaft further comprises an aperture corresponding to an aperture of the third gear for receiving a fastener to secure the third gear relative to the second drive shaft.
30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the turning means further comprises an output shaft of an electric power drill.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the output of the power drill comprises at least one of a chuck and a shaft each attachable to the at least one drive shaft.
32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the power drill further comprises at least one of a plug in power drill and a battery power drill.
33. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the translating means further comprises:
- at least one angled surface on the cutting means and the groove forming means; and
- at least one aperture associated with each die, the at least one aperture having a complementary shape to the at least one angled surface.
34. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the actuator further comprises:
- a first gear for rotating at least one of the cutting means and the groove forming means relative to the tube;
- a second gear in driving engagement with the first gear; and
- means for turning the second gear.
35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the first gear further comprises:
- at least one aperture of a first surface of the first gear for receiving the cutting means; and
- at least one aperture of a second surface of the first gear for receiving the groove forming means.
36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the at least one aperture of the first surface of the first gear further comprises a radially extending aperture.
37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the at least one aperture of the first surface of the first gear further comprises a complementary shape to a protrusion of the cutting means.
38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the first gear further comprises:
- at least one stop located in the at least one aperture of the first surface;
- means for biasing the cutting means away from the tube.
- means for securing the biasing means and the cutting means relative to the at least one aperture of the first surface.
39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the biasing means further comprises at least one spring.
40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the securing means further comprises at least one ring mounted concentrically to the first gear.
41. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the at least one aperture of the second surface of the first gear further comprises a radially extending aperture.
42. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the at least one aperture of the second surface of the first gear further comprises a complementary shape to the groove forming means.
43. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the first gear further comprises:
- at least one stop located in the at least one aperture of the second surface;
- means for biasing the groove forming means away from the tube; and
- means for securing the biasing means and the groove forming means relative to the at least one aperture.
44. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the turning means for the second gear further comprises:
- at least one drive shaft; and
- means for turning the at least one drive shaft.
45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the turning means for the at least one drive shaft further comprises an output of an electric power drill.
46. An apparatus for cutting and making a grooved endform in a tube comprising:
- a plurality of cutters for cutting a tube;
- a plurality of rollers for forming a groove in the tube; and
- means for moving the cutters and the rollers relative to the tube.
47. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein each cutter further comprises a profile for simultaneously cutting the tube to form an end and forming at least one of a rounded end and a chamfered end of the tube.
48. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the moving means further comprises a manually rotatable member rotatable by an operator.
49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the member further comprises:
- a gripping knob; and
- a shaft attachable to the knob.
50. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the moving means further comprises an adjustable stop.
51. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the moving means further comprises:
- a pair of opposing dies;
- means for translating movement of the dies relative to each other to movement by the rollers and the cutters in a perpendicular direction relative to the tube;
- a first gear for rotating the cutters and the rollers relative to the tube;
- at least one drive shaft, for moving the dies relative to each other;
- a second gear associated with the at least one drive shaft for turning the first gear; and
- means for turning the at least one drive shaft; and
52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the means for turning the at least drive shaft further comprises an output of an electric power drill.
53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the output of the power drill comprises at least one of a chuck and an output shaft each attachable to the primary drive shaft.
54. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the power drill further comprises at least one of a plug in power drill and a battery power drill.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 14, 2005
Publication Date: Oct 19, 2006
Applicant: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (Wilmington, DE)
Inventor: Michael Andre (Waterford, MI)
Application Number: 11/105,607
International Classification: B21D 19/06 (20060101);