Including Use Of Sensor Responsive To Energy Input To Tool Or Tool Driver Patents (Class 72/19.8)
  • Patent number: 11611186
    Abstract: A pressing tool for plastically deforming a tubular workpiece, and particularly a fitting is described. The pressing tool comprises a pressing jaw receptacle for coupling a pressing jaw assembly to the pressing tool. The pressing tool further comprises a drive which is adapted to drive a coupled pressing jaw assembly in order to apply force to a workpiece, and a sensor system which is adapted to identify a pressing jaw assembly and to provide corresponding sensor data, wherein a control is adapted to control the drive based on the sensor data. Also described are related methods, pressing jaw assemblies, and workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Von ARX AG
    Inventors: Matthias Ruch, Rudolf Kreuzer
  • Patent number: 11117185
    Abstract: A fastening tool includes a housing, a fastener-abutment part, a pin-gripping part held within the fastener-abutment part to be movable in a front-rear direction relative to the fastener-abutment part, a detection-target part provided to move together with the pin-gripping part, a detection device configured to detect the detection-target part, a motor, and a driving mechanism configured to move the pin-gripping part rearward from an initial position relative to the fastener-abutment part. The driving mechanism is further configured to move the pin-gripping part forward relative to the fastener-abutment part so as to return the pin-gripping part to the initial position based on a detection result of the detection device. The fastening tool is configured such that a first moving distance is adjustable, the first moving distance being a distance by which the pin-gripping part is moved from a detection position to the initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michisada Yabuguchi, Yuki Kawai, Hiroki Ikuta
  • Patent number: 8797772
    Abstract: A low noise voltage regulator generally includes an output switching stage and an amplifier, both of which contribute current to produce an output voltage at a substantially constant level. The amplifier produces a current that is based on a difference between a reference voltage and a feedback of the output voltage. The current from the amplifier (and optionally also from a current ramp generator) counterbalances the current from the output switching stage to maintain the output voltage at the substantially constant level. The output switching stage is controlled in response to a level of the counterbalancing current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Teddy D. Thomas, Gregory Stewart Waterfall
  • Publication number: 20130025335
    Abstract: An apparatus for the electrohydraulic control of the parallelism of a roller in a bending machine for working metal pieces, having pump means for supplying with an operating fluid first actuating means and second actuating means; position transducer means connected operationally to an electronic control unit; and first and second proportional valve means operatively controllable by said electronic control unit to adjust the flow of said operating fluid into said first and second actuating means according to signals of said position transducer means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: PROMAU S.R.L.
    Inventor: Orazio Maria DAVI
  • Publication number: 20110271727
    Abstract: A conduit bender having a unitary frame is mounted to a wheeled base which provides for transportation of the bender. A braking assembly provides for simplified locking of the wheels to secure the bender in a location. The bender is mounted to the base through a pivoting assembly which allows for bending of conduit in either a horizontal or vertical plane. A circuit is provided for controlling the bending operation. An auto-sensing portion of the circuit receives information regarding the characteristics of the conduit to be bent upon placement of the conduit in the bender. A feed back portion of the circuit is used to provide a precise bending operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Plummer, Sean A. Daugherty
  • Patent number: 7765841
    Abstract: A disclosed device and method are useful for monitoring a tube bending process. An example sensor detects a force associated with moving a mandrel in tubing during at least a portion of a tube bending process. The detected force is used to determine a quality of the tube bending process. For example, a detected pulling force provides an indication of whether a bent portion of a tube is within an acceptable range of a desired configuration. The detected pulling force is also useful to provide an indication of whether a condition of a mandrel or a machine used during the process is as expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: OES, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Hogendoorn, Michael Reeve, Mark Adam Livingston Donkers
  • Patent number: 7594417
    Abstract: In a rotary tube bender, a first set of pressure sensors is located between the normally disposed mating surfaces of a wiper die insert and its wiper die holder; and a second set of pressure sensors is located between the axially disposed surfaces of the wiper die insert and the wiper die holder. Signal outputs of the first and second sets of pressure sensors over the course of bending cycles are compared to previously determined nominal signal outputs for drift indicative of whether a realignment or replacement of the wiper die should be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike M. Ghiran, Spyros P. Mellas, William M. Crantas, Kevin R. Marks, Douglas T. Wohlenhaus
  • Patent number: 6619088
    Abstract: A bottom dead center correction device for a servo press machine which can correct the bottom dead center with a high precision not achieved by a bottom dead center correction by a slide position detection device provided on a frame includes a bottom dead center sensor (11) and a temperature sensor (12) on a lower mold (10B) of a die (10). The bottom dead center of a set slide motion of slide (3) is corrected by the bottom dead center measurement value of bottom dead center detection sensor (11) and by the temperature drift of bottom dead center detection sensor (11) resulting from the temperature rise of die (10) due to molding and detected by temperature sensor (12). A bottom dead center correction of one micron unit not previously achieved becomes possible. The bottom dead center correction device also can be provided as one which corrects for the fluctuations in the bottom dead center resulting from deformations in all of the construction parts and the die of the servo press.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Aida Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Oyamada, Kunihiro Suzuki, Youichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 6523384
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring the carry through state of a mechanical press is disclosed. Actual slide displacement curves under load conditions are continually generated for the press being monitored. Values of rebound height, rebound count, and rebound number for the press slide may then be determined and utilized as indicators of the carry through state of the press. Measured values of rebound height, rebound count, and rebound number can then be displayed and used as indicators that the energy of the slide should be increased to bring the press closer to a carry through state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Minster Machine Company
    Inventor: Daniel A. Schoch
  • Patent number: 6386008
    Abstract: A sheet fabrication machine is equipped with different servo motors for actuating its upper tool and its lower die. A direction converting mechanism is provided to each of the tool assembly and the die assembly so as to convert the non-vertical forces output by the servo motors into vertical forces that enable the tool and die to move relative to each other to effect work on a workpiece placed therebwtween. The sheet fabrication machine is moreover equipped with a system and logic for automatically measuring the length of the tool and for providing a setting from which the operation of the tool can be referenced. Additional features provisioned into the sheet fabrication machine include look ahead functions for optimizing the operational speed of the machine while minimizing the noise generated as a result of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Lillbacka Jetair OY
    Inventors: Mika Virtanen, Jorma Taijonlahti
  • Patent number: 6382008
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process for checking the quality of formings executed by a machine for forming tube ends, according to which the forming machine is equipped with a force transducer (33) which is capable of measuring the reactive axial force exerted by the tube on the tool (9a) in a forming pass and, for each forming, in a preliminary learning phase, the maximum reactive axial force exerted by the tube on the tool (9a) is measured, the quality of the executed forming is verified in conventional manner and the value of the maximum reactive axial force obtained in a forming of a quality meeting the required conditions is recorded, then, in each forming pass, the maximum reactive axial force exerted by the tube on the tool (9a) is measured, the value of the said maximum axial force is compared with the recorded reference value and the forming is validated if the measured maximum axial force corresponds to the reference force with a predetermined tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Financiere Robolix
    Inventor: Philippe Jaubert
  • Patent number: 6378194
    Abstract: In a method for joining workpieces, in particular press fittings (24) to a pipe (23), the pressing device (1) is placed with its at least two pressing jaws (21, 22) in the open position against the joining point of the workpieces 23, 24), and the pressing jaws (21, 22) are then moved with respect to one another by means of a jaw drive (7, 50), while the workpieces (23, 24) deform plastically, into a terminal pressed position in which, at the latest, the application of power to the press jaws (21, 22) ends. According to the invention, the power of the jaw drive (7, 50) is controlled in such a way that, at least toward the completion of pressing, the pressing jaws (21, 22) have less kinetic energy than without a power controller. The invention further concerns a pressing unit (1) for carrying out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Novopress GmbH
    Inventor: Xuang Long Nghiem