# US 10,478,879 B2 · Extrusion press systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,879 B2 - Document ID: US10478879B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/154,019 - Filed: 2016-05-13 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-12 - Assignees: Manchester Copper Products, LLC - Applicants: Manchester Copper Products, LLC - Inventors: Charles L. Stewart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478879B2 ## CPC - B21C 23/212: {Details (B21C23/217, B21C23/218 take precedence)} - B21C 23/001: {to improve the material properties, e.g. lateral extrusion} - B21C 23/085: {Making tubes (B21C23/10 take precedence)} - B21C 23/211: {Press driving devices} - B21C 23/217: {Tube extrusion presses (B21C23/218 takes precedence)} - B21C 25/02: Dies - B21C 25/04: Mandrels - B21C 29/003: {Cooling or heating of work} - B21C 29/02: of containers for metal to be extruded - B21C 29/04: of press heads, dies, or mandrels - B21C 31/00: Control devices for metal extruding, e.g. for regulating the pressing speed or temperature of metal (B21C25/08 takes precedence); Measuring devices, e.g. for temperature of metal, combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with extrusion presses - B21C 33/006: {Consecutive billets, e.g. billet profiles allowing air expulsion or bonding of billets} - B21C 35/023: {Work treatment directly following extrusion, e.g. further deformation or surface treatment (B21C35/03 takes precedence; gas treatment B21C23/009)} - B29C 31/002: {Handling tubes, e.g. transferring between shaping stations, loading on mandrels} - C21D 1/62: Quenching devices - B21C: MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES, PROFILES OR LIKE SEMI-MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B) ## Abstract One or more hollow billets are loaded onto an elongate mandrel bar for extrusion. The billets are transported along the mandrel bar to a rotating die. The billets are transported through fluid clamps, which engage the mandrel bar and provide cooling fluid to the mandrel bar tip, and through mandrel grips, which engage the mandrel bar and prevent the mandrel bar from rotating. One or more press-rams advance the billets through a centering insert and into the rotating die. A quench assembly is provided at an extrusion end of the extrusion press to quench the extruded material. A programmable logic controller may be provided to control, at least in part, operations of the extrusion press system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An extrusion press system comprising: a mandrel bar having a first end and a second end, the first end for receiving a billet having a hole therethrough and the second end coupled to a mandrel bar tip; a plurality of cooling elements configured to be clamped to the mandrel bar, each of the plurality of cooling elements having a respective port through which cooling fluid is delivered into an interior of the mandrel bar for cooling the mandrel bar tip, wherein at any given time at least one but fewer than all of the plurality of cooling elements are clamped to the mandrel bar; a plurality of gripping elements configured to grip the mandrel bar, each of the plurality of gripping elements comprising moveable grips for securing in place and preventing rotation of the mandrel bar, wherein at any given time at least one but fewer than all of the plurality of gripping elements are gripping the mandrel bar; and a rotating extrusion die configured to receive the billet from a centering insert having a frictional surface that frictionally engages the billet to prevent the billet from rotating prior to entry of the billet into the rotating extrusion die; wherein the mandrel bar tip is positioned within the rotating die. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, further comprising: a press-ram element having moveable first and second arms that together grip the billet and provide a substantially constant pushing force toward the rotating die. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The extrusion press system of claim 2, wherein the substantially constant pushing force causes the billet to enter the rotating die at a predetermined rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, wherein the mandrel bar comprises an opening proximate to the respective port of a respective cooling element of the plurality of cooling elements when the respective cooling element of the plurality of cooling elements is clamped to the mandrel bar, which opening receives the cooling fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The extrusion press system of claim 4, wherein the mandrel bar further comprises notches about the mandrel bar on either side of the opening, wherein the notches are configured to receive an o-ring to substantially prevent the cooling fluid from leaking. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The extrusion press system of claim 5, further comprising a mandrel bar sleeve about the opening that substantially prevents the cooling fluid from leaking. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, wherein the mandrel bar comprises an inner tube therein that receives the cooling fluid from a respective cooling element of the plurality of cooling elements when the respective cooling element of the plurality of cooling elements is clamped to the mandrel bar and through which the cooling fluid is delivered to the mandrel bar tip. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The extrusion press system of claim 7, wherein the cooling fluid is returned to the respective cooling element of the plurality of cooling elements from the mandrel bar tip along a space within the mandrel bar between an outer surface of the inner tube and an inner surface of the mandrel bar. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid is water. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, wherein the mandrel bar comprises a grip portion that is correspondingly shaped to mate with at least one of the moveable grips of the at least one of the plurality of gripping elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, further comprising a track along which the billet is transported, wherein the track intermittently moves depending on a position of the billet relative to the plurality of gripping elements and the plurality of cooling elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The extrusion press system of claim 11, further comprising upper rolling wheels located above the track and configured to contact an upper surface of the billet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, further comprising a quench tube provided at an exit of the rotating extrusion die. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The extrusion press system of claim 13, wherein the quench tube quenches extruded material when the extruded material exits the rotating extrusion die. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The extrusion press system of claim 14, wherein the extruded material is quenched using water. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The extrusion press system of claim 15, wherein the water contacts the extruded material within approximately 1 inch of the rotating extrusion die. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The extrusion press system of claim 1, further comprising a motor coupled to a spindle that controls the rotation speed of the rotating extrusion die.