Tube coupling apparatus

A tube coupling apparatus for the fitting of compressible tube couplings, the apparatus comprising:

• first and second clamping jaws mounted on a tool body that are movable relative to each other between an open configuration in which they are configured and arranged to receive a compressible tube coupling and one or more tube members, and a closed configuration in which the clamping jaws apply a compression force to compress the compressible tube coupling about one or more tube members;
• an actuator arranged to operate at least one of the clamping jaws to move the clamping jaws to the closed configuration;
• a controller configured to control the actuator;
• and
• a sensor arranged to determine a system parameter indicative of the compression force applied to the compressible tube coupling by the clamping jaws;
• wherein the first and second clamping jaws each include a channel configured to receive the one or more tube members;
• wherein the first and second clamping jaws each include an inner face to engage respective tube collars such that as the first and second clamping jaws move relative to each other along the one or more tube members the respective collars move toward each other to compress the compressible tube coupling;
• wherein the actuator is configured to progressively increase the compression force of the clamping jaws during a fitting operation and an operational cycle of the tube coupling apparatus is completed when the compression force achieves a first predetermined threshold, and the controller is configured to determine the compression force based on sensor data received from the sensor and to control the actuator to ensure the compression force achieves the first predetermined threshold and prevent the compression force exceeding a second predetermined threshold based on the sensor data, the first predetermined threshold being a hydraulic pressure greater than or equal to the hydraulic pressure required to complete assembly of the tube coupling and the second predetermined threshold being a pressure not greater than the maximum fitting pressure of the coupling, count an operational cycle each time the first predetermined threshold is reached, determine when the number of counted operational cycles reaches one or more predetermined cycle thresholds, and execute an operation when said one or more cycle thresholds is reached.

A tube coupling apparatus for the fitting of compressible tube couplings, the apparatus comprising:

• first and second clamping jaws mounted on a tool body that are movable relative to each other between an open configuration in which they are configured and arranged to receive a compressible tube coupling and one or more tube members, and a closed configuration in which the clamping jaws apply a compression force to compress the compressible tube coupling about one or more tube members;
• a hydraulic actuator arranged to move at least one of the clamping jaws to the closed configuration;
• a controller configured to control the hydraulic actuator;
• and
• a pressure sensor arranged to determine the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic actuator;
• wherein the first and second clamping jaws each include a channel configured to receive the one or more tube members;
• wherein the first and second clamping jaws each include an inner face to engage respective tube collars such that as the first and second clamping jaws move relative to each other along the one or more tube members the respective collars move toward each other to compress the compressible tube coupling;
• wherein the hydraulic actuator is configured to progressively increase the compression force of the clamping jaws during a fitting operation and the controller is operative to determine the rate of increase of hydraulic pressure during operation of the tube coupling apparatus based on data received from the pressure sensor to ensure the compression force achieves a first predetermined threshold and to stop the actuator if the rate of increase of hydraulic pressure exceeds a second predetermined threshold, the first predetermined threshold being a hydraulic pressure greater than or equal to the hydraulic pressure required to complete assembly of the tube coupling and the second predetermined threshold being a pressure not greater than the maximum fitting pressure of the coupling.