Method and Device for Forming Grooves in Pipe Elements
AssigneeVictaulic Company
InventorsAnthony Price, Daniel B. Vicario, Matthew J. Puzio, Douglas R. Dole
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming circumferential grooves in pipe elements using opposed rollers to cold work the pipe elements determines the diameter of the groove while the pipe element is rotated between the rollers. A device for executing the method uses the instantaneous determinations of the groove depth in a feed-back loop to control the operation of the device and halt groove formation when the groove depth is within a specified tolerance.
Claims15
A method of forming a circumferential groove in a pipe element having a longitudinal axis and using a drive roller and a grooving roller, said method comprising:
- engaging said pipe element with said drive roller;
- engaging said grooving roller with said pipe element;
- measuring a diameter of said pipe element while rotating said pipe element about said longitudinal axis;
- calculating a desired groove depth tolerance corresponding to a desired groove diameter tolerance;
- forming said groove by rotating said pipe element about said longitudinal axis while forcing said grooving roller against said pipe element so as to displace material of said pipe element;
- while rotating said pipe element, measuring said groove depth;
- comparing said groove depth with said desired groove depth tolerance;
- and
- repeating forming said groove, measuring said groove depth, and comparing said groove depth with said desired groove depth tolerance until said groove depth is within said desired groove depth tolerance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.