US 4,000,672 AGranted

Slitting machine for corrugated pipe

AssigneeAltair National Corporation

InventorsTheodor K. Sitterer, Siegfried Valentin

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Abstract

A slitting machine is disclosed which feeds corrugated pipe through the machine intermittently and between the periods of pipe feeding when the pipe is stationary a plurality of angularly spaced saw sets are moved radially inward toward the machine axis and the pipe to cut slots through the wall thereof, and then withdrawn whereupon the cycle repeats. The pipe is fed through the machine by endless transporters equal in number to the saw sets and uniformly disposed angularly with respect to each other, the saw sets and the axis. The transporters have projections which fit into the corrugations of the pipe for a driving connection therewith. A saw set is located angularly between each pair of transporters so that a pair of the latter are roughly opposite to a saw set for an even number of sets or directly opposite a transporter for an odd number of sets. This arrangement backs up the pipe when it is being cut so that the number of saws in each set or gang can be increased and thereby increase the length of pipe which can be slitted for each cycle and increase the number of feet per minute of pipe which can be cut. For a machine having an even number of saw sets, half are driven in one direction of rotation and half in the other direction in order to eliminate torque on the pipe when cutting. For a machine having an odd number of saw sets there will be one more set of saws rotating in one direction than in the other direction to reduce the torque on the pipe when cutting. Control means are provided to set each operation into motion and preferably automatically and to assure also that each operation is completed before the other is initiated.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A slitting machine for a corrugated pipe with the machine and pipe having the same axis comprising a frame, transporting means including at least two endless transporters, spaced mounting means carried by the frame and mounting each transporter uniformly spaced angularly with respect to each other and with reference to the axis, each transporter having an inner span with at least a major portion of the length thereof parallel to each other and the axis and straight, the straight span of each transporter being spaced from the axis a distance to engage the periphery of the pipe to support the same, each transporter having projecting means directly inwardly towards the axis for the inner span and spaced apart so as to enter an inwardly directed corrugation of the pipe, transporter operating means operatively connected with the transporters to drive the same in the same direction and at the same speed, slitting means positioned between each pair of transporters and directed radially inwardly with respect to the axis including slide means carried by the frame uniformly positioned angularly with respect to each other, a saw carrier mounted on each slide means for radial movement toward and away from the machine axis and having an inner edge and an outer edge, a plurality of circular saws forming a set mounted in alignment on each carrier at the inner edge thereof and spaced apart to cut into a separate corrugation of the pipe, saw motor means for each set of saws carried on its saw carrier and connected with its saws to rotate the same, carrier operating means connected with each of the carriers to move the same radially inwardly towards the axis to sawing position and outwardly to retracted position with respect to the axis, transporter control means connected with the transporter operating means to operate the same, and slitting control means connected with the carrier operating means to operate the same.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.