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AssigneeOuellette Machinery Systems, Inc.
InventorJoseph F. Ouellette
Estimating the term…
A machine for automatically sealing the end of various sized lengths of plastic tubing and for filling same has a clamshell clamp for straightening and firmly positioning the tubing, a carriage with an alignment ring which is lowered over the end of the tubing, a heat probe with a separate drive for insertion into the tube end to heat it, and a plurality of plows having depending guide legs which are simultaneously advanced radially inward against the heated tube end to collapse it and hold it as it cools, thereby creating a weld seal. An abrading arm assembly is mounted to the carriage and has an abrading brush or roller which may be rotated upon insertion into the tube end to roughen the inner surface of the tube end to enhance the weld seal. The tube straightener and the alignment ring positively align the pipe and the heat probe. A filler arm assembly is mounted to the carriage and may be extended to align with the tubing. A valve and cylinder in the filler arm automatically control the flow of the desired filler material into the tubing. The heat probe is of a modular construction with a quick release to facilitate its rapid removal and replacement for maintenance, or to change the operating temperature of the apparatus to suit tubing manufactured from different types of plastics. Controls are provided to time the various operations and are fully adjustable to adapt the apparatus for different applications.
A device for sealing an end of a tube comprising means to hold, straighten, and align the tube during the sealing operation, means to abrade the inner surface of the tube end including an arm and a driven rotatable brush mounted thereon with means to selectively position the brush inside the tube end, means to heat the end of the tube being sealed, and means to fold, collapse, and squeeze said heated tube end as it cools, thereby sealing said tube end.
A device for sealing an end of a tube comprising a clamping means to enclose a portion of the length of the tube to hold, straighten and align said tube during the sealing operation, means to abrade the inner surface of the tube end including an arm with a driven rotatable brush mounted on said arm and means to extend and retract said arm from a position centered over said tube, a carriage, ring means on said carriage to encircle the tube end during the sealing operation, means to extend and retract said carriage from a position wherein said ring means encircles said tube end, a heating element disposed on said carriage with means to move said heating element into contact with the inner surface of said tube end, and plow means including a plurality of rams, each of said rams having a nose and a guide leg depending therefrom, and means to advance said rams radially inwardly to collapse and squeeze said tube end between the nose portions of said rams as it cools, thereby sealing same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.