Tube loading apparatus
AssigneeUnited Aircraft Products, Inc.
InventorRobert E. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus in generally unitary machine form for the mechanical, automatic installation of tubes in an assembly of header plates and baffles to produce a tubular heat exchanger core or the like. Tubes are inserted one at a time in perforate parts held in a holding fixture with a mounting table and the holding fixture being capable of movement in different senses. A tube delivery arrangement features a tube support which can be rocked into and out of a support position. A guide rod is compelled to a rotary motion in its entrance into and alignment of the perforate parts.
Claims8
Apparatus for loading tubes one at a time into header and baffle members formed with rows of perforations and assembled in a holding fixture to complete a tubular core of a heat exchanger or the like, including a table movable in a first sense in increments corresponding to the distance between adjacent perforations of a row of perforations, means for moving said table in said increments, single opposing power cylinders mounted on said table, said cylinders projecting respective aligned extensible and retractable guide and push rods therefrom, means for movably supporting a holding fixture intermediately of said rods and independently of said table for movement in a second sense substantially at right angles to table movements and in increments each corresponding to the distance between adjacent rows of perforations, whereby said rods may be aligned with successive perforations of a row of perforations by a movement of said table incrementally in said first sense and with successive rows by a movement of said fixture incrementally in said second sense, tube support means intermediately of said push rod and said fixture providing a resting place for a tube to align with said rods, and means for delivering tubes one at a time to said support means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.