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AssigneeTubing Technology, Inc.
InventorsAnthony C. Keathley, Howard F. Stanton, Mahesh M. Wagle
Estimating the term…
A supply of elongated metal tubes are successively transferred laterally to and from a reducing position aligned with the axis of a hollow spindle, and one end of each tube is clamped by a gripper mechanism mounted on a carriage supported between two vertically spaced horizontal lead screws. Each tube is fed by the carriage onto a non-rotatable mandrel located within a non-rotatable guide tube supported within the spindle. The mandrel is supported by a mandrel rod and a centering cone movable axially on the rod within the guide tube, and the mandrel is positioned within a zone where a set of shear forming wheels are orbited around the metal tube by an annular forming head supported by the spindle. While the head is rotating, the orbiting forming wheels are movable radially in response to movement of an eccentric cam mechanism operated by an actuating tube carried within the spindle. The actuating tube is connected by a thrust bearing to a high thrust, non-rotating fluid cylinder which is adjustable for precisely selecting the orbital path of the forming wheels before the metal tube is pulled through the wheels by the carriage. Power actuated motors are connected to the mandrel support rod for retracting the mandrel and for adjusting the mandrel relative to the orbiting wheels.
Shear forming apparatus for reducing the diameter of an elongated cylindrical workpiece, comprising a tubular spindle supporting an annular forming head for rotation on an axis, a plurality of angularly disposed forming wheels supported by said head for orbital movement around the axis, an actuating tube disposed within said spindle for rotation therewith and supported for axial movement within said spindle, actuating means within said head and connected to said actuating tube, said actuating means being effective to move said forming wheels in corresponding generally radial directions in response to axial movement of said actuating tube within said spindle, means for pulling the workpiece axially through said spindle and said head and between said forming wheels, a fluid cylinder having a non-rotating piston, means including a non-rotating connecting tube and a thrust bearing for connecting said piston to said actuating tube for moving said actuating tube axially while said spindle and head are rotating to effect radial inward deformation of the workpiece by said forming wheels, and means for precisely adjusting a limit of movement of said connecting tube to control the limit of generally radial inward movement of said forming wheels.
Shear forming apparatus for reducing the diameter of an elongated cylindrical workpiece, comprising a tubular spindle supporting an annular forming head for rotation on an axis, a plurality of angularly disposed forming wheels supported by said head for orbital movement around the axis, an actuating tube disposed within said spindle for rotation therewith and supported for relative axial movement, actuating means within said head and connected to said actuating tube, said actuating means being effective to move said forming wheels in corresponding generally radial directions in response to axial movement of said actuating tube within said spindle, means for pulling the workpiece axially through said spindle and head and between said forming wheels, a fluid cylinder having a non-rotating piston, means connecting said piston to said actuating tube for moving said actuating tube axially to effect radial inward deformation of the workpiece by said forming wheels, an elongated non-rotating workpiece guide tube disposed within said actuating tube, and bearing means supporting said non-rotating guide tube within said actuating tube.
Shear forming apparatus for reducing the diameter of an elongated cylindrical workpiece, comprising a tubular spindle supporting an annular forming head for rotation on an axis, a plurality of angularly disposed forming wheels supported by said head for orbital movement around the axis, an actuating tube disposed within said spindle for rotation therewith and for relative axial movement, actuating means within said head and connected to said actuating tube, said actuating means being effective to move said forming wheels in corresponding generally radial directions in response to axial movement of said actuating tube within said spindle, means for pulling the workpiece axially through said spindle and head and between said forming wheels, a fluid cylinder having a non-rotating piston, means connecting said piston to said actuating tube for moving said actuating tube axially while said spindle and head are rotating to effect radial inward deformation of the workpiece by said forming wheels, said pulling means including a set of parallel spaced elongated lead screws extending axially from said forming head and supported on corresponding parallel spaced axes with the axis of said spindle therebetween, a carriage mounted on said lead screws and having means between said lead screws for gripping the leading end portion of the workpiece, and drive means for rotating said lead screws to move said carriage axially along said lead screws.
A method for successively and efficiently shear-forming a supply of elongated cylindrical metal tubes to a precision reduced diameter, comprising the steps of supporting a set of angularly arranged shear-forming wheels with an annular forming head mounted on a horizontal hollow spindle, supporting within said head means for moving the forming wheels generally radially while the wheels are orbiting around the axis of the spindle, supporting within the spindle a non-rotating guide tube, supporting with the guide tube a mandrel located in the region of the forming wheels, gripping one end portion of each metal tube with a gripper on a carriage supported for horizontal movement relative to the forming head, moving the carriage towards the forming head while the forming head is rotating and the wheels are retracted to move the metal tube axially onto the mandrel and into the guide tube, maintaining the metal tube on the axis of the spindle with the guide tube, shifting the forming wheels radially inwardly into the metal tube and towards the mandrel to the predetermined reduced diameter, and moving the carriage away from the forming head for pulling the metal tube from the guide tube through the forming wheels while the wheels are orbiting around the metal tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.