Apparatus and method for forming external raised beads on hollow tubing
AssigneeEarl's Supply Co.
InventorAlex Nieczyporowicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for forming external raised beads on hollow rigid tubing. The apparatus includes an adjusting screw threadably mounted into a threaded body member having one or more balls mounted in apertures in the body member. The body member is inserted into one end of the hollow tubing, the balls being disposed inside of the body member between a reduced diameter portion of the screw and the inner wall of the body member. When the screw is threaded into the body member, the balls are forced outwardly against the inner wall of the tubing forming a raised bead on the exterior of the tubing. Continued rotation of the screw and body member increases the height of the bead.
Claims18
A tool forming an external annular bead on a hollow rigid tube comprising:
- a screw having a main threaded portion of a first outer diameter, a head of a greater outer diameter than said threaded portion having an irregularly shaped outer configuration, a first tapered portion leading away from said threaded portion to a neck portion of a lesser outer diameter than the outer diameter of said threaded portion and a second tapered portion leading away from said neck portion to a nose portion of an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of said neck portion;
- a body member having a main generally cylindrical body portion and an irregularly configured head of a greater outer diameter than the outer diameter of said body portion, said body member having an inner wall with a threaded throughbore extending through said body member, the threads of said throughbore adapted to threadably engage with the threads of said threaded portion of said screw, and at least one hole extending through said body portion opening into the interior thereof;
- and
- at least one detent of a size adapted to fit between said neck portion and the inner wall of said cylindrical portion when said screw partially threadably engages said body member and said at least one detent is aligned with said at least one hole whereby a hollow tubing having an inner wall and an outer wall and of an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of said cylindrical portion may be inserted onto said cylindrical portion and rotation of said screw further into said body member pushes said at least one detent further outwardly when said first tapered portion engages said at least one detent through said at least one hole against the inner wall of said tubing thereby forming a raised bead on the outer wall of said tubing.
A method for forming an annular bead on a hollow rigid tubing including a screw having a main threaded portion of a first outer diameter, a head of a greater outer diameter than said threaded portion having an irregularly shaped outer configuration, a first tapered portion leading away from said threaded portion to a neck portion of a lesser outer diameter than the outer diameter of said threaded portion and a second tapered portion leading away from said neck portion to a nose portion of an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of said neck portion, a body member having a main generally cylindrical body portion and an irregularly configured head of a greater outer diameter than the outer diameter of said body portion, said body member having an inner wall with a threaded throughbore extending through said body member, the threads of said throughbore adapted to threadably engage with the threads of said threaded portion of said screw, and at least one hole extending through said body portion opening into the interior thereof, at least one detent of a size adapted to fit between said neck portion and the inner wall of said cylindrical portion when said screw partially threadably engages said body member and said at least one detent is aligned with said at least one hole, the method comprising the steps of:
- threading said screw partially into said body member with said at least one detent disposed between said neck portion and the inner wall of said cylindrical portion and aligned with said at least one hole;
- inserting one open end of said hollow tubing having an inner and an outer wall over said cylindrical portion and over said at least one hole therein;
- partially rotating said screw into said body member until said first tapered portion engages said at least one detent forcing said at least one detent out of said at least one hole and against the inner wall of said tubing;
- and
- continuing rotation of said body member with respect to said screw thereby moving said at least one detent along said first tapered portion toward the threaded portion of said screw forcing said at least one detent against the inner wall of said tubing forming a bead on the outer wall thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.