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US 5,309,746 AGranted
Automatic tube straightening system
AssigneeAbbey Etna Machine Company
InventorNelson D. Abbey, III
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAbbey Etna Machine Company
InventorNelson D. Abbey, III
Estimating the term…
A system is provided for assuring the straightness of pipes or tubes produced by a continuous seam-welded process. Following sizing, the newly formed continuous tube passes through a straightening unit and a preliminary alignment checker. The alignment checker observes the actual spatial position of the advancing tube, and the straightening unit is adjusted in response to deviations of the observed position from the predetermined desired path to deform the tube so that it conforms to the desired path. The advancing continuous tube is then severed into individual tube sections of desired length, and some or all of the sections are inspected for straightness. In inspecting for straightness the individual sections are rotated about their longitudinal axes to place the seam-weld in a predetermined position for correlating the angular attitude of the section with that of the advancing continuous tube. Deflection of the midregion of the individual tube relative to the ends is observed along orthogonal axes, and the straightening unit is adjusted in response to the magnitude and direction of observed deviation of the tube from straightness. The straightener appropriately deforms the advancing continuous tube to minimize curvature in subsequent individual sections. Inspected sections falling outside acceptable standards for straightness may be provided with an identifying indicia.
A method of straightening continuous seam-welded tube wherein the formed and welded tube advances along a path through a straightener between first and second pairs of opposed rollers and thereafter through an alignment checker, the first and second pairs being disposed along axes substantially perpendicular to one another, comprising determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube within the alignment checker relative to a predetermined desired position therein, generating a signal indicative of the deviation of the actual position from the desired position, and adjusting the positions of the first and second pairs of opposed rollers along the axes in response to said signal to bend the tube within the straightener so that the outer surface of the tube tends to assume the predetermined desired position at the alignment checker.
Apparatus for straightening continuous seam welded tube advancing axially along a path, comprising a straightening unit through which the formed and welded tube is continuously advanced, the straightening unit including first and second pairs of cooperating guide rollers through which the tube successively passes, means mounting said first pair of guide rollers for adjustment in a first direction substantially normal to the path of the tube, means mounting said second pair of guide rollers for movement in a second direction substantially normal to the path of the tube and substantially perpendicular to said first direction, alignment checking means for determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube relative to a predetermined desired position after the tube leaves the straightening unit, and means for adjusting said first pair of guide rollers in said first direction and said second pair of guide rollers in said second direction in response to observed differences between the actual and desired positions of the outer surface of the tube for deforming and directing the advancing tube toward the desired position.
A method of straightening continuous seam-welded tube wherein the formed and welded tube advances along a path through a straightener between first and second pairs of opposed rollers and thereafter through an alignment checker, comprising determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube within the alignment checker relative to a predetermined desired position therein, generating a signal indicative of the deviation of the actual position from the desired position, and adjusting the positions of the first and second pairs of opposed rollers in response to said signal to bend the tube within the straightener so that the outer surface of the tube tends to assume the predetermined desired position at the alignment checker, including determining the actual position of the tube within the alignment checker in a plane substantially normal to said path and along axes normal to one another.
A method of straightening continuous seam-welded tube wherein the formed and welded tube advances along a path through a straightener between first and second pairs of opposed rollers and thereafter through an alignment checker, comprising determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube within the alignment checker relative to a predetermined desired position therein along axes normal to one another in planes substantially normal to said path, generating a signal indicative of the deviation of the actual position from the desired position, and adjusting the positions of the first and second pairs of opposed rollers in directions normal to one another in response to said signal to bend the tube within the straightener so that the outer surface of the tube tends to assume the predetermined desired position at the alignment checker.
A method of straightening continuous seam-welded tube wherein the formed and welded tube advances along a path through a straightener between first and second pairs of opposed rollers and thereafter through an alignment checker, comprising determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube within the alignment checker relative to a predetermined desired position therein, generating a signal indicative of the deviation of the actual position from the desired position, adjusting the positions of the first and second pairs of opposed rollers in response to said signal to bend the tube within the straightener so that the outer surface of the tube tends to assume the predetermined desired position at the alignment checker, cutting a section of tube of predetermined length from said continuous tube, locating the angular orientation of the seam weld of said section, measuring the amount and direction of lateral displacement of said tube section at a point intermediate the opposite ends of the section and at a predetermined relationship to the angular orientation of the seam weld, generating a second signal indicative of the amount and direction of the displacement, and adjusting the positions of the first and second pairs of opposed rollers in response to the second signal to straighten the tube whereby curvature in sections of tube subsequently cut from said continuous tube is minimized.
Apparatus for straightening continuous seam welded tube advancing axially along a path, comprising a straightening unit through which the formed and welded tube is continuously advanced, the straightening unit including first and second pairs of cooperating guide rollers through which the tube successively passes, means mounting said first pair of guide rollers for adjustment in a first direction substantially normal to the path of the tube, means mounting said second pair of guide rollers for movement in a second direction substantially normal to the path of the tube ad substantially perpendicular to said first direction, alignment checking means for determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube relative to a predetermined desired position after the tube leaves the straightening unit, the alignment checking means including first position sensor means determining the actual position relative to the desired position along a first axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube and second position sensor means determining the actual position relative to the desired position along a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis, and means for adjusting said first pair of guide rollers in said first direction and said second pair of guide rollers in said second direction in response to observed differences between the actual and desired positions of the outer surface of the tube for deforming and directing the advancing tube toward the desired position.
Apparatus for straightening continuous seam welded tube advancing axially along a path, comprising a straightening unit through which the formed and welded tube is continuously advanced, the straightening unit including first and second pairs of cooperating guide rollers through which the tube successively passes, means mounting said first pair of guide rollers for adjustment in a first direction substantially normal to the path of the tube, means mounting said second pair of guide rollers for movement in a second direction substantially normal to the path of the tube and substantially perpendicular to said first direction, alignment checking mans for determining the actual position of the outer surface of the advancing tube relative to a predetermined desired position after the tube leaves the straightening unit, means for adjusting said first pair of guide rollers in said first direction and said second pair of guide rollers in said second direction in response to observed differences between the actual and desired positions of the outer surface of the tube for deforming and directing the advancing tube toward the desired position, a cut-off unit disposed along said path following said alignment means for severing said continuous tube into individual tube sections of predetermined length, means for advancing said individual tube sections one after another from said cut-off unit, and a deflection checking and accumulating unit for receiving the individual tube sections one after another, said checking and accumulating unit including means for determining the lateral displacement at an intermediate point of an individual tube section relative to the ends thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.