Tube squaring tool

A tube squaring tool comprising:

• a housing having forward and rearward end areas;
• a spindle carrying a cutting head rotatably mounted in the housing for rotation about a longitudinal cutting axis;
• a device for transmitting rotary motion to the spindle and cutting head;
• a feed device arranged to advance the cutting head towards and away from the forward end area of the housing upon actuation thereof;
• a tube clamping device located at the forward end area of the housing;
• said tube clamping device including an annular saddle mounting ring having an inner annulus rigidly connected to the housing and a pair of workpiece engaging saddle members mounted within the mounting ring annulus;
• said saddle members each having an outer peripheral contour matching a contour of the adjacent annulus contour and inner circular contours of preselected identical radii of curvature;
• a first one of said saddle members connected to the mounting ring for selective radial displacement towards and away from the cutting axis;
• a second one of said saddle members being connected to the mounting ring at a location diametrically opposed from the first one of the saddle members;
• a friction detent device cooperating with the second one of the saddle members, the housing and mounting ring such that the second one of the saddle members is frictionally restrained against rotation about the cutting axis and radial displacement in the mounting ring when said second one of the saddle members is disposed in the mounting ring in an operational position;
• a release mechanism arranged, when moved to a saddle release position from an inactive position, to displace the second one of the saddle members relative to the detent device to thereby release the second saddle member from the friction detent device;
• said tube clamping device including a clamping actuator connected between the mounting ring and the first one of the saddle members so as to selectively move said first one of the saddle members toward and away from the cutting axis upon actuation thereof and also to restrain said first one of the saddle members against rotation relative to the mounting ring.