Hydraulic tool with rapid ram advance
AssigneeFramatome Connectors USA Inc.
InventorsJohn D. Lefavour, Armand T. Montminy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulic tool having a frame, a conduit system in the frame, a pump in the conduit system, a ram movably connected to the frame, and a mechanical actuator provided in the conduit system for contacting a rear end of the ram. The conduit system is adapted to conduit hydraulic fluid from the pump against both the rear end of the ram and a rear end of the mechanical actuator.
Claims15
In a hydraulic compression tool having a frame, a hydraulic fluid reservoir connected to the frame, a ram movably connected to the frame, the ram having a rear end hydraulic fluid contact surface, a conduit system in the frame between the reservoir and the ram, and a pump provided in the conduit system, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a mechanical actuator provided in the conduit system for contacting the rear end of the ram, wherein the conduit system is adapted to conduit hydraulic fluid from the pump against both the rear end of the ram and a rear end of the mechanical actuator.
In a hydraulic compression tool having a frame, a hydraulic fluid reservoir connected to the frame, a ram movably connected to the frame and forming a ram hydraulic chamber with the frame, the ram having a rear end hydraulic fluid contact surface, a conduit system in the frame between the reservoir and the ram hydraulic chamber, and a pump in the conduit system, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a multi-speed ram advancement system for advancing the ram at two different rates of movement on the frame for a same stroke length of the pump, the advancement system comprising a rapid advance actuator connected by the conduit system to the pump, the actuator being adapted to push directly against the rear end of the ram, and a suction conduit section of the conduit system between the reservoir and the ram hydraulic chamber to transport hydraulic fluid directly from the reservoir to the ram hydraulic chamber when the ram is being advanced by the rapid advance actuator.
A method of advancing a ram in a hydraulic compression tool comprising steps of:
- actuating a pump of the tool to move the ram relative to a frame of the tool at a first rate of movement comprising pushing hydraulic fluid against a first pushing surface connected to the ram to push the ram forward;
- and
- actuating the pump to move the ram relative to the frame at a second slower rate of movement comprising pushing hydraulic fluid against a second larger pushing surface of the ram to push the ram forward,
- wherein the pump is a two-stage pump with two hydraulic fluid pushing surfaces, wherein one of the pump pushing surfaces is connected by a conduit system of the tool to the first pushing surface and the other pump pushing surface is connected by the conduit system to the second pushing surface.
A method of advancing a ram in a hydraulic compression tool comprising steps of:
- actuating a pump of the tool to move the ram relative to a frame of the tool at a first rate of movement comprising pushing hydraulic fluid against a first pushing surface connected to the ram to push the ram forward;
- and
- actuating the pump to move the ram relative to the frame at a second slower rate of movement comprising pushing hydraulic fluid against a second larger pushing surface of the ram to push the ram forward, wherein the first and second pushing surfaces move together during the ram first rate of movement and the first and second pushing surfaces do not move together during the ram second rate of movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.