Sealing method and press apparatus
OwnerGary E. Morphy, Thomas E. Bestard +1inventors
InventorsGary E. Morphy, Thomas E. Bestard, Larry D. Marks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sealing the net shape of the end of a final product tube to eliminate or minimize scrap for a wide range of shapes of the end of the product. A sealing tool has a neck, and a coining portion comprising a shoulder extending outwardly from the neck. The sealing tool is inserted into the deformed end of the tube while the end is being laterally engaged by a clamp pressing inwardly against the outer surface of the tube. The end is then sealed by coining a surface of the tube by axially pressing the sealing tool into the end while laterally inwardly pressing the end with the clamp.
Claims23
A method of sealing an end of a tubular workpiece having an initial transverse cross-section, a wall thickness, an inner surface, an interior region bounded by the inner surface, and a pair of opposite ends, the method comprising the steps of;
- providing a sealing tool comprising a neck, and a coining portion comprising a shoulder extending outwardly from said neck;
- deforming one of said opposite ends to provide a deformed end portion having a deformed transverse cross-section different from said initial transverse cross-section;
- coining said workpiece by axially pressing said sealing tool into said deformed end portion while pressing said one opposite end laterally inwardly and thereby sealing said deformed end portion;
- the sealing tool comprising a base portion rearwardly of said coining portion of transverse width greater than an inner transverse width of said deformed transverse cross-section;
- and
- said coining step comprising engaging an end surface of said one opposite end with said coining portion while maintaining said base portion axially outwardly from said end surface of said one opposite end.
A method of sealing an end of a tubular workpiece having an initial transverse cross-section, a wall thickness, an inner surface, an interior region bounded by the inner surface, and a pair of opposite ends, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sealing tool comprising a neck, and a coining portion comprising a shoulder extending outwardly from said neck;
- deforming one of said opposite ends to provide a deformed end portion having a deformed transverse cross-section different from said initial transverse cross-section;
- coining said workpiece by axially pressing said sealing tool into said deformed end portion while pressing said one opposite end laterally inwardly and thereby sealing said deformed end portion;
- and
- said coining step causes a reduction in said wall thickness about 0.0001 to about 0.050 inch (about 0.003 to about 1.3 mm).
A method of sealing an end of a tubular workpiece comprising:
- (a) providing a die;
- (b) providing a tubular workpiece having thereon an end portion having an initial cross section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular workpiece;
- (c) deforming the end portion of said tubular blank and providing it with a deformed end portion having a deformed cross section transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular blank different from said initial cross section;
- (d) sealing said blank by applying to said deformed end portion a sealing tool comprising a neck and a coining portion comprising a shoulder extending outwardly from said neck, and coining said workpiece by axially pressing said sealing tool into said deformed end portion while pressing said end portion laterally inwardly;
- and wherein in said step of providing a die, said die comprises die sections moving between open, intermediate and closed positions, each die section having a die cavity portion and a mating surface portion, which die sections in the closed position have the mating surface portion of each section in mating engagement with the mating surface portion of each adjacent section, and said step of deforming said end portion of said tubular blank comprises placing the blank between the die sections in the open position, and partially closing the die sections to said intermediate position for deforming said end portion, and wherein said sealing tool is inserted into the deformed end before said die sections are moved to the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.