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US 7,441,435 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for automatic swaging of tubes
AssigneeWestern Tube & Conduit Corporation
InventorThomas Tuan Nguyen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic swaging machine including a conveyor system for moving tubes into position for swaging a clamping apparatus to secure the tubes adjacent a swaging station to receive a swaging tool releasing a clamping apparatus during the swaging operation, reclamping the tools after swaging to remove the swaging tool from the ends of the tubes and moving the tubes with the conveyor system into a receiving receptacle.
Claims14
An automatic swaging machine for swaging the ends of tubes comprising:
- a bin for receiving a supply of unswaged tubes;
- means for conveying a tube from said receiving bin to a swaging station;
- a swaging tool;
- means for gripping said tube for positioning of said swaging tool into engagement with said tube for swaging thereof;
- means for releasing said means for gripping during execution of said swaying operation;
- means for regripping said tube subsequent to execution of said swaging operation to allow disengagement of said swaging tool from said tube;
- and
- means for disposition of a swaged tube into a collection bin.
5 more elements
The method of swaging a tube comprising:
- providing a swaging tool;
- moving a tube to be swaged into position adjacent said swaging tool;
- gripping said tube to preclude longitudinal movement thereof;
- engaging said swaging tool with said tube;
- releasing said tube;
- swaging said tube;
- regripping said tube;
- disengaging said swaging tool from said tube;
- and
- moving said swaged tube away from said swaging tool.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.