Roller swage method and apparatus

An apparatus for roller swaging, the apparatus comprising:

• a clamp adapted to hold a ferrule having a grooved interior surface fitted over an end of a tube;
• a support arm extending in a direction parallel to an axis passing through a center of the ferrule;
• a spherical roller rotatably supported in the support arm;
• a mount adapted to receive the support arm for relative slidable movement in a radial direction relative to the axis;
• a first actuator connected to displace the support arm relative to the mount;
• a second actuator connected to support the mount and impart rotational movement to the mount about a central axis in which the spherical roller describes a circular path;
• a base connected to support the second actuator for reciprocal movement parallel to the axis;
• a third actuator connected to the second actuator for displacing the second actuator relative to the base;
• and
• a controller configured to operate the first actuator, the second actuator and the third actuator in a sequence in which the third actuator displaces the second actuator to place the support arm into the ferrule and align the spherical roller with a first groove of the ferrule, then the first actuator displaces the support arm radially outward from the axis such that the spherical roller deforms a portion of the tube end into the first groove, then the second actuator rotates the arm such that the spherical roller displaces the portion of the tube end along the first groove, then activates the first actuator to displace the support arm radially inward toward the axis, then activates the third actuator to displace the second actuator to align the spherical roller with a second groove of the ferrule to repeat the sequence.

A method for roller swaging, the method comprising:

• inserting an end of a tube into a ferrule;
• activating a first actuator to displace a second actuator along a linear slide to move an axial component of a support arm into the end of the tube;
• activating the second actuator to rotate a mount, the second actuator having an axle that supports the mount and causes the axial component of the support arm to describe a circular path about a central axis of rotation of the mount;
• activating a third actuator to cause the axial component and a radial component of the support arm slidably mounted on the mount to travel in a radial direction relative to the mount outwardly from the central axis of rotation to bring a spherical roller, attached to the support arm for relative rotational movement, into contact with the tube to form an annular bulge in the tube against the ferrule and thereby mechanically secure the ferrule to the end of the tube.

A method for roller swaging, the method comprising:

• inserting an end of a metal tube into a ferrule, the ferrule having at least one annular recess formed in an inner surface thereof;
• positioning a spherical roller radially inwardly of the annular recess and an inner wall of the tube relative to a center of the ferrule;
• simultaneously urging the spherical roller radially outward against the inner wall of the tube with a force sufficient to deform the tube into the annular recess, and moving the spherical roller in a circular path whereby a portion of the tube is deformed into the annular recess;
• and
• subsequent to the step of simultaneously urging the spherical roller radially outward and moving the spherical roller in a circular path:
• moving the spherical roller radially inward to disengage from the inner wall of the tube;
• displacing the spherical roller in a direction parallel to the axis of the ferrule until the spherical roller is positioned radially inward of a second annular recess of the ferrule;
• and
• simultaneously urging the spherical roller radially outward against the inner wall of the tube with a force sufficient to deform the tube into the second annular recess, and moving the spherical roller in a circular path whereby a portion of the tube is deformed into substantially an entirety of the second annular recess.

An apparatus for roller swaging, the apparatus comprising:

• a mount;
• a support arm, the support arm having a radial component attached to the mount and an axial component;
• a first actuator mounted on the radial component for displacing the axial component in a radial direction relative to the mount and the radial component;
• a second actuator supporting the mount and imparting relative rotational movement to the mount about a central axis of rotation;
• the radial component extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of rotation with the axial component attached to an outer radial end of the radial component and extending in a direction parallel to the central axis of rotation;
• and
• a spherical roller attached to the end of the axial component of the support arm distal from the mount, the spherical roller describing a circular path about the central axis of rotation in response to the relative rotational movement of the mount by the second actuator.