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US 9,440,395 B1Granted
Reshaping tool for polymeric tubing
AssigneeMercury Plastics, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Rowley, William Blue, Thomas K'Meyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for reshaping a tube end using a reshaping tool incorporating a tool head and clamp for reshaping the cross section of a tube constructed from one or more polymer materials. The clamp holds the tube in place while the head portion of the tool, which is moveable with respect to the clamp, engages the tube for reshaping its profile cross section. The tube may be crosslinked polyethylene tube.
Claims20
A method of reshaping an end of a tube including steps of:
- providing a deformed tube having a deformed cross-sectional shape,
- clamping the deformed tube in a tubing clamping means with an end of the tube axially aligned with a reshaping tool,
- axially engaging the reshaping tool against the tube end, and
- reshaping the end of the tube in conformity with a shape of the reshaping tool by axially forced contact of the reshaping tool against the tube end, without adding heat to the reshaping tool.
1 more element
A method of reshaping an end of a tube including steps of:
- clamping a polymer tube in an axially fixed clamping means with an end of the tube axially aligned with a reshaping tool, the polymer tube having been crosslinked setting a permanent dimension of the tube and shape memory characteristics,
- axially engaging the reshaping tool against the tube end, and
- reshaping the end of the tube in conformity with a shape of the reshaping tool by axially forced contact of the reshaping tool against the tube end without adding heat to the reshaping tool, the reshaped end of the tube having at least one reshaped dimension larger than or less than the permanent dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.