This application is a 35 USC 371 of PCT/JP03/15554 filed Dec. 4, 2003.
This invention relates to an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe. Especially, this invention relates to an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe, in which a tapered thread is formed on a steel pipe for piping by rolling and the rolling rollers are automatically released from the to-be-rolled pipe after the rolling operation is completed.
Conventionally, when steel pipes for piping are connected through a pipe joint, a tapered thread is formed on an end of the steel pipe. There are known two tapered thread-forming methods, i.e., a cutting method and a plastic deformation forming method. The plastic deformation forming is carried out, for example, by a thread-rolling method using thread-forming rollers.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the mechanism for cutting the outer diameter of the to-be-rolled pipe, as shown in
When the to-be-rolled pipe 7 is inserted in the outer diameter cutting portion 20 while being rotated in a state shown in
When the pipe is further rolled to press and move the abutment member 8, the first lever 9 is pivoted in the direction of an arrow “B” and the second lever 10 is pivoted in the direction of an arrow “C” and, then, the rod 14 is moved in the direction of an arrow “D” by the second lever 10. When the roller 12 provided at the front end of the rod 14 is released from the eccentric cam 16, a spring 3c pulls the arm 15 and the cam ring 3, and the arm 15 is pivoted in the direction of an arrow “E”, as shown in
By moving the thread length adjusting screw 13 forward or rearward, the timing at which the roller 12 is disengaged from the eccentric cam 16 can be adjusted to adjust the length of the thread. Also, by rotating the eccentric cam 16, the initial position of the cam ring 3 is adjusted through the arm 15 to adjust the position of the shaft bearing plates 5, so that the thread diameter can be adjusted. By way of example, see Kokai (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication) No. 2003-126937.
In a conventional thread rolling head as mentioned above, there is a problem that the automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism is suddenly moved and displaced due to a great shock caused by the recovery of the elastic deformation in the to-be-rolled pipe when the rolling rollers are moved away from the to-be-rolled pipe, in the course of, and at the end of, the thread-rolling operation. Even if the shock is reduced, the sudden moving and displacement of the automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism must be absorbed. If a mechanism for absorbing the moving and displacement is provided, there is a problem that the to-be-rolled pipe is moved beyond a predetermined length, so that the automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism or the mechanism for receiving the sudden movement thereof may be damaged, if the automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism fails to operate at the end of the thread-rolling operation, for some reason. Also, there are problems that the miniaturization of the structure for providing the pins in the shaft bearing plates is limited in view of the strength, that foreign matters which are produced by the thread-rolling operation and which stay in the housing cannot be removed, and that the end surface of the to-be-rolled pipe, which is made rough as a result of the thread-rolling, wears the surface of the abutment member pressed and moved thereby.
An object of this invention is to provide an automatic releasing-type rolling head, for forming a tapered thread on a pipe, in which the above-mentioned problems are solved.
To achieve the above object, in an embodiment of the present invention comprises a cylindrical housing 30 with front and rear closures, shaft bearing plates 33 which are slidably supported in a plurality of guide grooves 36 radially provided on inner surfaces of the front and rear closures of the housing 30, said shaft bearing plates 33 being provided on their outer surfaces in the radial directions with oblique surfaces 33b, thread rolling rollers 35 rotatably supported by the shaft bearing plates 33 through roller shafts 34, a cam ring 31 which rotates in the housing 30 and has cam oblique surfaces 31a opposed to the oblique surfaces 33b of the shaft bearing plates 33, a lever 44 which abuts at its oblique surface against a cam member 45 to prevent movement thereof in association with the cam ring 31 and an abutment member 41 which is pressed and moved by a thread-rolled pipe, wherein the rolling load which acts the rolling rollers 35 during a thread-rolling operation is reduced due to contact friction in the course of transference of the rolling load to the cam oblique surface 45a of the cam member 45 and to the oblique surface of the lever 44; when the to-be-rolled pipe is thread-rolled to a predetermined length, the oblique surface of the lever 44 is gradually moved away from the cam member 45 moving in association with the cam ring 31, in association with the movement of the abutment member 41; whereby the cam ring 31 is rotated due to the rolling load so that the shaft bearing plates 33 and the thread rolling rollers 35 are moved in radial and outward directions and released from the to-be-rolled pipe. The front and rear closures of the housing 30 are not necessarily made of separate pieces but can be made integral. The oblique surfaces 33b of the shaft bearing plates 33 may be in the form of a circular arc.
a is a front view of a shaft bearing plate in an embodiment of an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe according to the present invention.
b is a sectional view taken along the line b-b in
a is a top view of a cam member in an embodiment of an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe according to the present invention.
b is a front view of a cam member in an embodiment of an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe according to the present invention.
a is a front view of a scraper in an embodiment of an automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe according to the present invention.
b is a sectional view taken along the line b-b in
As shown in
The housing 30 is comprised of a front closure 30a, a cylindrical intermediate part 30b and a rear closure 30c. The front closure 30a and the rear closure 30c are provided, on their inner surfaces, with a plurality of radial guide grooves 36 (nine grooves in the illustrated embodiment) for guiding the shaft bearing plates 33. The housing 30 has, in its lower portion, a plurality of foreign matter discharge holes 37a (three holes in the illustrated embodiment) for discharging foreign matters, such as swarfs produced by the thread-rolling operation. The foreign matter discharge holes 37a are communicated to foreign matter discharge holes 37b, which will be described hereinafter, provided in the cam ring.
Discontinuous circumferential groove type rolling rollers (Japanese Registered Patent No. 2,572,190) having a plurality of independent grooves, instead of a spiral groove, are used for the thread rolling rollers 35. The rolling rollers are supported in the shaft bearing holes 33a of the shaft bearing plates 33, deviated in the direction of the width of the guide grooves 36, at an inclination angle corresponding to a lead angle of a thread of a to-be-rolled pipe. As shown in
As shown in
The cam ring 31 is biased, to rotate in the clockwise direction in
As shown in
The first lever 43 having a roller 43a is pivotably supported by a spindle 49 and is biased by a spring 50 in the clockwise direction in
The lower surface 44b of the second lever 44, which is engaged by the roller 43a, is inclined upwardly in the right direction as shown in
The eccentric cam 46 is connected to the thread diameter adjusting knob 47 which is rotatably provided on the setting block 32, through the shaft. The knob 47 is rotated with the set screw of the cam member 45 loosened, to rotate the eccentric cam 46, so that the position of the cam member 45 can be moved on the setting block 32.
The buffer arm 48 is located behind the first lever 43 as shown in
The mode of operation of the thread rolling mechanism and the automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism, constructed as above will be explained with reference to
By loosening the screw that secures the cam member 45 to rotate the thread diameter adjusting knob 47 to a predetermined position, the cam member 45 is set in a predetermined position through the eccentric cam 46 and is secured by the screw. The setting block 32 that supports the cam member 45 is rotated in the direction of an arrow “A”, against the spring 40. The front end 44a of the second lever 44 that is biased by the spring 52 to rotate in the direction of an arrow “B”, is engaged with the cam oblique surface 45a of the cam member 45. In this state, the cam ring 31 rotates in the clockwise direction and presses the oblique surfaces 33b of the shaft bearing plates 33 at the cam oblique surfaces 31a in order to set the shaft bearing plates 33 and the rolling rollers 35 to a position at which a predetermined thread diameter can be obtained. The abutment member 41, the link 42 and the first lever 43 are associated with the link 42 and is pivoted in the direction of an arrow “D”.
When the first lever 43 pivots in the direction of an arrow “D”, the second lever 44 which has been engaged to the roller 43a is released and pivoted, in the direction of an arrow “E”, by the rolling load, and against the biasing force of the spring 50. The front end 44a of the second lever 44 is disengaged from the cam groove 45a of the cam member 45, so that the cam member 45 rotates along with the setting block 32 and the cam ring 31, by the rolling load and the biasing force of the spring 40, in the direction of an arrow “F”.
The rotation of the cam ring 31 in the direction of an arrow “F” causes the shaft bearing plates 33 to be moved outward in the radial direction through the pins 38 provided on the cam ring 31, so that the thread rolling rollers 35 are retracted radially and moved away from the to-be-rolled pipe. In this way, the to-be-rolled pipe can be removed from the thread rolling head.
With this structure, when the first lever 43 is pivoted gradually in the direction of an arrow “D”, the second lever 44 is pivoted gradually in the direction of an arrow “E”, so that the cam ring 31 and the cam member 45 which contacts to the front end 44a of the second lever 44 through the cam oblique surface 45a are gradually rotated in the direction of an arrow “F”. Consequently, the shaft bearing plates 33 in contact with the cam oblique surfaces 31a of the cam ring 31 are gradually moved in the radially outward direction. As a result, the thread rolling rollers 35 are gradually moved away from the to-be-rolled pipe and, thus, the rolling load is gradually reduced and the thread rolling operation ends. Therefore, a shock, as found in a conventional thread rolling head, is reduced. Further, even if the first lever 43 comes into collision with the buffer arm 48, the shock is absorbed or reduced by the elastic buffer member 48a.
If the thread rolling fails to stop for some reason and the to-be-rolled pipe continues to press the abutment member 41, the first lever 43 presses the buffer arm 48. However, when a certain amount of force is exerted on the buffer arm 48, the buffer arm 48 presses the shutter pin 57 at its one end and moves away from the boss 55, so that the apparatus is not damaged.
Foreign matter, such as swarf produced by the thread-rolling, can be discharged from the foreign matter discharge holes 37a and 37b provided in the housing 30 and the cam ring 31. By providing the projections 33c, instead of the pins in the prior art, on the shaft bearing plates 33, the strength of the shaft bearing plates 33 can be increased and, thus, miniaturization can be realized.
The to-be-rolled pipe may be inaccurate in the outer diameter or roundness, or have a rough outer peripheral surface or have a coated outer peripheral surface, thus, the outer surface must be slightly scraped in order to ensure precise thread rolling.
Referring to
As shown in
The mechanism for cutting an outer diameter of a to-be-rolled pipe in this embodiment, constructed as above, is simple and can be inexpensively manufactured because the cutting blade and the to-be-rolled pipe guiding part, of the scraper 59, can be made integral. Unlike a mechanism in which the cutting blade is separate, in the mechanism of this embodiment, neither a position adjustment of the cutting blade nor a maintenance thereof are necessary. As the inner diameter portion for guiding the to-be-rolled pipe is made of the same high-strength material as that of the cutting blade, the guiding inner diameter portion is less subject to wear.
According to the automatic releasing-type rolling head for forming a tapered thread on a pipe of the present invention, during the thread rolling operation, through the shaft bearing plates, the rolling load acting on the thread rolling rollers is absorbed by the cam oblique surfaces of the cam member moving in association with the cam ring, so that the rolling load can be reduced due to the contact friction resistance of the oblique surfaces. Consequently, the necessary strength of the components which constitute the rolling head can be reduced, thus leading to reductions in weight and cost.
In addition to the reduction of the rolling load during the rolling operation, the thread rolling rollers are gradually moved away from the to-be-rolled pipe at the end of the thread rolling operation, so as to alleviate the shock generated at that time, thus leading to reduction in weight and cost.
The positions and the angles of the grooves radially provided on the front and rear closures of the housing are uniform, and the thread rolling rollers are supported in a position and at an angle corresponding to the lead angle of the thread of the to-be-rolled pipe, in the shaft bearing holes deviated in the width direction of the shaft bearing plates, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Even if the thread automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism fails to operate, for some reason, after the thread rolling is finished, the thread automatic rolling roller retracting mechanism is not damaged. The structure in which the pins are provided on the shaft bearing plates can be made small. Foreign matter produced during the thread rolling operation can be discharged from the housing.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-197931 | Jul 2003 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP03/15554 | 12/4/2003 | WO | 00 | 1/12/2006 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2005/007315 | 1/27/2005 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4288181 | Sakaguchi et al. | Sep 1981 | A |
4329093 | Maruyama | May 1982 | A |
5199928 | Gress et al. | Apr 1993 | A |
5699691 | Maruyama | Dec 1997 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
06-179030 | Jun 1994 | JP |
10-34270 | Feb 1998 | JP |
2003-126937 | May 2003 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060162411 A1 | Jul 2006 | US |