None.
The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a tubing swager and more specifically to a square tubing swager.
As anyone who performs a lot of physical work will attest, nothing beats having the proper tool for a job. The proper tool can save time, save money, produce a higher quality job, reduce damage to equipment, and provide for the increased safety of the worker. Each field of physical work has its own type of specialty tools, each performing a specialized task. One tool that is used in a wide variety of projects is that of the tubing swager. Such swagers may be used to compress metal tubing inward allowing the compressed inward, thus fitting within another section of similar, but uncompressed tubing. Such swagers are typically powered by a hydraulic pump and are normally used on round tubing.
While square tubing swagers do exist, they are less common. They are also heavy and cumbersome, making them difficult to use in field work. Finally, they are noisy to operate. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which a square tubing swager can be developed to address the above-mentioned issues. The development of the Square Tubing Swager fulfills this need.
The principles of the present invention provide for a square tubing swaging device having a base which has a first side and a second side, an electric drive motor which is disposed on the first side of the base, a clutch assembly which is connected to a rotational output of the electric drive motor, a control panel which converts a plurality of AC voltage to one-hundred-eighty volts, an angle worm drive which is connected to the rotational output of the clutch assembly, a swaging head which receives a reduced rotational speed and higher torque when delivered by a front primary drive chain, a front secondary drive chain which is adapted to communicate rotational power to a plurality of swager units—the swager units is a sliding block primary jaw mount, a rear primary drive chain which connects the angle worm drive and the swaging head, while a rear secondary drive chain connects the swager units located in the swaging head, and a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch which is adapted to be accessed by a user.
The electric drive motor may be operated by a plurality of direct current. The direct current may have a voltage rating of one-hundred-eighty volts. The electric drive motor may have an input voltage of two hundred twenty to two hundred forty volts. The clutch assembly may allow the electric drive motor to operated continuously, eliminating intermittent startups and braked stops during operation achieving a higher production rate. The control panel may provide for conditioning, transformation, rectification, and control of the electrical power to allow for controlled operation of the electric drive motor. The control panel may include a programmable logic controller. The angle worm drive may include a sixty-to-one gear ratio and a double shaft output.
The motion of the front primary drive chain is from a front primary chain travel path, while motion of the front secondary drive chain is along a front secondary chain travel path. The mechanical connection to the front primary chain travel path and the front secondary chain travel path may be made by a set of sprockets. The swager units may include four swager units. The four swager units may include a jaw arrangement for swaging square steel tubing.
The sliding block primary jaw mount may include a pair of bearing blocks. The pair of bearing blocks are powered by an eccentric cross shaft which is connected to the sprockets and the front secondary drive chain. There may be a simultaneous connection to the rear secondary drive chain. The rotational action of the eccentric cross shaft may produce a reciprocating action on the sliding block primary jaw mount. The rear primary drive chain may travel along a rear primary chain travel path, while correspondingly the rear secondary drive chain travels along the rear secondary chain travel path.
The square tubing swaging device may be an electromechanically-operated swaging machine for the square steel tubing. The square tubing swaging device may be bench mounted. The square tubing swaging device may be cart mounted.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within
The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items.
1. Detailed Description of the Figures
Referring now to
Motion of the front primary drive chain 40 is described by a front primary chain travel path “1” 55, while motion of the front secondary drive chain 45 is defined by a front secondary chain travel path “2” 60. Mechanical connection to the front primary chain travel path “1” 55 and the front secondary chain travel path “2” 60 are made by a set of sprockets 65. Electrical input power to the device 10 is provided by a power cable 70 to a control panel 75. The control panel 75 provides for conditioning, transformation, rectification, and control of the electrical power to allow for controlled operation of the electric drive motor 20. The method of control is envisioned to be a programmable logic controller (PLC). However, other methods of control, included but not limit to hardwire control, relay logic, single board computer (SBC) and other methods of control may also be utilized. As such, the exact method of control used with the device 10 is not intended to be a limiting factor of the present invention. The device 10 is envisioned for bench mounting or cart mounting.
Referring next to
Referring now to
Referring next to
Referring now to
The swaging process is controlled by the simultaneous movement of the jaws 145. Each corner edge of the square steel tubing 165 is held in the jaws 145 as it goes through its cycle of compression. This gives the swage the desired symmetrical shape. As the swager units 50 experience large amounts of pressure during operation, additional reinforcement against shearing of the bearing blocks 120 is provided by a frame plate 151. Each frame plate 151 is in mechanical communication with an individual bearing block 120 using a mounting flange 152, located on either side of the bearing block 120. Each frame plate 151 is secured by four (4) bearing block bolts 153 per side for a total of eight (8) per frame plate 151 and sixteen (16) per each bearing block 120 and two (2) frame plates 151. Note that only one (1) bearing block bolt 153 is shown for illustrative simplicity. The mounting flanges 152 and the frame plate 151 are provided with bearing bolt slots 154 to accommodate the bearing block bolts 153. To further shear strength, each mounting flange 152 on the bearing blocks 120 is provided with multiple shear lugs 156 protruding from its front face. The shear lugs 156 are in mechanical communication with slotted cuts 157 on the frame plate 151.
Referring to
Referring now to
2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment
The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the square tubing swaging device 10 would be constructed in general accordance with
After procurement and prior to utilization, the device 10 would be prepared in the following manner: the base 15 would be placed on a suitable work surface; the power cable 70 would be connected to an appropriate power source; the tubing depth stop 110 would be set to the desired depth to produce a desired swage length “L” 175; the appropriate swager units 50 would be selected and adjusted via the adjuster 140 to produce the desired swaged area 160. At this point in time, the device 10 is ready for use.
During utilization of the device 10, the following procedure would be initiated: the electric drive motor 20 would be energized via the control panel 75 and placed in a standby state with the clutch assembly 25 disengaged; square steel tube 165 would be inserted along the tubing entrance path “a” 100 until contacting the tubing depth stop 110; said placement closes a first proximity switch 96 electrically associated with the control panel 75; the clutch assembly 25 is then engaged, allowing rotational energy to operate the angle worm drive 30, the sprockets 65, the front primary drive chain 40, the front secondary drive chain 45, the rear primary chain travel path “3” 90, and the rear secondary chain travel path “4” 95; the sprockets 65 operate the eccentric cross shaft 125, thus forcing the secondary jaw mount 135 inward along with the jaws 145; the breaker edges 150 on the jaws 145 contact the square steel tube 165 and produce the swaged area 160; the second proximity switch 97 positions the jaws 145 in an open state when the square steel tube 165 with the swaged square steel tube 155 fabrication is removed; and, the jaws 145, remaining open for subsequent usage.
After the swaged area 160 is produced, the swaged area 160 may be inserted in an open square steel tube 165 to produce a joint. This joint allows for semipermanent joints, or joints that are connected by welding or fasteners that are stronger.
The features of the device 10 are envisioned to produce the following benefits: as the device 10 is powered by electricity and not hydraulic power, the device 10 is simpler in design, quieter in operation, and can be more easily transported for use in the field. The joints produced by the device 10 produce a quick, non-welded, end to end connection, of two (2) square steel tubes of the same size. These joints may also be easily disconnected.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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771921 | McGovern | Oct 1904 | A |
3059510 | Appel | Oct 1962 | A |
3246502 | Brignoli | Apr 1966 | A |
3303681 | Le Fiell | Feb 1967 | A |
3893327 | Fedorov | Jul 1975 | A |
4461163 | Kralowetz | Jul 1984 | A |
5078002 | Bozzi | Jan 1992 | A |
5230352 | Putnam | Jul 1993 | A |
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7013550 | Shinjo | Mar 2006 | B2 |
8516871 | Weber et al. | Aug 2013 | B2 |
8869583 | Meiners et al. | Oct 2014 | B2 |
10177517 | Lewis et al. | Jan 2019 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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200203893 | Dec 2000 | KR |
20180002979 | Jan 2018 | KR |
Entry |
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Swagers. Product Listing [online] Copyright 2021 [retrieved on Jun. 7, 20217]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: https://www.fenn-torin.com/metal-forming-machines/swagers/>. |
Tube Swaging Machine. Product Listing [online]. Copyright © 2005—2022 ETW International [retrieved on Jun. 7, 2021]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: http://rollforming-line.com/3-Tube-Swaging.html>. |
Square swage | Proto-1 Manufacturing. Video [online]. YouTube.com by Proto-1 Manufacturing [retrieved on Jun. 7, 2021]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LplqgzefJYU>. |