a and 5b are a side view and an end view of a side plate of the torque tool in accordance with the present invention;
a and 6b are a side view and an end view of a drive plate of the torque tool in accordance with the present invention;
a and 7b are a side view and an end view of a reaction plate of the torque tool in accordance with the present invention; and
a and 8b are a side view and an end view of a holding pawl of the torque tool in accordance with the present invention.
A torque tool for tightening or loosening connections and a method for tightening or loosening of the same in accordance with the present invention can be used, for example, for tightening or loosening a pipe fitting shown in
The torque tool in accordance with the present invention has a drive which is identified as a whole with reference numeral 11 and can be formed as a fluid-operated drive including a cylinder 12 and a piston 13 with a piston rod 14 movable in the cylinder. The drive 11 is immovably connected with two side plates 15. The cylinder 12 of the drive 11 and the side plates 15 together form a stationary part of the torque tool, which does not turn during turning of the nut 6 of the pipe fitting 1.
A driving element of the torque tool is formed, for example, by a drive plate 16 which is located between the side plates 15 and is turnable around an axis A under the action of the piston rod 14 of the drive 11, which applies an action force to the drive plate 16 when the piston rod 14 is extended from the cylinder 12 of the drive 11.
The torque tool further has a reaction element which is engageable with a non-turnable part of the connection, in particular with the part 3 to counteract a reaction force which is generated during turning of the turnable part 6 of the connection by the driving plate 16 and thereby to prevent turning of the tool backward while the nut 6 is turned forward. The reaction element is formed, for example, as a reaction plate 17 which cooperates with a holding pawl 18. The holding pawl 18 is turnably mounted on the immovable part of the torque tool. For example one such holding pawl 18 is mounted on each side plate 15. Each holding pawl 18 is spring-biased by a spring 19 toward the reaction plate 17.
As shown in
The side plate 15 further has a projection 23 provided on the opposite side and extending in a circumferential direction around the axis A. The projection 23 of the side plate 15 slidingly engages in a corresponding groove 24 provided in the reaction plate 17. The side plates 15 are immovably connected with the drive 11, for example, by a groove 25 provided in each side plate 15 and a projection 26 provided on the drive 11.
The drive plate 16 has a portion 27 cooperating with the piston rod 14 of the drive 11 for turning the drive plate 16 during a working stroke of the tool. It also has an oppositely located engaging portion 28 which is provided with a polygonal receptacle, formed, for example, as a 12-points receptacle. The engaging portion 28 with its polygonal receptacle engages over the nut 6 of the connection to be tightened or loosened.
The reaction plate 17 has a portion 29 provided with an inner polygonal receptacle, formed, for example, as a substantially hexagonal receptacle with lips. During the operation the portion 29 is placed with its polygonal receptacle on the non-turnable part 3 of the connection for reaction purposes, as will be explained herein above.
On an outer periphery the reaction plate 17 has two sets of formations, formed, for example, as inclined teeth 30′ and 30″. The holding pawl 18 has an engaging portion 31 which is engageable with the teeth 30′ or 30″ to hold the reaction plate 17 from turning during the working stroke of the torque tool, and for ratcheting over the teeth of the reaction plate 17 during a non-working stroke of the torque tool.
The two pawls 18 located on opposite axial sides can be turnably connected with the side plates 15, for example, by a pin extending through aligned openings provided in the holding pawls 18 and in the side plates 15.
The torque tool further has a fluid supply system provided for the fluid-operated drive 11 and identified as a whole with reference numeral 32.
The torque tool for tightening or loosening connections in accordance with the present invention operates in accordance with the inventive method of tightening or loosening connections in the following manner.
When it is necessary to turn the nut 6, for example, for tightening the nut 6 on the part 4 of the connection 1, a fluid is supplied into the fluid-operated drive 11, the piston 13 is displaced so that the piston rod 14 is extended, the piston rod 14 acts on the drive plate 16 by an action force for example to push the drive plate 16, and turns the drive plate 16, which with its part 26 turns the nut 6.
During turning of the drive plate 16 the holding pawl 18 mounted on the immovable part on the tool, for example on the side plate 15, engages the corresponding teeth of the reaction plate 17, so that while an action force is transmitted by the drive plate 16 to the nut 6, a reaction force generated during turning is transmitted through the side plate 15, the holding pawl 18, and the reaction plate 17 to the non-turnable part 3 of the connection to prevent turning of the torque tool in an opposite direction.
The drive plate 16 and correspondingly the nut 6 perform a partial stroke, and the nut 6 is turned over a predetermined angle, for example 20-30°. To turn the nut 6 further, the immovable part of the tool, for example the cylinder 12 of the drive 11 and the side plates 15, are displaced towards the drive plate 16. During this displacement the holding pawl 8 ratchets over the corresponding teeth of the reaction plate 17.
Then the drive 11 is activated again, and the piston rod 14 is extended from the cylinder 12 to act again on the drive plate 16 and to turn the drive plate 16 in a further stroke over a further angle. During this stage the same process takes place, namely the action force provided by the drive 11 is applied by the drive plate 16 to the nut 6 of the connection, while the reaction force is transmitted through the side plate 15, the pawl 18, and the reaction plate 17 to the non-turnable part 3 of the connection.
The reaction plate 17 is removable from the corresponding side plate. It can be located on one axial side of the side plates 15 as shown in
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the type described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a torque tool for tightening or loosening a connection as well as to a method for tightening or loosening the same, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60844060 | Sep 2006 | US |