Tube and rod end shaping and finishing machine

A tube and rod shaping and finishing machine is adapted to employ a plurality of tools to machine a workpiece in a single operation by employing a spindle mounted tool cartridge mounted for extending axial travel on a support shaft which also serves as a stock stop.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to metal working machines and more 
particularly to improvements in tube and rod end shaping and finishing 
machines. 
In metal working it frequently is necessary to finish the ends of tubes or 
rods by deburring, chamferring, flaring and the like, and many types of 
machines, both bench or floor mounted and portable have been developed for 
such purposes as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,682 issued Apr. 26, 
1988, to which reference should be made for a description of structural 
detail of the machine in which the improvements of the present invention 
are incorporated. 
In addition to effecting such finishing operations on the ends of tube or 
rod stock, it frequently is necessary to shape the end portions of such 
stock for some distance beyond its end, and it is the primary object of 
the present invention to adapt the machine of the aforesaid patent to 
effect such shaping operations. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention a metal working machine is provided 
which has all of the advantages of the machine disclosed in my earlier 
patent identified above, but which also is capable of shaping the end of 
rod or tube stock for a distance beyond the ends thereof determined by a 
stock stop. For this purpose, the machine of the present invention 
embodies, in addition to such a stock stop, improved means for effecting 
axial feeding of metal working tooling against a workpiece clamped in the 
machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing, the machine of the present 
invention comprises a housing 20, generally tubular in shape, having a 
forward portion 21 carrying tool holding means and a rearward portion 22 
to which motor driving means may be attached. 
At the forward end of the housing 20 is a clamshell workholder assembly 23 
the upper jaw 24 of which is integral with the housing 20 and the lower 
jaw 25 of which is pivotally mounted on the housing 20 by a swing bracket 
27 secured to the lower jaw 25 by means such as screws 28 and pivoted to 
the housing 20 at 29; the axis of the pivot 29 being normal to the 
longitudinal axis of the housing 20 and intersecting the axis of the 
spindle 50, described hereinafter, which is disposed centrally of the 
housing 20. 
Movement of the lower jaw 25 in an arcuate path toward the position shown 
in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which it clamps a workpiece 26 in position for 
machining and away from that position to the open position of the 
clamshell in which it is shown in FIG. 2, is accomplished as described in 
detail in the aforesaid patent. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a jaw operating lever 30 is pivoted at its 
lower end on a pin 31 (FIG. 4) as described in detail in said patent, and 
as also described therein each of the jaws 24 and 25 is adapted to receive 
dies 32 and 33 of various internal diameters so that workpieces of various 
diameters may be clamped between the jaws. 
A spring retaining bolt and stop 35 which extends axially within the 
tubular housing 20 is threaded at one end and secured by a nut 36 of FIG. 
5 to a support bracket 37 which, in turn, is fixed to housing 20 by screws 
38. At its opposite end the shaft 35 is provided with an enlarged head 39 
which, as explained hereinafter, functions as stock stop in positioning a 
workpiece with respect to metal working tooling. 
A tubular spindle 40 is journaled in sleeve bearings 39 and 39A and 
encircling bolt 35 for rotation and axial movement with respect thereto, 
and has a flanged end 41 (FIG. 3) to which a cutter cartridge assembly 42 
is attached. A compression spring 45 is disposed between the head 39 of 
the bolt 35 and an abutment internal shoulder 40A of the spindle 40 which 
normally maintains the spindle 40 and assembly 42 retracted from 
engagement with a workpiece held by the clamshell workholder 23. 
As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 the cutter cartridge assembly 42 includes a 
plurality of metal working tools such as a turning tool 43 which is 
adjustably mounted in the assembly 42 by means of an adjusting screw 44 
rotation of which effects radial adjustment of the tool 43, and clamping 
screw 46 rotation of which clamps the tool in adjusted position. Similarly 
a chamfering tool 47 is adjustably mounted in the assembly 42 by means of 
an adjusting screw 48 and a clamping screw 49. 
Manually operable means are provided for feeding the spindle 40 and the 
cutter cartridge assembly 42 secured to it axially within the housing 20 
so as to advance the assembly 42 into engagement with a workpiece held by 
the clamshell workholder 23. For this purpose, the end of the spindle 40 
remote from the cutter cartridge assembly is made in the form of a 
cylindrical rack 50. A pinion 51 carried by a rotatable shaft 52 
journalled in housing 20 and extending normal to the spindle 40, meshes 
with the rack 50 while permitting rotation of spindle 40 with respect to 
the pinion 51, but functions upon rotation of shaft 52, as by handwheel 
53, to feed the spindle 40 axially in either direction. 
Means are provided for effecting powered rotation of the spindle and cutter 
cartridge assembly in any axially displaced positioning thereof with 
respect to the housing. The cartridge assembly mounts a plurality of 
cutters, for example, turning cutter A and chamfering cutter B. For this 
purpose there is journalled in the housing 20, parallel to the spindle 40, 
a drive shaft 55 one end of which extends outside the housing 20 and is 
provided with coupling means 56 for connection to means such as an 
electric motor 57 (FIG. 1). Internally of the housing 20 there is secured 
to the shaft 55 a pinion 58 which meshes with a drive gear 59 mounted on 
and keyed to the spindle 40 by means of a keyway 60 or ball slot in the 
spindle 40 and bearing ball socket in gear 59 and keyway 60. The balls 61 
in ball slot 6 allow longitudinal movement of the spindle 40 with a slight 
amount of rotations this arrangement being such as to transmit rotation of 
the motor to the spindle while permitting axial displacement of the 
spindle 40 with respect to the drive gear 59. Flange 41 acts as a spindle 
stroke stop to limit the overall length of the machined portion of rod 
26b, cutter A and the chamfer by cutter B. 
In operation, the spindle 40 and cutter cartridge assembly 42 being fully 
retracted to the position shown in FIG. 3 and the jaws of the clamshell 
workholder 23 being open, a workpiece such as a rod 26, is inserted 
between the jaws 24 and 25 until it engages the head 39 of the bolt 35 
which acts as a work stop in this operation. The jaws 24 and 25 then are 
closed, motor rotation of the spindle 40 and assembly 42 is commenced, and 
the handwheel 53 is employed to bring the metal working tools on the 
assembly 42 into engagement with the workpiece; it being possible because 
of the greater axial travel of the metal working tools as compared with 
that possible with the structure disclosed in my patent aforesaid, to form 
extended portions of reduced diameter on the workpiece. 
The above described embodiments of the present invention are merely 
descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The 
scope of the present invention instead shall be determined form the scope 
of the following claims including their equivalents.