APPARATUS FOR TIGHTENING THREADED FASTENERS

The present discloses an apparatus for transmitting torque and tightening or loosening threaded fasteners. The apparatus comprising a housing having a driving assembly and a cylinder assembly, a ratchet mechanism being arranged in the driving assembly which is further associated and drivable by the cylinder assembly. The cylinder assembly further comprises a piston assembly and an end cap assembly having a safety ring and a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The apparatus further comprises a hydraulic piston eject safety assembly intended to identify the failure of the apparatus owing to a material fault or overuse/fatigue. The apparatus may further comprise a leakage safety assembly configured to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaking at opening. The apparatus may further comprise a dual reaction assembly, a fastener, a socket, a driver a reaction fixture, an auto-release safety reaction pawl assembly, a quick coupler with thread lock assembly, a cycle counter assembly.

BACKGROUND

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to power tools. More particularly, the present invention relates hydraulically driven torque apparatus with a safety mechanism for tightening or loosening threaded fasteners.

Description of Related Art

Hydraulically powered wrenches are well-known and commonly used instruments in industry for transferring rotational power to threaded fasteners. A basic wrench design consists of a hydraulically driven, reciprocating piston within a driver in the form of a power head unit. There are a range of different types of power wrenches. Torque wrenches with hydraulic motors are commonly used for tightening large nuts on bolts or studs, as well as in narrow clearance installations where a lengthy wrench handle would be too long.

FIG.1Adepicts a partial cross-sectional view of a prior art tool100for tightening and loosening threaded fasteners, such as Applicant's AVANTI® square drive hydraulic tool. A driving assembly103(not shown), a cylinder assembly104, and a uniswivel fluid assembly105are all contained within a housing102. A ratchet is included in a known lever-type ratchet mechanism arranged in driving assembly103, which is connected to and drivable by cylinder assembly104.

The ratchet can be rotated around a force axis. During tool100operation, the ratchet is connected to a driving element, which receives a first turning force acting in one direction around the turning force axis. A deep well is turned by the first turning force. A deep well hex socket attached to the driving element is turned by the first turning force, which next turns a fastener. A piston106, reciprocating moveable along a piston axis A100by and linked with a piston rod107, and an end cap assembly108are created within the housing102. Miscellaneous components such as O-rings109, seals110, and/or retaining rings111are included in the cylinder assembly104. Tool100can be replaced with any known fluid operated tool for tightening and loosening threaded fasteners with any known components.

A perspective view of end cap assembly108of cylinder assembly104of prior art tool100is shown inFIG.1B(prior art). A typically cylindrical housing120defines a coaxial hydraulic cylinder (or sleeve)121within the end cap assembly108. At one end of cylindrical housing120is an end wall (or cap)122, and at the other end is an opening123that admits piston106. When hydraulic fluid is injected by uniswivel fluid assembly105, piston106drives linked piston rod107within sleeve121. The cylinder assembly104is mounted and sealed within housing102by O-rings109, seals110, and/or retaining rings111, which prevent hydraulic fluid from flowing out at aperture23.

Traditional threaded fastener tightening equipment lacks adequate safety features. Hydraulic tool failure can occur owing to a material fault or overuse/fatigue, which can cause the apparatus housing to fracture further. Other components of the apparatus can disengage from, slip out of, and/or be expelled from the apparatus if the housing fractures.

Furthermore, the apparatus's components may be ejected under tremendous pressure and at high speeds, causing serious property damage and/or bodily harm. Conventional hydraulic torque apparatus of the prior art lack sufficient features to meet modern bolting demands. The present invention has therefore been devised to solve these issues.

Housing may rupture if a tool fails due to a material fault or fatigue. As a result, the end cap becomes an item that can be ejected. This could result in property damage or injury to personnel.

A simple, effective, and reliable safety apparatus is required to avoid such unforeseen effects.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus with a safety mechanism for tightening/loosening threaded fasteners, to include all advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent in the prior art.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide an apparatus for transmitting torque and tightening or loosening threaded fasteners. The apparatus comprising a housing having a driving assembly and a cylinder assembly, a ratchet mechanism being arranged in the driving assembly which is further associated and drivable by the cylinder assembly. The cylinder assembly also includes a piston assembly reciprocating movable along a piston axis. The cylinder assembly further comprises an end cap assembly having a safety ring and a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The hydraulic cylinder assembly including an end cap at a first end and an opening having an adjacent internally threaded surface at a second end that accepts a piston and threadedly engages with the safety ring. The safety ring being configured to retain a piston of a hydraulically driven torque tool for tightening and/or loosening of threaded fasteners. The safety ring having an externally threaded surface. The safety ring further comprises an internal surface including a retaining lip at one end which extends inwardly. The apparatus also includes a leakage safety assembly configured to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaking at opening. The apparatus also includes a hydraulic piston eject safety assembly intended to identify the failure of the apparatus owing to a material fault or overuse/fatigue, which causes the housing to fracture, further portions of the piston assembly, end cap assembly, and/or housing are disengaged from, slip out of, and/or ejected from the apparatus when the housing fractures.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide an apparatus further comprising a dual reaction assembly, a fastener, a socket, a driver a reaction fixture, an auto-release safety reaction pawl assembly, a quick coupler with thread lock assembly, a cycle counter assembly.

An object of the present invention is to introduce an entirely new level of advanced bolting technology including inline, coaxial reaction first revolutionized, the auto-release pawl assembly, new quick connect fluid couplers with thread lock assemblies, a new safety end cap assembly, a new spline cover assembly, a new cycle counter assembly and a new safety end cap assembly.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the quick-coupler with thread lock assembly has a locking mechanism to prevent accidental disconnection, eliminating the need for the operator to guess when connections are secure.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a dual-reaction feature allows easy field configuration for the rear and/or side (coaxial inline) reaction, replacing the need for two separate tools with one tool. The dual-reaction feature allows the user to configure the wrench for rear reaction arms compatible with the original or newer reaction arms compatible with one or more product lines. A new, easy to install and remove, spline cover prevents damage to the apparatus's rear reaction arm splines. The spline cover assembly is applied when using inline, coaxial drive reaction systems protect the rear splines and improve safety.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the present application of the embodiments described herein.

This together with the other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present disclosure, is pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forms a part of the present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specified object attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

The preceding is a simplified summary to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the present invention and its various embodiments. The summary presents selected concepts of the embodiments of the present invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the present invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures. Optional portions of the figures may be illustrated using dashed or dotted lines, unless the context of usage indicates otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments, but the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

The exemplary embodiments described herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in implementation. The present disclosure provides a hydraulic driven apparatus with a safety mechanism for tightening/loosening threaded fasteners. It should be emphasized, however, that the present disclosure is not limited only to what is disclosed and extends to cover various alternation to the apparatus for tightening/loosening threaded fasteners. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and the like (which are synonymous with “including,” “having” and “characterized by”) may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases “consisting essentially of,” consists essentially of,” and the like or the respective closed phrases “consisting of,” “consists of, the like.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.

An apparatus200with a safety mechanism for tightening/loosening threaded fasteners will now be described in conjunction withFIGS.2A to11, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG.1AandFIG.1Billustrates a prior art explained in background of the specification. Referring now toFIGS.2A to11, various views and components of the apparatus200with a safety mechanism for tightening/loosening threaded fasteners are shown. For example,FIG.2A-2Billustrates a partial cross-section view of an apparatus200.FIG.2Cillustrates a perspective view of a component of the apparatus200. Further,FIG.2AtoFIG.11, illustrates a various views and components of the apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and will now be described in conjunction to all theFIGS.2A to11.

Referring toFIG.2A,FIG.2B,FIG.2CandFIG.3, the apparatus200comprising a housing202having a driving assembly203and a cylinder assembly230. In an embodiment of the present invention, a ratchet mechanism that may be arranged in the driving assembly203which is further associated and drivable by the cylinder assembly230.

The cylinder assembly230may comprise a piston assembly240reciprocating movable along a piston axis. The piston assembly240has a first end formed as the piston241and a second end is formed as a piston rod242having a rod pin242a. Referring toFIG.6, the cylinder assembly230may further include a plurality of components such as, but not limited to, O-rings231, seals232, retaining rings233a-233n, and/or any foregoing combination.

The cylinder assembly230further comprises an end cap assembly250having a safety ring256and a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The end cap assembly250may comprise a cylindrical housing251defining a coaxial hydraulic cylinder (or sleeve)252within. The cylindrical housing251has an end wall (or cap) at a first end and an opening254at a second end that accepts piston241.

The hydraulic cylinder assembly may include an end cap at a first end and the opening254having an adjacent internally threaded surface at a second end that accepts the piston241and threadedly engages with the safety ring256. The safety ring256may be configured to retain a piston of a hydraulically driven torque apparatus200for tightening and/or loosening of threaded fasteners.

The safety ring256may comprise an externally threaded surface. The safety ring256may further comprise the internal surface including a retaining lip259at one end which extends inwardly. In an embodiment of the present invention, the safety ring256may be threadedly engageable with an adjacent opening254. The adjacent opening254of sleeve may be internal threads to receive external threads of the safety ring256.

A ratchet286may be connected with a driving element and the ratchet286may be turn-able about a turning force axis, as seen particularly inFIG.4. In an embodiment of the present invention, the ratchet286receives a first turning force acting about the turning force axis in one direction during operation of the apparatus200, further the first turning force turns a deep well hex socket attached to the driving element, which turns a fastener.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the internal surface of the safety ring256may be smooth and lines up with an internal surface of sleeve252once assembled to allow movement of the piston241throughout. The internal surface including the retaining lip259may prevent the piston assembly240from being separated from the end cap assembly250. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the smooth internal surface of the safety ring256and a smooth internal surface of the hydraulic cylinder assembly form the sleeve252which allows movement of the piston241throughout.

Further, an outer edge260of the retaining lip259may co-terminates with opening254when assembled. The internally threaded surface at the second end is recessed from the smooth internal surface of the hydraulic cylinder assembly to accept the safety ring256such that the smooth internal surface of the safety ring256and the smooth internal surface of the hydraulic cylinder assembly form a sleeve252which allows movement of the piston241throughout.

The apparatus also includes a leakage safety assembly configured to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaking at opening. The leakage safety assembly may comprise the piston241inserted into opening254and sleeve252. The leakage safety assembly may also include the safety ring256threaded into the sleeve252at the opening254, the piston rod242attached to the piston241and the drive assembly203, the end cap assembly250may be attached to the housing202, the O-rings231, the seals232and/or the retaining rings233mounted and sealed cylinder assembly230within the housing202to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaking at the opening254.

The apparatus200may include a hydraulic piston eject safety assembly intended to identify the failure of the apparatus200owing to a material fault or overuse/fatigue, which causes the housing202to fracture, further portions of the piston assembly240, end cap assembly250, and/or housing202are disengaged from, slip out of, and/or ejected from the apparatus200when the housing fractures. when the apparatus200fails, the safety ring256may prevent the piston241from being detached from the end cap assembly250by drawing the piston241with the end cap assembly250, and a component of the drive assembly203is suited to grab the piston241, preventing and/or substantially slowing any projection thereof.

Referring toFIG.8A to8D, the apparatus200may comprise of AV01D steel290bfurther comprising a dual reaction assembly, a fastener, a socket301, a driver a reaction fixture, an auto-release safety reaction pawl assembly288, a quick coupler with thread lock assembly, a cycle counter assembly, a drive plate left290a, an access plug291, a BHCS292, FHCS299, a plurality of retainers233a-233n.

Referring toFIG.7, the dual reaction assembly may be configured to allow the user to configure the apparatus200for rear reaction arms293compatible with the original or newer reaction arms293. The dual-reaction feature simplifies field configuration for rear and/or side (coaxial inline) reactions, eliminating the need for two separate apparatus.

The dual-reaction feature may allow the operator to set up the apparatus with rear reaction arms293that are interchangeable with other reaction arms293. The rear splines of the apparatus200are protected by a new spline cover that is simple to install and remove. When using inline, coaxial drive reaction systems, the spline cover assembly is used to shield the rear splines and improve safety. Further, the apparatus may comprise a dual SQ drive285as shown inFIG.5, a plurality of pins294a-294c, an outer button300and an inner button303.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a coaxial spline drive may also be included in the apparatus200, which enables washer fastener technology for enhanced bolting safety, precision, and speed. With the Nut, the coaxial spline drive may allow accurate mechanical tensioning. Current sockets, drivers, and apparatus accessories are compatible with the square-drive276. The square drive276may be enclosed by a square drive reaction arm278which may be rotated clockwise for tightening of the threaded fasteners and anti-clockwise for the loosening of the threaded fasteners. All reaction fixtures from the product lines are backwards compatible due to the adaptability.

As seen inFIG.11, the auto-release safety reaction pawl assembly288has been employed to improve safety and bolting operations by eliminating the need for the operator to flip a lever to unlock the apparatus when tightening or loosening threaded fasteners. The auto-release safety reaction pawl assembly's288integration improves safety and speeds up bolting operations. To remove the apparatus from the operation, the operator does not need to turn a lever. By merely advancing the pump, the apparatus may be able to self-free, making bolting procedures faster, safer, and easier.

Further, the apparatus200may comprise a safety handle installation point280for enhancing the security of the apparatus200while usage and a drive pawl295along with plurality of springs296a-296nand spring shaft302, as seen inFIG.9andFIG.10.

The quick-coupler with thread lock assembly has a locking mechanism to prevent accidental disconnection, eliminating the need for the operator to guess when connections are secure. Moreover, the quick-coupler with thread lock assembly provides faster job setup and completion and increased joint integrity.

The cycle counter assembly282may be incorporated in the apparatus200to track the apparatus200usage and allow users to schedule preventative maintenance and calibration.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the employment of the apparatus200may be tracked by the incorporated cycle counter assembly282, which allows users to schedule preventative maintenance and calibration. This feature keeps the tool in peak condition, allowing for precise and reproducible bolting results. The user may extend the life of the apparatus200by doing routine preventative maintenance. The cycle counter assembly282may comprise counter brackets297a, and SHCS297b. The cycle counter282may include a sensing device to measure each advance and retract stroke of the piston. Any suitable sensing device may be used, such as, for example, actuating magnets, hall effect, and the like.

The apparatus further comprising an uniswivel fluid assembly205that may be configured to inject hydraulic fluid into sleeve252.