Patent GB-1386443-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for performing operations on elongate material
IPC: B23P23/06
Filed: 1972-02-29
Abstract: 1386443 Attaching fittings to elongate material; machine tool details; screw threading tubes; machining elongate materials J W HYATT 29 Feb 1972 [1 March 1971] 9372/72 Headings B3A B3B B3N and B3T An apparatus for forming a rod or tube with a fitting at at least one end comprises a machine for automatically threading both ends of a rod or tube which has been cut to a desired length, a machine for attaching a fitting to at least one of the threaded ends of the workpiece and a control means for automatically controlling the machines and the movement of the workpiece through the machines. In the embodiment described, a pipe 12, Figs. 1, 1A, is fed by a continuously driven roller conveyer 210 into engagement with a stop 153, Fig. 9, whereupon the stop 153 is lowered and the pipe 12 driven by rollers 222, 228 through a cutting and chamfering head 28 until it engages a support 27 of a stop head 26. The pipe 12 is supported during feeding by piston and cylinder assemblies 55, 56. The heads 26, 28 are axially movable relative to each other along guide rods 24 by screw actuators 32, 34 driven by a motor 38. When the support 27 is engaged by the pipe end, the pipe 12 is clamped in the cutting head 28 by radially movable clamping jaws 46 which are rotated by a spindle 48 driven by a motor 50. Axially offset cutting blades (25) (Fig. 10, not shown) are driven radially inwards to sever the pipe 12 by rotating by a motor 29 a cam plate (not shown) having cam slots engaging rollers on the blades (25). The completion of the cut is sensed by a microswitch mounted on one of the blades (25) whereupon the heads 26, 28 are moved axially away from each other by the motor 38, and the pipe 12 engaged by the piston and cylinder assemblies 55, 56 and pushed by piston and cylinder assemblies 57 on to an inclined table 232. At the bottom of the table 232 the diameter of the pipe is sensed by a sensor (S 4 ) (Fig. 11, not shown), after which it is raised by piston and cylinders (242) on to a second inclined table 234 from where it rolls into engagement with stops 182, Fig. 2, connected to one of a pair of clamping jaws (92, 94) (Fig. 3, not shown) of oppositely disposed threading heads 40. The heads 40 are axially movable relative to each other along guide rods 64 by screw actuators driven by a motor 84 via clutches 88. The clamping jaws (92, 94) are connected by springs 96 to a plate 72 of each head 40 so as to compensate for bent pipes. A threading die head 110, Fig. 2, is mounted on a spindle 102 of a power drive unit 62, each die head 110 including radially arranged threading dies (114) (Fig. 5, not shown). When the pipe ends engage the stops 182, the heads 40 are moved away from each by the motor 84 and the stops 182 retracted to allow the pipe to clear sensors S 5  and roll down the upper surface of the clamping jaws (92) and on to piston and cylinders (97) which lower the pipe 12 into the jaws (92, 94). After actuating the jaws (92, 94) by piston and cylinders (93), the units 62 are advanced towards the clamping jaws along guide rods 70, mounted on the plate 72, by piston and cylinders 76 to cause the threading dies 114 to engage the pipe ends. The spindles 102 are driven by motors 100 and the dies (114) moved radially inwards by pivoting an arm (118) (Fig. 5, not shown) clockwise by a piston and cylinder (134) to a set position determined by the position of a shaft (120) in a slot (126). The position of the shaft (120) is set by a motor in response to the diameter of the pipe previously sensed by the sensor (S 4 ) (Fig. 11, not shown). Lubricating and cooling fluid is supplied to the pipe via nozzles (113) (Fig. 7, not shown). The inside edges of the pipe are reamed by a tapered reamer (140) (Fig. 5, not shown) driven by the spindle 102. After threading both ends of the pipe 12, it is raised by piston and cylinders (97) and pushed by piston and cylinders 98 on to the upper surface of the jaws (94) from where it rolls down on to an inclined table 233. The pipe 12 is raised by a piston and cylinder on to a second inclined table 235 from where it rolls on to a continuously driven roller conveyer 242 to be driven by rollers (221, 227) (Fig. 8, not shown) into a pipe clamp 142. A fitting is transferred into a clamp 143 from a slot 145 in a feed hopper 144. A spindle (49) of the pipe clamp 142 is rotated by a motor (51) and after applying thread sealing compound the pipe clamp 142 is advanced along rods 248 towards the fitting clamp 143, the drive of the spindle (49) being disengaged when a predetermined torque is reached. The pipe with fitting is conveyed out of the machine by rollers (173, 176). Microswitches S 8  and S 9  are mounted in the tables 232, 233 to deactivate the preceding cutting machine 20 and threading machine 40 should a build up of tubes occur.