Patent ID: 6931902

Claim:
A tube flaring machine comprising: (a) a frame having an upper end and having a lower end, the frame comprising a plurality of columns; (b) a tube clamp comprising a plurality of radially arranged shoes, each shoe having a lower end; (c) clamp attaching means interconnecting the frame and the tube clamp, the clamp attaching means comprising a collet having a bore, the collet interconnecting the shoes and the columns; (d) a segmented anvil ring having an outwardly and downwardly flared inner surface, each anvil ring segment having an upper end; (e) anvil ring mounting means positioning the anvil ring below the tube clamp, the anvil ring mounting means comprising fixed attachments of the upper ends of the anvil ring segments to the lower ends of the shoes; (f) a mandrel having an outwardly and downwardly flared outer surface; (g) mandrel attaching means interconnecting the mandrel and the frame, the mandrel attaching means positioning the mandrel below the anvil ring; and (h) pressing means operatively connected to the frame, the pressing means being adapted for moving the mandrel and the anvil ring toward each other; the tube clamp further comprising an upper rectilinear motion actuator operatively connected to the shoes, said actuator being adapted for alternately upwardly and downwardly moving the shoes within the bore of the collet.