BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to metal working machinery and more particularly to portable machines employing power operated rotating tools movable in a circular orbit to cut piping to desired lengths and/or to finish the cut ends of such piping.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Machines employing power operated rotating tools movable in a circular orbit for such purposes are disclosed in the United States patents of Tanner No. 3,088,352, issued May 7, 1963 and uchner No. 3,974,562, issued August 17, 1976, both assigned to Georg Fischer A.G. of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, which issues a catalog listing machines of this type offered for sale. A need has existed, however, for machines of this type capable of performing both cutting and finishing operations at the same time, accurately adjustable to cut thin-walled tubes or containers without impinging the interiors thereof, and, preferably, capable of being easily carried to field locations. It is primary object of the present invention to meet the need for such machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, means are provided for clamping a tubular workpiece between dies which are changeable to accommodate workpieces of different diameters. A turret carrying a plurality of radially extending tool supports is rotatably mounted on the clamping means, each support having removably mounted therein a power-rotatable tool, which is radially adjustable with respect to the workpiece and spaced as closely to the end of the clamping dies as is possible without more than light engagement therewith.

A manipulable handle at the outer end of each tool carriage is rotatable to effect radial adjustment of its associated tool with respect to the workpiece and also is employed to rotate the turret around it center and thus effect orbital translation of the tools around the center od the workpiece in the course of a cutting and/or finishing operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a pipe cutting and finishing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of portions of the machine of Fig. 1 with a portion of one of the cutter carriages broken away to expose underlying structures.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of portions of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in section, taken on the line 4 - 4 of Fig. 2, of the machine of Fig. 1 with one of the tool carriages and associated parts omitted for simplification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises means for clamping a tubular workpiece A in a position for cutting and /or finishing operations. This means comprises a base 10 which includes a lower semicircular housing 11 having integral feet 12 for optional bench mounting and an upper semicircular housing 13 which is connected to the lower housing 11 by a split hinge 15 the separate halves of which are pivoted on a common pin 16 but connected to the upper and lower housings 11 and 13 respectively; the half connected to the upper housing 13 being removable from pin 16 for a purpose to be described.

The lowest semicircular housing 11 has a lower semicircular clamping die 20 releasably retained therein by means such as a lower dovetail tongue-and-groove structure 21 and the upper semicircular housing 1310 has a complimentary upper semicircular clamping die 22 releasably retained therein by means such as an upper dovetail tongue-and-groove structure 23. The dies 20 and 22 normally are retained by set screws 24 in the positions in which they are shown but may be removed and replaced by other pairs of dies defining circular cavities of different diameters to accommodate workpieces of different diameters.

The upper and lower housings 11 and 13 are capable of being locked in the operating position in which they are shown in the drawings by means comprising an over-center toggle linkage 19 actuated by a lever 25 (Fig. 3) . Actuating lever 25 is pivotally mounted on an ear on the upper housing 13 at 26 and is pivotally connected at 27 to a U-clamp 28 (Fig.4) the lower end of which underlies an ear 29 on the lower housing 11. When the parts are in position shown in the Fig. 3, the pivotal connection 26 lies to the right of a line connecting pivotal connection 27 with the center of the lower portion of the U-clamp 24 this locking the lower and upper housings 11 and 13 together. When the lever 25 is rocked clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 3, however the pivotal connection 27 moves to the right of its previous position, unlocking the upper and lower housings 11 and 13. Such unlocking will free a workpiece clamped between the housings sufficiently to permit its withdrawal and the substitution of another, but if dies held between the housings are to be changed it is necessary to then move the upper housing 13 to the left as viewed in Fig. 4 and then rock it about 180 degrees around hinge pin 16 to gain access to the dies. If desired, the upper housing 13 may be entirely removed by sliding it completely off of the hinge pin 16.

Means are provided for mounting a tool carriage turret 30 for rotation with respect to base 10 on an axis coincident with that of a workpiece clamped between the dies 20 and 22. For this purpose the lower housing 11 has integral therewith a mounting

ring 31 which encircles the upper die 22 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4 and the turret 30 has integral therewith a matching bearing ring 32. The rings 31 and 32 are held in slidable relationship to each other by a lower crescent 34 secured to the turret 30 by a series of screws 35, and an upper crescent 36 similarly secured to the bearing ring 32 by a series of screws.

Means are provided for limiting the insertion of a workpiece through the dies 20 and 22 so that exact duplication of the length of workpieces of the same lot may be assured. This means comprises a stock stop 40 mounted on a stock stop bracket 41. The stock stop 40 is adjustable by means comprising a slot 42 in the bracket and a nut 43 threaded onto an extension on the stock stop 40. The bracket 41 is adjustably mounted on a stop rod 45 carried by the bearing ring 32 of the turret 30. The stock stop 40 thus may be positioned axially on the stop rod 45 to gage of the length of the workpiece to be cut, adjusted radially of the workpiece to accommodate workpieces of different diameters, or swung out of the path of the workpiece. Means are provide for mounting on the turret 30 and adjustably positioning in a tool radially of the workpiece to perform cutting and/or finishing operations on the workpiece. For this purpose, the turret 30 is provided with a radially extending hollow feed slide housing 50 in which there is sideably mounted a feed slide 51 carrying a feed screw 52 rotatable

mounted in the feed slide and threaded into a feed nut 53 secured in the feed slide housing 50 and provided with a handle at the outer end of the feed slide 51.

A tool carriage 56 is carried on the inner portion of the feed slide 51 for movement radially with respect to a workpiece by rotation of feed screw 52 which may conveniently be effected by rotating handle 55 to cause radial movement of the feed slide 51 in either direction according to the direction of rotation of handle 55. Tool carriage 56 is provided intermediate its ends with a motor mounting bracket 58 for securing a motor B to a coupling 59 for connecting the motor to an input pinion 60 journalled in the tool carriage 56. The input pinion 60 meshes with a spindle gear 61 journalled in the tool carriage on a bearings 62. A bolt 65 has a hexagonal head 66 at one end and a threaded connection at its opposite end with a blade arbor 68 and a tool 70 is removably clamped between the blade arbor 68 and the hub of spindle gear 61.

This structure makes possible the positioning of the tool 70 contiguous to the adjacent faces of the clamping dies 20, 22 and it is an important feature of the present invention that such positioning makes possible the cutting of very this tubular workpieces on the order of eight thousandths of an inch without significant deformation of the workpiece.

An additional important feature of the present invention is the confinement of the tool driving and advancing and retracting means well within an arc of less than 180 degrees of the circumference of the workpiece. According to the present invention, advantage is taken of this feature by providing a second feed slide housing 50a at a position on the turret 30 diametrically opposite the feed slide housing 50 and by duplicating all of the parts carried thereon which have been described above. In operation of the device of the present invention, an appropriate tool, such as a rotary saw blade, is secured between the blade arbor 68 and spindle gear 61 of one of the feed slide housings 50 and securing another appropriate tool, such as an edge beveling tool, between the second blade arbor 68 and the spindle gear 61 of the assembly associated with the second feed slide housing.

The saw blade 70 is then adjusted by rotation of the handle 55 to effect a cut of the proper depth, and the handle 55 is then moved in a circular path to effect movement of the rotating saw blade in an orbital path around the workpiece a distance slightly over 180 degrees. The other handle 55 is then rotated to move the beveling tool into the cut (on one end of which it has been brought opposite) , and to the proper position for the beveling operation and either of the handles is then moved in a circular path for at least another 360 degrees to effect movement of both tools in an orbital path around the workpiece.