Device to hold at least one pipe loaded onto a forming line during its machining

Abstract

 A device (20) to hold at least one pipe (10) loaded onto a forming line, the latter comprising a rotary screw member (8) on whose turns the pipe (10) can coil up to form a coil, said device (20) comprising vice means (21) to hold the pipe (10) from the beginning of its forming and for the period of time in which it is carried out so as to arrange it in correspondence with an end turn (78) present in correspondence with a free end (16) of the screw member before its activation. Said device (20) is separated from and coaxially and frontally movable with respect to the free end (16) of the screw (8) and comprises means (23) to automatically close and open said vice means (21) onto the pipe whenever said device (20) frontally gets closer to and moves away from said free end (16) of the screw (8).

Description

[0001] The object of the present invention is a device used to hold at least one pipe or one pair of coaxial pipes arranged one inside the other in correspondence with a forming line before it is machined and during the period of time this machining takes place, according to the preamble of the main claim.

[0002] This invention addresses the field or sector of the forming of at least one pipe (or one pair of coaxial pipes inserted one inside the other) with the purpose of coil-shaping it specifically, but not exclusively, for its use in a heat exchanger, a boiler, or the like. According to the present status of the art, in order to get such a shaping the pipe is moved orthogonally to the axis of a forming spindle determined by a worm screw member (or "rolling worm") up to laying in correspondence with the turn located next to an end of such screw. Then the pipe is secured in correspondence with such turn and the screw is driven into motion so as to drag the pipe, which has a predetermined length, thereon. The pipe deforms and gets the shape of a coil, which is subsequently taken away by the screw member.

[0003] In a specific forming system that is the object of a previous Italian patent application, No. VI2012A000150, the screw member is supported at one of its ends by a first side support element or first bearing head which transmits the rotary motion to such member, by means of known actuator means carried by them, and is supported at its other end only during said rotary motion (i.e. while the pipe is coil-formed) by a second side support element or second bearing head separable from said member along at least one guide of a support structure of the system. This structure also movably supports the first head and the actuator members and means that generate the motion of the screw member, of both heads during the forming operation, of the second head moving away from said member.

[0004] Therefore, in such a system such screw member is turnably and optimally supported by both bearing heads so as to withstand the bending loads, orthogonal to its own longitudinal axis, occurring while the pipe is formed. At the same time, thanks to the second bearing head movable away and separable from the screw member on the support structure, it is possible to unload the shaped pipe from such member in a simple manner, namely by making this member rotate in a direction opposite to that which led to the formation of the pipe. Thanks to the fact that the end of such member is free and not supported, the pipe is just extracted therefrom.

[0005] However, in such forming system there is the problem whereby it is imperative to keep the pipe to form in position right from the beginning of its machining and for all the period when it is performed, in correspondence with the turn of the screw member where the pipe starts being coiled up. For this purpose, a number of devices are known which use vice members suitable for grasping the end of the pipe and holding it in such position during the forming process. An example of such solution is disclosed in DE102009020666.

[0006] However, such devices do not allow to have an optimum, automatic and simple support for the pipe to be machined nor do they allow an automatic and simple disengagement of the screw member at the end of the forming process, so as to be able to remove the so formed coil therefrom.

[0007] Also, such known devices are complex to implement.

[0008] A purpose of this invention is to offer, preferably but not exclusively in a system comprising a screw member supported by movable bearing heads at its ends, one of which movable away and separable from said member, a device to hold a pipe, from the beginning of its forming and during all of its machining whose engagement with and disengagement from the pipe itself before and after its machining takes place automatically.

[0009] Another purpose is to offer a device of the mentioned type that is simple to realize and implement.

[0010] These purposes and others which will become apparent to a skilled man are achieved by a device to hold at least one pipe from the beginning of its machining and for all duration thereof in a forming system according to the attached claims.

[0011] For a better understanding of the present invention, the following drawings are attached for merely illustrative, but not limitative purposes, in which:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a system used to form a pipe which a device according to the invention is applied to;

figure 2 shows a side view of the device according to the invention;

figure 3 shows a perspective view of the device depicted in figure 2;

figure 4 shows a side view of the device depicted in figure 2 in a different position of use; and

figure 5 shows a perspective view of the device depicted in figure 4.

[0012] With reference to the mentioned figures, the invention is used in a system 1 used to form at least one (initially rectilinear) pipe suitable for shaping the latter like a coil or a helix. Such system 1 comprises a support structure 2 having a leaning zone 3 on a plane and an upper working zone 4; guides 5 are present in the latter to make it possible the movement of a first support element or first bearing head 6 and of a second support element or second bearing head 7 suitable for supporting a forming spindle determined by a cylindrical worm screw member 8 (or simply "screw 8") provided with a discoidal groove where the at least one pipe is arranged for its coil forming. In the case depicted by the figures, a first pipe 10 and a second pipe 11, initially having a rectilinear diameter, have different diameters and are fed orthogonally and in a known manner to the screw member 8 via their corresponding gearings 13 and 14; such pipes are arranged coaxially one inside the other and are thus coiled up onto the screw 8, driven into motion around its longitudinal axis to determine a coil of the "pipe in pipe" type.

[0013] This invention obviously also applies to a system 1 suitable for coil-forming even one pipe only, for instance that identified by the numeral 10. The following description refers to one pipe only machined, but it identically applies to the case of a "pipe in pipe" too.

[0014] The system 1, of a known type so far, comprises (also in a known manner) the second head or second side support 7 movable closer to and away or separable from a free end 16 of the screw member or screw 8 so as to support the latter, during its rotation according to a first pipe coiling-up direction, around its longitudinal axis W and to disengage such end 16 after the pipe 10 is coil-shaped to make it possible the removal of the latter made possible by a rotation according to a coil unloading direction opposite to the mentioned coiling-up direction. In the system mentioned above, the so supported member rotates inseparably from the first head 6 which comprises usual motive members suitable for driving such screw member 8 into rotation around its own axis in the two directions, one for forming the pipe 10 and another, opposite to the former, for disengaging the same from such member after the second head 7 moved away from it. The first head 6 moves along the W axis on the structure 2 during the forming process together with the member 8 and the other head 7.

[0015] According to the embodiment here analyzed, with the second head 7 a device 20 according to this invention is associated suitable for holding the pipe 10 from the instant in time it gets in contact with the screw member or screw 8 and during its forming on the latter. Such device 20 comprises vice means 21 that can be clamped onto the pipe and be opened at the end of the forming process.

[0016] More specifically, the device 20 comprises a body 22 which a first lever 23 is hinged to, suitable for cooperating with a second lever 24 so as to determine the vice means 21. The first lever 23 features an L-like shape with dual first arms 26, spaced from and parallel to each other, directly hinged in 27 on opposite sides of said body 22 (one arm 26 only is fully visible in the figures). Every first arm has a free end supporting a roller 28 that freely rotates (via appropriate ball bearing, not shown in the figures) on a pin 30 secured to said first arm 26. The roller has an outer surface 32 suitable for cooperating with a cap 33 located at the free end 16 of the screw 8.

[0017] The second arm 35 of the first lever 23, arranged at 90° with respect to the first parallel arms 26, has a flat part 36 that supports at its free end 34 a body 37 having two hollows 38 and 39 separated by an upright 40. The first hollow 38 is present at an end 41 of the body 37 facing the inside of the second arm 35, whereas the second hollow 39 is present in correspondence with a second end 42 of such body close to the free end 34 of such second arm. Such second hollow comprises an edge shaped like a semicircumference and is suitable for receiving a part of the pipe 10. Another part of such pipe is suitable for being accommodated in a hollow 44, also having a semicircumference-like shaped edge, present in the second lever 24.

[0018] The latter preferably comprises a portion 48, comprising a hollow 44, hinged in 49 to a body 50 (for instance, a U-shaped one) integral with the body 22 carrying the first lever 23 and movable therewith via a bracket 47. A bracket 51 is also associated with this body, but (translationally) movable with respect to it, with an inclined-plane-shaped end 52 with respect to which the portion 48 of the second lever, also inclined-plane-shaped, is also movable (see figure 2). This bracket 51 is suitable for cooperating with a flattened hollow portion 55 present in the screw 8 next to its end 16 so as to press the portion 48 toward the second arm 35 of the first lever 23 beneath. This movement pushes the portion 48 against the body 37 of the first lever 23, thus closing between them the pipe 10 which, dragged by the screw 8 when operated (being meshed with one of its at least partial end turns 78), follows its turns and coil-shapes itself.

[0019] This portion 48 is subjected to a spring (not shown in the figures) located on at least one pin which determines the hinge 49, so as to disengage the pipe 10 whenever the first lever 23 parts from the second lever 24. A similar spring (not shown in the figures) is preferably located on at least one pin which determines the hinge 27 thanks to which the first lever 23 moves with respect to the body 22. Whenever this body 22 moves away from the end 16 of the screw 8, such spring makes the lever 23 rotate so as to cause its second arm to part from the second lever 24, thus opening the vice means 21 and making it possible the subsequent introduction of another pipe to be formed into the hollow 44 (after the already formed coil is removed from the screw 8).

[0020] The device 20 operates automatically to hold the pipe 10. As a matter of fact, once the latter is inserted (in a known manner, at one of its ends) into the above mentioned hollow 44, the body 22 getting closer to the end 16 of the screw 8 makes every roller 28 get in contact, with its own surface 32, with the cap 33. The rotation of the rollers on the latter, owing to the thrust exerted by the body 22 onto the screw 8, makes the first lever 23 automatically rotate with respect to such body and move, together with its own hollow 39, in correspondence with the pipe 10 and clamp it against the second lever 24 (or better against the portion 48 thereof) so as to hold it, slidingly though so as to make its forming possible, during its machining and transformation into a coil.

[0021] The forming operation having being terminated, the body 22 moves away from the screw 8 (after contributing to support its end 16 during the forming operation itself) and owing to its own weight (hence automatically) the second arm 35 of the first lever, possibly also thanks to the thrust exerted by the spring located in the hinge 27, parts from the second lever 24 and makes itself ready to a subsequent vicing of the pipe 10 to be shaped.

[0022] The movement of the body 22 can take place because the device 20 is associated with the second head 7 (autonomously movable with respect to the screw 8 integral with the first head 6) or even independently of such second head (by which it is anyway supported) through a hydraulic, hydropneumatic, pneumatic actuator of its own or the like: for instance, the body 22 is associated with a shank 80 of a hydraulic actuator (not shown in the figures) in turn carried by the second head 7. In a further variant, no second head 7 is equipped in the system 1 and its screw 8 support function is directly and solely performed by the device 20 movable through the above mentioned actuator which is integral, with a fixed part thereof, to the structure 2 of the system 1.

[0023] Furthermore, according to a further simplified variant of the embodiment of this invention, the device 20 comprises the first (and one) lever 23 only suitable for directly cooperating with the screw 8 to hold the pipe 10 against it. In this event the hollow 39 carried by the body 37 integral with the lever 23 is capable of positioning itself opposite to a "thread" or hollow of the screw 8, for instance the first complete thread 88 or that delimited by two flanks 89 and 90 as shown in figure 2.

[0024] A number of embodiments of the invention have been described and mentioned. However, others can be accomplished in the light of the previous description and shall be deemed to fall into the scope of the present document.

Claims

1. A coil forming line comprising a device (20) to hold at least one pipe (10) loaded onto said forming line, the latter comprising a rotary screw member (8) on whose turns the pipe (10) can coil up to form a coil, said device (20) comprising vice means (21) to hold the pipe (10) from the beginning of its forming and for the period of time in which it is carried out so as to arrange it in correspondence with an end turn (78) present in correspondence with a free end (16) of the screw member before its activation, characterized in that said device (20) is separated from and is coaxially and frontally movable with respect to the free end (16) of the screw member (8) and comprises means (23) to automatically close and open said vice means (21) onto the pipe whenever said device (20) frontally gets closer to and moves away from said end (16) of the screw member (8).

2. A forming line according to claim 1, characterized in that said means to automatically close and open the vice means (21) are at least one first lever (23) hinged to a body (22) of the device, frontally movable at the free end (16) of the screw member, said lever (23) comprising a striker member (28) suitable for getting in contact with said end (16) and making the lever (23) rotate so as to move its curved part (37, 39) in correspondence with the screw member (8) to hold the pipe during its machining.

3. A forming line according to claim 2, characterized in that said striker member is a roller (28) suitable for getting in contact with the screw member.

4. A forming line according to claim 2, characterized in that the lever (23) is L-shaped and comprises at least one first arm (26) hinged (in 27) to the body (22) of the device and supporting, at one of its free ends, the striker member (28), said lever comprising a second arm (35) having the curved part (37, 39) suitable for receiving the pipe (10) .

5. A forming line according to claim 4, characterized in that said curved part comprises a body (37) located on the second arm (35) of the lever (23) and presenting a hollow (39) comprising a semicircular edge suitable for receiving the pipe (10) next to the screw member (8).

6. A forming line according to claim 4, characterized in that said lever (23) comprises a pair of first arms (26) spaced from and parallel to each other, hinged (in 27) through at least one pin to the body (22) of the device (20), said arms supporting a flat part (36) that determines the second arm (35) of the lever (23) and carrying the curved part (37, 39) to hold the pipe (10).

7. A forming line according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a second lever (24) suitable for cooperating with the first lever (23) to hold the pipe (10), said second lever (24) comprising a portion (48) that is curved (in 44) and suitable for cooperating with the curved part (37, 39) of said first lever to hold the pipe.

8. A forming line according to claim 7, characterized in that said portion (48) is movable with respect to a support body (50) of said second lever carried by the first lever (23).

9. A forming line according to claim 8, characterized in that said removable portion (48) cooperates with a bracket (51) interposed between said portion (48) and a hollow flat part (55) present at the free end (16) of the screw member (8) .

10. A forming line according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (20) to hold the pipe is integral with and supported by a head (7) carrying the free end (16) of the screw member (8) during the pipe forming operation, said head (7) being separable from said free end (16).

11. A forming line according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (20) to hold the pipe is movably supported by a head (7) carrying the free end (16) of the screw member (8) during the pipe (10) forming operation, said head being separable form said free end (16).

12. A forming line according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (20) is supported by a fixed structure (2) carrying the screw member (8) and is movable with respect to said structure (2), said device (20) supporting the free end (16) of the screw member while the pipe (10) is formed.

13. A forming line according to claim 2, characterized in that the striker member (28) alternatively cooperates:

- directly with the free end (16) of the screw member (8);

- with a cap (33) carried by the free end (16) of the screw member (8).

14. A system to form at least one pipe (10, 11) so as to shape it like a helix or a spiral, said system comprising a forming spindle determined by a substantially cylindrical screw member (8), turnably coupled with at least one first side support element (6), said screw member (8) having a helicoidal groove on which said rectilinear pipe (10, 11) is coiled up whenever said screw member (8) is driven into rotation around its own longitudinal axis (W) in a first direction of rotation, and from which the coiled-up pipe is subsequently unloaded when said screw member (8) is driven into rotation around said longitudinal axis (W) in the direction opposite to said first direction of rotation, said first side support element (6) being slidingly supported by a support structure (2) in such a way as to move said screw member (8) along the direction determined by said longitudinal axis (W) and relatively to said structure (2) while the pipe (10, 11) is formed, a second support element of said support structure (2) being provided with which said screw member (8) is turnably coupled at the opposite side as referred to said first side support element (6), said second side support element (7) being suitable for moving in conjunction with said first side support element (6) and with said screw member (8) along said direction, said screw member (8) and said second side support element (7) being uncouplable from each other so as to move said second side support element (7) away from said screw member (8) along said direction to make it possible to unload said formed pipe from said screw member (8), said screw member (8) having a free end (16) suitable for cooperating with a device (20) suitable for holding said at least one pipe (10, 11) since the beginning of its forming and for the period of time in which it is performed, so as to arrange it in correspondence with an end turn (78) present in correspondence with said free end (16) of the screw member before its activation, characterized in that said device (20) is separated from and coaxially and frontally movable with respect to the free end (16) of the screw member (8) and comprises means (23) to automatically close and open said vice means (21) onto the pipe whenever said device (20) frontally gets closer to and moves away from said free end (16) of the screw member (8).

Drawing