A flanging device for flanging metal corrugated pipes

Abstract

 A flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes comprising a support tubular body (10), a rod (12) axially sliding into the same body from which it protrudes in the upper part and connects to a guiding device (16), a ring (20) fastened through threading to the upper end of said body (10) and provided with a pass-through hole in the centre from which said rod and a circular-based striking plate (24) protrude, the latter being integral to the lower end of the same rod (12) matching with the end of the pipes to be bent which are abutted into a template inserted into said body (10), characterized in that it comprises two or more extension elements (26-28) which can be alternatively associated to the same body (10) and are provided with an internal recess (30) to house at least one of said templates.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a device to flange metal corrugated pipes.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention refers to a portable device being able to flange the ends of the metal corrugated pipes used into the fluid distribution apparatuses both for household and industrial use.

[0003] As is known, in the manufacturing of said apparatuses for the distribution and supply of water for food and other uses, or for the supply of gas and other fluids, metal corrugated pipes, generally stainless steel or aluminium alloys pipes, are currently used; these pipes, complying with the security standard, are prearranged into rolls of various lengths and are size-cut during the installation according to the kind of connection to be carried out, i.e. of the distance existing between the points to be connected.

[0004] Once the installer has made the relevant measurement, he cuts a piece of pipe of the required length whose free ends are provided with suitable and known threaded fittings to be connected to the distribution network of the fluid to one side and to the various clients to the other one.

[0005] In order to fasten these fittings to the corrugated pipes, a method providing the flanging of the ends of the same pipes is currently used, thus avoiding difficult connection operations involving soldering.

[0006] This flanging is obtained by mechanical deformation pressing and compacting one over the other the two end collars of each end of the pipe; the pressing or upsetting determines the compaction of the material and its radial expansion in order to form a coupling flange to the fittings. In order to make this flanging, specific manual-operated tools are used; they are made of a support tubular body wherein a rod or a striking hammer is slidingly placed; the latter being provided with a striking plate with a suitable diameter to the lower end; a template shaped in such a way to embrace and hold the two end collars of the pipe is associated to the tubular body, the two collars are compacted due to the striking hammer action which is operated by a piston movement. The template is provided with a suitable seat for the insertion and the stabilization of the end of the corrugated pipe in a radial direction.

[0007] It has been noticed that this traditional solution shows great drawbacks because the tool, due to its design, can be only used for one diameter-sized corrugated pipes or for a few pipes having different diameters without relevant size differences. Therefore, the flanging on corrugated pipes having very different diameters is required, these pipes are alternatively used according to the kind of plant; for this reason, the installer must be provided with various flanging tools with different sizes according to the diameter of the corrugated pipes to be flanged. In addition to the trouble of transporting and having a variety of specific tools, the need of a complete equipment also implies high costs.

[0008] Object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0009] More particularly, object of the present invention is to provide a flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes that can be easily and quickly used with adjustment operations for corrugated pipes of any diameter.

[0010] A further object is the provision of a device as defined above, that allows installers or users having a complete equipment at very low costs.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is the provision of a flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes with limited sizes and weights to be used on corrugated pipes of any diameter.

[0012] A further object is to provide the users with a flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes assuring high resistance and reliability levels in time and being easily manufactured at low costs.

[0013] These and other purposes are obtained by the flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes of the present invention comprising a support tubular body, a rod axially sliding into the same body from which it protrudes in the upper end and connects to a guiding device, a ring fastened by threading to the upper end of said body and provided with a pass-through hole in its central part from which said rod and a circular-based striking plate protrude; the latter is integral to the lower end of the same rod matching with the end of the pipes to be bent which are abutted into a template inserted into said body being mainly characterized in that it comprises two or more extension elements that can be alternatively associated to the same body and being provided with an internal hollow to house at least one of said templates.

[0014] The building and functional features of the flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes of the present invention can be better understood from the following description wherein reference is made to the attached table of drawings representing a preferred and non-limitative embodiment wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the tubular body of the device of the invention with the rod axially sliding into it and the striking plate;

Figures 2 and 3 are schematic partial section views of as many extension elements or template holders to be alternatively associated to said tubular body;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section schematic view of said striking plate according to a preferred embodiment.

[0015] With reference to the above-mentioned Figures, the flanging device to flange corrugated pipes of the present invention comprises a circular-based support tubular body 10 wherein an axially sliding rod 12 is housed into the same body; said rod protrudes from the upper part of the tubular body 10 and is connected to a guiding device 16 through a screw 14 or the like, the guiding device is, for example, made of a knob of any shape and size. The upper end or mouthpiece of the tubular body 10 is provided with an external threading 18 to be engaged with a ring 20 which is threaded along its internal side surface; the ring 20 is provided with a pass-through hole 22 in the centre from which the rod 12 associated to the guiding device 16 protrudes. The latter is also the abutment point or end of stroke of the rod 12 and abuts with its lower end the exposed and planar surface of the ring 20, marked with 20'. The rod 12 is longitudinally extended in order to protrude from the lower end of the body 10 and is provided with a circular-based striking plate 24 on its lower end, which will be described here below.

[0016] According to the invention, an extension element 26-28 is associated to the lower part of the tubular body 10 formed by a similar tubular body with a recess or a ring-shaped lowering 30 along the internal side surface housing the known stabilization templates related to one or the other free ends of the corrugated pipes to be flanged.

[0017] Said recesses 30 are delimited by shoulders 32-34 in their upper and lower parts.

[0018] The constraint between the tubular body 10 and the extension elements 26-28 is obtained by threading on the lower end 36 of the body 10 to one side and, to the other, on the internal upper part 38 of the elements 26-28.

[0019] In Figures 2 and 3, the latter are two by way of example, but it is understood that they can be more according to the needs. The extension elements 26-28 define in their inner part the above-mentioned recesses or ring-shaped lowering 30, which are sized in order to alternatively house corrugated pipes of different sizes.

[0020] The example shown in Figures 2 and 3 is not to be meant as limitative, as it is referred only to two diameter sizes of corrugated pipes.

[0021] According to a further and favourable feature of the invention, in addition to the presetting of alternative ring-shaped lowering 30 connected to as many extension elements 26-28 of the body 10, the striking plate 24 is accordingly shaped in such a way to exactly adapt to at least two diameter sizes of said corrugated pipes. Therefore, the striking plate 24 is formed by a circular-based shaped block provided with an axial hole 40 for the connection through a screw or the like, with the lower end of the rod 12 which is accordingly threaded. The striking plate 24 advantageously defines two opposite surfaces 42-44 with different diameters, i.e. they are sized in such a way to precisely adapt to at least two diameter sizes of corrugated pipes which are stabilized by means of known templates (which are not shown) in one or the other extension elements 26-28 which are screwed on the body 10.

[0022] Due to the presence of said surfaces with different diameters, the striking plate is fastened to the lower end of the rod 12 in such a way to have, according to the needs, one or the other more or less extended surfaces downwards; i.e. according to the more or less extended diameter of the corrugated pipe to be flanged, a suitable sized extension element 26-28 is associated to the thread 36 of the body 10, the internal diameter of its upper part allows its screwing with the same threading 36.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the extension elements 26-28 are provided with a radial opening 46 for the manual insertion of the corrugated pipe into the known template/s associated to the same extension elements.

[0024] As it can be noticed from the previous description, the advantages obtained by the invention are clear.

[0025] The flanging device to flange corrugated pipes of the present invention allows advantageously carrying out this operation without presetting single and specific tools for each pipe diameter; the right sizing is quickly and easily obtained by replacing some properly sized extension elements 26-28 which are preferably provided in kit.

[0026] In a similar way, the striking plate 24 can have diameters of different sizes, two of which are already defined on each single striking plate which can be overturned if required intervening on the screw or the equivalent constraint means connecting it to the lower end of the rod 12.

[0027] As can be seen from what stated above, the advantages obtained by the present invention are clear.

[0028] The device of the present invention allows flanging corrugated pipes of any diameter keeping the support tubular body 10 unchanged, the rod 12 with the relevant guiding device 16 and the striking plate 24 which can be used for at least two kinds of pipes with different diameters; the complete equipment suitable for the flanging of corrugated pipes of any diameter requires only the presetting of two or more extension elements 26-28 and of additional striking plates 24, the latter being provided with opposite surfaces 42-44 with different diameters.

[0029] This is an advantage for the user who is provided with a complete equipment having reduced weights and costs.

[0030] Even though the invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment given by way of non-limitative example, many changes and variants will be clear to a technician skilled in the art according to the above-mentioned description. Therefore, the invention is meant to include all changes and variants falling within the spirit and the protective scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A flanging device to flange metal corrugated pipes comprising a support tubular body (10), a rod (12) axially sliding into the same body from which it protrudes in the upper part and connects to a guiding device (16), a ring (20) fastened by threading to the upper end of said body (10) and provided with a pass-through hole in the centre from which said rod and a circular-based striking plate (24) protrude, the latter being integral to the lower end of the same rod (12) matching with the end of the pipes to be bent which are abutted into a template inserted into said body (10), characterized in that it comprises two or more extension elements (26-28) which can be alternatively associated to the same body (10) and are provided with an internal recess (30) to house at least one of said templates.

2. The flanging device according to claim 1, characterized in that said extension elements (26-28) are connected to the body (10) by threading.

3. The flanging device according to the previous claims, characterized in that said extension elements (26-28) are provided with a radial opening (46) to allow the introduction of the template/s abutting into said internal recess (30).

4. The flanging device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said striking plate (24) is made of a circular-based shaped block defining two opposite surfaces (42-44) with differentiated diameters.

5. The flanging device according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said striking plate (24) is provided with a pass-through hole (40) to be connected with screws or equivalent means to the lower end of the rod (12).

Drawing