EP1252943B1

EP1252943B1 - Radial press for fitting hose fittings

Info

Publication number: EP1252943B1
Application number: EP01830495A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Ziliani
Original assignee: OP SRL
Current assignee: OP SRL
Priority date: 2001-04-23
Filing date: 2001-07-24
Publication date: 2006-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-24
Also published as: DE60121915T2; EP1252943A1; ES2267704T3; PT1252943E; DE60121915D1; DK1252943T3; ATE334763T1; ITBS20010040U1

Abstract

The present invention concerns a radial press made up of: a lower fixed block (10) resting on a platform (11); a top block (13) placed above and facing the lower block (10) and movable vertically in relation to the latter for opening/closing the press; a cylinder (24) for rapid approach/retract of the top block (13) towards/away from the block (10), and drive units (23) for reciprocal compression of said blocks (10,13), where said lower and top blocks form between them a number of right-angled surfaces (14,15) used to support and guide the clamps (18) of the press where the top block is guided towards the lower block by a pair of columns (21). Said drive units are made up of a cylinder (23) in which a drive piston (25) is housed and to which both guide columns are anchored (21). <IMAGE>

Description

The present application concerns a radial press for fitting flexible hose.
Radial presses for the deformation and machining of items with circular or polygonal external surfaces, in particular for fitting flexible hose, are already well known. These presses usually have two blocks, or slides, which move radially one towards the other driven by relative drive components, causing the approach/moving away of a series of surfaces at right angles to each other cut in said blocks and the subsequent opening/closing of a series of clamps positioned and guided between these surfaces. In particular, Patent EP 0 539 787 describes a radial press in which:

a block (moving) is guided towards the other block(fixed) by means of tie rods;
the rods are parallel to the direction of the movement of the moving block, penetrate the fixed block externally and from opposite sides to the right angled clamp support surfaces, and are firmly anchored to the moving block;
besides being connected to the moving block, the rods are connected to a drive mechanism, where each rod has its own hydraulic drive; and where
the hydraulic drives are realised using a diameter of the piston and the cylinder sufficient to obtain the minimum distance possible lower than the press axis at right angles to the clamps table

The aim is achieved, in agreement with the invention, using a radial press according to the claim 1 that follows.
The details of the invention will now be described below making reference to the enclosed indicative and not limitative drawing, where the only figure shows a partial cross-section of the press.
The radial press under examination is made up of a lower block 10 positioned on a platform 11 the top of which closes a frame 12, and a top block 13 placed above and facing the lower block 10 and which moves vertically in relation to the latter.
On the facing sides of the two blocks 10, 13 each has a pair of surfaces 14, 15 sloping and at right angles to each other, separated by a horizontal surface 16. The symmetrical axes of the surfaces 14, 15 and 16 intersect the horizontal axis A of the press. As is known, four external bodies 17, rest on these surfaces 14-16, each one supporting a clamp 18 and the lateral surfaces 17' of these bodies are used to support and guide other internal bodies 19 also equipped with clamps 18. The bodies 17 and 19 are arranged and configured so that the surfaces of the clamps facing towards the A axis are equidistant from it. The movement of the top block 13 towards the lower one 10 causes the radial approach at the same speed of bodies 17 and 19 and consequently all the clamps 18.
The top block 13 is moved by an hydraulic drive system 20 positioned within the frame 12, below the platform 11, and is guided towards the lower block 10 by means of a pair of columns 21. These columns are anchored at the top to the top block 13 by bolts 22, they pass externally through the bottom block 10 and on opposite sides from the surfaces 14 and 15 and enter the frame 12 through the platform 11 to be fixed to the hydraulic drive system 20.
These drive systems 20 are made up of a drive unit 23 for closing the press under pressure around the item to be machined and a cylinder 24 for rapid approach/ retract of the top block 13 in regard to the lower block 10. In compliance with the invention, the drive unit 23 is made up of a single cylinder provided to house a drive piston 25 to which are keyed, in opposite positions in relation to the center, the two columns 21. In other words, these columns form the shafts of a single piston 25.
The guide columns 21 are, furthermore, fixed for example by screws to a reinforcing beam 26, positioned below the piston 25 and said beam being solid with the rapid approach/retract cylinder 24. This cylinder 24 has a piston 27 connected to the lower block by means of its shaft 27' so that when oil under pressure enters the cylinder chamber 24, it causes a rapid movement of said cylinder and consequently the reinforcing beam 26, the guide columns 21 and the top block 13, in relation to the lower block 10 (see dotted line in the figure).
To the advantage of the system, the drive piston 25 has a central reducer ring 28, which enables the piston thrust section to be noticeably reduced, therefore allowing the use of a low delivery pump.
Between the drive unit 23, with related piston 25 and reducer ring 28, and platform 11 there is a plate 29, which the guide columns 21 and the cylinder shaft 27' pass through and said plate 29 by opposing the lower block 10 during the pressing phase stops it from deforming.
Finally, the press is completed with a motor group 30 driving a pump 31 used to feed the hydraulic drive units. Thanks to the compactness of blocks 10,13 of the press and the drive units 20 themselves, the motor group 30 and pump 31 can be completely housed within the frame 12 of the press, protected and safe from unauthorized manoeuvres.
The detailed operating function of the press is in itself well known and does not require further description. The fact that the anchoring of the two guide columns to a single piston making the press particularly stable and solid should be underlined, in that it avoids off-setting between the two columns with subsequent deformation of the two blocks. The reaction effect of the plate 29 against the compression forces acting on the lower block 10 and on the platform 11 is also worthy of note.

Claims

Radial press for the deformation and working of items with external circular or polygonal surfaces, such as flexible hose, including:
- a lower fixed block (10) resting on a platform (11);

- a top block (13) placed above and facing the bottom block (10) and movable vertically to the latter for the opening/closing of the press;

- hydraulic drive systems (20) placed below the supporting platform (11) of the lower block (10) and fed by a pump (31) driven by a motor unit (30), said hydraulic drive systems (20) including a cylinder (24) for rapid approach/retract of the top block (13) to/away from the block (10), plus drive units (23) for the reciprocal compression of said blocks (10, 13), where said top and lower blocks form between them a number of surfaces at right angles (14, 15) used to support and guide the clamps (18) of the press, said clamps being commanded to move radially following the vertical stroke of the top block (13) in relation to the lower block (10) and where the top block is guided towards the lower block by a pair of columns (21), said columns being firmly anchored at the top to the top block (13), passing externally through the,lower block (10) and from opposite sides compared to the right-angled surfaced (14,15), and passing through the platform (11) to be anchored at the bottom to the hydraulic drive units (20) characterised by the fact that said drive units are made up of a cylinder (23) which houses a drive piston (25) to which the column guides (21) are attached, said guide columns being in positions which are radially opposite in relation to the centre of the piston (25) in that the cylinder (24) for rapid approach/retract is integral with the drive piston (25).
Radial press according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that said columns (21) are anchored at the bottom to a reinforcing beam (26) in line with said drive piston (25) and integral with the approach cylinder (24)
Radial press according to claims 1 or 2 characterised by the fact that the drive piston (25) has a centrally positioned reducer ring (28) to reduce the thrust section of said piston.
Radial press according to any of the previous claims, where a plate (29) has been inserted between the drive piston (25) and the support platform (11) of the bottom block (10), to counteract with said lower block during the compression phase.
Radial press according to any of the previous claims where the hydraulic drive units (20), the pump (31) and the motor (30) are housed in a frame (12) closed at the top by the support platform (11) of the lower block (10).