GB2166373A

GB2166373A - Method of producing a union for the flow and return pipes of panel radiators

Info

Publication number: GB2166373A
Application number: GB08526748A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bodo Isenhofer
Original assignee: BERG HANS VERWALT GmbH
Current assignee: BERG HANS VERWALT GmbH
Priority date: 1984-11-03
Filing date: 1985-10-30
Publication date: 1986-05-08
Also published as: DE3440270C2; ATA309585A; IE56854B1; GB8526748D0; GB2166373B; IE852692L; IT1182952B; NL8502983A; IT8548738A0; DE3440270A1; BE903562A; AT387349B

Abstract

A method is disclosed of producing a union for panel radiators, the union comprising a spherical hollow body (22, Figure 5) having a pipe connection sleeve (23) which merges into the interior of the hollow body, which body is formed, perpendicularly to such sleeve, with a connection aperture 7 for the radiator. In the method, a round (10, Figure 3) of sheet metal is shaped by deep drawing into a dished member (20) which is subsequently upset so as to comprise a spherical hollow-body part (22) merging into a neck part (23). One side of the hollow-body part is formed with a facet 5 which will subsequently be operative for the engagement of a welding electrode for press welding. The neck part (23) is formed with an internal screwthread 6, and that side of the spherical hollow-body part which is opposite the facet 5 is drilled to provide the opening 7 for connection of the radiator. No separate parts have to be produced and fitted in this method. The method uses a very small amount of material so that angle unions can be produced cheaply in large batches. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of producing a union for the flow and return pipes of panel radiators The invention relates to a method of producing a union for the flow and return pipes of panel radiators, the union comprising a substantially spherical hollow body having a pipe connection sleeve which merges into the interior of the hollow body, the same being formed perpendicularly to such sleeve with a connection aperture for the radiator.

A wide variety of angle unions for this purpose are known. Since in practice they are required in very large numbers, they are definitely mass-produced articles. The basic trend with mass-produced articles is to keep the cost per unit very low by using as little material as possible and by making the production method as simple as possible.

Because of the consistent operation of such unions, there are relatively narrow limits to their construction. The main consideration is therefore less their external appearance than the method of their production.

A known production method comprises the following steps: (a) Deep drawing a sheet- metal round to form a dished member; (b) Upsetting the dished member in a mould to form a hollow-body part merging into a neck part, and (c) Forming the pipe connection sleeve and contriving a bore in the hollow-body part.

Such a method is herein referred to as being of the kind specified.

DE-PS 2 462 637 discloses a method of producing angle unions of the kind specified. In the known method, from which formation of the neck part can be omitted, a separately prefabricated sleeve is welded on to the hollow-body part perpendicularly to the base of the dished member, whereafter the hollow-body part is drilled - conveniently simultaneously with formation of the internal thread in the sleeve in the zone defined by the welded-on sleeve.

During subsequent fitting of the union to the smooth radiator, the flat base of the dished member serves as abutment surface for a press-welding electrode.

This known method of producing angle unions of the kind specified is elaborate because the sleeve-like part which will subsequently be an important part of the pipe connection sleeve must be fabricated in a separate operation, then welded to the hollow-body part. Separate prefabrication and more particularly the welding of the sleeve are relatively costly. In the known method the hollow body must then be drilled through in the sleeve zone.

It is the object of the invention so to develop a method of the kind specified that not only are at least some of the steps of the method simplified but also fewer steps are necessary overall while consumption of material is very reduced.

According to this invention, there is provided a method of producing a union for the flow and return pipes of panel radiators, the union comprising a substantially spherical hollow body having a pipe connection sleeve which merges into the interior of the hollow body, the same being formed perpendicularly to such sleeve with a connection aperture for the radiator, the method comprising the steps of: (a) deep drawing a sheet-metal round to form a dished member; (b) upsetting the dished member in a mould to form a hollow-body part merging into a neck part, and (c) forming the pipe connection sleeve and contriving a bore in the hollow body part, and wherein the neck part is the pipe connection sleeve and the bore in the hollow-body part is the opening for connection of the radiator.

Whereas in the known method the opening of the dished member will subsequently be the opening for the connection of the radiator, in the method according to the invention the neck part formed with the opening of the dished member is used to form the pipe connection sleeve. The advantage is that not only is prefabrication of a separate sleeve for each union eliminated but also the very time-consuming and expensive step of welding the sleeve to the hollow-body part is eliminated. Whereas in the known method the hollowbody part must be drilled in the zone of the welded-on sleeve, in the method according to the invention the hollow-body part can be drilled at an exposed place relatively cheaply.

The method is greatly simplified because only a single part is processed throughout the complete procedure.

In a further development of the invention, to form the electrode engagement surface known in connection with such unions the hollow-body part is faceted by a stamping step on the side opposite the place intended for the radiator connection aperture. Whereas in the union produced by the known method the metal round forms the engagement surface for the welding electrode, in the angle union produced by the preferred method according to the invention such surface is embodied by the faceted or flattened (lateral) part of the hollow-body part.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a sectional view through part of a panel radiator with an angle union secured to it; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view corresponding to Figure 1, and Figures 3 to 7 are sectioned views of partly machined articles, the end product being the angle union shown in Figure 7.

Figure 1 shows a part of a panel radiator P which is formed with a flow opening Z. Disposed between the two parallel panels of the radiator P near the opening Z is a bearing part S which is of no further interest in the present connection and which is operative to prevent the two panels of the radiator P being squeezed together.

An angle union 100 is press welded to opening Z, a centering collar of the part S extending through the opening Z into the union 100.

The union 100 has a pipe connection sleeve 2 formed with an internal screwthread 6. Opposite the sleeve 2, interior 4 of the hollow body is closed at the bottom by a base 3. On that side of the interior 4 which is opposite the opening Z the union 100 has a facet 5 whose exterior is engaged by an electrode for press welding. The other electrode is applied to the outside of the radiator P opposite the facet 5.

On the side opposite the facet 5 the interior 4 is formed with a radiator connection opening 7 into which the centering collar of the part S extends.

Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1. In variants, the sleeve 2 can, for example, extend downwardly or in some other direction.

A description will now be given with reference to Figures 3 to 7 of the method of producing the union 100.

First, a round 10 punched from steel plate is formed by deep drawing into a dished member 20 which can be seen in Figure 4 and which has a flat base 3 and a cylindrical wall 21. The dished shape is produced by deep drawing in two steps and the flange zones of the dish arising in the operation are parted off to give the smooth dished shape visible in Figure 4.

The dished member 20 is then so upset in known manner by means of a mould that a spherical hollow body part 22 is formed in its bottom two-thirds and a neck part 23 is formed in its top third, the part 23 widening near the opening of the member 20.

These steps lead to the dished member 20 shown in Figure 5, the member 20 then being formed with a facet 5 on one side of the part 22.

To form the facet the part 22 is stamped in the corresponding zone. The facet 5 is operative to receive a welding electrode during the subsequent welding of the union 100 to a radiator.

The interior of the sleeve 2 is in known manner formed with an internal screwthread 6 (Figure 7).

Also, that side of the hollow-body part 22 which is opposite the facet 5 is drilled and provided with bevelling to leave the radiator connection opening 7. The union 100 is then complete.

Claims

1. A method of producing a union for the flow and return pipes of panel radiators, the union comprising a substantially spherical hollow body having a pipe connection sleeve which merges into the interior of the hollow body, the same being formed perpendicularly to such sleeve with a connection aperture for the radiator, the method comprising the steps of: (a) deep drawing a sheet-metal round to form a dished member; (b) upsetting the dished member in a mould to form a hollow-body part merging in a neck part, and (c) forming the pipe connection sleeve and contriving a bore in the hollow body part, and wherein the neck part is the pipe connection sleeve and the bore in the hollow-body part is the opening for connection of the radiator.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the neck part is formed with an internal screw thread.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which the hollow-body part is faceted by a stamping step on the side opposite the place intended for the radiator connection aperture.

4. A method according to claim 3, in which the stamping step precedes the step of forming the pipe connection sleeve and contriving said bore in the hollow body part.

5. A method of producing a union, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A union produced by the method of any of claims 1 to 5.

7. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.