GB2352665A

GB2352665A - Swaging tool

Info

Publication number: GB2352665A
Application number: GB0018097A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Wilkinson
Original assignee: E R VARNEY
Current assignee: E R VARNEY
Priority date: 1999-07-28
Filing date: 2000-07-25
Publication date: 2001-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-25
Also published as: GB0018097D0; GB9917578D0; GB2352665B

Abstract

The invention relates to swaging tools particularly for providing a swaged end on a pipe to provide a connection for an extension piece. To provide an extension piece on a pipe in situ a portable tool needs to be taken to the pipe. Portable tools hitherto have employed point loading to hold the pipe against movement whilst swaging takes place, point loading frequently damages the pipe itself. The object of the invention is to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above, an objective met by a construction comprising a housing 2, a bore at one end of the housing leading to a cavity extending to the opposite end of the housing, a cap 8 at that end of the housing, clamp means 5 in the cavity 4 of the housing adapted to hold a pipe or conduit in a position for producing a swaged end thereon, a recess 6 in the clamp means to co-operate with the end of the pipe or conduit when inserted through the clamp means and enable the formation of the swaged end, and a swaging member to co-operate with the cap and engage the end of the pipe or conduit, whereby to produce a swaged end on the end of the pipe or conduit.

Description

2352665 Swaging Tool This invention relates to swaging tools.

There are numerous applications where a length of pipe or conduit needs to have a swaged end, such as, for example, to hold on the pipe or conduit one element of a fitting enabling the length of pipe or fitting to be connected to a fluid supply or for the connection of an extension piece.

Ordinarily the length of pipe to be provided with a swaged end is taken to a bench mounted swaging tool. However, there are circumstances where a pipe or conduit needs to be repaired, or its length needs to be extended, and it is either not possible or is highly inconvenient to remove the pipe to provide a swaged end. For example brake pipes on vehicles can corrode or be damaged and a corroded or damaged section removed and replaced. An operative must therefore work below the vehicle, and conventional bench mounted tools cannot be used.

Portable swaging tools are known, but ordinarily involve point loading to clamp the tool to the pipe, and when such as brake pipes are involved, clamping the tool to the pipe can itself damage the pipe.

The object of the present invention that avoids the above mentioned disadvantages and be most effective in enabling the production of a swaged end on a pipe in confined spaces.

According to the present invention, a swaging tool comprises a housing, a bore at one end of the housing leading to a cavity extending to the opposite end of the housing, a cap at that end of the housing, clamp means in the cavity of the housing adapted to hold a pipe or conduit in a position for producing a swaged end thereon, a recess in the clamp means to co-operate with the end of the pipe or conduit when inserted through the clamp means and enable the formation of the swaged end, and a swaging member to co-operate with the cap and engage the end of the pipe or conduit, whereby to produce a swaged end on the end of the pipe or conduit. Preferably, 2 the cap has a bore through which the swaging member can pass, and further preferably a screwed bore.

The swage forming recesses may be formed in the end faces of collets located in the cavity in the housing, the cap at the end of the housing bearing against the collets to lock them in the cavity. Further preferably, the collets have tapered external surfaces for engagement with a correspondingly tapered cavity in the housing, the end face of each collet having cooperating parts of a swage forming recess, and the cap serves as a clamp to lock the collets in the cavity. Here, the swaging tool is positioned on to the end of a pipe by loosening the cap, inserting the pipe through the bore of the cap, and through the collets until the end of the pipe is in register with the recesses in the collets and tightening the cap to lock the collets on to the end of the pipe and lock the collets in the cavity in the housing. The swaging member is then screwed into the bore through the cap and into contact with the end of the pipe to produce the required swaged end. To remove the pipe from the tool, the screwed swaging member is removed, along with the cap, and if needs be, a stem can be inserted into the bore of the housing to contact the inner faces of the collets and free them from the cavity.

The stem may be hollow to allow the passage of the pipe and externally threaded to engage the threaded bore of the housing.

Alternatively, and where the end of a pipe or conduit is, for example a length of brake pipe cut and prepared for swaging and provided with one part of a connector, and with a hollow stem member screwed partly into a threaded bore in the housing, the housing can be slipped over the pipe end until the end of the pipe projects beyond the face of the housing, when the collets are fitted to the pipe end and urged into the cavity, the collets having co-operating recesses at the ends towards the cap in which locates the end of the pipe. The end cap is then screwed onto the housing to bear against the ends of the collets to apply a force on the collets that is transmitted 3 by the tapered cavity to a clamping action on the pipe, to hold the swaging tool immovable on the pipe. The swaging member is then screwed into a threaded bore in the cap to bring the end of the swaging tool into contact with the end of the pipe, to deform the end of the pipe into the recess in the end faces of the collets to form the required swaged end on the pipe. A single swaging tool may be used to create the required deformation of a pipe end but a deformation might require the use of two swaging tools used successively, to partly form and finally finish the deformation required.

To remove the tool from the pipe, it is simply a case of removing the end cap, and screwing the threaded stem at the opposite end of the housing through the bore and into contact with the bottoms of the collets, to ease them forward and release the clamping force on the pipe.

In a further form of construction, the swage forming recesses may be formed in the end faces of the collets towards the bottom of the cavity in the housing, the cap again bearing against the collets to lock them in the cavity. Here, the swaging tool is slipped on to the end of a pipe by inserting the pipe through the bore of the cap, and through the collets until the end of the pipe lies within with the recesses in the collets. One or more swaging members is or are then screwed into the bore of the housing into contact with the end of the pipe to produce the required swaged end. To remove the pipe from the tool, the screwed swaging member is removed, along with the cap, and if needs be, a screwed stem can be screwed into the housing to contact the collets and free them from the cavity.

To enable the use of different connectors, a number of pairs of collets can be provided each pair having a swaging recess of a required shape, and an equivalent number of swaging members having end sections or noses of a shape to co-operate with a corresponding recess in a particular pair of collets.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I is a side elevation of a swaging tool of the invention; Figure 2 is a view of one end of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the opposite end of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation of Figure 1; Figures 5 to 7 show examples of swaging member; and Figure 8 shows the end of a pipe swaged by the tool of Figure 1.

In Figures I to 4, a swaging tool I has a housing 2 with a bore 3 at one end leading to a cavity 4. In the cavity 4, split collets 5 are located having co- operating recesses 6. The housing is externally threaded at one end 7, to receive a threaded cap 8 having a central threaded bore 9. A pipe or conduit 10 extends through the bore 3 of the housing 2, through the split collets 5 and to a position where the end of the pipe or conduit is located in the recesses 6. Also extending through the bore 3 of the housing 2 is a threaded stem 11, able to be brought into contact with the innermost ends of the split collets 5.

As is exemplified by Figures 5 to 7, a variety of swaging members 12, 13 and 14 can be provided, each with a respective operative end 15, 16, 17 to produce a required swaged sector 18 at the end of the pipe or conduit 10 alone, or by the successive use of two swaging members. The selected swaging member is screwed into the bore 9 of the cap 8, to bring a respective end 15, 16, or 17 into contact with the end of the pipe and to deform the end of the pipe to a shape dictated by the shape of the respective operative end.

Thus, in the circumstance where an operative must work on eg., a brake pipe in situ before a motor vehicle, a damaged or corroded end section can be removed and an undamaged end prepared for connection to a replacement section. In this condition, part of a connector (not shown) can be slipped onto the end of the pipe, for later use in connecting the remaining part of the brake pipe with a replacement part. With the screwed stem screwed into the bore 3 to a position short of the position of the split collets, and with the cap 8 and respective swaging member 12, 13, 14 removed, the swaging tool can be slipped over the end of the brake pipe and the split collets 5 fitted into the cavity 4 in the housing with the brake pipe 10 manoeuvred such that the end of the brake pipe locates in the cavities 6. The cap 8 is then re-applied and screwed down to engage the collet faces, to urge the collets inwardly of the cavity to apply a locking force to the pipe 10 without occasioning damage thereto. The swaging tool is then driven inwardly of the bore 9 of the cap 8 until the respective end 15, 16 or 17 engages the pipe and deforms the pipe end in a manner dictated by the particular swaging tool selected. Once swaging: of the pipe end has been completed, the cap 8 with its swaging tool is removed, the screwed stem 11 screwed inwardly of the bore 3 of the housing to engage the collets and ease the collets out of the cavity to release the clamping pressure on the pipe end. This allows the swaging tool to be removed from the pipe end now complete with its swaged end 18 as is illustrated by way of example in Figure 8.

The connector (not shown) previously slipped over the cut end of the pipe can co-operate with the deformed end 18 to allow the connection of that part of a brake pipe left in situ to a replacement section for a removed, damaged or corroded section.

Claims

6 CLAIMS

1. A swaging tool comprising a housing, a bore at one end of the housing leading to a cavity extending to the opposite end of the housing, a cap at that end of the housing, clamp means in the cavity of the housing adapted to hold a pipe or conduit in a position for producing a swaged end thereon, a recess in the clamp means to co-operate with the end of the pipe or conduit when inserted through the clamp means and enable the formation of the swaged end, and a swaging member to co- operate with the cap and engage the end of the pipe or conduit, whereby to produce a swaged end on the end of the pipe or conduit.

2. A swaging tool as in Claim 1, wherein the cap has a bore through which the swaging member can pass.

3. A swaging tool as in Claim 2, wherein the bore through the cap is a screwed bore.

4. A swaging tool as in any of Claims I to 3, wherein the swage forming recesses are formed in the end faces of collets located in the cavity in the housing, the cap at the end of the housing bearing against the collets to lock them in the cavity.

5. A swaging tool as in any of Claims I to 4, wherein the collets have tapered external surfaces for engagement with a correspondingly tapered cavity in the housing, the end face of each collet having co-operating parts of a swage forming recess, and the cap serving as a clamp to lock the collets in the cavity.

6. A swaging tool as in any of Claims I to 5, wherein a stem is inserted into the bore of the housing to contact the inner faces of the collets, whereby to release the collets from the cavity in the housing.

7. A swaging tools as in any of Claims I to 6, wherein a single swaging tool is so formed as to create a required deformation on a pipe end.

8. A swaging tool as in any of Claims I to 6, wherein a number of swaging tools have 7 end pieces for successive use and progress formation of a required deformation of a pipe end.

9. A swaging tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.