GB2483072A

GB2483072A - Pneumatic vibrating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2483072A
Application number: GB201014113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Peter Gettins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-24
Filing date: 2010-08-24
Publication date: 2012-02-29
Also published as: GB201014113D0

Abstract

The pneumatic vibrating apparatus 2 includes a body 4 housing a pneumatic vibrator adapted to be connected 6 to a compressed air source. The body further includes a tool socket 12 connected to the output of the pneumatic vibrator. At least one tool (30a-30c, Figures 3a-3c) is releasably coupled to the socket. The or each tool is adapted to engage a seized component and to impart thereto a vibratory force. The flow of compressed air to the vibrator may be controlled by a controller. The tool socket 12 may include a clamp with circumferentially arranged clamp bolts 16. The vibrator may be a non-impacting linear vibrator. A method of freeing a seized component may use the pneumatic vibrating apparatus for a period of time sufficient to release the component.

Description

Pneumatic Vibrating Apparatus The present invention relates to a pneumatic vibrating apparatus and in particular to a pneumatic vibrator for use in freeing seized components.

Over time threaded components or components that are positioned in contact with each other, such as valves, bolts, nuts, etc. can become seized. When it is next desired to rotate or move the relevant component, it must first be freed. This typically involves the use of a lightweight oil, often referred to as a "penetrating oil", followed by a long wait while the oil penetrates the threads or other surfaces that have become jammed together. Alternatively, a user may attempt to free the seized component by repeated impacts with, for example a hammer or heavy wrench. However, neither of these approaches is satisfactory: the penetrating oil takes a long time to work and repeated heavy impacts with a hammer can damage the component and/or can be frustrating for the user.

The present invention seeks to address these problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pneumatic vibrating apparatus including a body housing a pneumatic vibrator adapted to be connected to a compressed air source, wherein the body further includes a tool socket connected to the output of the pneumatic vibrator and at least one tool releasably coupled to the socket, wherein the or each tool is adapted to engage a seized component and to impart thereto a vibratory force.

The present invention allows a user to apply a vibratory force to the component over a period of time, wherein the vibration works loose the component and releases it from its seized condition.

Typically, the components may be nuts, bolts or valves where the cause of the seizure is rust or detritus trapped between the component and a base element. The vibration from the apparatus loosens the cause of the seizure, e.g. the rust or detritus to free the component and to allow it to be moved as desired.

Furthermore, as the vibrating apparatus uses compressed air as a power source, it is safe to use in environments where there are explosion risks or in confined spaces.

In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus further includes a controller located between the compressed air source and the pneumatic vibrator, wherein the controller controls the flow of compressed air to the vibrator. The controller allows the flow of compressed air being fed to the pneumatic vibrator to be varied as desired. Thus, the frequency and/or the amplitude of the vibratory force provided by the vibrator can be varied to achieve a desired combination. This has benefit because different components may be freed more quickly at a specific frequency and/or amplitude of vibration.

The tool of the apparatus is suitably configured for a specific component, for example, a seized nut may require a substantially C-shaped tool, a seized manhole cover may require a substantially V-shaped or two-pronged tool and a seized gate valve may require a substantially frustopyramidal shaped tool. As such, it is a useful feature of the invention to be able to change the tool being used as part of the apparatus. To accommodate different tools, the tool socket may include a clamp having a lock configuration in which a tool located within the socket is secured thereto and a release configuration in which the tool is removable from the socket.

The clamp suitable includes at least one clamp bolt. Thus, the or each clamp bolt may be rotated such that the tip or contact surface engages a tool within the clamp to provide the lock configuration and it may be rotated in the opposite sense such that the tip is spaced from the tool to provide the release configuration.

In an embodiment of the invention, the socket defines a substantially circular tool opening and the clamp includes a plurality of clamp bolts arranged circumferentially about the tool opening. Of course, the skilled person will appreciate that instead of a substantially circular opening, the socket may instead comprise a geometric shape having from 4 to 8 sides (e.g. 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 sides) with each of the clamp bolts located at a respective side of the socket opening. For example, the opening defined by the socket may include 8 sides and four clamp bolts arranged symmetrically about the circumference of the opening (i.e. every other side may include a clamp bolt), or the socket may define a hexagonal opening including three clamp bolts.

In an embodiment of the invention, the socket defines a substantially circular opening and the clamp includes four clamp bolts equally spaced about the circumference of the opening.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the body includes an inlet valve operatively connected to the pneumatic vibrator, wherein the compressed air source is connected to the vibrator via the inlet valve. The valve may be a standard compressed air hose valve (i.e. the valve is compatible with connector fittings on standard compressed air hoses). In this way, the apparatus may be connected to a variety of different compressed air sources.

The tools that are useful as part of the apparatus may include a shaft portion sized and configured for insertion into the socket and a head portion adapted to engage a respective seized component.

As mentioned above, different head portions may be suitably adapted for use with specific components, such as nuts or bolts, manhole covers and valves for example. However, all of the tools may include a common (i.e. similarly sized and shaped) shaft, such that all of the tools, regardless of their head portion, may be used with the apparatus.

In an embodiment of the invention, the pneumatic vibrator is a linear vibrator. Such a vibrator provides a suitable vibration profile for the apparatus of the present invention. Suitably, the vibrator is a non-impacting linear vibrator. As mentioned above, some of the seized components may be damaged by impacts. A non-impacting linear vibrator produces the desired vibration without potentially damaging impacts being imparted to the seized component.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of freeing a seized component using a pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the method includes the steps of connecting the apparatus to a compressed air source, selecting an appropriate tool for the seized component, and applying a vibratory force to the seized component for a period of time sufficient to release the component.

Suitably, the method further includes the step of controlling the flow of compressed air to the pneumatic vibrator to achieve a desired frequency and amplitude for the output of the pneumatic vibrator.

The skilled person will appreciate that the features described and defined in connection with the aspects of the invention and the embodiments thereof may be combined in any combination, regardless of whether the specific combination is expressly mentioned herein. Thus, all such combinations are considered to be made available to the skilled person.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the tool socket of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3a is a perspective view of a first tool which forms part of the apparatus; Figure 3b is a perspective view of a second tool which forms part of the apparatus; and Figure 3c is a perspective view of a third tool which forms part of the apparatus.

For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will appreciate that in this specification, the terms "up", "down", "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "width", etc. refer to the orientation of the components as found in the example when installed for normal use as shown in the Figures.

A pneumatic vibrating apparatus 2 is shown in Figure 1. The apparatus comprises a housing 4 within which is located a non-impact linear vibrator of the type commercially available from Houston Vibrators under the product code FP25-m.

The housing includes a standard inlet valve 6 which is sized and shaped to engage a female air line socket connected to an air compressor via an air hose. The female socket, hose and compressor are not shown in the drawings but are standard commercially available items which are well known to those skilled in the art. The inlet valve 6 is connected to the non-impact linear vibrator within the housing 4.

The housing 4 is substantially cylindrical and terminates at one end in an outwardly tapered portion 8. The outwardly tapered portion connects the housing 4 with a hexagonal engagement portion 10 which is adapted to be engaged by a correspondingly sized spanner such that a torque can be applied to the vibrator to assist with the freeing of a seized component (not shown). Extending from the engagement portion 10 is a socket portion 12.

The socket portion 12 includes four circumferentially located, equally spaced threaded holes 14 (only three of which are shown in Figure 1) within which are located respective eye bolts 16. The eye bolts 16 are standard commercially available items and each one includes an annular head portion 18 and a threaded shaft 20 which is sized and configured to threadedly engage a respective threaded hole 14. An end face 22 of the threaded shaft 20 defines a contact surface of the eye bolt 16.

As shown in Figure 2, the socket portion 12 is formed from an annular body 24 which defines therein a bore 26 having a circular cross-section. The depth of the bore 26 is substantially equal to the combined lengths of the engagement portion 10 and the socket portion 12.

The threaded shafts 20 of the eye bolts 16 are able to project into the bore 26 via the threaded holes 14.

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show different tools 30a, 30b, 30c which form part of the apparatus 2. In particular, Figure 3a shows the tool 30a that may be used to free nuts, bolts, shafts, valves, bearings and the like. The tool 30a includes a cylindrical shaft 32a connected to a U-shaped head 34a comprising a pair of opposed locating arms 36a, 38a.

Figure 3b shows the tool 30b which may be used to free manhole covers and the like. The tool 30b includes a shaft 32b substantially identical to the shaft 32a of the tool 30a. Connected to the shaft 32b is a head 34b. The head 34b includes a first prong 40 and a second, substantially opposed prong 42. The second prong 42 includes a securing bolt 44 located within a threaded hole 43 which extends through it. The securing bolt 44 includes a shaft 44a having a length which exceeds the length of the hole through the second prong 42 such that a distal end 45 of the bolt shaft 44a can extend beyond the second prong 42 towards the first prong 40.

Figure 3c shows the tool 30c which may be used to free gate valves and the like. The tool 30c includes a shaft 32c substantially identical to the shaft 32a of the tool 30a and the shaft 32b of the tool 30b. Instead of a head 34c being connected directly to the shaft 32c, as in the other tools 30a, 30b described hereinabove, the shaft 32c of tool 30c terminates in a handle section 46. The handle section 46 has fixed to it a handle body 48 from which projects opposed handle arms 50. An intermediate shaft 52 joins the handle section 46 to the head 34c. The head 34c comprises four inclined walls 54 (only three of which are shown in Figure 3c) connected to form a frustopyramidal arrangement. The walls 54 define therein a cavity (not shown) within which is located in use the seized gate valve or the like.

In use, an air line is connected to the inlet valve 6 and a source of compressed air in excess of 3Opsi is supplied to the linear vibrator via the inlet valve 6. The shaft 32a, 32b, 32c of a suitable tool 30a, 30b, 30c is located within the bore 26 defined by the socket 12. Once the shaft 32a, 32b, 32c is fully located within the bore 26, the eye bolts 16 are tightened until the contact surfaces 22 engage the shaft 32a, 32b, 32c. At this point, the shaft 32a, 32b, 32c of the tool 30a, 30b, 30c is locked within the bore 26 and the tool is secured to the apparatus 2.

The head 34a, 34b, 34c of the tool is placed in contact with the seized component (and clamped in place via the securing bolt 44 in the case of the tool 30b) and the compressed air supply forces the linear vibrator to vibrate. The vibration from the vibrator is transmitted to the shaft 32a, 32b, 32c of the tool 30a, 30b, 30c locked within the bore 26 (as indicated by the arrow A)and from the shaft 32a, 32b, 32c to the head 34a, 34b, 34c of the tool. The vibrating head 34a, 34b, 34c transmits the vibratory force to the seized component for a period of time, during which the cause of the seizure is removed or weakened and the component can be released or unseized.

In the case of the tools shown in Figures 3a and 3b, a torque may be applied to the vibrating head 34a, 34b, 34c of the tool via the hexagonal engagement portion 10 by the use of a suitable spanner or wrench. In the case of the tool shown in Figure 3c, a similar torque may be applied via the hexagonal engagement portion 10, or via the handle arms 50 projecting from the handle body 48.

This additional torque can be used to assist with the freeing of the seized component.

Claims

Claims 1. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus including a body housing a pneumatic vibrator adapted to be connected to a compressed air source, wherein the body further includes a tool socket connected to the output of the pneumatic vibrator and at least one tool releasably coupled to the socket, wherein the or each tool is adapted to engage a seized component and to impart thereto a vibratory force.
2. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a controller located between the compressed air source and the pneumatic vibrator, wherein the controller controls the flow of compressed air to the vibrator.
3. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the tool socket includes a clamp having a lock configuration in which a tool located within the socket is secured thereto and a release configuration in which the tool is removable from the socket.
4. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the clamp includes at least one clamp bolt.
5. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the socket defines a circular tool opening and the clamp includes a plurality of clamp bolts arranged circumferentially about the tool opening.
6. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the body includes an inlet valve operatively connected to the pneumatic vibrator, wherein the compressed air source is connected to the vibrator via the inlet valve.
7. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each tool includes a shaft portion sized and configured for insertion into the socket and a head portion adapted to engage a respective seized component.
8. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the pneumatic vibrator is a linear vibrator.
9. A pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the vibrator is a non-impacting linear vibrator.
10. A method of freeing a seized component using a pneumatic vibrating apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the method includes the steps of connecting the apparatus to a compressed air source, selecting an appropriate tool for the seized component, and applying a vibratory force to the seized component for a period of time sufficient to release the component.
11. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the method further includes the step of controlling the flow of compressed air to the pneumatic vibrator to achieve a desired frequency and amplitude for the output of the pneumatic vibrator.