JPS6337239Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention is designed to butt and fuse resin pipes (e.g., polyethylene pipes or plastic pipes) together, or to attach resin pipe fittings (e.g., polyethylene) such as sockets, cheeses, and elbows to resin pipes. This invention relates to a pipe fusion machine that performs fusion.

In recent years, resin pipes such as polyethylene have been increasingly used as gas pipes in place of conventional metal pipes. In order to connect these resin pipes, connect them directly, or by using sockets, elbows,
This is done by heat fusing via a resin pipe joint such as a cheese or saddle. That is, for example, when pipes are butt-fused together, a method is used in which the joint surfaces of both pipes are heated and melted with a heater, and the heated and melted surfaces are crimped together under a predetermined pressure. The pair of tubes crimped in this manner are completely integrated and connected after being allowed to cool for a certain period of time.

Depending on the application, such pipe fusion machines are classified into butt fusion machines (butt joining pipes), saddle fusion machines (joining saddles and pipes), and socket fusion machines (joining sockets and pipes). Although the present invention can be applied to all such fusing machines, the following description will be made using a butt fusing machine as an example for convenience.

However, conventionally, such fusion work requires at least two workers: one who installs and removes the heater, and one who tightens the pipe and moves it in the axial direction (pressing and removing the pipe). Ta. In other words, the work procedure is to place a heater between the opposing end faces of a pair of pipes to be fused, bring both pipes closer together in the axial direction, press them against the heater, heat the pipes for a predetermined time until the end faces melt, then pull the pipes away from the heater, and then quickly After removing the heater, the pipe is moved axially again to press the molten end faces together with a predetermined pressing force, but since all of this work is done manually, it is completely impossible for a single worker to do it. be. In particular, it is important to press the molten end faces of the pipes together as quickly as possible after removing the heater, since the high temperature molten end faces rapidly cool down. However, if one person attempts to do this, the heater cannot be pressed against the end surfaces of the pipes until the heater has been placed in a predetermined safe place, so quick work efficiency cannot be expected. Therefore, at least two workers are required. Furthermore, especially in the case of a butt fusion machine, it is necessary to cut the end faces of the pipes to form a uniform vertical flat surface prior to the joining operation to ensure reliable joining of the pipes.
Further chamfering work is required for this purpose.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pipe welding machine that allows a single operator to perform the above-mentioned operations quickly and fully or semi-automatically.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail by taking the case of a butt fusing machine as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show an overview of the entire butt fusion machine for fusion joining (butt fusion joining) polyethylene pipes P ₁ and P ₂ as city gas conduits at their end faces.
In the figure, 2 is a clamp (vise) that clamps one pipe P ₁ to be joined, 3 is a clamp (vise) that clamps the other pipe P ₂ , and clamps 2 and 3 hold split rings 4a and 4b. have One of the approximately semicircular two-split rings 4b is formed integrally with the vise body, and the other ring 4a has a pivot pin 5 (sixth
It is pivotably mounted so that it can be expanded by (Fig.). The pipes P ₁ and P ₂ are sandwiched between the two split rings 4a and 4b, and the pipes are clamped by tightening the female thread 7 with a handle that is screwed into the male threaded portion 6 provided on one of the two split rings 4b. For this purpose, the ring 4a is provided with a shoulder 14 against which the internally threaded member 7 is pressed.
In addition, the clamp ring 4a is attached to the screw 7 in FIG.
By loosening and tilting it to the left, it can be opened clockwise around the pivot pin 5.

One of the clamps 2, 3 is fixed to a base (bed) 1, and the lower part 4b of the other clamp 3 is attached so as to be slidable along a pair of parallel guide rods 10, 10. That is, the clamp 3 constitutes a carriage that approaches and moves away from the clamp 2. One end of the guide rods 10, 10 is fixed to a clamp 2, and the other end is fixed to a bracket 11 provided on the base 1, respectively. For example, a double acting oil or air cylinder 12 is provided as an actuator for moving the clamp 3 in the axial direction. cylinder 1
The second piston rod 13 is fixed to the clamp 3. Although not particularly shown in the drawings, it is also possible to screw the feed screw shaft into the clamp 3 instead of the cylinder 12 and move the clamp 3 back and forth by rotating this feed screw shaft with an electric motor or the like.
In that case, by using a torque motor as the drive motor, the force with which the clamp 3 presses the pipe P ₂ against the pipe P ₁ can be maintained at a predetermined torque. In the case of a cylinder device as shown in the figure, for example, a relief valve (not shown) is provided in the pressure circuit.
can be provided to easily maintain the fluid pressure at a predetermined value.

The heater 20 is rotatably and slidably attached to one of the parallel guide rods 10, 10. That is, the heater 20 has a main body 22 provided with grooves 21 and 23 that are open at one end and correspond to the parallel guide rods 10 and 10 of the butt welding machine (FIG. 3). One of the grooves 21 has an outer diameter that corresponds to the slide bearing 31 that is slidably fitted to the parallel guide rod 10.
is provided with a fixing screw 25 having a knob 24. Therefore, by fitting the groove 21 into the sliding bearing 31 of the parallel guide rod 10 and then tightening the fixing screw 25, the heater main body 22 is integrated with the sliding bearing 31.
It can move together with the plain bearing 31 in the axial direction of the guide rod and can rotate around the guide rod 10.

A sleeve 33 having a substantially U-shaped opening 30 is fitted into the other groove 23 . sleeve 3
3 can rotate within the groove 23.

The main body 22 of the heater 20 includes, for example, a disc-shaped (any shape is acceptable) heater face (both sides).
28 are provided, and the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ are pressed against these heater faces 28 and heated. The heater face 28 is, for example, a normal electric heater having a heater wire inside, and preferably has a temperature sensor 29 such as a resistance thermometer or a thermocouple thermometer on its surface.
is provided to control the temperature of the heater to a predetermined value. That is, the temperature sensor 29 sends an electric signal representing the temperature of the heater to a power supply circuit (not shown) of the heater to maintain the heater temperature at a predetermined value. Temperature sensor 29
Alternatively, a known temperature control device such as a thermostat may be built into the heater face 28, but since the internal temperature and surface temperature of the heater face 28 are usually slightly different, it is difficult to achieve accurate temperature control. It is preferable to detect the surface temperature.

The heater 20 is in the operating position shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 (both sides of the heater face ₂₈ contact the end surfaces S ₁ and S ₂ of the pipes P ₁ and P 2 to heat these end surfaces S ₁ and S ₂ ). , and a retracted position rotated counterclockwise about the rod 10 by about 60 degrees or more (for example, 90 degrees) from the state shown in FIG. For example, a cylinder 30 is provided as an actuator for the rotation. The cylinder 30 is pivotally connected via a pin 34 to a bracket 32 which is slidably attached to the base 1 by dovetail fitting, for example.
4 and can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise. The piston rod 35 of the cylinder 30 is pivotally connected to the main body 22 of the heater 20 via, for example, a pivot pin 36 of a bracket 37 having a U-shaped recessed groove 38, so that the heater 20 can be moved as a whole by contracting the piston rod 35 of the cylinder 30. can be rotated counterclockwise about the rod 10. As a result, the heater 20 is brought to a retracted position completely away from the axis connecting the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ , and the end faces S ₁ and S ₂ of the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ can be crimped together.

Incidentally, when the entire heater 20 is moved in the axial direction along the guide rod 10, the cylinder 30 can also be moved in the same direction as a whole by means of the sliding bracket 32. The concave groove 38 of the bracket 37 is a long groove so that the heater 20 can move slightly in the direction of arrow B (axial direction), as shown in part A in FIG. It is becoming. That is, the heater 20 slides on the support pin 36 by the width of the groove 38 and is movable in the pipe axis direction. Such movement of the heater 20 in the pipe axial direction is particularly useful for slight axial position adjustment of the heater.

In the case of the butt fuser described above, a chamfering machine 50 is provided for cutting the end faces of the tubes into uniform vertical flat surfaces prior to fusion joining the tubes.

The chamfering machine 50 also handles the rod 1 in exactly the same way as the heater 20.
It is rotatably and slidably attached to one side of 0. Parts corresponding to the heater 20 are indicated by numbers obtained by adding 100 to the numbers shown in FIG. 3 (for example, heater main body 22→chamfer main body 122), and description thereof will be omitted.

A rotary disk 41 having a cutting blade 43 is rotatably supported in the opening 57 of the chamfering machine body. Disk 41
External teeth 41A are formed on the outer periphery of the main body 122, and teeth 55A of a gear 55 supported by a shaft 53 on the main body 122 mesh with the external teeth. Furthermore, the teeth 47A of the gear 47, which is supported by the main body 122 by the shaft 51 of the gear 55, mesh with each other. The gear 47 itself is the main body 122
The drive gear 49 meshes with teeth 49A of a drive gear 49 connected to the output shaft of a motor M attached to the motor M. These gear trains serve as reduction gears by appropriately selecting their tooth ratios. By rotating the disc 41 with the electric motor M, the end faces of the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ that are pressed against the cutting blades 43 attached to both sides of the disc can be chamfered. The cutting blade 43 is a disk 4
It is removably attached to cutting blade attachment recesses 42 formed on both sides of 1 with set screws 44. Furthermore, 2
7 (Fig. 3) and 127 (Fig. 4) are the main bodies 22, 1
22, and serves as a handle when manually moving the heater and chamfering machine in the axial direction or rotating them around the grooves 21, 121.

The spring 60 is attached to the other side of the guide rod 10 (sleeve 33,
133 is provided on the guide rod to which the heater 20
Alternatively, the chamfering machine 50 is slightly pushed away from the pipe _P1 . Also, 61 is the heater or chamfering machine that is connected to the spring 6.
This is a stopper that is fixedly installed on the base 1 when the base 1 is pushed to the right in FIG.

Further, for example, by providing push-type micro switches 70, 170 on the heater 20 and the sleeves 33, 133 of the chamfering machine 50, the heater 20
Alternatively, when the chamfering machine 50 is set in the operating position, the micro switches 70, 170
0 and is pressed, it is possible to detect the completion of the setting. Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, it is also possible to detect the completion of evacuation of the heater or chamfering machine by providing a similar microswitch in the main body of the heater and chamfering machine or at an appropriate location of each operating cylinder (for example, on the piston rod). .
Furthermore, although not particularly shown in the drawings, the axial movement of the vise 3 can be similarly easily detected by a detection means such as a micro switch.

An example of the main working procedure of the butt fusion machine according to the present invention is shown in FIG. First, pipes P ₁ and P ₂ are clamped by vises 2 and 3 (step 701). Next, the cylinder 130 is operated to set the chamfering machine 50 to the operating position shown in FIG. 4 (the heater is located on the central axis of the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ ) (step 703). When the operating position of the chamfering machine 50 is confirmed in step 705, the motor M is operated to rotate the cutting blade 43 (step 70).
7). Next, actuate the cylinder 12 (step 709) to bring the vise 3 closer to the vise 2, and move the pipe P ₂
is pressed against the chamfering machine 50. At this time, the chamfering machine 50
will also be pressed against pipe _P1 . This chamfering, that is, flattening of the end surfaces S ₁ and S ₂ may be continued until, for example, uniform chips are produced from the end surfaces S ₁ and S ₂ (step 711).

When the chamfering process is completed, the cylinder 12 is moved backward to move the vise 3 back (step 713), and the motor M
(step 715). Next cylinder 1
30 is reversely moved to retract the chamfering machine 50 to the retracted position (the imaginary line position in FIG. 4). Chamfering machine 50 has spring 6
0 or manually (step 719), and at the same time the heater 20 is manually moved axially (step 721) and brought into position. Next, in step 723, the cylinder 30 is operated to turn on the heater 20.
is brought to the operating position on the central axes of the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ , and after confirming the operating position in step 725, the cylinder 12 is re-operated (step 72).
7). As a result, the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ are pressed against the heater surface. When heating for a predetermined period of time is completed (step 729), the cylinder 12 is moved in reverse to move the vise 3 backward to separate the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ from the heater surface (step 731). By installing a timer or the like in advance for the heating time, it is also possible to notify the operator with a buzzer, lamp, etc. after the heating time has elapsed. At step 733, the heater is connected to cylinder 30.
The reverse movement brings it to the same retracted position as the beveling machine.

After rotating the heater or chamfering machine to the retracted position, when moving the heater or chamfering machine in the axial direction to prevent them from interfering with each other, manually hold the handles 27 and 127, respectively, as described above. It can be done easily.

After the heater escapes to the retracted position, cylinder 12
is quickly activated to move vice 3 and press pipe P ₂ directly onto pipe P ₁ (step 735).
After crimping for a predetermined time, the pipes P ₁ and P ₂ are fused and the fusion work is completed (step 737). Finally, release vices 2 and 3 (step 739) and
Remove P ₁ and P ₂ , move the cylinder 12 backwards, and return the vise 3 to its original position to complete the process (step 7).
41). The actuating switches for each cylinder, motor, etc. are preferably grouped into a single switch box 80 so that the operator can operate them at hand.

In the case of a saddle fusing machine, a socket fusing machine, etc., the chamfering machine 50 is generally not necessary, and therefore steps 703 to 719 are omitted.

With the configuration as described above, according to the present invention, each operation of the pipe fusion machine can be performed automatically or semi-automatically and quickly by one person.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the pipe fusion machine according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of the heater, Figure 4 is a side view of the chamfering machine, and Figure 5 is a side view of the chamfering machine. The figure is number 4
6 is an illustrative side view showing the basic structure of the vise, and FIG. 7 is a chart showing the main work procedure for butt welding of pipes. 1... Base, 2, 3... Vise, 10... Guide rod, 12... Cylinder, 20... Heater, 30...
...Cylinder, 50...Chamfering machine.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A pair of vise devices that can be relatively approached and separated along a pair of parallel guide rods provided on the bed, an actuator that allows the vise devices to be relatively approached and separated, and a workpiece that is clamped by both vise devices. The heater has a heater pivotably supported on one of the parallel guide rods so as to be rotatable between an operating position located between the kimono and a retreat position removed from the object to be welded, and an actuator for rotating the heater. Pipe fusion machine.