US20240139793A1

US20240139793A1 - Mobile flanging machine and method of assembling a mobile flanging machine

Info

Publication number: US20240139793A1
Application number: US18/281,979
Authority: US
Inventors: Adrian Thiessen; Peter Dick; Korab Kelmendi; Kai Gradert
Original assignee: Fr Jacob Sohne & Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Fr Jacob Sohne & Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 2021-03-26
Filing date: 2022-02-24
Publication date: 2024-05-02
Also published as: EP4313439A1; WO2022199973A1; CA3211850A1; DE102021107731A1

Abstract

A mobile flanging machine for pipes has a portable frame on which a drive is mounted, which drives a roller via a transmission, and an adjustment mechanism fixed to the frame, on which a counter-pressure roller is movably held, wherein a bent flange can be produced on the pipe end by inserting a pipe end into a gap between the roller and the counterpressure roller. A method for assembling the mobile flanging machine involves transporting and setting up a frame with a rotatably mounted roller and an adjustment mechanism on which a counterpressure roller is movably held, transporting a drive with a first coupling part to the frame, connecting the first coupling part to a second coupling part for driving the roller, and fixing the drive to the frame.

Description

The present invention relates to a mobile flanging machine for pipes and a method of assembling a mobile flanging machine.
Flanging machines are known, for example from DE 20 2013 100 529 U1, in which an edge of a metal body is passed between rollers to deform it by cold forming. The rollers can be moved by a mechanical or pneumatic actuator. Such flanging machines are permanently installed on a base, and the objects to be formed must therefore be brought to the flanging machine. However, on construction sites in particular there is the problem that piping systems have to be installed at different points in a building, and the pipes are connected to each other at the desired length in each case by means of flanged end sections and a flared sealing ring. The adjustment of the length of the pipes must be car-ried out directly on the construction site.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flanging machine and a method for assembling a flanging machine, in which the flanging machine can be positioned on a construction site and used in a mobile manner.
This object is solved with a mobile flanging machine with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 14.
The flanging machine for forming pipes according to the invention is of mobile design and comprises a portable frame so that the mobile flanging machine can be set up at the location where the pipes are cut to length and the pipelines are laid. A drive is mounted on the frame, which drives a roller via a transmission, a counterpressure roller being movably mounted via an adjustment mechanism fixed to the frame, and a bent-over flange can be produced on the pipe end by inserting a pipe end into a gap between the roller and the counterpressure roller. Despite the compact and lightweight design, relatively high forming forces can be generated.
To facilitate transport, the drive is preferably detachably fixed to the frame. For this purpose, the drive can be engaged with the transmission via a coupling so that the drive can be disassembled from the frame by separating the coupling and transported separately. The coupling can, for example, be designed as a claw coupling and enable simple assembly or disassembly of the drive.
For a mobile embodiment of the flanging machine, it can have a total weight of less than 130 kg, in particular between 60 kg to 120 kg. Preferably, the drive can be separated from the frame, whereby the drive can have a weight of, for example, 30 to 80 kg, while the frame with the adjustment mechanism can have a similar weight of between 10 kg to 50 kg, in particular 20 kg to 40 kg, so that after removal of the drive the two units can be easily transported manually.
The frame is preferably essentially cuboidal in shape and comprises interconnected profiles, in particular longitudinal profiles and transverse profiles. This allows the frame with the adjustment mechanism to be stably assembled and effectively transported. Optionally, at least one transport roller can be provided on an underside of the frame so that the frame can be moved on a base.
The maximum length of the flanging machine is preferably less than 1.5 m, in particular between 0.8 m to 1.2 m, and thus has a compact design. The height and width can be less than 0.8 m, in particular between 0.3 m to 0.6 m. This re-sults in a small volume of the flanging machine of less than 1 m³, in particular less than 0.5 m³, preferably between 0.1 and 0.3 m³.
The adjustment mechanism preferably comprises a toggle mechanism so that high forces can be transmitted to the counter pressure roller. To drive the adjustment mechanism, a foot lever can be provided to actuate or move the adjustment mechanism, whereby the adjustment mechanism can be moved via a piston-cylinder unit, an electric motor or a manual lever gear.
Preferably, the drive for rotating the roller comprises an electric motor that is connected to the coupling via an angular gear. The electric motor can protrude from the frame for a compact design of the flanging machine, in particular the electric motor can be arranged essentially outside the cuboid frame. In this case, a housing can be provided as a cover around the frame and the drive, which are thereby arranged in a protected manner. The maximum torque of the electric motor can be, for example, between 250 Nm to 500 Nm. The power sup-ply can be either 230V or 400V.
For precise deformation of a pipe end, a contact surface can be provided around the roller to limit axial movement of the pipe. The contact surface can comprise several strips which are fixed to the top of a cover plate, in particular by screwing the strips to the frame and other components. In this way, stable support of the pipe end can be obtained during flanging.
The roller and the counterpressure roller can be designed to protrude from an upper side of the frame so that the area for pipes is freely accessible and pipes with a different diameter can be flanged. For example, diameters between 50 mm to 400 mm can be processed by the mobile flanging machine. The maximum flanging force can be, for example, up to 70 kN, in particular between 35 to 70 kN. For the purposes of this application, pipes are considered to be both straight pipes and bent pipes or pipe branches or hoods that have only a tubu-lar section.
In the process for assembling a mobile flanging machine according to the invention, a frame with a rotatably mounted roller and an adjustment mechanism, on which a counterpressure roller is movably held, is first transported and set up at the desired location. Separately from the frame, a drive with a first coupling part is transported to the frame. Subsequently, the first coupling part is connected to a second coupling part on the frame to drive the roller, and then the drive is fixed to the frame. This enables effective transportation and assembly of the mobile flanging machine so that it can be easily put into operation at the respective place of use.
The invention is explained in more detail below by means of an example of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mobile flanging machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the flanging machine of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the flanging machine of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the flanging machine of FIG. 1 , and

FIG. 5 shows a cutaway side view through the flanging machine of FIG. 1 .

A mobile flanging machine 1 comprises a frame 2 which is substantially cuboidal in shape and has a drive 3 in the form of an electric motor projecting from one end face. The drive 3 is connected to an angular gear 4 to transmit a rotational movement of the drive 3 to a roller 5, which is arranged on an upper side of the frame 2. To ensure safety, a housing is provided around the frame 2 and the drive 3, which is not shown in FIG. 1 .
An adjustment mechanism 6 in the form of a lever mechanism is arranged in the frame 2, in particular a toggle lever mechanism, via which a counterpressure roller 7 is rotatably and movably mounted. A pipe end can be inserted into a gap between the roller 5 and the counterpressure roller 7 in order to be de-formed by rotation of the roller 5 and the introduction of force via the counter-pressure roller 7, in particular to be provided with a radially projecting flange. For this purpose, the roller 5 is profiled and comprises a radially protruding section 50 and a cylindrical section 51 of smaller diameter. The profiling of the roller 5 and the counterpressure roller 7 can also be selected differently to shape the bend at the end of the pipe. Below the roller 5, a cover plate 8 is fixed to the frame 2, on which several strips 9 are arranged, which are screwed to the frame 2. The strips 9 form a contact surface to limit axial movement of the pipe during forming. The diameter of the pipe to be formed can be freely selected in wide ranges, for example the pipe can have a diameter between 50 mm to 400 mm, in particular 80 mm to 315 mm. For other wall thicknesses, the roller 5 can be exchanged for flanging.
The adjustment mechanism 6 preferably comprises a toggle mechanism with two articulated levers 11 and 12, which act on a lever 13 on which the back pressure roller 7 is rotatably mounted. As shown in FIG. 5 , the lever 13 is rotatably mounted about an axis 14, which is formed at an angle 19. The adjustment mechanism 6 can be designed as a preassembled unit as shown in FIG. 2 and can be actuated manually or by motor. In the embodiment shown, an electric motor 22 is provided as a drive that acts on the levers 11 and 12 to move the lever 13 and thus the counterpressure roller 7. Via the electric motor 22, the counterpressure roller 7 can be moved towards and away from the roller 5 in order to deform a pipe end.
The frame 2 comprises longitudinal profiles 20 and transverse profiles 21, which are connected to each other. The adjustment mechanism 6 is fixed to the frame 2 at two transverse profiles 21. Furthermore, a housing 15 is fixed to the frame 2, on which the roller 5 is rotatably mounted. A transmission 16 is provided in the housing 15, which can be engaged with the angular gear 4 and the drive 3 via a coupling. A first coupling part 17 is arranged on the angular gear 4 on the output side, which is part of a claw coupling.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first coupling part 17 is engageable with a second coupling part 18 to transmit torque from the drive 3 to the roller 5. The second coupling part 18 is connected to the transmission 16.
When the mobile flanging machine 1 is to be set up at a location, for example at a construction site where pipelines are being installed, the drive 3 with the angular gear 4 can be disassembled from the frame 2 so that the coupling with the first coupling part 17 and the second coupling part 18 are disengaged. The drive 3 with the angular gear 4 can then be transported as a separate unit, and the actuator with the angular gear and the frame 2 with the adjustment mechanism 6 can each have a weight between 20 to 40 kg to be transported separately. At the desired location, the first coupling part 17 on the angular gear 4 can then be brought into engagement with the second coupling part 18 to then fix the drive 3 to the frame 2 before the mobile flanging machine 1 is put into operation.
In the example shown, the force of the adjustment mechanism is applied via a lever mechanism. However, it is also possible to effect a force transmission via a rotary drive and a gear, for example with a spindle or gearwheels. Other mechanisms than shown can also be used for force transmission. It is also possible to produce a linear adjustment using a wedge principle instead of the toggle principle.
A counter can be provided on the mobile flanging machine to record the number of flanging processes. This can be implemented, for example, via a mechanical button for a swiveling unit. The counter can thus be used to measure the number of flanging operations.
Furthermore, a guide rail may be provided to guide the motor during an assembly movement. The guide can be provided with a stop so that a motor mount is in alignment with the coupling from coupling parts 17 and 18. This position can then be fixed by a screw or other fastener.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

- 1 Mobile flanging machine
- 2 Frame
- 3 Drive
- 4 Angular gear
- 5 Roller
- 6 Adjustment mechanism
- 7 Counterpressure roller
- 8 Cover plate
- 9 Strip
- 11 Lever
- 12 Lever
- 13 Lever
- 14 Axis
- 15 Housing
- 16 Transmission
- 17 First coupling part
- 18 Second coupling part
- 19 Angle
- 20 Longitudinal profile
- 21 Transverse profile
- 22 Electric motor
- 50 Radially protruding section
- 51 Cylindrical section

Claims

1. A mobile flanging machine (1) for pipes, comprising: a portable frame (2), a drive (3) mounted on the portable frame, a roller (5) that is configured to be driven by the drive via a transmission (16), adjustment mechanism (6) fixed to the frame (2), and a counterpressure roller (7) movably held on the adjustment mechanism (6), wherein a bent-over flange is produced on a pipe end by inserting the pipe end into a gap between the roller (5) and the counterpressure roller (7).

2. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the drive (3) is detachably fixed to the frame (2).

3. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the drive (3) is engaged with the transmission (16) via a coupling part (17, 18).

4. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 3, wherein the coupling part (17, 18) is designed as a claw coupling.

5. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the flanging machine (1) has a total weight of less than 130 kg.

6. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the frame (2) is substantially cuboidal and has interconnected profiles (20, 21).

7. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism (6) is designed as a toggle lever mechanism.

8. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein a foot lever is provided on the adjustment mechanism (6) and configured for actuating or moving the counterpressure roller (7).

9. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 1, wherein the drive (3) comprises an electric motor connected to the coupling part (17, 18) via an angular gear (4).

10. The mobile flanging machine according claim 1, wherein a housing is provided around the frame (2) and the drive (3).

11. The mobile flanging machine according claim 1, wherein a contact surface is provided around the roller (5) for limiting the axial movement of the pipe.

12. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 11, wherein the contact surface comprises a plurality of strips (9) fixed to an upper side of a cover plate (8).

13. The mobile flanging machine according to claim 12, wherein the strips (9) are screwed to the frame (2).

14. A method for assembling a mobile flanging machine (1) comprising the following steps:

transporting and setting up a frame (2) with a rotatably mounted roller (5) and an adjustment mechanism (6) on which a counterpressure roller (7) is movably held;

transporting a drive (3) with a first coupling part (17) to the frame (2);

connecting the first coupling part (17) to a second coupling part (18) for driving the roller (5), and

fixing the drive (3) to the frame (2).

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a housing is mounted around the frame (2) and the drive (3).