US2664772A - Crimping tool - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1954 R. G. AREY 2,664,772

CRIMPING TOOL Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Oct. 21, 1949 R. G. AREY CRIMPING TOOL.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 2,664,772 e'r'MIiiNG Toor..

Ralph GL A'rey; Brockton, Mass.; assigner to Ward? Machine: Coiil'pany',` Inc., Brocktb, Massi.,V a; corporation. of Massachusettsy Applicationoettef 21, louisiana-1N@ 122,801

(Cl. 81u15) 1' Claim".

My pre-sent invention is a novel and improved" crimping tool, preferably designed as aporta-ble handl device although capable ofV being poweractuated and in any size desired.

It is an important obj ect of'my` prese-nt `inven-- tion vto providealight, strong, inexpensive, quicheAv operating, and powerful hand crimping tool whichican beV utilizedby la housewife in crimpingand sealing the tops or lids of containers', such for example as the' metal containersfnow ingeneral use for enclosing' articles of food in deepfreeze refrigerators. These containers are usuallymade of very' -thi'nlaluminum ofrectangular box-form, and with al flanged lid ttingori the top to close the container; Itis desirable to have such a: lid 'sealed` or otherwise attached to the walls andends of thecontainerf'tolthus provide a=closedreceptacle -to protectthe contents.-

Heretoiore, it has required a-slowanddiicultl handerollingor other' tool to ei'ectsucha closing operation.

My present crimpingrdeyice is capable of eiiect` ingA a crimping., uniting, and closing operation, firmly joining. the cover to the lowerA` portion'vof the container oni bOthsideSSandAendS, although these are of diiierentl lengths; and, fiirtherrriore,v my'` improved crimper` is directed and-arranged to provide ample power for the metal-closing action requiredv and yet with a minimum of manual strength.

In carrying. out myAv invention,l I provide a Atool with a pair of jaws pivotedtogethe'r in a special manner tovefect' a combined forcing'fof the lid and boxV portions into a sealedcontact with' ample capacityand. power to unite the dependingiiange of the lid. and the adjacent edgeV portions of. the box'into an almost air-tight union by a=s1ig`ht squeezing action of the handles of' the device;

`Ample leeway is provided to engage material of variable thickness as wellf asv of different lengths so that either a square or rectangular box can have the sides and ends efectiv'ely united by the same crimping tool.

Referring to the drawings:l illustrating axpre7 ferred embodiment of .my invention:

Fig. l is a-plan view o-fmycrimping tool'shown in upsidedown position;V

Fig. 2 is a side View;

Fig. 31is1a longitudinal crossesectional lview;

Fig. 4 is a front end View;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a container with the cover applied ready for the operation of my hand-crimping tool;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional View partly broken away showing the crimping action and detailed-construction@ the pivot andbox and cover-engaging portions Fig; 7-A isa fragmentary plan viewafter the:y crimping action; andl Fig. 8f is a fragmentary `side elevational view-1 of?r the crimped'edge of the lid or cover andbox.

As shown in the` drawings, my crimping'tool" comprises a' pair? of handlelike' rnernlciersl to `:loegrasped by'v the handof the* user, each handle: extending into a. cross-headA portion whiehr-- isV united on a iioating pivot.4 The 4top handle isi: designated at I withalcrossehead portion indie cated at 2; the' handle=preferably-being starirpezi.U out with av .channel-likevmember with: depending sides 3-3 andan extension 4 on the sides ofjthef. crossehead portion-,1 see Figs. 2 and 3: The lower part of the cross-'head Zlisipreferablyiformedwith a. plurality of teethA 1; the opposite side: walls of. thei portion 4 beingthe-extensionof theiianges.V 3-3 already formedin-the head2. I providea: pair of! slots 8-8= which. have a cam conforma-ttionV as indicated at 9. Theseare formed tot'4 receive the pivot pin 20 in the lower handle: HJ;g whichlatter is also formed witha4 channel memjber with side walls- I2-I-2` extendingintol vtheV cross-head: I5,` 4which latter is of slightly less length` than' theV width in the crossehead' 2'-, and thev lower handle-I0 and its sideflanges I2.-I2 aretoslightlyless Width thansthatof the-topprupper' handle I so that the two handles may be? interlocked: as." they arevsqueezed toward each'L other on Ethelpivot 20. p

Preferably I form thepivot" Ztl-as short studsv each. wedged: orrsecur'edfini opposite' endsU of: the'.- cross-head I5 of the lower member andzprojectA ing suf'cientlyf to engage the? adjacent slota, in ther.cross'eheadportion` 21- of` theupperf member: Thisfarrangement facilitates assemblingfalthoueh the pivot pin couldextendthru one endsof the.` crossehead members .to the other.v

Infthat portion of the-cross-head I5` adjacent the opposite and'cooperatingf cross-head 2-`with` its teethl 'I provide a corresponding set of teeth- I8` whichv will register andcooperate withxtlie interstices between thev teeth I with a somewhat loose or sliding fitting action. Thusv the`-spacesJ betweenthe teeth .l'intheettop cross-head2, as dicatedat I1, will. receive ,r the. teeth I8'1intthe".

lower: cross'-head I 5; andtthe' corresponding?. ree

cesses I9 in the lower cross-head I5 will receive the projecting teeth 'I in the upper cross-head 2.

Therefore, any material engaged therebetween will be clamped and crimped together.

It is important to provide a forward sliding action relatively between the lower crimping cross-head I5 and the upper cross-head 2, the slot 8 being of suitable length for this purpose so that the pivot pins 20 will traverse the same; and for this purpose I unite the handles by a toggle link 25 pivotally secured as indicated at 26 to a pair of lugs 2 welded or otherwise attached in the lower part of the upper handle I and the side flanges 3; and to the lower handle I0 the toggle link is pivoted as indicated at 26 to a pair of upstanding lugs 2 S secured to the lower handle.

If desired, the lower lugs 29 may be formed integral with the side iianges I2, but in the upper handle I I prefer to form the lugs 2l spaced from the side flanges 3 so as to permit the housing action when the handles I and I9 are compressed, allowing the side flanges I2-I2 to span the lugs 2'I-2'I and, thus, nest between the lugs 21 and the side anges 3 3, as will be readily understood.

While the link 25 and the length of the slots 8-8 afford a limit of relative longitudinal movement between the handles I and I and, hence, between the crimping teeth i and I8, I may also prefer to provide an adjustable stop for this purpose. Also, I desire to t a coiled spring 30 between the handles i and I9 and combine the same with an adjustable stop 2 I. This latter would be a threaded bolt passing thru a correspondingly threaded hub 22 and extending thru the top of the handle I, I provide a bearing for the adjacent part of the coiled spring 39, which latter would have its opposite end fitted around a stud 33 secured to the lower handle I0, as best shown in Fig. 3.

This spring is, preferably, fitted between the toggle 25 and the pivots 20, as shown, and acts to automatically open the handles or spread them apart and retract the crimping teeth in the crossheads 2 and I5 by the action of the toggle link 25 when pressure on the handles has been released, thus setting the crimping tool ready for the next operation.

In Fig. I have illustrated a typical aluminum or other metal box, having a rectangular body portion comprising sides 40 and ends 4I to which a lid 44 is applied. This lid is, preferably, formed with an upstanding rim around its top edge 45, ending in a downturned flange 46 extending entirely around the cover. The side and end walls 40 and 4I are also preferably provided with a downturned iiange 48, see Fig. 6, although this is not essential as the flange 46 can be clamped and crimped by my tool on the upstanding walls of the box.

I secure the advantage of a better sealing action where two flanges are thus in contact and are operated on by the cooperating crimping teeth. With the cover applied, my crimping tool is fitted on either side or end, with the teeth I overlapping and engaging the top rim 45 and with the depending iiange 46 tting over the rim of the box or over the rim flange 48 depending from the box. Thereupon, a squeezing action on the handles I and I6 forces the cooperating head portions 2 and I5 together and the crimping teeth l and I8 into interlocking engagement, squeezing the material of the cover and box together as the toggle link 25 and slot 8 with its cam surface 9 forces the heads to travel together in a relative impinging relation against the interposed cover and box portions. Thus a sealing and crimping action is quickly and simultaneously eiiected along the entire edge of the top and box being operated on, giving a tight union as indicated at 50, see Figs. 7 and 8.

My crimping tool may be formed with any desired size, height, shape, or form of interlocking teeth or, indeed, may be formed simply with cooperating rib structures, but I prefer the teethcrimping action as this is important, particularly where thin metal and aluminum is being operated upon to positively stretch and seal together the materials of the box and cover so operated on. The adjustable stop 2l may be threaded thru the hub 22, if desired, to limit the closing action of the interlocking teeth and thus prevent too great pressure being applied on the material being crimped so as to prevent cracking or breaking the same.

I claim:

A crimping tool of the kind described comprising upper and lower orossheads, each having cooperating teeth extending toward each other, the upper crosshead being of greater length and having a handle extending at right angles thereto formed as a channel with depending sides, the lower crosshead having a handle extending at right angles parallel with the upper handle and adapted to nest therein, the depending sides of the upper handle portion adjacent the crosshead each having slanting cam slots therein, pivot pins extending from the lower crosshead into said slanting cam slots constituting a pivotal connection between the upper and lower crossheads, a link between the handles and pivoted to each handle in an inclined position, movement of the handles together and the action of said link forcing the pivots to traverse the cam paths and press the cooperating teeth in the orossheads into interlocking relation, the length of said cam slot and the relative size of said interlocking teeth preventing actual contact of the teeth with each other, in combination with the spring normally acting to separate the handles and move the crosshead from operative to inoperative position to the limit afforded by said cam slots.

yRALPH G. AREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,194 L ittley Dec. 20, 1898 700,578 Thompson May 20, 1902 960,446 Turner June 7, 1910 1,326,819 Yondelman Dec. 30, 1919 1,432,558 Jackson Oct. 17, 1922 1,475,273 Bernard Nov. 27, 1923 1,555,652 Frame Sept. 29, 1925 1,581,692 Royall Apr. 20, 1926 1,612,618 Durham Dec. 28, 1926 1,624,556 Marshall Apr. 12, 1927 1,747,440 Hulbert Feb. 16, 1930 1,774,039 Rogers Aug. 26, 1930 2,106,121 Lorenzo Jan. 18, 1938 2,126,225 Simons Aug. 9,1938 2,369,180 Rosenthal Feb. 13, 1945

Images