US3785189A - Tube corrugating apparatus - Google Patents

Tube corrugating apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3785189A
US3785189A US3785189DA US3785189A US 3785189 A US3785189 A US 3785189A US 3785189D A US3785189D A US 3785189DA US 3785189 A US3785189 A US 3785189A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tube
path
section
bearing means
tools
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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English (en)
Inventor
P Asselborn
W Cramer
H Mullejans
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Felten and Guilleaume Kabelwerke GmbH
Original Assignee
Felten and Guilleaume Kabelwerke GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19712122906 external-priority patent/DE2122906C3/de
Application filed by Felten and Guilleaume Kabelwerke GmbH filed Critical Felten and Guilleaume Kabelwerke GmbH
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Publication of US3785189A publication Critical patent/US3785189A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D15/00—Corrugating tubes
    • B21D15/04—Corrugating tubes transversely, e.g. helically
    • B21D15/06—Corrugating tubes transversely, e.g. helically annularly
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D15/00—Corrugating tubes
    • B21D15/04—Corrugating tubes transversely, e.g. helically

Definitions

  • That section of the tube which is located between the bearing means can thus flex transversely of the path without appreciable stretching of its material.
  • a grooving unit is located between the bearing means and can orbit about the tube, engaging the same individually and successively with a plurality of grooving tools each of which comprises at least two pressure rolls, with the tools traveling about an axis at least substantially normal to the path of advancement of the tube and at such a rate of speed that the tube section is contacted by one tool at a time.
  • the present invention relates generally to an apparatus for forming corrugations or similar grooves in tubes of ductile material.
  • the invention relates to such an apparatus for forming circumferential, helical and/or other corrugations or grooves in metallic or plastic tubes of ductile material, in particular of tubes which can be used as sheaths for electric cables or the like.
  • corrugated sheaths for electric cables is by now already well established. Their purpose is to provide both mechanical and electrical protection for the cable while at the same time permitting ready flexing of the cable. This, of course, requires that the protective sheath itself should offer as little resistance as possible to flexing of the cable in any desired direction so that the cable can be employed and installed substan-' tially in the same manner as if the corrugated sheaths were not present.
  • Apparatus for making corrugations or other types of grooves. in tubes are of course not novel.
  • such apparatus uses pressing or deforming tools which travel about the tube in order to form therein a circumferentially complete or a helical groove.
  • the tool is often conflgurated as a roll whose deforming action is similar to that of a pipe cutter, that is the formation of grooves or corrugations results in a stretching or elongation and resulting reduction in the wall thickness of the tube. This is undesirable, especially because it is often accompanied by localized hardening of the tube material, especially if the material is metallic.
  • this last-mentioned prior art apparatus provides two spaced universally movable bearings through passages of which a tube to be corrugated advances, so that the section of the tube which is located between these bearings can flex sideways without any appreciable elongation or hardening of its material.
  • the grooves or corrugations are formed in this section by tools having concave tube-engaging faces and being rotatably mounted in a holder which orbits about the tube between thetwo bearings. The tools engage the tube section and first flex it slightly away from themselves, so that the corrugating action takes place at the concave side of the thus flexed tube section.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus in which the initiation of mechanical vibrations of the tube being corrugated is suppressed or at least made more difficult.
  • one feature of the invention resides in an apparatus for forming corrugations or similar grooves in tubes of ductile material, particularly in tubular sheaths for electrical ca,- bles.
  • This apparatus comprises, briefly stated, advancing means for advancing a tube longitudinally in a predetermined path.
  • a pair of universally movable bearing means are spaced along and each surround a portion of the path, having respective passages for the advancing tube so that a section of the same between the bearing means can flex transversely of this path without appreciable stressing of its ductile material.
  • a grooving unit is located between the bearing means and includes holder means arranged to orbit about the path of the tube, and a plurality of grooving tools supported by said holder means for movement about an axis which is at least substantially normal to the aforementioned path.
  • Each of the tools comprises at least two pressure rolls which are locatedsufficiently close to the path to flex and simultaneously groove the sections of the tube and the tools are so arranged that they travel about the afore-mentioned axis at a rate of speed such that the section is contacted by one tool at a time.
  • the grooving unit also comprises means for limiting the flexing of the tube section, either in form of a guide element or in form of at least two rollers but in either case the guide element of the rollers will orbit with the holder means and engage the tube section to thereby reduce or suppress the development of mechanical vibrations of the latter.
  • the rollers if such are utilized, are particularly suited for the purpose at hand, from a point of view of their movement about the tube section- ,if they are configurated as approximately barrelshaped bodies of rotation.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic partly elevational and partly sectional view of an apparatus for carrying out the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic fragmentary partly sectioned detail view of one embodiment of the tools of the apparatus in FIG. 1 and of one embodiment of the means for limiting flexing of the tube sections;
  • FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a further embodiment
  • FIG. 4 is an elevational view illustrating an advantageous configuration of a roller for limiting flexing of the tube section.
  • the apparatus comprises a suitable mechanism M for feeding a metallic tube 1 axially in the direction lnindicated by the arrow 1a.
  • the tube passes through and is guided by a first universally movable hollow spherical bearing 6a mounted in a stationary support S1. Then it passes through a second universally movable hollow spherical bearing 6b mounted in a second support S2.
  • the corrugating or'grooving station is located between the bearings 6a and 6b and accommodates a wheel-shaped tool holder 2 which is rotatable about the axis of a shaft 4 and caused to orbit circumferentially about the axis of the travelling tube 1.
  • a set of equidistant radially extending corrugating or grooving tools 3 is provided on the holder 2.
  • the axis of the shaft 4 is normal to the axis of the tube and the holder 2 is assumed to rotate about the axis of the shaft 4 in response to lengthwise movement of the tube, but it should be understood that the holder 2 can also be driven by a gear train or the like.
  • the distance between the shaft 4 and the pathfor the tube 1 is so selected that the tool 3 which engages the tube causes the latter to flex transversely of its path of advancement, that is downwardly as seen in FIG. 1.
  • Such flexing takes place simultaneously with the formation of a circumferential corrugation C and will not result in any elongation because the tube travels through the passages defined therefor by the spherical bearings 60 and 6b.
  • the corrugations C are therefore formed without localized reduction in the wall thickness of the tube and without hardening of the metallic material.
  • the axis of the passage formed in the bearing 6a that is the bearing which is adjacent the as yet uncorrugated part of the tube section between the supports S1 and S2, is offset somewhat in radial direction towards the axis of the shaft 4 with respect to the axis of the tube 1.
  • the spacing between successive ones of the tools 3 that isspacing as seen in the circumferential direction of the tool holder 2 is so selected that a tool engages the tube 1 only when the formation of the preceding corrugation C by the circumferentially proceeding tool 3 has been completed.
  • the reason for this is that simultaneous engagement of the tube by two tools 3 would interfere with the desirable flow of metallic material of the cylindrical tube wall.
  • the corrugated portion of the tube 1 is of course more readily flexible then the as yet uncorrugated portion, and for this reason the distance Al between the center of the right-hand bearing 6b and the axis of the shaft 4 is less than the distance A2 between the axis of the shaft 4 and the center of the left-hand bearing 6a, and advantageously the distance A2 should be at least 2.5 times and the distance A1 should be at least 1.5 times the diameter D of the tube 1.
  • the vertical plane including the axis of the shaft 4 intersects the tube 1 in the region where a tool 3 begins to move away from the axis 5 of the tube, and reference Dw denotes the diameter of the corrugator or grooving unit including in the central plane of the holder 2.
  • FIG. 2 also shows means for limiting the flexing of the tube section between the bearings 6a and 6b of FIG. 1, thatis to thereby suppress or reduce vibrations in the tube.
  • This guide means is here illustrated in the form of a substantially C-crossectioned guide sleeve 87 which embraces the tube 1 on a side thereof which is diametrally opposite the tool 3.
  • the sleeve 87 orbits about the tube with the tool 3 and as a result of the orbiting and simultaneous longitudinal advancement of the tube 1 friction between the surface of the tube 1 and inner surface of the sleeve 87 will of course also cause the development of heat.
  • This, however, is uniformly distributed over the surfaces of the tube 1 and of the sleeve 87 so that no difficulties have been encountered as a result of local overheating at low and medium operating speeds.
  • FIG. 3 corresponds to the one in FIG. 2 except that the guide sleeve 87 is replaced with rollers 88 which are journalled turnably about their respective longitudinal axes in projections of a counterweight 10 which orbits with the tool 3.
  • the rollers 88 of course again engage the tube at a side opposite that at which the tube is engaged by the pressure rolls 86 of the respective tool 3.
  • FIG. 3 Another difference of FIG. 3 with respect to FIG. 2 is that only two pressure rolls 86 have been illustrated, as opposed to the three which have been shown in FIG. 2. At least two will be required, of course,but more can also be provided.
  • rollers 88 of FIG. 3 are configurated as illustrated in FIG. 4, that is if they are substantially barrel-shaped bodies of rotation.
  • the present invention assures that the frictional heating between the surface of the tube and the respective tool of the grooving unit is negligible over the entire range of applicability of the apparatus. Furthermore, forces acting both on the tube and on the tools are correspondingly reduced so that the apparatus can be used with tubes of greater wall thickness than before as well as with tubes which are made of difficult to deform materials; moreover the apparatus can also be used with tubes having particularly small wall thicknesses or being made of materials which are particularly susceptible to pressures or heating or indeed with any combination of factors. In addition, the lifetime of the tools themselves and the reliability of the apparatus are substantially improved, and the operating and production speed is increased whereas the quantity of lubricant needed is substantially decreased.
  • Apparatus for forming corrugations or similar grooves in tubes of ductile material, particularly in tubular sheaths for electrical cables comprising advancing means for advancing an internally unsupported tube longitudinally in a predetermined path; a pair of universally movable bearing means spaced along and each surrounding a portion of said path, said bearing means having respective passages for the advancing tube so that a section of the same between said bearing means can flex transversely of said path without appreciable stretching of its ductile material; and a grooving unit located between said bearing means and including a support arranged to orbit about said path, holder means pivoted in said support for rotation about an axis which is at least substantially normal to said path, a plurality of grooving tools supported by said holder means for movement therewith, each of said tools comprising at least two pressure rolls located sufficiently close to said path to flex and simultaneously groove said section of said tube, and said holder means being arranged to travel about said axis at a rate of speed such that said section is contacted

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Rolls And Other Rotary Bodies (AREA)
  • Shaping Metal By Deep-Drawing, Or The Like (AREA)
US3785189D 1971-05-10 1972-02-11 Tube corrugating apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3785189A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19712122906 DE2122906C3 (de) 1971-05-10 Vorrichtung zum Wellen der Wandung von Rohren

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3785189A true US3785189A (en) 1974-01-15

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US3785189D Expired - Lifetime US3785189A (en) 1971-05-10 1972-02-11 Tube corrugating apparatus

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US (1) US3785189A (enExample)
FR (1) FR2137491B2 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1326320A (enExample)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5365763A (en) * 1992-05-06 1994-11-22 Escofier Technologie Sa Device for shaping of helical fins on the outer wall of a tube
WO2001038814A1 (de) * 1999-11-20 2001-05-31 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Wärmetauscher zur kühlung von abgasen und ein verfahren zur herstellung eines rohrs für einen wärmetauscher
US6550300B2 (en) * 2000-08-17 2003-04-22 Nexans Apparatus for producing annularly corrugated metal tubes
US10030794B2 (en) 2015-12-14 2018-07-24 Yazaki Corporation Corrugated tube and wire harness

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2145292C (en) * 1992-09-22 2002-11-19 Rodney Mitchell Innes Manufacture of helically corrugated conduit

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US432232A (en) * 1890-07-15 Of bos
US436463A (en) * 1890-09-16 Dolph
US3387477A (en) * 1965-11-29 1968-06-11 Price Pfister Brass Mfg Apparatus and method for roll forming flexible tubing
DE1272865B (de) * 1964-01-31 1968-07-18 Siemens Ag Vorrichtung zur fortlaufenden Herstellung in sich geschlossener Rillen an Rohren
US3672196A (en) * 1969-08-02 1972-06-27 Felten & Guilleaume Kabelwerk Method and apparatus for making corrugations in tubes consisting of ductile material

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE970941C (de) * 1943-05-20 1958-11-27 Pforzheim Metallschlauch Vorrichtung zum Herstellen von schraubengangfoermig gewellten Rohren
FR1176601A (fr) * 1956-07-16 1959-04-14 Calumet & Hecla Procédé et appareil de fabrication de tubes ondulés

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US432232A (en) * 1890-07-15 Of bos
US436463A (en) * 1890-09-16 Dolph
DE1272865B (de) * 1964-01-31 1968-07-18 Siemens Ag Vorrichtung zur fortlaufenden Herstellung in sich geschlossener Rillen an Rohren
US3387477A (en) * 1965-11-29 1968-06-11 Price Pfister Brass Mfg Apparatus and method for roll forming flexible tubing
US3672196A (en) * 1969-08-02 1972-06-27 Felten & Guilleaume Kabelwerk Method and apparatus for making corrugations in tubes consisting of ductile material

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5365763A (en) * 1992-05-06 1994-11-22 Escofier Technologie Sa Device for shaping of helical fins on the outer wall of a tube
WO2001038814A1 (de) * 1999-11-20 2001-05-31 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Wärmetauscher zur kühlung von abgasen und ein verfahren zur herstellung eines rohrs für einen wärmetauscher
US6550300B2 (en) * 2000-08-17 2003-04-22 Nexans Apparatus for producing annularly corrugated metal tubes
AU778357B2 (en) * 2000-08-17 2004-12-02 Nexans Device for the manufacture of annular corrugated metal tubes
US10030794B2 (en) 2015-12-14 2018-07-24 Yazaki Corporation Corrugated tube and wire harness

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1326320A (en) 1973-08-08
DE2122906B2 (de) 1976-02-26
FR2137491A2 (enExample) 1972-12-29
FR2137491B2 (enExample) 1974-12-13
DE2122906A1 (de) 1972-11-23

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