U.S. patent application number 11/668262 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-02 for apparatus and method for sleeve or sheet corrugation.
This patent application is currently assigned to LINK-PIPE, INC.. Invention is credited to Garry Gladstein, Lembit Maimets.
Application Number | 20070175256 11/668262 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38445882 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070175256 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Maimets; Lembit ; et
al. |
August 2, 2007 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SLEEVE OR SHEET CORRUGATION
Abstract
An apparatus and method for the forming of corrugations in
cylindrical objects or plain sheets, which include but no limited
to two or more rotating spline or keyed shafts with internally
grooved sliding wheels. Springs or collars with elastic properties
are located between sliding wheels to allow them to keep
predetermined distance which varies under axial forces.
Inventors: |
Maimets; Lembit; (Richmond
Hill, CA) ; Gladstein; Garry; (Richmond Hill,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Assignee: |
LINK-PIPE, INC.
Richmond Hill
CA
|
Family ID: |
38445882 |
Appl. No.: |
11/668262 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60762889 |
Jan 30, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/247 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D 13/045 20130101;
B21H 7/182 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
72/247 |
International
Class: |
B21B 31/18 20060101
B21B031/18 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for corrugating sleeves and/or sheets, said
apparatus comprising: at least two rotatable shafts having
longitudinal grooves or keys to transfer rotational movement a
mechanism to rotate said two shafts; a plurality of wheels adapted
to slide in an axial direction with internal grooves or keys
located on said shafts; and elastic collars placed between said
sliding wheels.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said at least two
rotatable shafts comprise more than two rotatable shafts.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: some of said sliding
wheels comprise at least one annular groove.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said sliding wheels
have different thicknesses and diameters.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: some of said sliding
wheels are provided with a variable width of said annular
groove.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
restricting wheels fixed on said shafts.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said elastic collars
are provided with different axial lengths.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said elastic collars
are made from different elastic materials.
9. A method of corrugating a sleeve and/or a sheet using the
apparatus of claim 1.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based upon U.S. Patent Application No.
60/762,889, filed on Jan. 30, 2006, the disclosure of which is
hereby incorporated-by-reference thereto in its entirety and the
priority of which is claimed under 35 USC 119(e).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to an apparatus for forming a tube or
sheet with corrugations. Such sheets or tubes/sleeves can be made
of metal or other materials suited for the method and apparatus
described herein.
[0004] 2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
[0005] The equipment used for corrugating of sheets is equipped
with plural roll stands in their progressive line. This kind of
progressive rollformers with different but fixed distance between
wheels in each stand is represented, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.
5,163,311.
[0006] There are different solutions to produce corrugated pipe.
Almost all of them have intricate kinematics and need complicated
adjustments to fit pipe diameter or to change pitch dimension.
Moreover, most of these apparatus stretch corrugating workpiece,
and thus create undesirable stresses in the material. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,690,137; 4,619,131; 5,056,348; 6,073,473;
6,282,939; 6,550,300; 6,789,318.
[0007] An apparatus such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,366,691 includes sliding wheels. However, displacement of these
wheels needs very fine adjustment. Moreover, making more than two
corrugated waves at the same time needs too intricate kinematics
and operation complexity. Finally, the changing of pitch dimension
is fully impossible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and
method to fabricate corrugated sleeves and or sheets, which
enables: [0009] Use one set of two or more rotating shafts with the
needed quantity of sliding wheels to make plural quantity of
corrugating waves; [0010] Easily change pitch of corrugations;
[0011] Make different pitches and shapes of corrugation in the same
workpiece; [0012] Easily change length and diameter of the
corrugated sleeves; [0013] Easily change width and length of the
corrugated sheets; [0014] Minimize material stretching because of
automatically adjusted distance between sliding wheels.
[0015] In accomplishing the above object, the invention relates to
an apparatus for the forming of corrugations in sleeves or sheets,
which includes the following: a mechanism for shafts rotating, two
or more rotating shafts with longitudinal grooves or keys, sliding
in axial direction wheels with internal grooves located on the said
shaft, springs or collars with elastic properties placed between
sliding wheels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed description of
exemplary embodiments of the invention, which follows, when
considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view illustrating rotating shafts
with sliding wheels and elastic collars at the start position in
accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view illustrating rotating shafts
with sliding wheels and elastic collars at the finish position;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the possible
third shafts and it location.
[0020] FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c are cross-sectional views illustrating
corrugated sleeves with different pitches (4a) or (4b)/and (4c)
different depth of corrugations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an embodiment in accordance with
this invention. Apparatus for the fabrication corrugated sleeves or
sheets comprises of spline shafts 1 and 2 mounted on a rotating
mechanism (not shown) with possibility to rotate said shafts in an
opposite direction in relation to each other. In addition, said
rotating mechanism has the possibility to displace said shafts
toward and away from each other. Further, said spline shafts are
provided with needed quantity of sliding wheels 3 and 4, double
wheels 5 to keep sleeve/sheet 6 edges in fixed position relatively
to said wheels 5, and fixed to the shaft 1 or 2 restricting wheels
7 and 8. Elastic collars (or springs) 9 are located between said
wheels 3 and 4.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of this invention, where
said rotating mechanism is provided with a third shaft 10 similar
to shafts 1 and 2 with possibility to shift manually said shaft 10
in accordance with said sleeve/sheet diameter (plain sheet has
infinite diameter). Said shaft 10 serves as guide for
moving/rotating workpiece 6, especially when the middle wheel from
set of wheels 3 or 4 is fixed to the shaft 1 or 2 and respective
middle wheel 11 on the shaft 10 is fixed to said shaft
[0023] The aforementioned apparatus operates in the manner
described below.
[0024] First, the apparatus for the forming corrugations in sleeves
or sheets is provided with the certain quantity of sliding wheels 3
and 4 and with certain length of elastic collars 9. Double wheels 5
flanks in position depend on initial width of the workpiece 6.
Restricting wheels 7 and 8 are fixed on the shaft 1 and 2. The
distance between said wheels 8 slightly bigger than the initial
width of the workpiece 6. At the same time, said wheels 7 and 8
compress respective set of the collars 9 with the small initial
force.
[0025] In the case (see FIG. 4a) when, for instance, a smaller
pitch is needed in the middle of said workpiece 6 in order to
withstand higher load in this area, just shorter collars 9 should
be placed in this middle area. To create deeper grooves in some
part of said workpiece (4b), just sliding wheels with bigger
diameter should be placed in this area.
[0026] Now, workpiece 6 is placed between shafts 1 and 2, and
rotation of the shafts 1 and 2 is started. At the same time, said
shafts start to displace toward each other, and said wheels 3 and 4
start to corrugate workpiece 6 by mostly collecting material of
said workpiece along said shafts.
* * * * *