Swaging Apparatus

Abstract

A hydraulically actuated swaging apparatus having a means for pushing an assembly of a fitting on a hose end in a die and press the fitting on the hose is provided with a mandrel carried by the pushing means which is inserted in the assembly during swaging to prevent deformation of the wall of the hose into the bore through the hose and with means for removing the mandrel from the swaged assembly.

Description

This invention relates generally to apparatus for securing a fitting or coupling to the end of a hose or tube and more particularly to an improved hydraulic swaging apparatus.

A hydraulically actuated apparatus for swaging a fitting on the end of a hose is disclosed in the Whitledge U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,123 granted Dec. 19, 1972. The disclosed apparatus has hydraulically actuated pistons which move a pusher element alternately to and from a swaging die to press a fitting and hose end assembly in a die cavity and thereby compress or swage the fitting on the hose. Such an apparatus has been found to be advantageous for swaging most fittings about a hose end and has met with commercial success. However, it has been found that in swaging fittings which require the application of a substantial amount of force the fitting and enclosed hose wall may be deformed inwardly with a reduction of the internal diameter of the hose and reduced passageway for fluid flow.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved hydraulically actuated swaging apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to swage a fitting on a hose end under substantial pressure without significant reduction of the passageway through the hose. A more specific object of the invention is to adapt a hydraulically actuated swaging apparatus similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,123 to secure a fitting or coupling to the end of a hose or tube even at high pressures without significant distortion of the fitting or hose wall into the bore or fluid passageway therethrough.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of a hydraulically actuated swaging apparatus provided by the invention, with the fluid pressure source removed, which illustrates the apparatus with a hose and fitting assembly prior to swaging;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 1, also with the fluid pressure source removed, which illustrates the apparatus with the fitting and hose assembly seated in the swaging die after swaging;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 including a fluid pressure source which illustrates the apparatus after the swaged assembly is withdrawn from the swaging die but still holding the coupling;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partial section of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating the position of the apparatus as the fitting and hose end are pressed in the die to secure the fitting to the hose end;

FIG. 5 is a partial section taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial section taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 6 illustrating the embodiment of a fluid pressure source shown in FIG. 3 and described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,123;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of the invention with its parts positioned prior to swaging;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 8 with its parts in swaging position;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 8 after swaging; and

FIG. 11 is a section taken along the line 11--11 of FIG. 8.

The foregoing objects and others are accomplished in accordance with this invention, generally speaking, by providing an apparatus having a swaging die and a means actuatable by fluid pressure for pressing a fitting and hose end in the die about a mandrel until the external surface of the assembly has the configuration of the die cavity and the fitting and hose are secured together without significant indentation of the fitting into the fluid passageway of the hose. More specifically, the invention provides an apparatus having a swaging die, a support for the die, a piston rod carrying a pusher and mandrel assembly adapted to press a fitting and hose end assembly in a swaging die and a cylinder provided with means for the fluid pressure to pass alternately into and out of the cylinder to move the pusher and fitting assembly to and from the swaging die. The invention provides a pusher and mandrel assembly which may be installed on apparatus of the type described in U.S. Pat. 3,706,123 to be used for swaging under substantial pressures.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrated embodiment of the apparatus has a frame composed of longitudinally disposed laterally spaced rods 10 and 10a, an end cross-bar 11 and a die supporting base 13 bridging opposite ends of rods 10 and 10a. Cross-bar 11 is secured to threaded ends of rods 10 and 10a by nuts 12 and 12a and die base 13 is secured by welding to the opposite ends of rods 10 and 10a. A cylindrical housing 14 has ends 15 and 16 and encloses a cylinder chamber adapted to hold fluid under pressure. A first piston rod 17 has a first piston 18 bolted or otherwise secured to an end thereof inside the cylinder chamber and is secured at the opposite end to cross-bar 11 by a socket head cap screw 19. The peripheral edge of piston 18 forms a slidable substantially fluid impervious seal with the surrounding inner surface of housing 14. A fluid impervious seal is provided by an O-ring about piston rod 17 where it is slidably disposed in an opening through end 15. An aperture 20 through housing 14 permits flow of fluid under pressure into and out of the cylinder chamber between piston 18 and end 15. The diameter of the inner portion of end plate 15 is less than the internal diameter of housing 14 to provide a boss with an annular space thereabout for flow of fluid through aperture 20 when piston 18 is disposed against end 15.

A second piston rod 21 has a piston 22 secured by a nut (not shown) to a threaded end thereof inside the cylinder chamber. Piston rod 21 is slidably disposed through an opening in end 16 which may be sealed against loss of fluid from the chamber by an O-ring or other suitable sealing means.

A second cross-bar 23 is secured to the end of piston rod 21 by bolt 24 (FIG. 4) and is slidably mounted on rods 10 and 10a for longitudinal movement between end 16 of housing 14 and die base 13. Rods 10 and 10a are disposed through bores 25 and 25a in cross-bar 23. A centrally disposed bore 26 in cross-bar 23 (FIG. 4) communicates with a counter-bore 27 through which bolt 24 extends.

A pair of bolts 28 and 28a are slidably disposed in bores 29 and 29a through cross-bar 23 between rods 10 and 10a and piston rod 21. A first laterally extending plate 30 is threadably secured in face to face relationship with one side of cross-bar 23 to ends of bolts 28 and 28a and a second plate 31 is fastened by nuts 32 and 32a to the ends of bolts 28 and 28a in similar face to face relationship on the opposite side of cross-bar 23. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, plates 30 and 31 are secured to the ends of bolts 28 and 28a against movement relative to each other but cross-bar 23 can move longitudinally over bolts 28 and 28a between plates 30 and 31. Piston rod 21 is slidably disposed through bore 40 in plate 30.

A pusher element 33 is composed of a sleeve 82 welded or otherwise secured to plate 31 between nuts 32 and 32a and a holder 80 is held in the sleeve 82 by a set screw 81. A bore 34 through plate 31 has its longitudinal axis aligned with the longitudinal axis of bore 26. A bore or cavity 35 in holder 80 is aligned with bore 34 and is dimensioned to enclose and loosely engage a coupling end 36 of a fitting 37. A counter-bore 38 communicates between bores 34 and 35. By providing the holder 80 as separate pieces, holders adapted for use with different sized fittings can be interchanged with each other by simply loosening set screw 81.

A mandrel 39 has an elongated cylindrical body portion or arbor 41 (FIG. 4) which is of sufficient length to extend through bores 34 and 38 and through the length of fitting 37 as the pusher element 33 presses metal fitting 37 and the end of a hose 42 into die 43 into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The elongated body portion 41 is integral with an enlarged head portion 44 (FIG. 4) disposed in bore 26 of crossbar 23. An annular groove 45 is provided in head portion 44. Pins 46 and 46a extend through openings through the wall of cross-bar 23 about bore 26 and through annular groove 45 on opposite sides of head portion 44 to removably secure the mandrel 39 in cavity 26 against relative longitudinal movement. Rings 47 and 47a (FIG. 5) may be pivotally secured to the ends of pins 46 and 46a to facilitate insertion of pins 46 and 46a through groove 45.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, fitting 37 may have concentric walls 48 and 49 with an annular space 50 therebetween adapted to receive the end of a hose 42. When the fitting 37 is swaged as shown in FIG. 4, the hose wall in space 50 is compressed between walls 48 and 49 to rigidly secure fitting 37 to the end of a hose 42. The body portion 41 of mandrel 39 is disposed in the passageway 51 through hose 42 and prevents significant inward distortion or collapse of wall 49.

Brackets 52 and 52a are welded to housing 14 and are slidably disposed on rods 10 and 10a. Lift arms 53 and 53a are bolted or otherwise pivotally secured at one end to brackets 52 and 52a, respectively, and are bent at their opposite ends inwardly towards each other at an angle which is substantially equal to that of the adjacent bevelled surfaces of the ends of rods 10 and 10a.

Brackets 54 and 54a are welded to lift arms 53 and 53a. Die support frames 58 and 58a are welded to the opposite ends of brackets 54 and 54a. A plurality of peripherally spaced fixed pins 55 and 55a and one detent pin are carried by frames 58 and 58a to removably secure the segments of die 43 to the frames 58 and 58a. The bevelled ends of rods 10 and 10a are inclined about 15.degree. from perpendicular.

Any suitable source of fluid under pressure may be used to actuate pistons 18 and 22 and the cylinder formed by housing 14 and ends 15 and 16. It may be, for example, the one described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,123, the entire disclosure of the said patent being incorporated herein by reference. The structure of the fluid actuating system is not included in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 through 6 for the sake of simplicity. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus including the fluid actuating system is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a suitable T-type fitting 59 secures one end of a hose 60 to housing 14 through aperture 20 and a fitting 61 secures the opposite end of hose 60 to a hydraulic valve 62 connected to a pump 69 and a reservoir 63 of hydraulic fluid. A hose 64 is connected to aperture 56 in housing 14 by a suitable fitting 65 and to hydraulic valve 62 at its opposite end by a fitting 66. A longitudinally extending hose 67 is connected at one end to T-fitting 59 and at the other end to aperture 57 in housing 14 by a suitable fitting 68. Pump 69 is driven by motor 70. The internal diameters of hose 67 and of fitting 68 are sufficiently smaller than the opening through aperture 20 to require a greater pressure for passage of fluid through 67 and 68 than is required for fluid flow through the opening of aperture 20. An angle iron support member 71 may be provided for securing the apparatus to a bench 90 or the like (FIG. 7). Support 71 is secured to die base 13. The swaging apparatus may be inclined backwardly at an oblique angle as illustrated in FIG. 7. Adjustable members 72 and 72a guide lift bars 53 and 53a along the inclined surfaces of rods 10 and 10a (FIGS. 3 and 7).

A bracket 73 is welded to cross-bar 23 and extends outwardly therefrom beyond lift arm 53a, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. A lift rod 74 is attached at its lower end to latch handle 75 and passes through a hole drilled near the end of bracket 73. Valve handle 76 opens and closes hydraulic valve 62. The position of collar 77 on lift rod 74 can be used to determine the length of the stroke of piston rod 21 but the length of the stroke should always be sufficient to extract the mandrel 39 from the swaged fitting.

To operate the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, cylindrical housing 14 is brought to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7 with plate 30 disposed against end wall 16 and with cross-bar 23 against plate 30. Fitting 37 on an end of a hose 42 with the hose wall in space 50 is inserted in cavity 35 of pusher 33. With pump 69 being driven by motor 70, valve handle 76 is positioned to open valve 62 for flow of fluid under pressure from pump 69 through hose 64 and aperture 56 between pistons 18 and 22. Fluid above piston 18 is displaced through hose 60 to reservoir 63 and the cylindrical housing 14 moves longitudinally from cross-bar 11 towards die base 13 until it rests on piston 18. Since a greater fluid pressure is required for passage of fluid through aperture 57 than through aperture 20 fluid is forced through aperture 20 instead of through aperture 57 as fluid enters through aperture 56. The distance between piston 22 and end wall 16 remains substantially constant. Consequently, cylindrical housing 14, piston rod 21, lift arms 53 and 53a, plates 30 and 31, cross-bar 23 and pusher 33 move longitudinally as a unit. As the bent ends of lift arms 53 and 53a are guided below die base 13, the die segments are seated in the cavity in die base 13 to form die 43.

Continued pumping of fluid between pistons 18 and 22 moves piston 22 longitudinally forcing fluid out through aperture 57 until piston rod 21, cross-bar 23, plates 30 and 31 and pusher 33 have reached the position shown in FIG. 2 and the fitting 37 has been pressed in the cavity of die 43. It is to be noted that the elongated body or arbor 41 of mandrel 39 is disposed in the bore through fitting 37 as shown in FIG. 4 and has prevented inward distortion of wall 49.

At this point in the cycle, fitting 37 is tightly swaged about mandrel 39. To remove the swaged fitting 37 from the die 43, valve handle 76 is moved to adjust valve 62 for flow of fluid through hose 60 and because there is less resistance to flow through aperture 20 than through aperture 57, fluid flows through aperture 20 into the cylinder above piston 18 and leaves the cylinder through aperture 56 back to reservoir 63. This moves the cylindrical housing 14 until end 15 strikes cross-bar 11 as shown in FIG. 3. As piston rod 21 and cross-bar 23 move away from die 43 to the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the tightly swaged fitting on mandrel 39 prevents relative movement between plate 30 and cross-bar 23 so piston 21, cross-bar 23, pusher 33 and plates 30 and 31 move as a unit to the position shown in FIG. 3. At this point fitting 37 has been removed from die 43. The segments of die 43 are moved upwardly by lift arms 53 and 53a and are separated as the bent ends of the lift arms are guided over the inclined surfaces of rods 10 and 10a. However, fitting 37 is held firmly in cavity 35 by mandrel 39 until the position shown in FIG. 3 is reached.

After cylindrical housing 14 strikes cross-bar 11, continued pumping of fluid will cause flow through aperture 57 into the cylinder chamber. This causes piston 22 and piston rod 21 to move towards cross-bar 11 but plate 30 is prevented from further movement because it is against end 16 of housing 14. This further movement of piston rod 21 lifts cross-bar 23 over bolts 28 and 28a towards plate 30. Plate 31 cannot move relative to plate 30 so pusher 33 is held against longitudinal movement while cross-bar 23 and mandrel 39 move with piston rod 21 until cross-bar 23 strikes plate 30. This movement pulls mandrel 39 from fitting 37 which can now be removed from cavity 35. The apparatus is now positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1 ready for insertion of another fitting and hose assembly into cavity 35.

The embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11 is a modification of the one illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 and uses a second hydraulic cylinder and piston for inserting the mandrel into the fitting and hose assembly prior to swaging and for extracting the mandrel from the swaged assembly.

A U-shaped member 100 has laterally spaced vertical bars 128 and 128a welded or otherwise secured at one end to cross-bar 23 and integral at the other ends with base 109. A cylindrical housing 101 is secured at one end to cross-bar 23 and is disposed in the space between the vertical bars 128 and 128a. A piston rod 105 is carried by piston 102 disposed in chamber 106 of cylindrical housing 101. End walls 107 and 108 close housing 101 to form chamber 106. Ports 103 and 104 through housing 101 are located on housing 101 to be above and below piston 102, respectively, throughout the stroke of piston rod 105.

Pusher element 33 is welded or otherwise secured to base 109 of U-shaped member 100. Opening 110 through base 109 is aligned with bore 38 through holder 80. Holder 80 is held in sleeve 82 by set screw 81. Counter-bore 35 of greater diameter than bore 38 provides a cavity for frictionally engaging coupling end 36 of a fitting 37 disposed therein.

Piston rod 105 extends through an opening through end 108 of housing 101 and carries mandrel holder 111 welded or otherwise secured thereto. A fluid tight seal is provided around piston rod 105 in the opening through the end wall 108 of housing 101.

A bore 112 in mandrel holder 111 is threaded and the head 44 of mandrel 39 is threadably secured therein. Arbor 41 of mandrel 39 extends through opening 110, bore 38 and into counter-bore 35.

The relative positions of the apparatus prior to swaging are shown in FIG. 8. At this point cross-bar 23 is disposed against bottom wall 16 of cylindrical housing 14 and piston 22 is disposed in spaced relationship with respect to bottom wall 16. End 15 of housing 14 is disposed against top bar 11. Piston 102 is disposed in spaced relationship with end 108 of cylindrical housing 101. Arbor 41 at this point protrudes downwardly from pusher 33 into the bore in fitting 37. Fitting 37 is positioned above the split segments of die 43.

Suitable hoses (not shown) are attached to ports 103 and 104 and to a source of fluid under pressure. The hydraulic system used to actuate piston 102 may combine any conventional hydraulic valve and fluid reservoir adapted to direct fluid under pressure alternately through ports 103 and 104 to move piston 102 longitudinally in chamber 106. The source of fluid under pressure for actuation of piston 102 may be the same as that used to actuate pistons 18 and 22 or a separate system. The hydraulic system is not illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11 since it is conventional.

In operating the apparatus of FIGS. 8 through 11, a fitting 37 and hose 42 assembly are inserted in cavity 35 of pusher 33 as described above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 7. Cross-bar 23 is disposed against end wall 16 of cylindrical housing 14 and the various other parts of the apparatus are positioned as shown in FIG. 8. Fluid under pressure is then introduced through port 103 and fluid below piston 102 returns through port 104 to the fluid reservoir. Piston 102 moves longitudinally in chamber 106 with piston rod 105 and mandrel holder 111 moving to the position near base 109 of U-shaped member 100 shown in FIG. 9. However, at this point in the operation, U-shaped member 100 has not moved from its position shown in FIG. 8. The movement of piston 102 moves arbor 41 through the bore of fitting 37.

Pistons 18 and 22 are now actuated as described above with respect to the operation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7. Longitudinal movement of piston 22 and piston rod 21 towards die base 13 closes the die segments to seat die 43 in die base 13 and moves cross-bar 23 towards die base 13 into the position shown in FIG. 9. Member 100 is carried by cross-bar 23 with piston rod 105 in its extended position until the fitting 37 is seated in the die cavity as shown in FIG. 9.

Pistons 18 and 22 are now actuated as described above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 7 to withdraw the swaged fitting 37 and hose end from the die cavity. Cross-bar 23 is withdrawn until it strikes end 16 of cylindrical housing 14 as shown in FIG. 10. U-shaped member 100 is carried along by cross-bar 23 until it reaches the position as shown in FIG. 10 with piston rod 105 still in its extended position.

Mandrel 39 is extracted from the swaged fitting and hose end by introducing fluid under pressure through port 104. Piston 102 now moves longitudinally in chamber 106 to the position shown in FIG. 8 as fluid is displaced from chamber 106 through port 103. Piston rod 102 carries holder 111 and mandrel 39 with it while pusher 33 remains in the position shown in FIG. 10 until mandrel 39 has been removed from the base of the swaged fitting and has reached the position shown in FIG. 8.

The bars 128 and 128a of U-shaped member 100 are disposed inwardly from rods 10 and 10a as shown in FIG. 11. In still another embodiment of the invention, the base of U-shaped member 100 is a cross-bar of approximately the same length as cross-bar 23 and has bores therethrough which permit it to slide longitudinally over rods 10 and 10a as it moves with cross-bar 23. The ends of bars 128 and 128a may be welded or otherwise secured to cross-bar 23 and to the cross-bar substituted for base 109.

It is believed to be apparent from the foregoing that the apparatus provides improvements over the apparatus described in the aforesaid patent which accomplish the objects of the invention. The swaged fitting on the hose end is prevented by the mandrel from obstructing the hose passageway. The mandrel is inserted and removed from the swaged fitting assembly as the apparatus passes through the swaging cycle.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus for swaging a fitting on the end of a hose, said fitting having a coupling end and an end having substantially concentric walls for insertion of a hose end therebetween, said apparatus comprising a die having a cavity therein, a pair of spaced rods disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the die cavity, means for supporting the die bridging a pair of ends of the rods and fixed thereto, a first cross-bar bridging the opposite ends of the rods and fixed thereto, a cylindrical housing having first and second end walls enclosing a cylindrical chamber, an opening through each end wall, a first piston rod fixed at one end to the said cross-bar and slidably disposed through the opening in the first end wall in fluid impervious relationships therewith, a piston carried by the said piston rod in the chamber, a second piston rod slidably disposed through the openings in said second end in fluid impervious relationship therewith, and carrying a second piston in said chamber, bracket means slidably mounting said housing on said rods, a second cross-bar slidably mounted on said rods and fixed to said piston outside said chamber, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said chamber to actuate said second piston and said cylindrical housing longitudinally with respect to said first piston, an improved means for supporting and swaging said fitting on said hose end comprising a first plate member disposed on one side of said second cross-bar and a second plate member disposed on the opposite side of the cross-bar and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the first plate and to the longitudinal axis of the second cross-bar, means for slidably securing the plates to the cross-bar and for securing the plates together against relative movement, a pusher element fixed to said second plate having a cavity therein for enclosing the coupling end of the fitting, a cavity in said cross-bar having a common longitudinal axis with the cavity in the second cross-bar, a bore through the second plate and a bore through the pusher element having a longitudinal axis aligned with those of the cavities in the cross-bar and pusher element and communicating therewith, and a mandrel having a head position secured in the said cavity of the cross-bar and an elongated body which extends through said bores and the cavity in the pusher element and adapted to extend into the fitting and support the said concentric walls while the fitting is pressed in the die cavity by the pusher element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said die is divided longitudinally into segments which join to form a die cavity when inserted in the die supporting member and said segments are carried by means fixed to said bracket means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plates are bolted together in spaced relationship, said head portion of the mandrel has an annular groove and a pair of pins disposed through openings in the cross-bar and through arcuate portions of the groove secure the mandrel against longitudinal movement relative to the second cross-bar.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a counterbore communicates with the cavity in the second cross-bar and the second cross-bar is bolted to an end of the second piston rod.

5. In an apparatus for swaging a fitting on an end of a hose comprising means for pressing a fitting and hose end assembly into a swaging die, the improvement which comprises a mandrel carried by said means and adapted to support the inner wall of the hose as the fitting is pressed thereagainst in the swaging die.

6. In an apparatus for swaging a fitting on an end of a hose, said apparatus comprising a swaging die and means for pressing a fitting and hose end assembly in the die, said means comprising a pusher element having a cavity therein which is adapted to hold a said assembly and a mandrel disposed longitudinally through the cavity and adapted to be inserted in said hose, and means for moving said pusher element towards said die and press the assembly therein about the mandrel.

7. A swaging apparatus comprising a die, means for holding a fitting and hose assembly, means for inserting a mandrel through the base of the fitting, means for pressing the assembly in a die to swage the fitting on the hose, means for removing the pressed assembly and mandrel as a unit from the die and means for removing the mandrel from the swaged assembly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for removing the mandrel from the swaged assembly comprises a housing enclosing a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, means for hydraulically actuating the piston, a piston rod fixed to the piston, and a mandrel fixed to the piston rod.

9. In an apparatus for swaging a fitting on the end of a hose, said fitting having a coupling end and an end adapted for insertion of a hose end therein, said apparatus comprising a die having a cavity therein, a pair of spaced rods disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the die cavity, means for supporting the die bridging a pair of ends of the rods and fixed thereto, a first cross-bar bridging the opposite ends of the rods and fixed thereto, a first cylindrical housing having first and second end walls enclosing a cylindrical chamber, an opening through each end wall, a first piston rod fixed at one end to the said cross-bar and slidably disposed through the opening in the first end wall in fluid impervious relationships therewith, a piston carried by the said piston rod in the chamber, a second piston rod slidably disposed through the openings in said second end in fluid impervious relationship therewith, and carrying a second piston in said chamber, bracket means slidably mounting said housing on said rods, a second crossbar slidably mounted on said rods and fixed to said piston outside said chamber, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said chamber to actuate said second piston and said cylindrical housing longitudinally with respect to said first piston, an improved means for supporting and swaging said fitting on said hose end comprising a third cross-bar spaced longitudinally towards the die from the second crossbar, means for securing the second and third cross-bars for longitudinal movement together, a pusher element fixed to the third cross-bar and facing said die, said pusher element having a cavity for holding a fitting therein, a bore through the third cross-bar, a bore in the pusher element aligned with and communicating with the bore through the cross-bar, a counterbore in the pusher having axis common with the axis of the bore in the pusher element and communicating therewith, a second cylindrical housing carried by the second cross-bar and having a cylindrical chamber therein, a piston disposed for longitudinal movement in the chamber and carrying a third piston which extends outside of the second cylindrical housing, a mandrel carried by said third piston and projecting through the bore in the third cross-bar, the bore in the pusher element and into the counterbore of the pusher element, and means for moving the said third piston longitudinally.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the third piston rod carries a mandrel holder and the mandrel is removably secured in the said mandrel holder.