Abrading – Abrading process – Ring – tube – bushing – sleeve – or cylinder abrading
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-03-27
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Abrading process
Ring, tube, bushing, sleeve, or cylinder abrading
C451S190000, C451S194000, C451S130000, C451S260000, C451S299000, C451S302000, C451S336000, C451S337000, C198S626500, C198S803110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206763
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to finishing machinery and, more particularly, to a machine for removing burrs from the ends of tubing sections. Specifically, the invention relates to a deburring machine having two synchronized dogged conveyors, one conveyor being adjustable, that rotatably retain a length of tubing between the dogs while the dogs are translated past a rotating brush that removes burrs from the ends of the tube.
2. Background Information
Short lengths of tubing are used in myriad applications in the automotive field as well as other fields. Short lengths of tubing are typically cut from longer lengths of tubing stock, with the cutting operation typically leaving a number of burrs on the cut edge. The burrs generally must be removed prior to using the cut piece of tubing.
Numerous methods exist for removing the burrs from the tubing pieces, the most typical involving the use of a wire brush applied to the ends to remove the burrs. Numerous such devices are well known and understood in the relevant art, the most popular among them being a machine that employs a single dogged conveyor to drive the lengths of tubing in a direction transverse to their longitudinal axis between a pair of opposed drum-shaped wire brushes rotating about substantially parallel axes, the rotating brushes removing the burrs from the length of tubing as it is passed therebetween. With such machinery, it is desired that the length of tubing be permitted to rotate about its own axis as it passes between the wire brushes to allow the entire circumference of both ends to be properly deburred.
Such rotation of the length of tubing during deburring occurs as the dogged conveyor rolls the length of tubing along a support rail. The length of tubing is thus preferably permitted to rotate about its own axis as it is driven between the brushes by the dogged conveyor and thus should not be clamped or fixedly attached to the conveyor.
While such machines have achieved limited success for their intended purpose, such machines have not, however, been without limitation. One problem inherent in such machines is that the minimum length of tubing that can be successfully deburred is on the order of about six inches. Inasmuch as the piece of tubing is not clamped to the conveyor dogs, pieces of tubing less than six inches in length have a tendency to become unstable and shift diagonally in the wire brush section of the machine, often causing the machine to become jammed or at best resulting in a poorly deburred length of tubing. Such instability and diagonal shifting results primarily because the section of tubing is lightweight and is not clamped or fixedly attached to the dogged conveyor but is free to rotate.
It is thus desired to provide a deburring machine that permits lengths of tubing under six inches in length to be properly deburred by minimizing the potential for the length of tubing to become unstable and to shift diagonally in the wire brush section of the machine. Such a machine would preferably include a pair of support surfaces on a pair of synchronized dogged conveyors that are configured to retain the length of tubing therebetween yet permit the length of tubing to rotate axially with respect to the support surfaces to permit the entire circumference of the ends of the length of tubing to be properly deburred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine that retains a section of tubing between a pair of support surfaces as the length of tubing is passed between a pair of drum-shaped wire brushes yet permits the length of tubing to rotate freely with respect to the support surfaces.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine that contains two dogged conveyors for retaining a length of tubing as the tubing is driven between a pair of wire brushes.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine having two dogged conveyors, at least one of which is adjustable, to permit the deburring machine to deburr lengths of tubing having different outer diameters.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine that can deburr the ends of various lengths of tubing.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine that can deburr the ends of lengths of tubing shorter than six inches.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine containing two dogged conveyors, the two conveyors being operationally synchronized.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine having two synchronized dogged conveyors, one conveyor being adjustable with respect to the other without interfering with the synchronization therebetween.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine having a pair of support surfaces that permit a length of tubing to roll along a fixed support rail.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine having a pair of support surfaces on separate conveyors, the support surfaces being in register with one another.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a deburring machine having a pair of dogged conveyors that provide a pair of support surfaces that retain a length of tubing therebetween, yet permit the length of tubing to rotate axially with respect to the support surfaces.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention are obtained from the deburring machine of the present invention, the general nature of which can be stated as including a frame, a first support surface and a second support surface mounted on the frame, a brush system, the first and second support surfaces translatable with respect to the brush system, and the first and second support surfaces configured to retain the workpiece therebetween, the workpiece being free to rotate with respect to the first and second support surfaces as the workpiece operationally interacts with the brush system.
Other objective and advantages are obtained from the method for removing burrs from a workpiece, the general nature of which can be stated as including the steps of translating the workpiece with a translation system through a brush system where brushes contact both ends of the workpiece, retaining the workpiece between first and second support surfaces defined on the translation system, and rotating the workpiece with respect to the first and second support surfaces.
Still other objective and advantages are obtained from the method for setting up a deburring machine to translate a workpiece in a translation direction, the deburring machine having a frame, a translation system formed on the frame, and a first support surface and a second support surface defined on the translation system, the workpiece having a length and an outer diameter, the general nature of which can be stated as including the step of adjusting one of the first and second support surfaces along the translation direction with respect to the other of the first and second support surfaces according to the outer diameter of the workpiece.
Other objectives and advantages are obtained from the improvement of the present invention, the general nature of which can be stated as relating to a deburring machine for removing burrs from a workpiece, the machine being of the type having a frame, a first dogged conveyor translatably mounted on the frame, the first dogged conveyor having at least a first dog, the at least first dog adapted to translate a workpiece past a brush system disposed adjacent the first dogged conveyor, with the general nature of the improvement being stated as including a second dogged conveyor translatably mounted on the frame, at least a first dog formed on the second dogged conveyor, and the workpiece being rollably retained between the at least first dog formed on the first dogged conveyor and the at least first dog formed on the second dogged conveyor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2231921 (1941-02-01), Kitlar et al.
patent: 2387446 (1945-10-01), Herz
patent:
Hail III Joseph J.
Ohio Custom Machinery, Inc.
Sand & Sebolt
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