Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool – With product handling or receiving means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-08-21
Bishop, Steven C. (Department: 3722)
Cutting by use of rotating axially moving tool
With product handling or receiving means
C137S318000, C408S127000, C408S137000, C409S201000, C409S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276878
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to tapping machines and, more particularly, to a horizontal cutting type tapping machine, allowing the saw part of the machine to be positioned close to a main pipeline, thereby effectively cutting an opening of a large diameter in a main pipeline.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to supply fluid, such as gas, water and water drainage from a source to a necessary location, supply pipelines are laid underground.
Supply pipelines for supplying a fluid from a source to a desired location comprise a main pipeline for supplying the fluid from a source to a place adjacent to the necessary location, a branch pipeline for supplying fluid from the main pipeline to the desired location, and a connecting pipe for connecting the main pipeline to the branch pipeline.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a process for installing the supply pipelines underground is performed by laying a main pipeline
1
underground, laying a branch pipeline
2
so that its one end is positioned over the main pipeline
1
, connecting the main pipeline
1
to the end of the branch pipeline
2
by means of a vertical connecting pipe
3
having a flange
3
a
at its top, cutting an opening in the wall of the main pipe
1
by means of a horizontal cutting type-tapping machine, engaging a plug
4
with the flange
3
a
, and fixing a lid
5
to the flange
3
a
with bolts.
Incidentally, a specific technology is required for preventing leakage of the fluid during installation of the connecting pipe
3
. On the other hand, since such technology is well known and is described in Korea patent No. 202503 granted to the instant applicant, the detailed description of the technology is omitted in this specification.
However, a pipe connecting structure of this type has problems in that the structure is subjected to load and vibration from the ground and becomes exposed (positioned outside the ground) because the branch pipeline
2
is disposed at a position above the main pipeline
1
, thereby being easily damaged.
The underground-laying depths are usually prescribed by law. In Korea, the depth for laying supply pipelines under a road wider than 8 m is 1.2 m, the depth for laying supply pipelines under a road of less than 8 m width is 1.0 m, and the depth for laying supply pipelines in a residential district is 0.6 m.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the supply pipelines are laid under a base layer and a surface layer, the base layer consisting of sand and pebbles, the surface layer being made of asphalt.
The main pipeline
1
and the branch pipeline
2
are preferably laid underground at the same depth, but the branch pipeline
2
has been disposed at a position above the main pipeline
1
because the connecting pipe
3
has to be vertically mounted and the main pipeline
1
must have an opening in its top portion.
The applicant of this invention holds Korea patent No. 202503, in which, in order to solve the abovementioned problems, the main pipeline and the branch pipeline are laid underground at the same depth and are connected by means of a horizontal connecting pipe (see FIGS.
3
and
4
).
In such a case, a tapping machine for cutting an opening in the side of the main pipeline
1
comprises a main body
6
of the machine. A shut-off valve
9
is mounted under the main body
6
.
A cutting head
7
is rotatably connected to the main body
6
through the extended drive shaft of the main body
6
. A saw part
8
is fixed to the end of the horizontal rotating shaft of the cutting head
7
.
In use of the tapping machine, the cutting head
7
is lowered to face the wall of the main pipeline
1
, the horizontal rotating shaft of the cutting head
7
is moved forward, the drive shaft of the main body
6
is rotated so as to rotate the horizontal rotating shaft of the cutting head
7
and the saw part
8
is rotated by the rotation of the rotation shaft. Accordingly, an opening is cut in the side of the main pipeline by the rotation of the saw part
8
.
However, according to the conventional horizontal cutting type-tapping machine, the saw part of the machine may not be positioned close to a main pipeline because the saw part is not able to be bent. As a result, effectively cutting an opening of a large diameter in a main pipeline is difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a horizontal cutting type-tapping machine, allowing the saw part of the machine to be positioned close to a main pipeline, thereby effectively cutting an opening of a large diameter in a main pipeline.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a horizontal cutting type-tapping machine, comprising a vertically extending drive shaft, a pair of surface gears detachably engaged with each other, the surface gears having a curved upper surface gear being fixed to the drive shaft and a lower surface gear, a gearbox connected to the lower surface gear, the gearbox converting the horizontal rotating force of the drive shaft to the vertical rotating force, an externally threaded shaft horizontally disposed and fixed to a vertically rotating gear of the gearbox, an internally threaded sleeve disposed in the gear housing of the gear box and engaged with the externally threaded shaft in order to be moved horizontally by being rotated, a saw part fixed to the front end of the internally threaded shaft, an internal tube threaded at its upper portion, having a smaller diameter at its lower portion and mounted around the drive shaft, a vertically moving sleeve slidably mounted around the lower portion of the drive shaft, a holding member holding the outside of lower portion of the internal tube, an external tube internally threaded and engaged with the internal tube, a setscrew connecting the external tube to the drive shaft, a bearing disposed between the external tube and the drive shaft so as to center the drive shaft and facilitate rotation of the drive shaft, a link rotatably connecting the lower portion of the vertically moving sleeve to the gearbox, and a driving means is connected to the drive shaft so as to drive the drive shaft.
REFERENCES:
patent: 525385 (1894-09-01), Feely
patent: 6068019 (2000-05-01), Lee
Becker Robert W.
Bishop Steven C.
Robert W. Becker & Associates
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