US3732618A

US3732618A - Adjustable pipe groover and cut-off

Info

Publication number: US3732618A
Application number: US00099478A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Lorenz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-12-18
Filing date: 1970-12-18
Publication date: 1973-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-15

Abstract

A pipe receiving tool which incorporates a driven ring gear carrying an adjustable knife mounting arm for travel about the pipe in cutting engagement therewith. The knife mounting arm can adjustably mount two knives so as to simultaneously groove and cut-off a pipe, or can carry a single knife to perform either function by itself.

Description

Hittite Lorenz CUT-OFF [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

Dec. 18, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 99,478

tates Watet [191 Robert 1-1. Lorenz, 1888 Lakewind Drive, Pontiac, Mich. 48053 1 3,73%613 1 May 15, 1973 Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, Jr, Assistant Examiner.l. C. Peters Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien & Harvey B. Jacob- [52] 11.8. CI ..30/97 son [51] ..B23d 21/04 [58] Field of Search ..30/92, 96, 97, 101, [57] ABSTRACT 30/102 A pipe receiving tool which incorporates a driven ring gear carrying an adjustable knife mounting arm for [56] References Cited travel about the pipe in cuttingengagement therewith. UNITED STATES PATENTS The knife mounting arm can adjustably mount two knives so as to simultaneously groove and cut-off a ga l pipe, or can carry a single knife to perform either y function y itself.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 28 2O 26 I.r f:

/4 46 /2 MA-"1V6 a PATENTED HAY I 51973 SHEET 1 BF 3 Roberf H. Lorenz PATENTED 3.732.618

SHEET 2 0F 3 Hobefl H. Lorenz INVESTOR.

PAIENIEB H 3.732.618

SHEET 3 OF 3 INVESTOR.

BY WW 19m Robert H.- Lorenz ADJUSTABLE PIPE GROOVER AND CUT-OFF The instant invention is concerned with a pipe cutting tool, and more particularly relates to a tool which can be used to sever a section of pipe, groove the pipe, and, if so desired, perform both functions simultaneously.

It is a primary intention of the instant invention to provide a pipe cutting tool which is unique in its ability to perform a variety of operations in a simple and effective manner utilizing a structurally compact and uncomplicated construction, notwithstanding the novelty present in the particular combination of structural elements involved.

Basically, the tool of the instant invention includes inner and outer plates which mount a bearing collar therebetween for the reception of a ring gear thereabout. The ring gear is rotationally driven by a spur gear mounted on the inner or back plate, the ring gear carrying an enlarged mounting ring which in turn pivotally mounts the adjustable mounting arm which carries the cutting knives, either one or two depending upon the particular job to be performed. The entire device is slid onto the pipe to be cut and locked into position by adjustable locking arms fixed to the inner plate.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tool or machine of the instant invention mounted in operative position on a pipe;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear or inner elevational view of the pipe mounted device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially on a plane passing along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially on a plane passing along line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front or outer elevational view of the pipe mounted device;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mounting ring;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting arm and associated components; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the upper section of the inner or back sectional plate.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 is used to designate the machine or device comprising the instant invention. This machine, as will be readily apparent, is a combination pipe cutter and groover positionable, during the use thereof, in surrounding relation about a pipe 12 which is to be cut, grooved, or both cut and grooved as a simultaneous operation.

The pipe cutting device 10 includes inner and outer flat

annular plates

14 and 16 secured to an interposed annular bearing sleeve or collar 18 to which the

plates

14 and 16 are bolted. The inner or back plate 14 is sectional, formed of upper and lower sections 14a and 14b, each of which is bolted to the collar 18 as will be readily noted from FIGS. 3 and 5. The upper plate section 14a includes an integral upwardly projecting mounting panel 20 having a shaft receiving opening 22 therethrough.

A ring gear 24 surrounds and mounts for rotational movement on the bearing collar 18. The driving of the ring gear 24 is effected through a spur gear 26 engaged with the upper portion of the ring gear 24 and paralleling the inner face of the mounting panel 20. The spur gear 26 includes a projecting stub shaft 28 fixed therethrough which extends through the panel opening 22 for engagement with an appropriate power unit 30 of any type. If deemed desirable, an appropriate bearing can be utilized within the; shaft receiving opening 22.

An annular mounting ring 32 also surrounds the bearing collar 18 inward of the outer plate 16. This mounting ring 32 includes an inwardly directed annular shoulder 34 about the inner periphery thereof which shoulder 34 is received within a mating undercut recess 36 defined about the inner periphery of the ring gear 24. A plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts 38 are utilized to lock the mounting ring 32 to the ring gear 24 whereby a driving of the ring gear 24 will effect a simultaneous driven rotation of the mounting ring 32. The mounting ring 32 is radially enlarged relative to the ring gear 24, projecting outwardly therefrom completely thereabout and lying immediately outward of the spur gear 26 so as to assist in a confining of the spur gear.

A short portion of the outer circumference of the mounting ring 32 includes an integral forwardly projecting stepped enlargement 40, the first step of which overlies and projects forwardly beyond the upper edge portion of the front plate 16. A flat mounting plate 42 is welded to the integral forwardly extending portion 40 and projects forwardly therebeyond to mount, at one end of the outer edge thereof, 21 depending car 44. As will be best appreciated from FIG. 2, the inner face of the car 44 is stepped inwardly slightly below the undersurface of the mounting plate 42 so as to conform to the outer step of the projecting portion 40 of the mounting ring 32 and cooperate therewith in defining a pocket for the pivotally mounted end of the adjustable mounting arm 46.

The mounting arm 46 is in the nature of an elongated rectangular bar underlying the mounting plate 42 and having one end 48 thereof enlarged and pivotally secured between the mounting ear 44 and the outer face of the first step of the mounting ring enlargement 40 for a vertical swinging of the second end of the arm 46. The mounting arm 46, toward the free or outer end thereof, is provided with a pair of laterally spaced vertical knife receiving holes or passages 50 which slidably and adjustably receive the two knives 52. It will be appreciated that the openings 50 are rectangular, as are the shanks of the knives 52 so as to provide for a nonrotatable reception of the knives 52. The knives 52 are locked, at adjusted positions within the corresponding openings 50, by means of setscrews 54 engaged through the extreme outer end of the mounting arm 46 with each knife 52 being individually adjustable so as to vary the degree of projection. For example, if the pipe 12 is to be both severed and grooved simultaneously, the outermost knife 52 will project a sufficient distance beyond the inner knife 52 so as to effect a severing of the pipe 12 in conjunction with a forming of the groove therein of the desired depth. By the same token, it will be appreciated that a single grooving or cutting operation can be performed by merely removing one of the knives 52, or upwardly adjusting the knife to the point where no engagement is made with the pipe 12.

The mounting arm 46 is spring-biased upwardly by a coiled tension spring 56 engaged between the mounting arm 46 inward of the knife openings 50 and the overlying mounting plate 42. The pivotal adjustment of the mounting arm 46 is effected by means of an elongated threaded adjusting shaft 58 threaded through a vertical bore in the mounting plate 42 and having a rounded lower bearing end 60 which engages the upper surface of the mounting arm 46 for a selective downward moving of the arm 46 against the biasing force of the spring 56. The shaft 58 is stabilized relative to the mounting arm 46 by means of a longitudinally projecting reduced diameter guide pin 62 on the shaft 58 which extends through an elongated guide slot 64 defined through the mounting arm 46. An upward pivoting of the mounting arm 46 is effected through the action of the spring 56 as the threaded shaft 58 is backed off. Incidentally, it will be noted that an enlarged hand knob 66 is affixed to the upper end of the shaft 58 for ease of manipulation.

In order to mount the device on the pipe 12, three radially adjustable locking arms 68 are provided on the back or inner plate 14. Each of the arms 68 includes an elongated base portion 70 which extends radially across the rear face of the plate 14 and is bolted to a mounting block 72, welded to the plate 14 by an adjusting bolt 74 which extends through a longitudinally elongated slot 76 in the base portion 70. The threaded inner end portion of the bolt 74 is received within an internally threaded bore within the mounting plate 72. The inner end of each mounting arm base portion 70 terminates in a lateral rearwardly extending integral end portion 78. This end portion 78 has a threaded bore 80 therethrough which receives a clamping bolt 82. This clamping bolt 82, in conjunction with the two bolts 82 associated with the other two locking arms 68 effects, upon an extension thereof, a clamped engagement with the received pipe with the slotted base portions of the locking arm 68 enabling a relatively extensive range of adjustment through the device 10 for an accommodation of pipes of varying sizes.

In use, the mounting or locking legs 68 are backed off so as to enable a sliding of the device 10 onto the pipe 12 to be cut, the mounting arm 46 likewise being retracted so as to enable a clearing of the pipe 12 by the knife or knives 52. The device 10 is then slid into position on the pipe and fixedly clamped thereto by an extension of the locking legs 68, care being taken to center the pipe 12 within the device. Next the knives 52 are adjusted, depending on whether a severing of the pipe, a grooving of the pipe, or a combination of both is to be effected, after which the adjusting shaft 58 is manipulated so as to bring the knives into engagement with the pipe 12, after which the device is activated by the coupling of a power source to the shaft 28 of the spur gear 26. As the cutting progresses, the mounting arm 46 is progressively swung downward so as to continuously engage the knives 52 with the pipe 12 until the desired cut or cuts have been achieved.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pipe cutting device comprising a pipe receiving ring gear, means for mounting said ring gear on a pipe for rotational travel thereabout, a knife mounting arm positioned laterally of said ring gear and oriented parallel to said ring gear, means mounting said arm on said ring gear for rotational travel therewith, and means for adjusting said arm for movement toward and away from a ring gear received pipe, said arm having knife means mounted thereon for selective cutting engagement with the pipe, said knife means comprising a pair of laterally spaced knives to optionally define dual or single pipe cuts, both of said knives being adjustably mounted on said arm to vary the depth of cut of the knives relative to each other, the means for mounting said ring gear including a bearing collar slidably receiving the ring gear thereover, and inner and outer annular plates fixed to the opposite sides of said bearing collar and slidably retaining the ring gear therebetween, said inner plate including a plurality of radial locking arms adjustably mounted thereon for selective radial adjustment for locking engagement with a received pipe.

2. The device of claim 1 including a mounting ring fixed to one face of the ring gear and orientated between the ring gear and the outer annular plate, said mounting ring including a laterally projecting peripheral portion extending beyond said outer plate, said mounting arm being pivotally affixed to said laterally projecting portion for operative orientation outward of said outer plate.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said inner plate mounts a spur gear in driving engagement with said ring gear, said spur gear including a projecting shaft selectively engageable with a power source for effecting a driving thereof.

4. A pipe cutting device comprising a pipe receiving ring gear, means for mounting said ring gear on a pipe for rotational travel thereabout, a knife mounting arm positioned laterally of said ring gear and oriented parallel to said ring gear, means mounting said arm on said ring gear for rotational travel therewith, and means for adjusting said arm for movement toward and away from a ring gear received pipe, said arm having knife means mounted thereon for selective cutting engagement with the pipe, said knife means comprising a pair of laterally spaced knives to optionally define dual or single pipe cuts, at least one of said knives being adjustable on said arm to vary the depth of cut of the knives relative to each other, the means for mounting said ring gear including a bearing collar slidably receiving the ring gear thereover, inner and outer annular plates fixed to the opposite sides of said bearing collar and slidably retaining the ring gear therebetween, said inner plate including a plurality of radial locking arms adjustably mounted thereon for selective radial adjustment for locking engagement with a received pipe, and a mounting ring fixed to one face of the ring gear and oriented between the ring gear and the outer annular plate, said mounting ring including a laterally projecting peripheral portion extending beyond said outer plate, said mounting arm being pivotally affixed to said laterally projecting portion for operative orientation outward of said outer plate.

5. A pipe cutting device comprising a pipe receiving ring gear, means for mounting said ring gear on a pipe for rotational travel thereabout, a knife mounting arm positioned laterally of said ring gear and orientated parlockin engagement with a received pipe.

6. The device of claim 5 including a mounting ring fixed to one face of the ring gear and orientatedtbetween the ring gear and the outer annular plate, said mounting ring including a laterally projecting peripheral portion extending beyond said outer plate, said mounting arm being pivotally affixed to said laterally projecting portion for operative orientation outward of said outer plate.

Claims

5. A pipe cutting device comprising a pipe receiving ring gear, means for mounting said ring gear on a pipe for rotational travel thereabout, a knife mounting arm positioned laterally of said ring gear and orientated parallel to said ring gear, means mounting said arm on said ring gear for rotational travel therewith, and means for adjusting said arm for movement toward and away from a ring gear received pipe, said arm having knife means mounted thereon for selective cutting engagement with the pipe, the means for mounting said ring gear including a bearing collar slidably receiving the ring gear thereover, and inner and outer annular plates fixed to the opposite sides of said bearing collar and slidably retaining the ring gear therebetween, said inner plate including adjustable means mounted thereon for lockin engagement with a received pipe.

6. The device of claim 5 including a mounting ring fixed to one face of the ring gear and orientated between the ring gear and the outer annular plate, said mounting ring including a laterally projecting peripheral portion extending beyond said outer plate, said mounting arm being pivotally affixed to said laterally projecting portion for operative orientation outward of said outer plate.