Milling head and methods for tube end preparation

• US 20070110531A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Climax Portable Machine Tools, Inc. (CPMT Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: H&S Tool Incorporated (CPMT Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hall, J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,100,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 409/131
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/122 of pipes or cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1928 Tool adjustable relative to holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/1936 Apertured tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303752 Process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303808 including infeeding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/22 Portable lathe for pipe turning

Abstract

A milling head for use in conjunction with a rotary milling tool that is utilized to perform an operation on a tube, preferably of a tube bank or tube wall of a boiler system. The milling head is utilized to remove material or film from the outer diameter of a tube, or place a bevel on a tube end, or both. In one embodiment, the milling head includes at least one outer diameter milling element and at least one bevel milling element that are adjustable in relation to each other as well as the milling head body. Methods for milling a tube are also described.

Claims

1. A milling head for a rotary milling tool, comprising:

a body adapted to be connected to a rotary milling tool, wherein the body has an annular recess, and one or more milling element supports connected to the body, wherein at least one milling element support includes a channel, wherein a bevel milling element having a cutting edge is adjustable in the channel, wherein the bevel milling element is connected to the channel, wherein at least one milling element support includes a guide, wherein an outer diameter milling element having a cutting edge is adjustable in relation to the guide, wherein the outer diameter milling element is connected to the guide, wherein the bevel milling element has an annular cutting sweep that is at least concentric with an inner end of a cutting sweep of the outer diameter milling element and radially inward a distance from the outer diameter milling element cutting sweep.

2. The milling head according to claim 1, wherein the bevel milling element or the outer diameter milling element or a combination thereof includes a slotted bore, and wherein a securing element has a portion that extends through the slotted bore and connects the bevel milling element or the outer diameter milling element to the milling element support.

3. The milling head according to claim 2, wherein the channel includes a back that longitudinally extends on the milling element support at an angle of 0°

to about 45°

in relation to a central rotational axis of the milling head, wherein a portion of the bevel milling element contacts the back, and wherein the slotted bore has an elongated axis arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the channel back.

4. The milling head according to claim 2, wherein the milling element support guide comprises a track that extends longitudinally at an angle measured perpendicular to a central rotational axis of the milling head of from 0°

to about 45°

, wherein a portion of the outer diameter milling element contacts the track, and wherein the slotted bore of the outer diameter milling element has a longitudinal axis arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the track.

5. The milling head according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter milling element is secured between the guide and a fixing element, wherein the fixing element is connected to the milling element support by a securing element.

6. The milling head according to claim 5, wherein the guide includes a track that extends longitudinally at an angle measured perpendicular to a central axis of a milling head of from 0°

to about 45°

, and wherein a portion of the outer diameter milling element contacts the track and is movable along the track before being secured to the milling head.

7. The milling head according to claim 6, wherein the fixing element includes a foot that extends into a recess of the milling element support in a secured position to aid in locking the outer diameter milling element to the milling element support.

8. The milling head according to claim 7, wherein the guide includes a back having a surface that extends in a plane substantially radial to the central axis, and wherein the outer diameter milling element is secured between the back and the fixing element, and wherein one cutting edge of the outer diameter milling element has a longitudinal axis that is fixed at an angle with respect to a central axis of the milling head of 0°

to about 30°

.

9. The milling head according to claim 1, wherein the milling element support channel has a back that extends longitudinally on the milling element support in a direction in relation to a central rotational axis of the milling head at an angle from 0°

to about 45°

.

10. The milling head according to claim 9, wherein the channel includes a side, a back, and a locking element, and wherein the bevel milling element is secured between the channel side and the locking element.

11. The milling head according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the bevel milling element contacts the channel back.

12. The milling head according to claim 11, wherein the locking element is secured to the milling element support with a securing element, wherein the back extends longitudinally at an angle from 0°

to about 20°

with respect to the central axis, and wherein the bevel milling element cutting edge is fixed at an angle of from about 20°

to about 60°

in relation to the central axis.

13. A milling head for a rotary milling tool, comprising:

a body having an annular recess, the body adapted to be connected to a rotary milling tool;

one or more milling element supports connected to the body, wherein the milling element support includes a guide; and

an outer diameter milling element having a cutting edge adapted to remove material from an outer diameter of a tube, wherein the outer diameter milling element is adjustable in relation to the guide and is secured between the guide and a fixing element, wherein the fixing element is connected to the milling element support by a securing element.

14. The milling head according to claim 13, wherein the guide includes a track that extends longitudinally at an angle measured perpendicular to a central rotational axis of the milling head of from 0°

to about 45°

.

15. The milling head according to claim 14, wherein a portion of the outer diameter milling element contacts the track and is movable along the track before being secured to the milling head.

16. The milling head according to claim 14, wherein the fixing element includes a foot that extends into a recess of the milling element support in a secured position to aid in locking the outer diameter milling element to the milling element support.

17. The milling head according to claim 14, wherein the guide includes a back having a surface that extends in a plane substantially radial to the central axis, and wherein the outer diameter milling element is secured between the back and the fixing element.

18. The milling head according to claim 17, wherein a cutting edge of the outer diameter milling element has a longitudinal axis that is fixed at an angle with respect to the central axis of the milling head of 0°

to about 30°

.

19. The milling head according to claim 18, wherein the cutting edge longitudinal axis is fixed at an angle with respect to the central axis of the milling head of about 5°

to about 15°

.

20. The milling head according to claim 18, wherein a bevel milling element having a cutting edge is connected in a channel of the milling element support, wherein the bevel milling element is adjustable in at least a direction parallel to the central axis in the milling element support channel, and wherein the bevel milling element has an annular cutting sweep that is at least concentric with an inner end of a cutting sweep of the outer diameter milling element and radially inward a distance from the outer diameter milling element cutting sweep.

21. The milling head according to claim 18, wherein the milling element support track is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the back.

22. A milling head for a rotary milling tool, comprising:

a body adapted to be connected to a rotary milling tool; and

at least one milling element support connected to the body, wherein the milling element support is spaced a distance from a central rotational axis of the milling head, wherein a recess extends a distance between the milling element support and the central rotational axis, wherein the milling element support includes a channel, and wherein the channel has a back wall that longitudinally extends in relation to the central rotational axis of the milling head at an angle of 0°

to about 45°

; and

wherein a bevel milling element having a cutting edge adapted to mill a bevel on a tube is secured in the channel.

23. A milling head according to claim 22, wherein a portion of the bevel milling element contacts the channel back wall.

24. A milling head according to claim 22, wherein the channel includes a side, the back wall, and a locking element, and wherein the bevel milling element is secured between the channel side and the locking element.

25. A milling head according to claim 24, wherein the locking element is secured to the milling element support with a securing element.

26. A milling head according to claim 25, wherein the back wall extends longitudinally at an angle from 0°

to about 20°

with respect to the central axis.

27. A milling head according to claim 26, wherein the back wall extends longitudinally at an angle from 0°

to about 10°

with respect to the central axis.

28. A milling head according to claim 26, wherein the bevel milling element cutting edge is fixed at an angle of from about 20°

to about 60°

in relation to the central axis.

29. A milling head according to claim 28, wherein the bevel milling element cutting edge is fixed at an angle from about 30°

to about 45°

in relation to the central axis.

30. The milling head according to claim 27, wherein the milling element support further includes a guide, wherein an outer diameter milling element is adjustable in relation to the guide and is secured between the guide and a fixing element, wherein the fixing element is connected to the milling element support by a securing element, and wherein the outer diameter milling element has a cutting edge adapted to remove material from the outer diameter of the tube.

31. The milling head according to claim 30, wherein the guide includes a track that extends longitudinally at an angle measured perpendicular to the central rotational axis of the milling head of from 0°

to about 45°

.

32. The milling head according to claim 31, wherein a portion of the outer diameter milling element contacts the track and is movable along the track before being secured to the milling head and, wherein one cutting edge of the outer diameter milling element has a longitudinal axis that is fixed at an angle with respect to the central axis of the milling head of 0°

to about 30°

.

33. A method for milling a tube, comprising the steps of:

providing a tube having an end portion;

providing a rotary tool having a milling head comprising a body adapted to be connected to a rotary milling tool, wherein the body has an annular recess and one or more milling element supports connected to the body, wherein at least one milling element support includes a channel, wherein a bevel milling element having a cutting edge is adjustable in the channel, wherein the bevel milling element is connected to the channel, wherein at least one milling element support includes a guide, wherein an outer diameter milling element having a cutting edge is adjustable in relation to the guide, wherein the outer diameter milling element is connected to the guide, wherein the bevel milling element has an annular cutting sweep that is at least concentric with an inner end of a cutting sweep of the outer diameter milling element and radially inward a distance from the outer diameter milling element cutting sweep;

adjusting at least one of the outer diameter milling elements or bevel milling elements in relation to the milling head body and securing the at least one element to the milling head; and

milling the end portion of the tube by removing material from an outer diameter of the tube and placing a bevel on the end of the tube.

34. The method for milling a tube according to claim 33, including the step of removing from about 1% to about 50% of an annular thickness of the tube with the milling head.

35. The method for milling a tube according to claim 33, including the step of utilizing a gauge to set at least one of the milling head milling elements.