Tube end abrading tool

• US 5,056,265 A
• Filed: 02/27/1990
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hurst, Richard H.
• Original Assignee: Hurst, Richard H.
• Inventors: Hurst, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/486,087
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 51/5 B, 51/4, 51/181 R, 51/181 NT, 51/73 R, 51/290, 51/288, 51/382, 7/157, 15/104.03, 15/104.05, 15/104.09, 15/104.1 R, 15/23, 15/104.04, 15/210 B
• US Class Current: 451/69
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/021 Cleaning pipe ends or pipe fittings, e.g. before soldering grinding tube ends B24B9/007
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/00 Portable grinding machines, e.g. hand-guided; Accessories therefor B24B7/18 takes precedence; for grinding seat surfaces B24B15/00; having a flexible shaft B24B27/027; grinders for cutting-off B24B27/08; dust extraction equipment B24B55/10; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/007 for end faces of tubes cleaning pipe ends or pipe fittings, e.g. before soldering B08B9/021

Abstract

A tool for abrading tube ends and fittings is described. The device includes an elongated handle enclosing a battery and driver. A reducer is also supplied at the top end of the handle for tranmitting and reducing rotary velocity of the driver to rotational motion of a pair of abrader heads. The preferred driver is a worm and worm wheel arrangement. The worm wheels are connected to paired, parallel shafts. Forward ends of the shafts mount abrader heads, each including a removable sleeve mounted abrasive member formed in a torus configuration for receiving a tube end. A reamer may be releasably mounted within one or both of the abrader heads to selectively engage and ream the tube end. A male abrader is mountable to the top end of the handle for connection to the driver. It includes a dome shaped abrasive member mounted to a shank for a selective attachment and detachment from the device. The handle and shaft are configured, along with the driver and reducer, to reduce dimensions of the unit and facilitate its use in confined quarters.

Claims

1. A tubular workpiece end abrading device for selectively abrading an end of a first or a second tubular workpiece, each workpiece being formed substantially about a central workpiece axis and terminating at an end including an internal surface and an external surface having a dimension different than the other workpiece, the device comprising:

a first abrader head mounting a first female abrasive member for rotation about a first rotary axis to coaxially receive the end of the workpiece with the first female abrasive member in abrasive contact against the external surface of the first workpiece;

a second abrader head mounting a second female abrasive member for receiving the end of the second workpiece with the second female abrasive member in abrasive contact therewith and for rotating the second abrasive member about a second rotary axis and against the external surface of the second workpiece;

a male abrader mounting a male abrasive member for rotation about a male abrader axis and for insertion into at least one of the tubular workpieces to engage the internal surface thereof;

a driver operable to produce rotational driving force about a driver axis angularly offset from the first rotary axis; and

a reducer drive connecting the driver, the first and second abrader heads and male abrader for driven rotation about the first and second rotary axes and the male abrader axis respectively.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a reamer rotatably mounted to the first abrader head for rotary motion therewith to engage and ream the end of the first workpiece.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a reamer releasably connected to the reducer drive to be rotated thereby to ream the end of at least one of the workpieces.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second female abrasive members each include a flexible toroidal abrasive pad with a central opening for rotatably receiving and abrading the external surface of the respective workpiece.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising:

a reamer mountable to the first abrader head within the central opening of the first female abrasive member for rotary motion therewith to engage and ream the end of the first workpiece.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second female abrasive member includes a flexible toroidal abrasive pad with a central opening for rotatably receiving and abrading the external surface of the second workpiece.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second abrader heads rotate about parallel axes and wherein the reducer drive includes a worm gear mounted to the driver and a worm wheel on each abrader head in meshing engagement with the worm gear on opposite sides thereof.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the male abrader head rotates about an axis substantially coaxial with the driver axis and wherein the driver axis is situated between the parallel axes of the first and second abrader heads.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the male abrader head rotates about an axis coaxial with the driver axis.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising forwardly open sleeves releasably mounting the first and second female abrasive members to the first and second abrader heads.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising a reamer connected to the reducer drive and situated within one of the sleeves for rotation therewith to engage and ream the end of the workpiece.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the first female abrasive member is a flexible torroidal abrasive pad with a central opening for rotatably receiving and abrading the external surface of the workpiece.

13. The device of claim 10 further comprising a reamer releasably mounted to the first abrader head for rotation therewith to ream the end surface of the first tubular workpiece.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the reamer is threadably engaged with the first abrader head within the sleeve and is axially inward of the first female abrasive member.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve releasably mounting the first female abrasive member to the first abrader head.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the female abrasive members are comprised of resilient abrasive pads formed into a torroidal configurations and supported on internal surfaces of sleeve members including base end fitting releasably connectable to the reducer drive for supporting the pads and transmitting driving forces from the reducer drive to the pads.

17. A tube end abrading tool for mounting abrasive members to selectively abrade ends of tubular workpieces, having differing diameters formed substantially about central workpiece axes and terminating at ends including interior and external surfaces, the tool comprising:

a handle extending from a bottom end to a top end;

a first abrader head at the top end of the handle, mounting a first female abrasive member for rotation about a first rotary axis substantially transverse to the handle to selectively receive the end of a workpiece of a first diameter with the first female abrasive member in abrasive contact therewith against the external surface of the workpiece;

a second abrader head at the top end of the handle, rotatably mounting a second female abrasive member adjacent the first abrader head for selectively receiving the end of a second workpiece of a second diameter with the second female abrasive member in abrasive contact against the external surface of the second workpiece and rotatable about a second rotary axis;

a male abrader head at the top end of the handle, rotatably mounting a male abrasive member for insertion into at least one of the tubular workpieces to engage the internal surface thereof;

a driver in the handle downwardly of the abrader heads for selective operation to produce rotary driving force about a drive axis substantially perpendicular to the first and second rotary axes; and

a reducer drive operably connecting the driver and the abrader heads for transmitting rotary driving force of the driver to rotate the abrader heads.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the first and second abrader heads rotate about parallel axes and wherein such axes are substantially perpendicular to the drive axis and to the male abrader head.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the female abrader heads each include a resilient abrasive pad formed into a torroidal configuration supported on an internal surface of a sleeve member including a fitting releasably connectable to the reducer drive for supporting the pad and transmitting driving forces from the reducer drive to the pad.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the male abrasive member is comprised of a resilient abrasive pad shaped as a cylinder with a top end and a shank extending downwardly from the pad with an end thereof releasably attachable to the reducer drive.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein the first and second abrader heads rotate about parallel axes.

22. An abrader head for a tube end abrading tool having a rotary drive, the abrader head comprised of:

a sleeve member including a forward open end, a rearward end, and an inward surface between the forward and rearward ends formed substantially about a central axis;

a mounting device on the rearward end of the sleeve member for attachment to the abrading tool;

the mounting device including a surface selectively engageable with the rotary drive of the tool to transmit rotary motion of the drive to the sleeve member; and

an abrasive member in the sleeve member, attached to the inward surface for abrasive contact with a tube end and for abrading the tube end responsive to rotary motion of the sleeve member about the central axis;

wherein the abrasive member is comprised of a resilient abrasive pad formed into a torroidal configuration and supported on an internal surface of the sleeve member; and

wherein the sleeve member includes an axially rearward projecting flange at the forward open end thereof and wherein one of the abrasive member ends is axially overlapped and clamped by the flange to the inward surface of the sleeve member.