Plastic pipe butt fusion machine and cart assembly

• US 5,843,271 A
• Filed: 02/06/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Connectra Fusion Technologies LLC (Georg Fischer AG)
• Original Assignee: TDW Delaware Incorporated
• Inventors: Tefet, William Joseph, Goswick, Richard Leroy, Andrew, Bill Dean, Hatch, Paul Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivard, Paul M.
• Application Number:
  US08/795,101
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 156/304.2, 156/304.6, 156/499, 156/503, 156/579, 269/89, 269/90, 269/188, 269/196, 269/198, 269/199, 269/200, 269/203
• US Class Current: 156/499
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/2092 and involving the use of a facer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7802 Positioning the parts to be joined, e.g. aligning, indexing or centring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7841 Holding or clamping means for handling purposes clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/02241 Cutting, e.g. by using waterjets, or sawing using heat B29C66/0246; cutting-off or cutting-out a part of a strip-like or sheet-like material, transferring that part and fixing it to an article B29C69/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5221 for forming coaxial connections, i.e. the tubular articles to be joined forming a zero angle relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/861 Hand-held tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8652 being pushed by hand or being self-propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/18 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with handle or handgrip

Abstract

An assembly is provided for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe in axial relationship. The assembly includes a cart having a chassis and wheels, the chassis having a longitudinal axis defined by the direction of movement of the cart in a straight line. A butt fusion machine having a frame, a first clamp and a second clamp thereon, is removably positioned on the cart. Each clamp is adapted to releasably secure the end portion of a length of thermoplastic pipe so that thereby the frame has a plane of orientation along which lengths of pipe extend when secured by the clamps. An actuator is manually used to move the moveable clamp towards and away from the fixed clamp, the fusion machine being selectably mountable upon the cart chassis so that in one operating position the machine butt fuses lengths of pipe held in axial relationship, the axii of the pipe being substantially coincident with the axis of the cart and, in another position, the butt fusion machine is positioned so that the axii of the lengths of pipe being joined are perpendicular to the cart axis permitting the butt fusion machine to be mounted on the cart in the mode that most readily accommodates the working conditions wherein thermoplastic pipe is being butt welded.

Claims

1. An assembly for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe comprising:

a cart having a cart chassis, wheels and a longitudinal axis;

a butt fusion machine having a frame, a first clamp and a second clamp thereon, at least one of the clamps being moveable towards and away from the other, each clamp being adapted to releasably secure an end portion of a length of thermoplastic pipe, the frame having a vertical plane of orientation within which lengths of plastic pipe extend when secured by said clamps; and

an actuator for moving one said clamp towards and away from the other, said fusion machine frame being selectably mountable on said cart chassis in a plurality of selectable positions wherein, in one of said positions said machine frame vertical plane of orientation is at least substantially coincident with said cart longitudinal axis and in a second position said machine frame vertical plane of orientation is at least substantially perpendicular to said cart longitudinal axis.

8. An assembly for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 1 including:

a first and a second elongated outrigger each having an inner end, the inner ends beings secured to opposed sides of said butt fusion machine frame and pivotal in a vertical plane of orientation;

pipe supporting means on an outer end of each of said outriggers; and

means to selectably elevationally position said outriggers with respect to said frame whereby lengths of plastic pipe can be selectably elevationally supported with respect to said frame.

9. An assembly for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 1 including:

a rack forming a part of said cart chassis; and

a carrier removably positionable on said rack.

10. An assembly for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 9 wherein said carrier is configured to support at least one of a plastic pipe facer and a plastic pipe heater.

2. A butt fusion machine for use in fusing in end-to-end relationship lengths of thermoplastic pipe comprising:

a frame having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side;

a first clamp secured to said frame and adapted to releasably secure a first length of plastic pipe;

a second clamp mounted on said frame and adapted to releasably secure a second length of plastic pipe in axial alignment with said first length of plastic pipe, at least one of said clamps being moveable towards and away from the other of said clamps;

a first operating linkage interconnecting said first and second clamps and pivotally supported adjacent one of said frame sides;

a second operating linkage interconnecting said first and second clamps and pivotally supported to said frame adjacent the other of said frame sides; and

an elongated handle removably and selectably attachable to said first or second operating linkages whereby an operator may conveniently operate the butt fusion machine from either of said frame sides.

3. A butt fusion machine according to claim 2 including an elongated, generally vertical reaction handle having a lower end;

a first means for vertically and removably receiving said reaction handle lower end adjacent said first side of said frame; and

a second means for vertically and removably receiving said reaction handle lower end adjacent said second side of said frame whereby an operator may conveniently employ said reaction handle from either side of said frame.

4. A machine for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe comprising:

a frame having opposed first and second sides;

a first clamp supported to said frame;

a second clamp supported to said frame, at least one of first and second clamps being moveable towards and away from the other clamp, the clamps being adaptable to releasably secure end portions of lengths of thermoplastic pipe in axial alignment with each other;

a first and a second operating linkage, one adjacent each of said frame sides, each operating linkage being pivotal to move said clamps towards and away from each other;

first and second locking cams pivotally attached separately to said first and second operating linkages, each locking cam having a friction surface thereon;

first and second ramp surfaces, one for each of said locking cams, each being supported to said frame and each being engageable by a said locking cam friction surface; and

first and second biasing means to separately urge said friction surfaces of said locking cams towards a said ramp surface whereby when a said operating linkage is pivoted to move said clamps towards each other said friction surface of each of said locking cams individually engage a said ramp surface to retain said clamps in proximity to each other.

5. A machine for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 4 wherein said first and second locking cams are rotationally interconnected by a cam shaft.

6. A machine for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 5 wherein said first and second locking cams are each connected to said cam shaft with a slight rotational slack with respect to each other.

7. A machine for butt fusing lengths of plastic pipe according to claim 4 including a friction nut secured to each of said locking cams and each friction nut having an external friction enhancing surface that is engageable with a said ramp surface.