Self-contained and self-propelled machine for heat fusing polyolefin pipes

• US 6,212,747 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Porter, David W., McElroy, Arthur H. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Watson, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US09/162,085
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 292/72, 292/71, 292/37, 292/815, 269/43, 269/45, 269/287, 228/49.3, 228/44.5
• US Class Current: 29/281.5
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/2084 by pivoting
• 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 66/8242 Pneumatic or hydraulic drives using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/86521 being self-propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91231 of the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91421 of the joining tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91431 the temperature being kept constant over time
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/961 involving a feedback loop mechanism, e.g. comparison with a desired value
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9674 involving special data outputs, e.g. special data display means B29C66/8748 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/22 Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7172 Fuel tanks, jerry cans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53978 including means to relatively position plural work parts

Abstract

Polyolefin pipes are welded end-to-end by a self-propelled, self-contained machine which performs all steps necessary to the process without need for any other machines or equipment. Hydraulically driven parallel tracks are independently controlled for maximum maneuverability. An hydraulically driven, computer controlled, reversible jaw assembly reciprocates the new pipe section relative to the exiting pipe line. A facer for trimming and squaring the pipe ends to be joined and a heater for melting the pipe ends for fusing are umbilically connected to the machine for on-board or remote operation. The computer, also on an umbilical, enables the operator to operate the machine in a normal mode in which the operator manually controls the facing, soaking and fusing processes or an automatic mode in which the fusing process is automatically controlled by the computer. The computer also allows the operator to choose a data logging mode in which the operating pressure, heater temperature and time data are recorded to provide a history for each joint made by the machine.

Claims

1. For connecting a pipe facer to a machine for end-to-end welding polyolefin pipes, a linkage comprising:

a bracket fastenable to the machine;

a pivot shaft fastened at ends thereof to said bracket, a pivot shaft sleeve concentric with and slidable along and rotatable about said shaft;

a drag link sleeve;

a drag link connecting said drag link sleeve radially to said pivot shaft sleeve with said drag link sleeve parallel to said pivot shaft sleeve;

a pivot link;

a drag link pivot pin extending through one end of said pivot link into said drag link sleeve to permit radial rotation of said pivot link in relation to said drag link sleeve; and

a facer pivot pin extending through another end of said pivot link into the facer to permit radial rotation of the facer in relation to said pivot link.

2. A linkage according to claim 1, said pivot link being rotatable to and from a position in which said pivot link is seated on and supported by said drag link.

3. A linkage according to claim 2, said facer pivot pin permitting the facer to be rotated into a position in which the facer is seated on and supported by said drag link sleeve when said pivot link is seated on and supported by said drag link.

4. A linkage according to claim 3, said pivot link having a mid-portion extending below said drag link when said pivot link is in said seated position and said linkage further comprising a detent pin insertable through said extending mid-portion and engagable against said drag link to limit rotation of said pivot link relative to said drag link during transition from said seated position to another position.

5. A linkage according to claim 4 further comprising means for braking a sliding motion of said pivot shaft sleeve along said shaft when the facer is seated on and supported by said pivot link.

6. A linkage according to claim 5, said braking means comprising:

a brake bar fixed to said bracket and extending parallel to said pivot shaft; and

a brake mounted on said drag link and frictionally engaged against said bar when the facer is seated on and supported by said drag link sleeve.

7. A linkage according to claim 4, said pivot link having a boomerang-like shape, and said extending midportion being a convex apex thereof.

8. A linkage according to claim 4, said pivot link comprising a pair of parallel boomerang-like plates having a spar fixed therebetween of length at least as great as a length of said drag link sleeve, said extending midportion being convex apices thereof and said spacer being seated on said drag link with said drag link between said plates in said seated position.

9. A linkage according to claim 1, said drag link pivot pin being removable to facilitate quick disconnection and connection of said drag link from and to said pivot link.

10. A linkage according to claim 1, said facer pivot pin being removable to facilitate quick disconnection and connection of said facer from and to said pivot link.

11. A linkage according to claim 4, said drag link pivot pin and said detent pin being removable to facilitate quick disconnection and connection of said drag link from and to said pivot link.

12. A machine for end-to-end welding polyolefin pipes comprising:

a frame;

first jaws fixed to said frame for gripping a first pipe in alignment with a longitudinal axis;

second jaws slidably mounted on said frame for reciprocal movement along said longitudinal axis for gripping a second pipe in longitudinal alignment with respect to the first pipe;

means insertable between the pipes with said second jaws displaced to an apart condition relative to said first jaws for simultaneously facing opposed ends of the aligned pipes as said second jaws are moved toward a together condition relative to said first jaws until the opposed ends of the pipes are faced into parallel planes; and

a linkage connecting said facing means to said frame, said linkage being operable between a first position with said facing means supported on said frame and out of a path of said reciprocal movement of the second pipe and a second position with said facing means inserted between the pipes.

13. A machine according to claim 12, said linkage comprising:

a bracket fixed to said frame;

a pivot shaft fastened at ends thereof to said bracket;

a pivot shaft sleeve concentric with and slidable along and rotatable about said shaft;

a drag link sleeve,

a drag link connecting said drag link sleeve radially to said pivot shaft sleeve with said drag link sleeve parallel to said pivot shaft sleeve;

a pivot link;

a drag link pivot pin extending through one end of said pivot link into said drag link sleeve to permit radial rotation of said pivot link in relation to said drag link sleeve; and

a facing means pivot pin extending through another end of said pivot link into said facing means to permit radial rotation of said facing means in relation to said pivot link.

14. A machine according to claim 13, said pivot link being rotatable to and from a position in which said pivot link is seated on and supported by said drag link.

15. A machine according to claim 14, said facing means pivot pin permitting said facing means to be rotated into a position in which said facing means is seated on and supported by said drag link sleeve when said pivot link is seated on and supported by said drag link.

16. A machine according to claim 15, said pivot link having a mid-portion extending below said drag link when said pivot link is in said seated position and said linkage further comprising a detent pin insertable through said extending mid-portion and engagable against said drag link to limit rotation of said pivot link relative to said drag link during transition from said seated position to another position.

17. A machine according to claim 16 further comprising means for braking a sliding motion of said pivot shaft sleeve along said shaft when said facing means is seated on and supported by said pivot link.

18. A machine according to claim 17, said braking means comprising:

a brake bar fixed to said bracket and extending parallel to said pivot shaft; and

a brake mounted on said drag link and frictionally engaged against said bar when said facing means is seated on and supported by said drag link sleeve.

19. A machine according to claim 16, said pivot link having a boomerang-like shape, and said extending midportion being a convex apex thereof.

20. A machine according to claim 16, said pivot link comprising a pair of parallel boomerang-like plates having a spacer fixed therebetween of length at least as great as a length of said drag link sleeve, said extending midportion being convex apices thereof and said spacer being seated on said drag link with said drag link between said plates in said seated position.