Apparatus and method for impressing a corrugation into a pipe

• US 9,687,897 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexans Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nexans Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zummach, Volker, Krause, Thomas, Schmidt, Anatoli, Harms, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilensky, Moshe
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yusuf, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US14/306,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20150013407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 15/04 transversely, e.g. helically
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 15/06 annularly with thinning B21C37/205
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/22 and converting vibrations due to imbalance into electric variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

An apparatus has a corrugating device through which a pipe is moved producing corrugation in the circumferential direction of the pipe by rotation. The corrugating device has a corrugator head which is rotatable about its axis, and a hollow shaft on which the corrugator head is firmly fitted and via which the corrugator head is driveable in rotation. A vibration measuring means is connected mechanically to the corrugating device for automatically detecting mechanical vibrations of the rotating corrugating device. The vibration measuring means simultaneously detects measured values for vibrations of the hollow shaft which are characteristic of the state of the hollow shaft bearings and measured values for vibrations of the corrugator head which are characteristic of the balancing thereof. A display apparatus displays the measured values detected thereby and/or evaluation results based on the measured values is furthermore provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for impressing a corrugation into a metallic smooth pipe having a corrugating device through which the pipe is moved in a longitudinal direction of the pipe and which produces the corrugation in the circumferential direction of the pipe by rotation, said corrugating device comprising:

a corrugator head rotatable about an axis of the head;

a hollow shaft on which the corrugator head is firmly fitted and the corrugator head being drivable in rotation on said hollow shaft, said hollow shaft being mounted rotatably on hollow-shaft bearings; and

a vibration measuring means fitted on the apparatus and mechanically connected to the corrugating device by means of a direct mechanical connection to the corrugator head and to the hollow shaft, wherein the direct mechanical connection is a rib that holds the corrugating device in a housing, wherein the vibration measuring means is fitted on the outside of the housing in a direction of an axis of the rib,

wherein the vibration measuring means is suitable for automatically detecting mechanical vibrations of the rotating corrugating device and

for simultaneously detecting measured values for vibrations of the hollow shaft caused by the hollow shaft bearings and measured values for vibrations of the corrugator head caused by balancing thereof, and

wherein a display apparatus is coupled to the vibration measuring means for displaying the measured values detected thereby and/or evaluation results based on the measured values is provided.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration measuring means is an acceleration sensor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a monitoring unit is included in or attached to the apparatus, said monitoring unit delivering the evaluation results based on the vibration measured values and being suitable for establishing whether the corrugating device is operational.