US3715941A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Slitting machine
Assignee: Armstrong World Industries Inc
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Filing: 1971-02-08
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Granted: 1973-02-13
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Expires: 1991-02-08
Abstract
Abstract The invention contemplates a tool and method for slitting a tubular work piece having a bore of substantially constant crosssection. To this end, a slitting-tool holder is provided with work-piloting body or positioning elements so sized and configurated as to stabilize the holder in the bore of the work piece during a working traverse. One or more slitting-tool elements is positioned on the holder so as to project, in a workslitting position, radially outwardly of the body element at one angular location (or at plural angularly spaced locations) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the work piece. The working traverse is accomplished with the slitting tool in cutting position, with assurance of perfect alignment through piloting derived from the bore of the work piece. In a specifically described employment, two slitting-tool elements are arrayed to project outward of diametrically opposed locations, one element being adjusted to cut to less than workpiece thickness, the other being set to cut for greater than work-piece thickness. The work piece may thus become two hingedly related, substantially alike, elongated halves of the original tubing.
Inventors
- 👤 T Andrews
- 👤 J Weller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:21
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26D; B26D3/00; B26D3/006; B26D3/001; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/53657; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/02; Y10T83/0333; Y10T83/0341; Y10T83/04; Y10T83/0596; Y10T83/384; Y10T83/386; Y10T83/395; Y10T83/398
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A slitting machine, comprising frame means including means for removably supporting an elongated tubular work piece with its elongation axis fixedly oriented, a shuttle including workpiloting means sized and configurated to stabilize the shuttle in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means acting between said frame means and said shuttle for imparting to said shuttle a two-stroke cycle of longitudinal traverse in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said shuttle, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes said cutting means is in a retracted position and in the other of said strokes said cutting means is in an extended position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A slitting machine, comprising frame means including means for removably supporting an elongated tubular work piece with its elongation axis fixedly oriented, a shuttle including workpiloting means sized and configurated to stabilize the shuttle in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means acting between said frame means and said shuttle for imparting to said shuttle a two-stroke cycle of longitudinal traverse in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said shuttle, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes said cutting means is in a retracted position and in the other of said strokes said cutting means is in an extended position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
123 words
A slitting machine, comprising frame means including means for removably supporting an elongated tubular work piece with its elongation axis fixedly oriented, a shuttle including work-piloting means sized and configurated to stabilize the shuttle in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means acting between said frame means and said shuttle for imparting to said shuttle a two-stroke cycle of longitudinal traverse in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said shuttle, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes said cutting means is in a retracted position and in the other of said strokes said cutting means is in an extended position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
123 words
A slitting machine, comprising frame means including means for removably supporting an elongated tubular work piece with its elongation axis fixedly oriented, a shuttle including work-piloting means sized and configurated to stabilize the shuttle in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means acting between said frame means and said shuttle for imparting to said shuttle a two-stroke cycle of longitudinal traverse in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said shuttle, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes said cutting means is in a retracted position and in the other of said strokes said cutting means is in an extended position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said cutting means comprises first and second cutters each of which is radially retractable and extensible, said cutters being carried at angularly spaced locations with respect to the shuttle axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The machine of claim 2, in which said cutters are at substantially diametrically opposed locations.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The machine of claim 2, in which said synchronizing means establishes extended positions of both cutters in said one stroke and retracted positions of both cutters in the other of said strokes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said cutting means is a knife blade, carried by said shuttle for pivoted movement in substantially a radial plane through the shuttle axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
97 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said synchronizing means comprises an elongated probe carried by said shuttle on an axis generally parallel to the shuttle axis and having limited longitudinally guided movement with respect to said shuttle, first and second frame-based abutment means at the respective ends of the cycle of shuttle movement and positioned to intercept the respective ends of said probe just prior to reaching the end of each stroke, and actuating means responsive to abutment-operated probe displacement for shifting said cutting means from one to the other of its retracted and extended positions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The machine of claim 6, in which said last-defined means includes a toggle mechanism for which abutment-driven probe displacement is at least adequate to achieve a dead-center position at the end of both said strokes, whereby toggle mechanism is operative to hold the shifted position of said probe until the next reversing abutment interception thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
The machine of claim 6, in which said actuating means includes crank means pivotally carried by said shuttle, means linking said probe to said crank means, whereby limited longitudinal shuttling displacement of said probe with respect to said shuttle is converted into similarly limited rotary displacement of said crank means, and an actuating connection between said crank means and said cutting means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The machine of claim 8, in which said cutting means comprises first and second cutters having actuating connection to generally diAmetrically opposed points on said plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The machine of claim 9, in which cutters are knife blades independently pivotally carried by said shuttle, preloaded resilient means biased to urge said blades to retracted position, and cam means coacting between said plate and blades upon plate rotation for outwardly displacing said blades against the loading of said resilient means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The machine of claim 10, in which said cam means is characterized by a high rise point substantially at the fully outwardly actuated positioning of said blades, whereby said blades are positively held outwardly for the full cutting stroke and until probe-abutment interception at the end thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
The machine of claim 11, in which said cam means comprises diametrically opposed pins carried by said plate and riding the radially inner edges of the respective blades, said blades being positioned at opposed acute angles to the shuttle axis when in extended position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The machine of claim 12, in which at least one of said pins includes a radially adjustable connection to said plate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The machine of claim 13, in which said one pin is an eccentric formation at the end of a member having threaded engagement with part of said plate, and locking means for securing a selected position of said threaded engagement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said shuttle is elongated and includes two longitudinally spaced work-piloting means, said cutting means being intermediate said two work-piloting means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The machine of claim 15, in which said reciprocable actuating means includes an elongated member connected to said shuttle at one of said work-piloting means, the other of said work-piloting means having a convergent tapering profile for smooth and work-aligning entering engagement with the work piece.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
76 words
The machine of claim 15, in which said reciprocable actuating means includes an elongated member connected to one end of said shuttle, and frame-based guide means for elongated member, said guide means being positioned close to said shuttle when at the end of the cutting stroke thereof, whereby other stroke is utilized for assuring work alignment with the path of shuttle displacement, based on the closest work-positioning frame reference at shuttle entry into he work piece.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said reciprocable actuating means includes an elongated member connected at one end to said shuttle, a slide connected to the other end of said elongated member, and frame-based elongated guide means for said slide establishing a guided reference for said slide through the cycle of shuttle reciprocation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said means for removably supporting the work piece comprises a fixed work-piece end support and a movable work-piece end support spaced for engagement with the respective ends of the work piece, said fixed end support being located at the end of the cutting stroke of said shuttle.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said reciprocable actuating means includes double-acting fluid-pressure operated means, and reversing control means for said double-acting means including a frame-based trip element positioned to detect achievement of that terminal extent of said first stroke which assures that said synchronizing means has been operative to shift the position of said cutting means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The machine of claim 20, in which said reversing control is operative at the end of the non-cutting stroke.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
61 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said supporting means positions two like work-pieces in side-by-side parallel relation, said shuttle being one of two which respectively serve the two work pieces, said actuating means including a crosshead spanning the respective axes of support of the work pieces, and separate elongated members connecting the respective shuttles to spaced parts of said crosshead.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
The machine of claim 22, including frame-based elongated guide means for said crosshead.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The machine of claim 1, in which said supporting means orients the work piece on a vertical axis, and said actuating means includes a vertically reciprocable connection to said shuttle.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a slitting machine, means for removably engaging an elongated tubular work piece to be longitudinally slitted, a slitting-tool holder including work-piloting means sized and configurated to stabilize said holder in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means including elongated guide means between said tool holder and said work-engaging means for imparting relative movement between said tool holder and said work-engaging means in a two-stroke cycle of relative traverse of the tool holder in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said work holder, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes to the exclusion of the other said cutting means is in a relatively extended position.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a slitting machine, means for removably engaging an elongated tubular work piece to be longitudinally slitted, a slitting-tool holder including work-piloting means sized and configurated to stabilize said holder in the bore of the work piece, reciprocable actuating means including elongated guide means between said tool holder and said work-engaging means for imparting relative movement between said tool holder and said work-engaging means in a two-stroke cycle of relative traverse of the tool holder in the bore of the work piece, radially retractable and extensible cutting means carried by said work holder, and means synchronizing the radial position of said cutting means with said cycle such that in one of said strokes to the exclusion of the other said cutting means is in a relatively extended position.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
The machine of claim 25, including a frame to which said elongated guide means is fixedly referenced.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
The machine of claim 26, in which said work-engaging means is carried by said frame and said tool holder is reciprocated.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
124 words
The method of slitting a tubular work piece having a bore of substantially constant cross-section, which comprises selecting a slitting-tool holder with a work-piloting body element sized and configurated to stabilize the holder in the bore of the work piece, selecting and mounting slitting-tool elements on the holder in such manner as to project in a work-slitting position radially outwardly of the body element at each of two angularly spaced locations with respect to the longitudinal axis of the work piece, traversing the tool-holder and work piece in one direction with respect to each other while the tool elements are in the work-slitting position, and traversing the tool-holder and work piece in the opposite direction with the tool elements radially retracted from said position.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
124 words
The method of slitting a tubular work piece having a bore of substantially constant cross-section, which comprises selecting a slitting-tool holder with a work-piloting body element sized and configurated to stabilize the holder in the bore of the work piece, selecting and mounting slitting-tool elements on the holder in such manner as to project in a work-slitting position radially outwardly of the body element at each of two angularly spaced locations with respect to the longitudinal axis of the work piece, traversing the tool-holder and work piece in one direction with respect to each other while the tool elements are in the work-slitting position, and traversing the tool-holder and work piece in the opposite direction with the tool elements radially retracted from said position.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 28, in which the number of slitting-tool elements is two, the same being positioned with work-slitting alignments which are in substantially a single plane through said axis.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 28, in which the number of slitting-tool elements is two, each of said tools being positioned with its work-slitting alignment in a plane which extends generally radially with respect to said axis.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 28, in which one of the slitting-tool elements in its work-slitting position is set to project radially outwardly of the body element to an extent exceeding the thickness of the work piece, and in which another of the slitting-tool elements in its work-slitting position is set to project radially outwardly of the body element to an extent less than the thickness of the work piece.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 31, in which the work piece is selected as a tube of foamed frangible material with a circumferential envelope of flexible material, whereby upon completion of a working traverse the work piece may become two hinged elongated segments hingedly connected by said flexible material on substantially the alignment of the second-mentioned slitting-tool element.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-02-13 | 1976-08-14 | 1977-02-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-02-13 | 1980-08-14 | 1981-02-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-02-13 | 1984-08-14 | 1985-02-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |