Tip forming machine and process

Claim 1

A tip forming machine for tubular stock of predetermined wall thickness and of meltable formable material, said machine comprising, a frame, a positioning jaw for holding the end zone of a tube to be formed with a terminal tip on one end thereof, and including, a fixed jaw member on the frame, said fixed jaw member having a first through recess, a movable jaw member on the frame having a second through recess companionate to said first recess, means to move the jaw members between a) a partially open position and b) a closed position, said recesses of said jaw members, when in said closed position, defining a through passageway sized for snug tight gripping engagement of the end zone of the tube with the terminal end of said tube extending from said passageway; stop means to limit axial penetration of the end zone of the tube through said passageway when the jaws are in an open position and effective to measure a predetermined distal end length of the tube extending from said jaw which is characterized by a predetermined volume of said material, a forming die movable between a first retracted position spaced from said jaw and a second advanced position closely adjacent to said jaw, said die having a face confronting said jaw and a conical forming recess in said face, said recess having a mouth and being bounded by a side wall and end wall, said side wall of said recess converging depthwise from said mouth to said end wall and said end wall being of a diameter less than the outside diameter of said tube and said mouth being of a diameter greater than the outside diameter of said tube, said forming die having a symmetrical center pin extending axially from said end wall the axial length of said recess to the plane of said mouth and of a lateral cross section sized to closely fit within the column of said distal end length when said forming die is moved to said advanced position, means to heat said forming die to a temperature above the temperature of said meltable formable material sufficient to heat the predetermined volume of the distal end length and deform said end length into a conical tip with a through passageway integral on the end of said tube; and means to move said die between said advanced and retracted positions with said recess being coaxial with said passageway when in an advanced position.