Belling assembly and method of forming a bell end

Claim 2

An assembly for use in forming an inner circumferential groove in a heat deformable pipe, said assembly comprising: a. a core section having a longitudinal axis and a predetermined outer circumferential surface configuration; b. a plurality of core segments located adjacent said core section; c. means supporting said core segments for cooperative movement in a predetermined plane perpendicular to said axis, said segments being movable in said plane between an expanded position such that together said segments have an outer circumferential surface configuration which at all points is located outwardly from the outer surface configuration of said core section and a collapsed position inwardly of said expanded position, said supporting means supporting predetermined ones of said segments for pivotal movement about respective axes parallel with said longitudinal axis during movement of said segments between said expanded and collapsed positions, and supporting predetermined ones of said segments for straight line movement in said predetermined plane; and d. means for moving said core segments between said expanded position and said collapsed position.

Claim 3

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said core section has a circular outer circumferential surface configuration and said core segments, when in said expanded position, together have a continuous, circular outer circumferential surface configuration.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said core segments, when in said collapsed position, together have a discontinuous outer circumferential surface configuration at least a portion of which lies inwardly of the outer surface configuration of said core section.

Claim 5

An assembly according to claim 1 including an even number of said core segments and wherein said supporting means supports half of said segments for movement ahead of another other half of said segments during movement between said expanded position to said collapsed position.

Claim 6

An assembly according to claim 4 wherein predetermined ones of said segments comprising half the number of said segments are supported to move a greater distance and at a slower rate of speed between said expanded and collapsed positions than the other segments.

Claim 7

An assembly for use in forming an inner circumferential groove in a heat pipe, said assembly comprising: a. a cylindrical core section having a longitudinal axis and a circular outer surface configuration; b. a groove forming arrangement including: i. a first pair of pivotally connected arcuate core segments comprising first and second segments, and ii. a second pair of pivotally connected arcuate core segments comprising third and fourth segments; c. said pairs of segments being positioned in engaging relationship with one another for movement between: i. an expanded position such that together said segments have a continuous circular outer surface configuration, and ii. a collapsed position such that together said segments have a discontinuous circumferential but non-circular surface configuration located radially inwardly of the expanded outer surface configuration; d. said groove forming arrangement being positioned adjacent to and co-axial with one end of said core section for movement between said expanded and collapsed positions in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said core section, the expanded outer surface configuration of said arrangement being located radially outwardly of the outer surface configuration of said core segment and the collapsed outer surface configuration of said arrangement being located at least partially radially inwardly of the outer surface configuration of said core section; e. means for supporting said groove forming arrangement, said supporting means including i. a hub positioned in co-axial relationship with said core and mounted for pivotal movement about its axis, said hub including an end surface having four cam ways located therein; ii. four cam pins, each of which has one end connected with a respective one of said core segments and its other end located in a respective one of said cam ways, and iii. means for locating movement of said first and third segments to straight line movement in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said core section; and f. means for pivoting said hub about its axis whereby said cam ways pivot with said hub causing said cam pins to move in a radial direction for moving said core segments between said extended and collapsed position, the first and third core segments moving in a straight line and the second and fourth segments pivoting relative to said first and third segments during movement between the expanded and collapsed positions.

Claim 8

An assembly for use in forming an inner circumferential groove in a heat pipe, said assembly comprising: a. a cylindrical core section having a longitudinal axis and a circular outer surface configuration; b. a groove forming arrangement including: i. a first pair of pivotally connected arcuate core segments comprising first and second segments, and ii. a second pair of pivotally connected arcuate core segments comprising third and fourth segments; c. said pairs of segments being positioned in engaging relationship with one another for movement between: i. an expanded position such that together said segments have a continuous circular outer surface configuration, and ii. a collapsed position such that together said segments have a discontinuous circumferential but non-circular surface configuration located radially inwardly of the expanded outer surface configuration; d. said groove forming arrangement being positioned adjacent to and co-axial with one end of said core section for movement between said expanded and collapsed positions in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said core section, the expanded outer surface configuration of said arrangement being located radially outwardly of the outer surface configuration of said core segment and the collapsed outer surface configuration of said arrangement being located at least partially radially inwardly of the outer surface configuration of said core section; e. means for supporting said groove forming arrangement, said supporting means including i. a hub positioned in co-axial relationship with said core and mounted for pivotal movement about its axis, said hub including an end surface having four cam ways located therein; ii. four cam pins, each of which has one end connected with a respective one of said core segments and its other end located in a respective one of said cam ways, and iii. means for locating movement of said first and third segments to straight line movement in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said core section; and f. means for pivoting said hub about its axis whereby said cam ways pivot with said hub causing said cam pins to move in a radial direction for moving said core segments between said extended and collapsed position, the first and third core segments moving in a straight line and the second and fourth segments pivoting relative to said first and third segments during movement between the expanded and collapsed positions.

Claim 9

An assembly according to claim 6 including clamp means positioned concentrically around and spaced radially outwardly from said groove forming arrangement and adapted for aiding in shaping the outer and side surface configuration of said inner circumferential groove.