US4100784A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Finned tubing
Assignee: HEAT EXCHANGERS AFRICA Ltd
•
Filing: 1977-07-27
•
Granted: 1978-07-18
•
Expires: 1997-07-27
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides for a method of and apparatus for the manufacture of finned tubing, more particularly high-fin tubing, from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner by means of a plurality of rollers rotatably drivable by means of arbors and each roller including a plurality of axially arranged forming discs. At least some of the discs have recessed cross-sectional profiles including radially extending recessed portions radially spaced from the disc peripheries so that when these discs are forced into the metal fin stock the fin stock is only in partial contact with the discs during the formation of the fin and is not in contact over the recessed portions.
Inventors
- 👤 Hector Thomas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 19:10
CPC Classifications
B; B21; B21C; B21C37/00; B21C37/06; B21C37/15; B21C37/20; B21C37/207; B21C37/154; F; F28; F28F; F28F1/00; F28F1/10; F28F1/12; F28F1/34; F28F1/36; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/4935; Y10T29/49377; Y10T29/49378; Y10T29/49385
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of manufacturing finned tubing from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner by means of a plurality of rollers rotatably drivable by means of arbors and each roller including a plurality of axially arranged forming discs, the method including deforming the metal of the fin stock to form a fin by forcing the metal into a restricted radially directed axial space defined between adjacent forming discs so that metal is uninterruptedly in contact with a portion of the axially directed face of one disc defining the restricted space but is only in partial contact with the opposing axially directed face of the adjacent disc defining the restricted space, there being no contact over a radially extending portion spaced radially inwardly from the disc periphery.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of manufacturing finned tubing from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner by means of a plurality of rollers rotatably drivable by means of arbors and each roller including a plurality of axially arranged forming discs, the method including deforming the metal of the fin stock to form a fin by forcing the metal into a restricted radially directed axial space defined between adjacent forming discs so that metal is uninterruptedly in contact with a portion of the axially directed face of one disc defining the restricted space but is only in partial contact with the opposing axially directed face of the adjacent disc defining the restricted space, there being no contact over a radially extending portion spaced radially inwardly from the disc periphery.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which at least some of the discs are resiliently flexible and the method includes applying lateral pressure in an axial direction to the fin by deflection of a forming disc.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the fin is inclined with respect to the axis of the tube liner during the application of lateral pressure to the fin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the forming disc with which the fin is only in partial contact has a cross-sectional profile including a recess in at least one axial side of the disc.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, in which the cross-sectional profile including the recess includes a smoothly curved region inwardly of the periphery of the disc and being so shaped that the profile initially diverges from the periphery of the disc in a radially inward direction and then converges and thereafter again diverges radially inwardly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, in which at least some of the discs are dish-shaped when not in use and are mounted so that their dished faces are directed against the direction in which lateral pressure is applied to the fin, the lateral pressure tending to deform the discs, and the dished shapes of the fins tending to resist such lateral pressure and deformation under the lateral pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the discs are provided in at least two groups, the discs in one group effecting penetration of the fin stock and initial forming of the fin and another group effecting final forming and finishing of the fin.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the second group of discs effect radially extending the fin and forcing the fin back onto the tube liner.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the discs are provided in two groups by positioning a stiff, relatively inflexible restraining disc between the two groups, the restraining disc resisting deformation of the two groups of discs under lateral pressure applied to the discs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, in which dished discs in the two groups are so mounted that their dished faces are directed towards the restraining disc to thereby control the pitch of the fins on the tube liner.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, in which at least four of the discs immediately adjacent either axial side of the restraining disc have blunt peripheries in the form of flat peripheral surfaces.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which each roller includes 31 discs.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which some of the discs have sharp peripheral edges.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
102 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, which includes providing the discs in four groups, the first group having sharp wedge-shaped peripheries facilitating penetration of the tubular fin stock, the second group having cross-sectional profiles similar to those in the first group but less sharp and slightly curved and of gradually increasing thickness to compress metal between the disc, the third group having slightly curved cross-sectional profiles with recessed regions for forming and raising the fin, and the fourth group having cross-sectional profiles similar to but slightly sharper than those of the third group to perform a finishing action on the fin.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the diameters of the discs at one axial end of the roller increase in the axial direction of the roller.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the angle of a line extending axially over the peripheries of the diametrically increasing discs with respect to the axis of the tube liner is about 6°.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the axis of the arbor is inclined to the axis of the tube liner at an angle of 30 minutes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the pitch of the fin is eleven fins per 25 mm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the arbors rotate at 730 rpm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes using a lubricant/coolant including a fatty acid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes providing the discs so that the pitch of the axial gaps between the peripheries of at least some of the discs varies.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, in which the pitch of the gaps increases in an axially inward direction of the arrangement of discs and then again decreases, the pitch at each axial end of the arrangement of discs being the same.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
80 words
An apparatus for manufacturing finned tubing from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner, the apparatus including a forming disc which is mountable on a rotatably drivable arbor so as to be rotatable in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the arbor, the disc having a cross-sectional profile of which a radially extending portion is recessed in the axial direction of the disc with respect to the profile regions which are radially adjacent to the recessed region.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
80 words
An apparatus for manufacturing finned tubing from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner, the apparatus including a forming disc which is mountable on a rotatably drivable arbor so as to be rotatable in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the arbor, the disc having a cross-sectional profile of which a radially extending portion is recessed in the axial direction of the disc with respect to the profile regions which are radially adjacent to the recessed region.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the disc is resiliently flexible in its axial direction and is capable of applying lateral pressure in the axial direction of the disc to a fin formed from fin stock.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the disc has an asymmetrical cross-sectional profile.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
12 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the disc is dish-shaped.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 26, in which the recessed portion of the disc is provided in the dished surface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the cross-sectional profile of the disc includes curved portions which are so shaped that the profile initially diverges from the periphery of the disc in a radially inward direction and then converges and thereafter again diverges radially inwardly.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the cross-sectional profile of the disc in the face in which the recessed portion is provided includes an annular shoulder at the radially inward extremity of the profile.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the periphery of the disc is a sharp edge.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the periphery of the disc is blunt and is in the form of a peripherally extending flat surface.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the thickness of the disc is 1.6 mm.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, in which the recessed portion of the cross-sectional profile of the disc is provided in one axial side only of the disc.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
44 words
A roller for manufacturing finned tubing from tubular metal fin stock on a tube liner, the roller including a plurality of discs mounted in an axial arrangement on an arbor in which at least some of the discs are as claimed in claim 23.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
A roller according to claim 34, in which the discs are mounted so that they abut each other axially.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
25 words
A roller according to claim 34, in which spacers are provided between the discs so that the discs are thereby axially separated from each other.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
45 words
A roller according to claim 34, in which the discs are provided in at least two groups, the discs in one group effecting penetration of the fin stock and initial forming of the fin and another group effecting final forming and finishing of the fin.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
38 words
A roller according to claim 37, in which a stiff, relatively inflexible restraining disc is positioned between the two groups, the restraining disc resisting deformation of the two groups of discs under lateral pressure applied to the discs.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
27 words
A roller according to claim 38, in which both groups include dished discs and are so mounted that their dished faces are directed towards the restraining disc.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
33 words
A roller according to claim 37, in which at least four of the discs immediately adjacent either axial side of the restraining disc have blunt peripheries in the form of flat peripheral surfaces.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
10 words
A roller according to claim 34, which includes 31 discs.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
10 words
A roller according to claim 34, which includes 33 discs.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
99 words
A roller according to claim 34, which includes four groups of discs, the first group having sharp wedge-shaped peripheries facilitating penetration of the tubular fin stock, the second group having cross-sectional profiles similar to those in the first group but less sharp and slightly curved and of gradually increasing thickness to compress metal between the discs, the third group having slightly curved cross-sectional profiles with recessed regions for forming and raising the fin, and the fourth group having cross-sectional profiles similar to but slightly sharper than those of the third group to perform a finishing action on the fin.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
28 words
A roller according to claim 34, in which the diameters of the discs at one axial end of the roller increase in the axial direction of the roller.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
35 words
A roller according to claim 44, in which the angle of a line extending axially over the peripheries of the diametrically increasing discs with respect to the axis of the tube liner is about 6°.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
25 words
A roller according to claim 34, in which the pitch of the axial gaps between the peripheries of at least some of the discs varies.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
44 words
A roller according to claim 46, in which the pitch of the gaps increases from one axial end of the roller axially inwardly and then again decreases towards the other axial end, the pitch at each axial end of the roller being the same.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3648502A
Cited
US3745801A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-07-17 | 1982-01-16 | 1982-07-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-07-17 | 1986-01-16 | 1986-07-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-07-17 | 1990-01-16 | 1990-07-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |