US1288063A - Crimping device. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. LEWIS. RIMPING DE Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, Gnoncn H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crimping Devices, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to improvements in the so-called crimping devices which are used in the manufacture of inflatable tubes.

In the manufacture of inflatable tubes, such as single tube tires, for example, it is common practice to place upon the valve stem, a ferrule. which is subsequently held in place by a crimping operation. After the performance of this operation, it has been customary to inflate the tube for test purposes. These two steps in the manufacture of an inflatable tube have heretofore, so far as I am aware, been performed separately. This invention has for its object to provide in connection with a device of the class described, means whereby the tube may be automatically inflated simultaneously with the performance of the crimping operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the appended claims.

he invention, in an embodiment at present preferred, is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a crimping device embodying the invention;

and

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional plan views thereof taken on the lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings, the crimp- 111g device itself involves merely a circular series of angularly spaced jaws within which a cylindrical stem may be positioned, and suitable means to force the several jaws sin'iultaneously and in a radial direction into engagement with the stem to effect the crimping operation.

An illustrative example of one operable crimping device. with which the invention may be employed. is shown in the drawings and will now be described in detail. The crimping jaws are designated by reference numeral 5. and such jaws are preferably integral parts of a common ring-like memher 6, there being relatively long inter- Speeification of Letters Patent.

lower end of the Patented Dec. Application filed July 9. 1918. Serial No. 244,008.

portions 7 between the er, which provide a certain amount of resilienc Y so that the jaws 5 tend to move radially outwardly from their illustrated position. The ring 6, and thus the circular series of angularly spaced jaws, is slidably mounted in a casing A, which may be secured to a by means of lugs 8. Inset into the upper end of casing A and encompassing the series of jaws 5 is an annular ring 9, and th ing in the ring is frusto-conical to provide a cam surface 10 against which the outer surfaces of jaws 5 are thrust by'the spring action of the described parts 7. Thus, as ring 6 is forced upwardly, the several jaws 5 may be forced radially inwardly. The ring 6 may be moved upwardly in casing A by a. screw 11, which is threaded into the casing and abuts with a loose ring 12 which, in turn, abuts the jawcarrying ring 6. The screw 11 may be manually turned by means of a suitable lever 13 and a turning of the latter in the appropriate direction will lift ring 6 and therebv cause the jaws to cam 10.

The crimping device described is commonly used in joining the valve stem to an inflatable tube. Thus, in the manufacture of a bicycle tire, such as that indicated conventionally in cross-section at a in the drawings, one of the last steps in manufacture is to connect a valve stem 6 to the tire. Generally, the valve stem 6 is set into a hole in an integral nipple 0 which projects radially inwardly from the tire. The stem 5 is held merely by friction in the nipple c and, for the purpose of making a tight joint between the stem and nipple, a thin ferrule (Z is slipped over the stem and positioned so as to partially overlie the nipple. This nipple is thereafter squeezed together or crimped, to force the nipple into tight engagement with the valve stem. This squeezing or crimping operation is accomplished in the crimping device described by inserting the assembled ferrule. stem, and nipple in the opening between the jaws 5 and thereafter turning handle 13 through a small angle. After the application of the ferrule (Z to the tube a, the latter is ready to be tested. and as a step in the testing process the tube is generally inflated.

mediate connecting aws and memb This invention is particularly concerned be thrust inwardly by the with the provision of means whereby the inflation of the tube or tire may be accomplished automatically by and simultaneously with the described crimping operation, as will now be described. Instead of securing the operating lever 13 directly to the shank of screw 11, a sleeve 14: is interposed between these elements and suitably secured to each. The lower end of sleeve 14 extends below the corresponding end of screw 11 and is provided with a circular recess 15 to receive and guide the cylindrical end of a valve casing 16. There is also provided on sleeve 15 a depending L-shaped extension 17 and,

in that part of the latter which underlies the casing 16, is a set screw 18 by means of which the casing may be held against the lower end of screw 11, and so held as to permit relative oscillation between the screw and casing, if desired.

The member 16, and the parts contained therein, constitute what is generally termed a valve and the valve illustrated is a standard article, such as is commonly used on the delivery end of a flexible hose through which compressed air is supplied. Air is admitted to the casing through a hose 19. The exit end of casing 16 is normally closed by a flexible diaphragm 20 in the center of which is mounted a plug 21. The latter has an axial passage 2'2 at the base of which are intersecting transverse passages '23 leading to the periphery of the plug. On the lower end of the latter is a head 24. which is held, by fluid pressure, tightly against the diaphragm 20 to prevent the escape of fluid by way of passages 22 and 23. On depression of plug 21, the diaphragm will be compressed and communication between passages '23 and the interior of casing 16 will be permitted, whereby fluid may emerge through passage 22.

The described screw 11 is hollow and loosely and slidably mounted therein is a tube 25, the lower end of which rests on the top of plug 21, and the base of the tube communicates with. passage 22. The upper end of the tube 25 terminates a short distance below jaws 5 and preferably is countersunk, as indicated, to receive the outer or intake end of valve stem 5.

In operation, the stem 1) with the ferrule d thereon is inserted between the aws 5 and so positioned that the outer end of stem 5 lies in the countersunk upper end of tube 25. The operator commonly holds the tube a with one hand to maintain the stem in the described position. Then with his other hand the operator turns the operating lever 13 in such direction as to move screw 11 upwardly, and such movement of the screw causes the jaws 5 to close in upon and crimp the ferrule (l, as already described. The stem 5. being stationarily held by the operator, at least during the first part of the naeaoea rise of screw 11, prevents the tube 25 from rising with the screw. The casing 16, however, travels with the screw 11 and, therefore, the plug 21 will be'engaged with, and moved downwardly by, the tube 25, whereby fluid from hose 19 is admitted to the tube. The pressure of the fluid efl'ects the opening of the usual valve in stem 7) so is inflated. After the tube has been inflated sufliciently, the operator turns lever 13 in a reverse direction into its original position and removes the tube, thus lifting stem 12 from engagement with tube 25. The fluid pressure, acting on diaphragm 20 and head 24, raises the tube 25 immediately upon its release and prevents further escape of air from the casing 16.

Thus, I have provided, in connection with a crimping device for use in performing an operation in inflatable tubes, a means for automatically inflatingthe tube simultaneously with the performance of the crimping operation. The invention is characterized by the provision of means which permit two operations, hitherto performed separately, to be accomplished at the same time without that the tube I requiring additional effort on the part of the operator.

The invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes 1n an embodiment at present preferred, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, movable jaw members between which the valve stem of an inflatable tube may be positioned, means to move the jaws against said stem, means engageable with the latter when positioned between said jaws to supply fluid under pressure, said last-named means including a normall movement of said jaws to admit fluid under pressure to said stem.

2. In a device of the class described, movable jaw members between which the valve y'closed valve operable on stem of an inflatable tube may be positioned and held, means operable on longitudinal movement of the jaws to force them radially against the stem, means to supply fluid under pressure and having a part adapted to be engaged by the stem when the latter is positioned within the jaws, the last-named means including a normally closed valve operable when the jaws are moved longitudinally with relation to the stem to admit fluid under pressure to said stem.

3. In a device of the class described, a series of jaw members between which the valve stem of an inflatable tube maybe inserted, a hollow member movable axially of said member to force the jaws radially against said stem, a tube slidable within the hollow member and having its upper end disposed for engagement by the intake end of said valve stem when the latter is positioned between the jaws, and means to supply fluid under pressure to said tube, said means including a normally closed valve carried by said hollow member and operable when the latter is moved relatively to the under pressure therein and thus into said stem.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a series of jaw members slidably mounted therein and between which the valve stem of an inflatable tube is adapted to be inserted, a manuallymovable hollow screw operable to move ally of the stem, means said members axioperable 0n axial GEORGE H. LEWIS.

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