Grooving tool and work station for preparing pipe stock

Abstract

A work station having a number of tools used to prepare pipe stock for accepting mechanical pipe couplings is disclosed. The work station has a chuck for rotating the pipe. A movable carriage on which the tools are pivotally mounted is mounted adjacent to the chuck. The tools include a pipe cutter, a reamer and a grooving tool. The grooving tool is for forming circumferential grooves externally around the pipe. The grooving tool has a grooving roll which cooperates with an oppositely disposed back-up roll to deform the pipe and create the groove. The grooving tool is pivotally mounted on the carriage via a spring-biased pivot arm having longitudinal slots engaging set screws which permit the position of the grooving tool to be adjusted to engage pipes of various diameters.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A work station for forming an external circumferential groove of a desired outer diameter in a wall of a pipe, the pipe having an internal surface, an external surface, and a longitudinal axis, said work station comprising: 
 a chuck adapted to receive said pipe, said chuck being rotatable about an axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck;    a means for rotating said chuck about said axis of rotation;    a grooving tool mounted adjacent to said chuck for forming said groove, said grooving tool comprising: 
 a grooving roll rotatable about a first axis, said grooving roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the external surface of said pipe;  
 a back-up roll rotatable about a second axis, said back-up roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the internal surface of said pipe opposite said grooving roll; and  
 means for moving said grooving roll and said back-up roll relatively toward one another for yieldably deforming said wall therebetween and forming said external circumferential groove in said wall upon rotation of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck.  
   
     
     
         2 . A work station according to  claim 1 , further comprising a carriage positioned adjacent to said chuck, said carriage being movable toward and away from said chuck, said grooving tool being mounted on said carriage and thereby movable relatively to said chuck to facilitate engagement of said grooving and back-up rolls with said pipe.  
     
     
         3 . A work station according to  claim 2 , wherein said carriage is slidably movable in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck.  
     
     
         4 . A work station according to  claim 2 , further comprising an elongated pivot arm having one end attached to said grooving tool and another end pivotally attached to said carriage for pivotally mounting said grooving tool to said carriage, said grooving tool being pivotable toward and away from said axis of rotation of said chuck for engaging said grooving tool with said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck.  
     
     
         5 . A work station according to  claim 4 , wherein said pivot arm is pivotable about a pivot axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck.  
     
     
         6 . A work station according to  claim 4 , wherein said chuck is adaptable to receive a plurality of different diameter pipes, said work station further comprising means for slidably mounting said grooving tool on said pivot arm, said grooving tool being slidably movable lengthwise along said pivot arm to facilitate engagement of said grooving tool with any one of said plurality of different diameter pipes receivable within said chuck.  
     
     
         7 . A work station according to  claim 1 , wherein said grooving tool comprises a body portion and a movable jaw mounted on said body portion and slidably movable relatively thereto, said back-up roll being mounted on said body portion and said grooving roll being mounted on said jaw, said means for moving said grooving roll and said back-up roll relatively toward one another comprising a jack screw rotatably mounted on said body portion and engaging said jaw, said jaw being movable relatively to said body portion upon rotation of said jack screw.  
     
     
         8 . A work station according to  claim 6 , further comprising a pipe cutter pivotally mounted on said carriage, said pipe cutter being pivotally movable toward and away from said axis of rotation of said pipe for positioning said pipe cutter in engagement with the wall of said pipe for cutting said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck and rotated thereon.  
     
     
         9 . A work station according to  claim 6 , further comprising a reamer pivotally mounted on said carriage, said reamer being pivotally movable into coaxial alignment with said axis of rotation of said pipe and slidably movable toward said chuck for positioning said reamer in engagement with an internal edge of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck.  
     
     
         10 . A work station for performing a plurality of operations on a pipe, said pipe having an internal surface, an external surface, and a longitudinal axis, said work station comprising: 
 a chuck adapted to receive said pipe, said chuck being rotatable about an axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck;    a means for rotating said chuck about said axis of rotation;    a carriage positioned adjacent to said chuck, said carriage being slidably movable toward and away from said chuck in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck;    a grooving tool for forming a circumferential groove of a desired outer diameter in the external surface of said pipe, said grooving tool being mounted on said carriage and having a grooving roll rotatable about a first axis, said grooving roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the external surface of said pipe, said grooving tool also having a back-up roll rotatable about a second axis, said back-up roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the internal surface of said pipe opposite said grooving roll, said grooving tool further comprising a means for moving said grooving roll and said back-up roll relatively toward one another for yieldably deforming said pipe between said grooving and said back-up rolls to form said circumferential groove in said pipe upon rotation of said pipe received within said chuck; and    an auxiliary tool pivotally mounted on said carriage, said auxiliary tool being pivotally movable toward said axis of rotation and into engagement with said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck, wherein said auxiliary tool is selected from the group consisting of a pipe cutter and a reamer.    
     
     
         11 . A work station according to  claim 10 , wherein said auxiliary tool is a pipe cutter.  
     
     
         12 . A work station according to  claim 10 , wherein said first axis is substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck.  
     
     
         13 . A work station according to  claim 10 , wherein said second axis is substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck.  
     
     
         14 . A work station according to  claim 10 , wherein said grooving tool is pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about a pivot axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck.  
     
     
         15 . A work station for cutting a pipe, reaming the pipe, and forming an external circumferential groove of a desired outer diameter in the pipe, the pipe having an internal and an external surface and a longitudinal axis, said work station comprising: 
 a chuck adapted to receive said pipe, said chuck being rotatable about an axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck;    a means for rotating said chuck;    a carriage positioned adjacent to said chuck, said carriage being slidably movable toward and away from said chuck in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck;    a pipe cutter pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about a first pivot axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck, said pipe cutter being pivotally movable toward said axis of rotation for positioning said pipe cutter in engagement with said pipe for cutting said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck;    a reamer pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about a second pivot axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck, said reamer being pivotally movable into coaxial alignment with said axis of rotation of said chuck and slidably movable toward said chuck for positioning said reamer in engagement with said internal surface of said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck;    a grooving tool for forming said circumferential groove, said grooving tool being pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about a third pivot axis substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said chuck, said grooving tool being pivotally movable toward said axis of rotation for engaging said pipe when said pipe is received within said chuck, said grooving tool comprising: 
 a grooving roll rotatable about a first axis, said grooving roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the external surface of said pipe;  
 a back-up roll rotatable about a second axis, said back-up roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the internal surface of said pipe opposite said grooving roll;  
 means for moving said grooving roll and said back-up roll relatively toward one another for yieldably deforming said pipe therebetween and thereby forming said external circumferential groove in said pipe upon rotation thereof when said pipe is received within said chuck.  
   
     
     
         16 . A grooving tool for forming an external circumferential groove of a desired outer diameter in the pipe, said pipe having an internal and an external surface and a longitudinal axis, said grooving tool being mountable on a work station and comprising: 
 a body portion;    a jaw portion mounted on said body portion and movable relatively thereto;    a grooving roll mounted on one of said jaw and body portions and rotatable about a first axis, said grooving roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the external surface of said pipe;    a back-up roll mounted on the other of said jaw and body portions and rotatable about a second axis, said back-up roll having a circumferential surface engageable with the internal surface of said pipe opposite said grooving roll;    means for moving said grooving roll and said back-up roll relatively toward one another for yieldably deforming said pipe therebetween and forming said external circumferential groove in said pipe upon rotation of said pipe about said longitudinal axis; and    an elongated pivot arm having one end attached to said body portion and another end pivotally attachable to said work station for pivotally mounting said grooving tool thereto.    
     
     
         17 . A grooving tool according to  claim 16 , wherein said first and said second axes are substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said pipe.  
     
     
         18 . A grooving tool according to  claim 16 , wherein said tool is pivotable when mounted on said work station about a pivot axis oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         19 . A grooving tool according to  claim 18 , further comprising means for moving said tool relatively to said work station in a direction substantially perpendicular to said pivot axis.  
     
     
         20 . A grooving tool according to  claim 19 , wherein said tool moving means comprises: 
 an elongated slot arranged lengthwise along said pivot arm proximate to said one end thereof; and    a set screw extending through said slot, one end of said set screw engaging said body portion, the opposite end having an enlarged head engageable with said pivot arm for retaining said body portion thereto, said set screw being movable lengthwise along said slot thereby guiding movement of said body portion lengthwise relatively to said pivot arm permitting motion of said tool substantially perpendicular to said pivot axis.    
     
     
         21 . A grooving tool according to  claim 18 , further comprising means for biasing said pivot arm toward said pivot axis, said biasing means being located at said other end of said pivot arm.  
     
     
         22 . A grooving tool according to  claim 21 , wherein said carriage has an elongated pin mounted thereon and arranged coaxially with said pivot axis of said pivot arm; 
 said other end of said pivot arm has a slotted aperture therethrough adapted to receive said pin for rotatably mounting said pivot arm to said carriage, said slotted aperture being oriented substantially lengthwise to said pivot arm and allowing said pivot arm to move lengthwise perpendicularly to said pivot axis; and    said pivot arm biasing means comprising a spring located within said slotted aperture between said pin and said other end of said pivot arm.