Grip ring metal wire material, method of producing such grip ring metal wire material and device for producng such grip ring metal wire material, and method of producing pipe coupling grip using metal wire material, device for producing such pipe coupling grip ring, and pipe coupling grip ring

Abstract

Disclosed are metallic wire with high surface quality and low-cost suitable for use as material for grip rings and a producing method and apparatus thereof. Metallic wire 34 deformed in a coil shape is passed through a shape correction unit 14 so as to straighten it. Furthermore, while upper and lower pressing rollers 19, 20, 26, 27 prevent the metallic wire 34 from warping upwardly and downwardly, wedge-shaped grooves are continuously formed on the metallic wire 34 by means of a first cutting roller 21 and a second cutting roller 23.

1 . Metallic wire for grip rings to be used in a tube connector to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows, which is obtained by unwinding the metallic wire wound in coil shape and by continuously performing machine cutting on the unwound metallic wire.  
     
     
         2 . A producing method of metallic wire for grip rings to be used in a tube connector to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows comprises: 
 unwinding coil-shaped metallic wire; and    continuously performing machine cutting on the unwound metallic wire.    
     
     
         3 . A producing method of grip rings for tube connector to be used to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows comprises: 
 unwinding coil-shaped metallic wire;    continuously performing machine cutting on the unwound metallic wire;    processing the machine cut metallic wire to be ring-shaped, which is then sheared into a ring piece with predetermined length; and    performing cutting treatment on both ends of the ring piece with predetermined length.    
     
     
         4 . A producing apparatus of metallic wire for grip rings to be used in a tube connector to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows comprises a machine cutting device for continuously performing machine cutting on metallic wire.  
     
     
         5 . The producing apparatus of metallic wire for grip rings according to  claim 4 , wherein the machine cutting device comprises: 
 a shape correction unit comprising at least a pair of upper and lower shape correction rollers and at least a pair of left and right shape correction rollers; and    at least a pair of cutting roller units comprising a cutting roller provided with a cutting blade formed on an outer peripheral face thereof and a support roller.    
     
     
         6 . The producing apparatus of metallic wire for grip rings according to  claim 4  or  claim 5 , wherein a pair of upper and lower pressing rollers are provided forward and rearward of the cutting roller unit so as to prevent the metallic wire from warping upwardly and downwardly.  
     
     
         7 . A producing apparatus of grip rings for tube connector to be used to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows comprises: 
 a machine cutting device for continuously performing machine cutting on metallic wire;    a ring forming device for processing the machine cut metallic wire to be ring-shaped;    a shearing device for shearing the ring-shaped metallic wire into a ring piece with predetermined length; and    a cutting device for performing cutting treatment on both ends of the ring piece with predetermined length.    
     
     
         8 . The producing apparatus of grip rings for tube connector according to  claim 7 , wherein the machine cuffing device comprises: 
 a shape correction unit comprising at least a pair of upper and lower shape correction rollers and at least a pair of left and right shape correction rollers; and    at least a pair of cutting roller units comprising a cutting roller provided with a cutting blade formed on an outer peripheral face thereof and a supporting roller.    
     
     
         9 . The producing apparatus of grip rings for tube connector according to  claim 7  or  claim 8 , wherein a pair of upper and lower pressing rollers are provided forward and rearward of the cutting roller unit so as to prevent the metallic wire from warping upwardly and downwardly.  
     
     
         10 . Grip rings for tube connector to be used to connect tubes through tight contact with outer periphery of the tubes through which a fluid flows, which are obtained by unwinding coil-shaped metallic wire, continuously performing machine cutting on the unwound metallic wire, processing the machine cut metallic wire to be ring-shaped, which are then sheared into a ring piece with predetermined length, and performing cutting treatment on both ends of the ring piece with predetermined length.