Crimping tool for pipe fittings

Abstract

A crimping tool for pipe fittings has a pair of semi-cylindrical opposing jaws with opposing ends, pivotally attached at one end of each, for closing and opening movement about the pivot axis. When closed, the jaws define a cylinder for engaging a pipe or other cylindrical element to be crimped. The other ends of the jaws have integral extensions that meet when the jaws are closed and are clamped together by a simple crimping force assembly comprising a threaded eyebolt, the eye end being pivotally attached to the end of one jaw extension. The bolt swivels in and out of a slot in the other jaw extension. A nut on the other end of the eyebolt is used to compress the two jaw extensions together. In another embodiment, the jaws have annular grooves on their inner surfaces to accommodate the male ridges of ProPress® pipe fittings.

1 . In a manually operable crimping tool comprising first and second opposing semi-cylindrical jaw members with first and second ends, or engaging an element to be crimped, said jaw members being pivotally joined at the first end of each said jaw member, for pivotal opening and closing movement about a first axis, and defining a cylindrical space when closed, further comprising a crimping-force-application assembly including
 (i) means to pivotally attach said assembly to one of said first and second jaw members for pivotal movement about a second axis generally parallel to said first axis;   (ii) means to releasably engage another one of said first and second jaw members, said means to releasably engage being movable between a first disengaged position in which said crimping-force-application assembly is not touching said second jaw member, permitting movement of said first and second jaw members onto and off of the element to be crimped and a second engaged position permitting application of a crimping force;   (iii) manually operable means to reduce a distance between said means to pivotally attach said assembly and said means to releasably engage, thereby causing said first and second jaw members to interact to crimp the element therebetween,   
     the improvement comprising a straight bar extension from each said first and second jaw member at their second ends, on which extensions are mounted said crimping-force-application assembly elements. 
   
   
       2 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein said extensions have slots at their second ends, which align when said jaw members are in their second engaged position, and said manually operable means to reduce a distance further comprises a threaded eyebolt having an eye end and a second end, the eye end of said eyebolt pivoting on a pin mounted parallel to said first axis within the slot of the first jaw member extension, and a nut rotatable at the second end of the eyebolt, whereby when said eyebolt is pivoted to lie within both slots of the jaw member extensions with its second end outboard of the second jaw member extension, rotation of the nut causes the jaw member extensions to come together.