Manually operated tool for flaring tubes

Abstract

A flaring apparatus comprising a pipe holder for holding a pipe such as to prevent axial movement of the pipe and a hand-powered actuator including a pivotably mounted lever operable to drive a tool carrier towards the pipe holder.

1 : Pipe flaring apparatus comprising:
 a pipe holder for holding a pipe such as to prevent axial movement of said pipe; and   a hand-powered actuator comprising a pivotably mounted lever operable to drive a tool carrier towards said pipe holder, a first toothed rotatable member mounted for rotation in response to movement of said lever and a second toothed rotatable member that is rotatable in a first direction in response to rotation of said first toothed rotatable member for causing translational movement of said tool carrier towards said pipe holder,   wherein said first toothed rotatable member comprises an arcuate portion provided with teeth, said second toothed rotatable member comprises at least one arcuate portion provided with teeth, said first toothed rotatable member arcuate portion has a radius and said at least one arcuate portion of said second toothed rotatable member has a radius greater than said radius of said first toothed rotatable member.   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein rotation of said second toothed rotatable member in said first direction causes a closing force to be applied to said pipe holder. 
     
     
         5 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , comprising a rotation preventing device for selectively preventing rotation of said second toothed rotatable member in a second direction that is opposite to said first direction, said second toothed rotatable member being provided with a stop and said rotation preventing device being selectively engagable with said stop to stop rotation of said second toothed rotatable member in said second direction at a position in which said closing force is applied to said pipe holder and said tool carrier is spaced from said pipe holder to permit tool changing. 
     
     
         6 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein rotation of said second rotatable member is transmitted to said tool carrier by a crank arm pivotably connected with said second toothed rotatable member and a piston, said piston being operable to apply a force to said tool carrier to cause said translational movement in response to rotational movement of said second toothed rotatable member transmitted by said crank arm. 
     
     
         7 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein operation of said lever provides a closing force for closing said pipe holder and a driving force for driving said tool carrier towards said pipe holder, said closing force and said driving force being directed substantially in line with a longitudinal axis of said pipe holder. 
     
     
         8 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said pipe holder comprises a support having an internal space for receiving said pipe and a plurality of jaws mounted to said support for axial and radial movement relative to said support, wherein axial movement of said jaws away from said tool carrier causes said jaws to move radially inwardly of said support for engaging and holding said pipe. 
     
     
         10 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each jaw is a plate member. 
     
     
         11 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each said jaw comprises an end region shaped to define a partial pipe flaring die. 
     
     
         12 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said support comprises a plurality of interengaging plates that form a support frame for said plurality of jaws. 
     
     
         13 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a biasing device for biasing said tool carrier away from said pipe holder. 
     
     
         14 . Hand held pipe flaring apparatus comprising:
 a hand powered trigger-action actuator for generating a drive force applied to a pipe flaring tool for driving said pipe flaring tool into an end of a pipe; and   a fixed handle,   wherein said trigger-action actuator comprises:   a trigger squeezable towards said handle to generate said drive force, said trigger and handle being arranged to permit one handed operation of said trigger-action actuator;   meshing toothed members for converting movement of said trigger towards said handle into a drive torque; and   a torque converting mechanism for converting said drive torque into said drive force and applying said drive force to said pipe flaring tool, said drive force acting to cause translational movement of said pipe flaring tool that drives said pipe flaring tool into said end of said pipe.   
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . Hand held pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , comprising a pipe clamp for clamping said pipe to prevent axial movement thereof, said torque converting mechanism applying said drive force to said pipe clamp to cause clamping of said pipe. 
     
     
         18 . Pipe flaring apparatus comprising:
 a tool holder for at least one pipe flaring tool, a pipe holder,   a hand powered actuator for generating a force for causing said pipe holder to hold a pipe therein and said tool holder to move to positions at which a pipe flaring tool held by said tool holder engages an end of said pipe,   at least one biasing device for biasing said pipe holder to an open position and said tool holder in a direction away from said pipe holder and   a user operable control device for allowing movement of said tool holder under an influence of said at least one biasing device to disengage said pipe while preventing opening of said pipe holder.   
     
     
         19 . A method of flaring an end of a pipe by operation of a pipe flaring apparatus that comprises a pipe holder that is biased to an open position, a pipe flaring tool that is biased away from said pipe holder, a trigger and a stop, said method comprising:
 operating said trigger to close said pipe holder onto an end region of a pipe and produce a hand powered driving force acting in an axial direction of said pipe that drives said pipe flaring tool into said end of said pipe; and   operating said stop to permit said pipe flaring tool to be biased away from said pipe holder to permit tool changing while preventing opening of said pipe holder.   
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19 , comprising pulling said trigger towards a handle grip to produce said driving force. 
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20 , comprising gripping said handle grip and trigger in one hand to operate said trigger. 
     
     
         22 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . Pipe flaring apparatus comprising:
 a pipe holder for holding a pipe such as to prevent axial movement of said pipe; and   a hand-powered actuator comprising a pivotably mounted lever operable to drive a tool carrier towards said pipe holder,   wherein said pipe holder comprises a support having a longitudinal axis and defining an internal space for receiving said pipe and a plurality of jaws mounted to said support for axial and radial movement relative to said support, and   wherein movement of said jaws away from said tool carrier causes said jaws to move radially inwardly of said support for engaging and holding said pipe.   
     
     
         25 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein each jaw is connected to said support by two spaced apart links to define a four bar linkage. 
     
     
         26 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein each jaw is a plate member. 
     
     
         27 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein each said jaw comprises an end region shaped to define a partial pipe flaring die. 
     
     
         28 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein said support comprises a plurality of interengaging plates that form a support frame for said plurality of jaws. 
     
     
         29 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , comprising a biasing device for biasing said tool carrier away from said pipe holder. 
     
     
         30 . Pipe flaring apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein operation of said lever provides a closing force for closing said pipe holder and a driving force for driving said tool carrier towards said pipe holder, said closing force and said driving force being directed substantially in line with said longitudinal axis of said support.