Strip guidance system for machines that form pipes from continuous profiled and spiralled strips

Abstract

“STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FROM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS” for machines that produce spiraled tubes ( 1 ) or pipes from continuous strips ( 2 ) that are wound on a roll ( 3 ), forming first a profile of at least one continuous flat strip ( 2 ) of metal or any other type of smooth material, which after the profiling process are spiraled and interlocked to itself to form a continuous segment of spiraled pipe ( 1 ) or hose and that the strips ( 2 ) raw materials are usually provided and stored in the form of pancakes, rolls ( 3 ) or coils. The strip is fed from the storage area to the initial profiling stage of the process by means of a feeding mechanism ( 4 ) in such manner that at least one strip ( 2 ) is unwound by guides ( 5 ) and induced in a spiral pathway ( 6 ) along the machine axis ( 7 ), and that in order to keep the strip ( 2 ) on the said spiraled trajectory ( 6 ) the system includes secondary guides ( 10 ) which together with the primary guides ( 5 ) act as to limit the deformation and bending of the strip ( 2 ).

1 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS” for machines which form spiraled pipes ( 1 ) processes strips ( 2 ) of rolls of material ( 3 ), first forming a profile from one or more continuous strips ( 2 ) of flat metal or other smooth material, which are subsequently spiraled and interlocked to form a continuous length of spiraled pipe ( 1 ) or hose and that said strips ( 2 ) of raw materials are usually provided in the form of pancakes ( 3 ), bobbins or coils, characterized by the fact that said machines utilize a feeding mechanism ( 4 ) in such manner that at least one strip ( 2 ) is unwound by guides ( 5 ) and induced in a spiral pathway ( 6 ) along the main machine axis ( 7 ) which takes the strip to the entry point of a profiling box ( 8 ), and that said guides ( 5 ) ensure that the strip ( 2 ) passes over cylindrical and/or conical rollers ( 9 ) in such a manner that induces a twist in the strip ( 2 ) to start following the said spiraled pathway ( 6 ), in order to keep the strip ( 2 ) on the said spiraled trajectory ( 6 ) the system includes secondary guides ( 10 ) which together with the primary guides ( 5 ) act as to limit deformation and bending of the strip ( 2 ). 
     
     
         2 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS” according to  claim 1 , characterized by fact that the equipment feeder mechanism ( 4 ) controls the feed rate of strip ( 2 ) by means of tension and/or speed in order to provide synchronization with the speed of the profiling system ( 8 ) and subsequently the rate that the profiled strip ( 12 ) is supplied to the pressurizing roils ( 11 ), which functionally operate in parallel both as a guides and pressurizing elements to finalize the interlocking of the profiled strip ( 12 ) previously formed by the profiling box ( 8 ). 
     
     
         3 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS”, according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that it includes a profiling box ( 8 ) with an arrangements of sets of profiling rolls mounted in a particular sequence of shafts ( 13 ) which are drive and adjusted to allow for variations in pressure, strip size and profile. 
     
     
         4 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS”, according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the profiling box ( 8 ) is mounted directly on the rotating main face plate ( 14 ) of the machine, or on an adapter system ( 15 ) which allows to adjust the profiling box ( 8 ) position in such a manner that it is possible to directly feed the profiled strip ( 12 ) into the pressurizing rolls ( 11 ) while maintaining the flexibility to produce spiraled pipes ( 1 ) with different profiles, diameters and thickness. 
     
     
         5 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS”, according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that in a constructive variation, the main machine shaft ( 7 ) contains a through bore in its length direction in order to allow the passing of a primary element which can serve as the center element of the spiraled pipe ( 1 ). 
     
     
         6 - “STRIP GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR MACHINES THAT FORM PIPES FROM CONTINUOUS PROFILED AND SPIRALLED STRIPS” according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that it include a mandrel ( 16 ) which rotates in the same direction as the main shaft ( 7 ), however at a slower rate, thereby avoiding the gripping between the spiraled pipe ( 1 ) and the mandrel ( 16 ).