Swage machine hinge systems and methods

Abstract

Techniques for implementing and/or operating a system that includes a pipe fitting and a swage machine. The swage machine includes a grab plate having a grab tab that matingly interlocks with a grab notch on the pipe fitting to facilitate securing the swage machine to the pipe fitting and a die plate having a die seat that enables a set of die segments to be used to conformally deform the pipe fitting around the tubing of the pipe segment to be loaded in the swage machine. The die plate and the grab plate include a base plate section, a hinge plate secured to the base plate section via a hinge fastener such that the hinge plate directly abuts the base plate section, and a pivotable plate section secured to the hinge plate via a hinge fastener such that the hinge plate directly abuts the pivotable plate section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A swage machine, comprising:
 a grab plate configured to interlock with a pipe fitting to facilitate securing the swage machine to the pipe fitting; and   a die plate configured to enable a set of die segments that is to be used to conformally deform a portion of the pipe fitting around a pipe segment to be loaded in the swage machine, wherein the grab plate and the die plate comprise:
 a base plate section; 
 a pivotable plate section; and 
 a hinge plate configured to be secured to the base plate section via a first hinge fastener and to the pivotable plate section via a second hinge fastener to enable the pivotable plate section to rotate relative to the base plate section. 
   
     
     
         2 . The swage machine of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge plate is configured to be secured to the base plate section and the pivotable plate section such that the hinge plate directly abuts the base plate section and the pivotable plate section. 
     
     
         3 . The swage machine of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hinge plate is configured to be secured to a first side of the base plate section and the pivotable plate section; and   the grab plate and the die plate comprise another hinge plate configured to be secured to a second side of the base plate section and the pivotable plate section opposite the first side via the first hinge fastener and the second hinge fastener.   
     
     
         4 . The swage machine of  claim 1 , wherein the die plate and the die plate comprise:
 another pivotable plate section; and   another hinge plate configured to be secured to the base plate section via a third hinge fastener and to the another pivotable plate section via a fourth hinge fastener to enable the another pivotable plate section to rotate relative to the base plate section.   
     
     
         5 . The swage machine of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base plate section comprises a first hinge extension having a first fastener opening;   the pivotable plate section comprises a second hinge extension having a second fastener opening that is configured to align with the first fastener opening in the base plate section, wherein base plate section and the pivotable plate section are configured to be secured such that the first hinge extension on the base plate section directly abuts the second hinge extension on the pivotable plate section.   
     
     
         6 . The swage machine of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the hinge plate comprises:
 a third fastener opening configured to be aligned with the first fastener opening in the base plate section and the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section; and 
 a fourth fastener opening; 
   the first hinge fastener is configured to secure the hinge plate to the base plate section and the pivotable plate section via the first fastener opening in the base plate section, the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section, and the third fastener opening in the hinge plate;   the base plate section comprises a fifth fastener opening in a remainder of the base plate section that is configured to be aligned with the fourth fastener opening in the hinge plate; and   the second hinge fastener is configured to secure the hinge plate to the base plate section via the fourth fastener opening in the hinge plate and the fifth fastener opening in the base plate section.   
     
     
         7 . The swage machine of  claim 1 , comprising another hinge plate that is thicker than the hinge plate, wherein:
 the hinge plate is configured to be secured to the base plate section via the first hinge fastener and to the pivotable plate section via the second hinge fastener when the swage machine is to be used with a lesser load; and   the another hinge plate is configured to be secured to the base plate section via the first hinge fastener and to the pivotable plate section via the second hinge fastener in place of the hinge plate when the swage machine is to be used with a higher load.   
     
     
         8 . The swage machine of  claim 7 , wherein the hinge plate and the another hinge plate are both configured to be secured to the base plate section via the first hinge fastener and to the pivotable plate section via the second hinge fastener when the swage machine is to be used with an even higher load. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a swage machine, comprising:
 disposing a swage machine around a pipe fitting while the swage machine is in an open state, wherein the swage machine comprises a grab plate and a die plate that include a base plate section, a pivotable plate section, and a hinge fastener that secures the base plate section and the pivotable plate section to one another;   transitioning the swage machine from the open state to a closed state such that the grab plate of the swage machine interlocks with the pipe fitting at least in part by rotating the pivotable plate section relative to the base plate section; and   moving the die plate and the grab plate of the swage machine axially relative to one another while the swage machine is in the closed state and the base plate section directly abuts the pivotable plate section to facilitate using a set of die segments loaded in the die plate to conformally deform a portion of the pipe fitting around a pipe segment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the grab plate and the die plate of the swage machine comprise:
 a hinge plate;   a first hinge fastener that secures the hinge plate to the base plate section such that the hinge plate and the base plate section directly abut; and   a second hinge fastener that secures the hinge plate to the pivotable plate section such that the hinge plate and the pivotable plate section directly abut.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising, after conformally deform the portion of the pipe fitting around the pipe segment:
 moving the die plate and the grab plate of the swage machine axially relative to one another in an opposite direction;   transitioning the swage machine from the closed state to the open state; and   removing the swage machine from around the pipe fitting while the swage machine is in the open state.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the die plate and the grab plate of the swage machine comprise another pivotable plate section and another hinge fastener that secures the base plate section and the another pivotable plate section to one another; and   transitioning the swage machine from the open state to the closed state comprises rotating the another pivotable plate section relative to the base plate section.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the base plate section of the swage machine comprises a first hinge extension having a first fastener opening;   the pivotable plate section of the swage machine comprises a second hinge extension having a second fastener opening;   the hinge fastener secures the base plate section and the pivotable plate section to one another via the first fastener opening in the base plate section and the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section; and   moving the die plate and the grab plate of the swage machine axially relative to one another comprises moving the die plate and the grab plate axially relative to one another while the first hinge extension on the base plate section and the second hinge extension on the pivotable plate section directly abut.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the grab plate and the die plate of the swage machine comprise another hinge fastener and a hinge plate having a third fastener opening and a fourth fastener opening;   a remainder of the base plate section comprises a fifth fastener opening; and   the hinge fastener secures the hinge plate to the base plate section and the pivotable plate section via the first fastener opening in the base plate section, the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section, and the third fastener opening in the hinge plate; and   the another hinge fastener secures the hinge plate to the base plate section via the fourth fastener opening in the hinge plate and the fifth fastener opening in the base plate section.   
     
     
         15 . A swage machine, comprising:
 a grab plate configured to interlock with a pipe fitting to facilitate securing the swage machine to the pipe fitting; and   a die plate configured to enable a set of die segments that is to be used to conformally deform a portion of the pipe fitting around a pipe segment to be loaded in the swage machine, wherein the grab plate and the die plate comprise:
 a base plate section, wherein the base plate section comprises a first hinge extension having a first fastener opening; 
 a pivotable plate section, wherein the pivotable plate section comprises a second hinge extension having a second fastener opening that is configured to be aligned with the first fastener opening in the first hinge extension on the base plate section; and 
 a hinge fastener configured to secure the base plate section and the pivotable plate section to one another via the first fastener opening in the base plate section and the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section such that the first hinge extension on the base plate section directly abuts the second hinge extension on the pivotable plate section. 
   
     
     
         16 . The swage machine of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the grab plate and the die plate comprise a hinge plate having a third fastener opening configured to be aligned with the first fastener opening in the base plate section and the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section; and   the hinge fastener is configured to secure the hinge plate to the base plate section and the pivotable plate section via the first fastener opening in the base plate section, the second fastener opening in the pivotable plate section, and the third fastener opening in the hinge plate such that the hinge plate directly abuts the base plate section, the pivotable plate section, or both.   
     
     
         17 . The swage machine of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the base plate section comprises a fourth fastener opening in a remainder of the base plate section;   the hinge plate comprises a fifth fastener opening configured to be aligned with the fourth fastener opening in the base plate section; and   the swage machine comprises another hinge fastener configured to secure the hinge plate to the base plate section via the fourth fastener opening in the base plate section and the fifth fastener opening in the pivotable plate section.   
     
     
         18 . The swage machine of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the hinge fastener comprises a first bolt, a first nut, or both; and   the another hinge fastener comprises a second bolt, a second nut, or both.   
     
     
         19 . The swage machine of  claim 15 , wherein combined thickness of the first hinge extension on the base plate section and the second hinge extension on the pivotable plate section matches thickness of a remainder of the base plate section, thickness of another remainder of the pivotable plate section, or both. 
     
     
         20 . The swage machine of  claim 15 , wherein:
 thickness of the first hinge extension on the base plate section is half a thickness of a remainder of the base plate section; and   thickness of the second hinge extension on the pivotable plate section is half another thickness of another remainder of the pivotable plate section.