Cable welding tool

Abstract

A tool for cold pressure welding workpieces such as coaxial cables together. The tool has a compact arrangement so that it may be hand held and operated. A hydraulic pump and motor are incorporated for providing a force amplification which lends to the compactness and light weight of the assembly. The hydraulic motor operates pairs of dies which dies first grip the ends of the workpieces to be welded and then force these ends into engagement to achieve a cold pressure weld. A pressure relief valve is interposed in the hydraulic circuit for limiting the force applied to the dies. The dies are held in pivotally supported parts of the tool so that the tool may be conveniently opened for inspection, replacement or cleaning of the dies.

We claim: 
     
       1. A hand held tool for cold pressure welding of pieces comprising a housing assembly adapted to be held in the hand of an operator, welding dies for gripping and upsetting the pieces to be welded, a handle supported for movement relative to the housing assembly and adapted to be manually moved relative thereto, force amplifying means carried by said housing assembly and operatively interposed between sad handle and said welding dies for amplifying the manual force applied to said handle and for using said amplified force for moving said welding dies through a welding sequence, and means interposed between said force amplifying means and said welding dies for limiting the force applied to said welding dies by said force amplifying means. 
     
     
       2. A hand held tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the force amplifying means comprises a pump operated by the handle and a hydraulic motor driven by said pump and associated with the welding dies. 
     
     
       3. A hand held tool as set forth in claim 2 further including a reservoir for retaining hydraulic fluid and for delivering such fluid to the pump and for receiving such fluid from the motor, said pump being normally disposed beneath said reservoir when said tool is operated. 
     
     
       4. A hand held tool as set forth in claim 2 wherein the force limiting means comprises a pressure relief valve interposed between the pump and the hydraulic motor for limiting the force applied by said hydraulic motor to the welding dies. 
     
     
       5. A hand held tool as set forth in claim 2 wherein the welding dies comprise first and second pairs of dies, the dies of said pairs being movable relative to each other from an opened position to a gripping position, the pair of dies being movable relative to each other between an opened position and a welding position. 
     
     
       6. A hand held tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the welding dies comprise first and second pairs of dies, the dies of said pairs being movable relative to each other from an opened position to a gripping position, the pairs of dies being movable relative to each other between an opened position and a welding position. 
     
     
       7. A cold pressure welding tool comprising first die means, second die means, a first housing member having an opening formed therein receiving and supporting said first die means, a second housing member having an opening formed therein receiving and supporting said second die means, means for moving said die means into gripping engagement with first and second pieces to be welded and for movement to upset the ends of the gripped pieces, and means for pivotally connecting said housing members together for movement between a closed position in which said die means may coact an upset and an opened position in which said die means may be removed from the respective of said housing members, said openings of said housing members forming a common cavity when the housing members are in their closed position. 
     
     
       8. A cold pressure welding tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means for moving the die means between their position includes operating means carried by at least one of the housing members. 
     
     
       9. A cold pressure welding tool as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for moving the die means includes a fluid motor carried by the first housing member. 
     
     
       10. A cold pressure welding tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of the die means comprises a pair of dies, one die of each pair of dies being positioned in each of the housing members. 
     
     
       11. A .Iadd.hand held .Iaddend.hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus comprising a first pair of dies, a second pair of dies, means for supporting the dies of said pair of dies for movement relative to each other between an opened position and a gripping position and for movement of the pairs of dies relative to each other between an opened position and a welding position, .[.and.]. means including a hydraulic motor for moving the dies of said pairs of dies from their opened position to their gripping position and for moving said pairs of dies from their opened position to their welding position.Iadd., and a manually operated pump for delivering hydraulic fluid under pressure to the hydraulic motor.Iaddend.. .[.12. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further including a pump for delivering hydraulic fluid 
     
     
        under pressure to the hydraulic motor..]. 13. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further including a pressure relief valve interposed between the pump and the hydraulic motor for limiting the force applied by said hydraulic motor to the welding dies. .[.14. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the pump is manually 
     
     
        operated..]. 15. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the hydraulic motor includes a fluid actuated piston operatively associated with the dies for operating the 
     
     
        dies. 16. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the means for operatively associating the piston with the dies includes at least one camming block operated by the piston. 
     
     
         7. A hydraulically operated cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further including spring means for urging the dies back to 
     
     
        their opened position. 18. A cold pressure welding apparatus comprising first, second, third and fourth dies, a first V-block juxtaposed to said first and said third dies, the inclined surfaces of said first V-block urging said first and said third dies toward each other upon movement of said first V-block relative to said first and said third dies, a second V-block juxtaposed to said second and said fourth dies, the inclined surfaces of said second V-block urging said second and said fourth dies toward each other upon movement of said second V-block relative to said second and said fourth dies, a spring biased first cam positioned at the bight of the inclined surfaces of said first V-block and interposed between said first and said third dies for urging said first and said third dies away from each other, a spring biased second cam positioned at the bight of the inclined surfaces of said second V-block and interposed between said second and said fourth dies for urging said second and said fourth dies away from each other, means for moving said first and said second V-blocks relative to each other and relative to the respective of said dies, said spring biased cams being effective to cause initial movement of said first die relative to said second die and said third die relative to said fourth die prior to movement of said first die relative to said third die and said second die relative to said fourth die, said spring biased cams being effective to yield upon engagement of said first die with said second die and upon engagement of said third die with said fourth die for movement of said first die relative to said third die and of said second die relative to said fourth die upon continued movement of said first V-block relative to said second V-block and a housing having first and second pivotally connected members in which respective cavities are formed, said first V-block and said first and third dies being positioned in the cavity of one of said members and said second V-block, said second and fourth dies being positioned in the cavity of the other 
     
     
        member. 19. A cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein the means for moving the first V-block relative to the second V-block includes a hydraulic piston operatively connected with one of said 
     
     
        V-blocks. 20. A cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 19 further including a housing having first and second pivotally connected members in which respective cavities are formed, the first cam and the first and third dies being positioned in the cavity of one of said members and the second cam, the second and fourth dies and the hydraulic piston 
     
     
        being positioned in the cavity of the other member. 21. A cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 20 further including a manually operated hydraulic pump carried by one of the housing members and adapted 
     
     
        to deliver hydraulic fluid under pressure to the hydraulic piston. 22. A cold pressure welding apparatus as set forth in claim 21 further including a pressure relief valve interposed between the pump and the hydraulic motor for limiting the force applied by said hydraulic motor to the welding dies. .[.23. A cold pressure welding tool comprising first die means for gripping a first workpiece, second die means for gripping a second workpiece, a fluid motor means for moving said die means relative to each other between an opened position and a welding position for effecting an upset on the ends of the workpieces gripped by the die means, and a relief valve for limiting the force applied to said die means by 
     
     
        fluid motor means to a predetermined value..]. 24. A hand held tool for cold pressure welding of pieces comprising a housing assembly adapted to be held in the hand of the operator, said housing assembly including first and second pieces and means for supporting said pieces for pivotal movement between a closed position and an opened position, said pieces having openings formed therein which openings are in registry with each other when said pieces are in their closed position, first and second pairs of welding dies for gripping and upsetting the pieces to be welded, certain of said dies being supported in the opening of one of said pieces and the other of said dies being supported in the opening of the other of said pieces, a handle supported for movement relative to said housing assembly and adapted to be manually moved relative thereto, and force amplifying means carried by said housing assembly and operatively interposed between said handle and said welding dies for amplifying the manual force applied to said handle and for using said amplifying force for moving the dies of said pairs relative to each other from an open position to a gripping position and the pairs of dies relative to each other between an opened position and a welding position.