A facer facing the ends of polyolefin pipes for butt fusion is modular in the sense that it employs three types of modules, a drive unit, two blade holders and a motor assembly, that are separable from one another and each independently light enough to be hand-lifted along walls and up to ceilings. The drive unit module is adjustable to accommodate different guide rail spacings. The blade holder modules are interchangeable to accommodate different diameters of pipe. The motor assembly module has multispeed capability to accommodate the total area of material to be faced. Each module can be exchanged or modified without use of tools to change the geometry of the assembled facer to accommodate different fusion machines and/or diameters of pipe within working spaces dictated by the diameter of the pipe and not by a fixed geometry of a facer.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for producing a butt-welded joint between two pipe segments (38, 39) of a pipe (27, 28) made of a weldable plastic material, each pipe segment being held by a gripping means (14, 15), pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments (38, 39) being machined with the aid of a tool means (11) for forming welding contact surfaces (40, 41), said tool means (11) being disposed in a stationary manner in a separating plane (37) for machining the welding contact surfaces (40, 41) and a separating cut for forming the pipe segments (38, 39) being realised by the gripping means (14, 15) moving the pipe (27, 28) relative to the tool means (11) in the separating plane (37), said separating cut simultaneously serving to form the welding contact surfaces (40, 41).

A facer facing the ends of polyolefin pipes for butt fusion is modular in the sense that it employs three types of modules, a drive unit, two blade holders and a motor assembly, that are separable from one another and each independently light enough to be hand-lifted along walls and up to ceilings. The drive unit module is adjustable to accommodate different guide rail spacings. The blade holder modules are interchangeable to accommodate different diameters of pipe. The motor assembly module has multispeed capability to accommodate the total area of material to be faced. Each module can be exchanged or modified without use of tools to change the geometry of the assembled facer to accommodate different fusion machines and/or diameters of pipe within working spaces dictated by the diameter of the pipe and not by a fixed geometry of a facer.

The machine (1) for sealing plastic profiled elements comprises: a base frame (6); a pair of retention members (7, 8), adapted to retain respective plastic profiled elements (P) having respective areas to seal (Z) with a first main edge (2a), a second main edge (3a), a first lateral edge (4a) and a second lateral edge (5a); a heat-sealing element with heated plate (11); sliding means (9, 10) of the retention members (7, 8); removing means (13, 14) adapted to remove material from the areas to seal (Z) at least at the first lateral edges (4a); lateral containment means (23, 24), which are adapted to abut on the areas to seal (Z) at the first lateral edges (4a) for the containment of a lateral sealing bead (S) and which comprise at least a V-shaped element (23) having two sides (25) arranged in a V pattern which are adapted to abut on at least a portion of respective first lateral faces (4) of the profiled elements (P).

A facer facing the ends of polyolefin pipes for butt fusion is modular in the sense that it employs three types of modules, a drive unit, two blade holders and a motor assembly, that are separable from one another and each independently light enough to be hand-lifted along walls and up to ceilings. The drive unit module is adjustable to accommodate different guide rail spacings. The blade holder modules are interchangeable to accommodate different diameters of pipe. The motor assembly module has multispeed capability to accommodate the total area of material to be faced. Each module can be exchanged or modified without use of tools to change the geometry of the assembled facer to accommodate different fusion machines and/or diameters of pipe within working spaces dictated by the diameter of the pipe and not by a fixed geometry of a facer.

An apparatus for manufacturing rectangular frames of plastic material includes an apparatus frame and welding heads. A material clamp cooperates with an associated frame member to hold the associated frame member in a desired location during a frame assembly operation. A heat plate is movably attached to each welding head. The heat plate can be selectively positioned to an operating position. The material clamp positions the associated frame member in close proximity to the heat plate to heat a set of ends of the associated frame member utilizing only radiation and convection of heat developed by the heat plate. The plurality of welding heads exert pressure on adjoining associated frame members after the heat plate is removed from the operating position in order to weld the adjoining associated frame members together to form a rectangular frame.

The machine (1) for sealing plastic profiled elements comprises: a base frame (6); retention means (7, 8) of at least a profiled element (P) of plastic material having a first main face (2), a second main face (3), a first lateral face (4), a second lateral face (5) and respective areas to seal (Z), the retention means (7, 8) being associated with the base frame (6) and comprising a first support element (7) movable along a first direction of sliding (A) and a second support element (8) mounted on the first support element (7) and movable relative thereto along a second direction of sliding (B); a heat-sealing element with heated plate (11), having two mutually opposite surfaces on which the areas to seal (Z) to be heated are placeable in contact; sliding means (9, 10) of the retention means (7, 8) adapted to shift the profiled elements (P) between a position of reciprocal moving away and a position of mutual approach wherein the heated areas to seal (Z) are joined together; wherein the machine (1) comprises positioning means (13, 14) associated with the support elements (7, 8) and adapted to receive a portion of one of the lateral faces (4, 5); locking means (15, 28) movably associated with the retention means (7, 8) and adapted to keep the profiled elements (P) in a locking configuration wherein one of the main faces (2, 3) is kept into contact with one of the support elements (7, 8) and one of the lateral faces (4, 5) is arranged into contact with the positioning means (13, 14), and wherein the locking means (15, 28) prevent the profiled elements (P) from rotating around the longitudinal axis of the profiled elements themselves.

The machine (1) for welding profiled elements comprises: a base frame (2); two retaining members (3, 4) of respective profiled elements (5) made at least partly of plastic and an area to be welded (6), the retaining members (3, 4) being mounted on the base frame (2) and defining a first retaining axis (A) and a second retaining axis (B) forming an angle of welding (7), and along which the profiled elements (5) can be fastened; removal means (8) of material from the profiled elements (5) to make a machining on the area to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); heat sealing means (9) mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to weld the areas to be welded (6) of the profiled elements (5); adjusting means (10) of the angle of welding (7) adapted to move at least one of the retaining members (3, 4) to incline at least one of the first retaining axis (A) and the second retaining axis (B) to change the angle of welding (7); sliding means (11) of the retaining members (3, 4), mounted on the base frame (2) and adapted to move the retaining members (3, 4) in mutual approach or moving away without changing the angle of welding (7).

A gasket welding apparatus (10) comprising: a pair of opposed clamping members (16A, 16B) for supporting corresponding first and second lengths of gasket material. The clamping members (16A, 16B) being moveable towards and away from one another by an actuator (58). The gasket welding apparatus (10) comprises a heating element (30), the heating element (30) is moveable between a first position in which it is removed from the clamping members and a second position in which it is disposed between the clamping members.

A fusion machine which can be top-loaded on very large polyolefin pipes and pipelines has jaws which consist of an upper half jaw and lower left and right complemental jaws which pivot on the half jaw. Left and right actuators connected between the complemental jaws and the half jaw operate in one direction to cause the complemental jaws to rotate to an opened condition in which the upper half jaw can be lowered onto and lifted from the pipes to be fused and in the other direction to cause the complemental jaws to rotate to a closed condition in which the pipes to be fused are gripped so substantially around their circumferences as to resist their deformation from round during manipulation by the machine. The top-loading machine minimizes the need for heavy equipment to load and unload pipe to and from the fusion machine.