Press-in connecting piece for pipe connection and tool for a press-in connecting piece

Abstract

A press-in connecting piece for connecting a branch pipe to a pipe in the region of a branch opening. The connecting piece includes a pipe adapter having an inner opening, and a press-in nozzle having a pipe socket, wherein the pipe adapter has a sealing surface for resting in a sealing manner on the outer wall of the pipe, wherein the pipe socket has a tapering end portion remote from the pipe adapter.

Claims

1. A press-in connecting piece for connecting a branch pipe to a pipe in the region of a branch opening, comprising a pipe adapter having an inner opening, and a press-in nozzle having a pipe socket, wherein the pipe adapter has a sealing surface for resting on and defining a seal with an outer wall of the pipe, wherein the pipe socket has a tapered end portion remote from the pipe adapter, wherein the pipe socket has a cylindrical portion, and wherein the pipe socket is configured such that the tapered end portion is configured to be beaded by folding over inwards toward a central longitudinal axis of the pipe socket in a region between the tapered end potion and the cylindrical portion and subsequently radially widened by means of a tensile force acting on the end portion in a direction of the pipe adapter, and the press-in nozzle and the pipe adapter are drawn against the pipe.

2. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 1, wherein the pipe adapter and the press-in nozzle are formed in one piece.

3. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 1, wherein the pipe adapter and the press-in nozzle are configured in two pieces, the press-in nozzle has a flange and the pipe adapter has a contact surface which is adapted to the flange of the press-in nozzle and is arranged opposite the sealing surface.

4. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 1, wherein the tapered end portion of the pipe socket is at least partly conical.

5. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 1, wherein the pipe socket has a plurality of openings in a region of the tapered end portion.

6. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of openings extend in a longitudinal direction into both a region of the cylindrical portion of the pipe socket and the region of the tapered end portion.

7. The press-in connecting piece according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of openings extend in a longitudinal direction.

8. A system comprising a press-in connecting piece according to claim 1 and a tool for fastening a press-in connecting piece on a pipe, wherein the tool has a draw mandrel which has a shank and a forming portion with a greater external diameter than the shank, and wherein the external diameter is smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe socket of the press-in nozzle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein a shoulder for resting on the tapered end portion of the press-in nozzle is arranged between the shank and the forming portion.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein a guide adapter, connectable to the press-in nozzle, having an inner guide surface is provided to guide the draw mandrel.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein a clamping sleeve is provided for pushing over the draw mandrel, and on the end remote from the forming portion, the draw mandrel has an external thread to screw thereon a threaded nut.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the clamping sleeve has an external thread to screw thereon a threaded nut.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the present invention are described in the following description of embodiments, concerning which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a press-in connecting piece with a single-piece formation of pipe adapter and press-in nozzle,

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a press-in connecting piece with a two-piece formation of pipe adapter and press-in nozzle,

(4) FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the second embodiment of the press-in connecting piece,

(5) FIG. 4a-d are cross-sectional views of the second embodiment of a press-in connecting piece, installed in a pipe, with attached tool according to a first embodiment with a sequence of individual stages of the beading and widening procedures of the press-in nozzle,

(6) FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional exploded view of a third embodiment of a press-in connecting piece and of a tool for installing the press-in connecting piece,

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of a press-in connecting piece, installed in a pipe, with attached tool according to a second embodiment with a sequence of individual stages of the beading and widening procedures of the press-in nozzle,

(8) FIG. 7a-c are cross-sectional views of the embodiment according to FIG. 6 with a sequence of individual stages of the beading and widening procedures of the press-in nozzle,

(9) FIG. 8 shows a setting tool according to the invention with attached draw mandrel,

(10) FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the setting tool according to FIG. 8,

(11) FIG. 10 shows the setting tool according to FIGS. 8 and 9 with attached draw mandrel and press-in connecting piece connected thereto,

(12) FIG. 11 shows a pressing tool with connected setting tool according to FIG. 10, and

(13) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a detail from FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(14) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a press-in connecting piece 2 according to the invention for connecting a branch pipe to a pipe in the region of a branch opening. The press-in connecting piece 2 comprises a pipe adapter 6 having an inner opening 4 and a press-in nozzle 10 having a pipe socket 8. The pipe adapter 6 also has a sealing surface 12 for resting in a sealing manner on the outer wall of a pipe 13. Furthermore, the pipe socket 8 has a tapering end portion 14 remote from the pipe adapter 6.

(15) The sealing surface 12 of the pipe adapter 6 is adapted to a particular pipe diameter so that a tight fit is possible on the outside of the pipe 13. For this, for example a separate seal 16 in the form of an O-ring is provided for sealing the pipe adapter 6 from the pipe 13. Instead of a separate seal, a direct seal-less sealing with the outside of the pipe 13 is possible by means of a suitable choice of material.

(16) As shown in FIG. 1, the pipe adapter 6 and the press-in nozzle 10 are formed in one piece. On the other hand, FIGS. 2 and 3 show a second embodiment of a press-in connecting piece 2 in which the pipe adapter 6 and the press-in nozzle 10 are formed in two pieces. In this case, the press-in nozzle 10 has a flange 18 and the pipe adapter 6 has a contact surface 20 which is adapted to the flange 18 of the press-in nozzle 10 and is arranged opposite the sealing surface 12. A further seal 22 is provided between the flange 18 and the pipe adapter 6. Here as well, a separate seal can be avoided by means of a suitable choice of material.

(17) As can also be seen in FIG. 2, the pipe socket 8 has an external diameter which is adapted to the internal diameter of the pipe adapter 6, so that the pipe socket 8 rests on the inside of the pipe adapter 6.

(18) Consequently, a guidance of the press-in nozzle 10 with respect to the pipe adapter 6 is realised, as a result of which an orthogonal orientation of the press-in nozzle 10 with respect to the pipe axis is achieved and ensured.

(19) Furthermore, the pipe socket 8 has an external diameter which is adapted to the internal diameter of the branch opening of the pipe 13, so that a good fit is achieved here as well. For this purpose, before the press-in connecting piece 2 is installed, a suitable hole is made in the pipe wall.

(20) Finally, an internal thread 24 is introduced into the press-in nozzle 10 so that a pipe connection or a fitting can be suitably connected to the press-in connecting piece 2.

(21) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the tapering end portion 14 of the pipe socket 8 is at least partly conical. This produces a cross-sectional narrowing and an inwardly directed lower edge or collar 26 which, during the installation described below, is gripped by the tool and beaded and widened.

(22) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for easier deformability in the region of the end portion 14, a plurality of openings 28 is provided which extend in the longitudinal direction and are configured continuously both in the region of the cylindrical portion 30 of the pipe socket 8 and in the region of the end portion 14. The material of the pipe socket 8 can thereby yield specifically radially outwards in a star shape during the beading and widening procedures.

(23) FIG. 4a shows a first embodiment of a system according to the invention with a press-in connecting piece according to FIGS. 2 and 3 and with a tool 32 for fastening a press-in connecting piece 2 according to FIGS. 2 and 3 to a pipe 13 in the region of a branch opening 34. The tool 32 has a draw mandrel 36 which has a shank 38 and a forming portion 40 of a greater external diameter than the shank 38. In this respect, the greatest external diameter of the forming portion 40 is smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe socket 8 of the press-in nozzle 10.

(24) Furthermore, arranged between the shank 38 and the forming portion 40 is a shoulder 42 which, during the installation of the press-in connecting piece, rests on the tapering end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10 or rests on the collar 26. Consequently, while the draw mandrel 36 is being pulled out, the forming force can be exerted on the end portion 14. If the shoulder 42 is not provided, the tapering end portion 14 is beaded by the cross-sectional widening of the shank alone.

(25) As also shown in FIG. 4a, the forming portion 40 widens conically outwards. An upwardly directed tensile force (indicated by an upwards arrow) can be exerted on the draw mandrel 32 by a traction machine supported against the press-in nozzle 10 via an abutment 44 (shown with downwards arrows) or manually. Consequently, due to the shoulder 42 resting on the lower end of the end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10, a two-step forming of the pipe portion 8 occurs. This procedure is shown in steps in FIGS. 4a to 4d.

(26) FIG. 4a shows the starting position. FIG. 4b shows the first forming step in which the lower end of the end portion 14 is drawn upwards. Consequently, the material of the end portion 14 is simultaneously displaced outwards, so that the end portion 14 is beaded to an increasing extent. In so doing, the end portion 14 folds over in the region between the conical end portion 14 and the cylindrical portion 30 of the pipe socket 8. After a predetermined displacement path of the shank 38, the edge of the end portion 14 slides off the shoulder 42, so that the beading procedure of the end portion 14 is concluded.

(27) In FIG. 4c, the conically outwardly protruding forming portion 40 of the draw mandrel 36 then comes increasingly into contact with the end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10 and, in a second forming step, as it continues to move, it outwardly widens the beaded part of the end portion 14, as shown in FIG. 4d with the extracted shank 38.

(28) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of a tool 32 for installing a press-in connecting piece 2 according to the second embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3.

(29) In contrast to the first embodiment, the draw mandrel 36 has a forming portion 40 with a substantially cylindrical shape.

(30) Furthermore, a guide adapter 50, connectable to the press-in nozzle 10, having an inner guide surface 52 is provided for guiding the draw mandrel 36. For this purpose, an external thread 54 is provided for screwing into the internal thread 24 of the press-in nozzle 10. Furthermore, a stop surface 56 is provided for resting on the press-in nozzle 10. The guide adapter 50 can be screwed into the internal thread 24 by a hexagon head 58.

(31) Also provided for pushing over the draw mandrel 36 is a clamping sleeve 60 which preferably rests on the inner guide surface 52 of the guide adapter 50. Formed on the draw mandrel 36 above the pushed-on clamping sleeve 60, i.e. on the end remote from the forming portion 40 is an external thread 62 onto which a threaded nut 64 can be screwed. By screwing on the threaded nut 64 while simultaneously countering the rotational movement by means of a hexagonal bolt 65 formed on the upper end of the shank 36, the clamping sleeve is pushed downwards in the direction of the forming portion 40 so that the inwardly directed lower edge or collar 26 of the tapered end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10 is clamped and is thereby fixed relative to the draw mandrel 36. The draw mandrel 36 can thus also be referred to as a clamping mandrel.

(32) Furthermore, an external thread 66 is provided on the clamping sleeve 60 to screw thereon a further threaded nut 68. By tightening the threaded nut 68, again while simultaneously countering by means of the hexagonal bolt 65, the clamping sleeve 60 is pulled out of the pipe 13 together with the draw mandrel 36 and with the clamped collar 26 of the end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10.

(33) During the movement of the draw mandrel 36 out of the pipe 13 which is shown in FIG. 7a-c, the end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10 is thus beaded and widened as described above. Furthermore, at the end of the forming procedure (FIG. 7b), a tensile force is exerted on the clamped collar 26 so that the collar 26 shears off at the lower edge of the guide adapter 50, is separated from the end portion 14 and is pulled out of the press-in nozzle 10 and thus out of the press-in connecting piece 2 (FIG. 7c).

(34) In FIGS. 8 to 12, an embodiment of a setting tool according to the invention is shown on its own and interacting with a draw mandrel, a press-in connecting piece and a pressing machine. In this respect, in the following the same reference numerals are used as before in the description of the previous embodiments.

(35) FIGS. 8 and 9 show a setting tool 70 for fastening a press-in connecting piece on a pipe, as previously described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4. As already shown in FIGS. 4a to 4d, a draw mandrel 36 is provided which has a shank 38 and a forming portion 40 having a greater external diameter than the shank 38.

(36) The setting tool 70 also has a housing 72 and a traction carriage 74 arranged moveably in the housing 72. The housing 72 has slot holes 80 and 81 in two opposite side surfaces 76 and 78, the housing 72 having a first end face 82 for resting on the pressing machine and a second opposite end face 84 for resting on the press-in connecting piece. Furthermore, the traction carriage 74 can be connected to the draw mandrel 36 by a thread 86 and it has a transverse opening 88 for receiving a fastening bolt of the pressing machine, as described further below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

(37) As also shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a compression spring 90 is arranged in the housing 72 for pretensioning the traction carriage 74 in the direction of the second end face 84. To position the compression spring 90, a disc 92 and a locking ring 94 are also provided as an abutment.

(38) Furthermore, the setting tool has an anti-rotation means in the form of a pin 96 which is screwed into a threaded hole 98 and is guided in a slot hole 99 in the housing 72. The purpose of this anti-rotation means is to secure the traction carriage 74 against rotating when the draw mandrel 36 is screwed into the thread 88.

(39) FIG. 10 shows the previously described setting tool with attached press-in connecting piece 2 which is pressed onto the side surface 84 by the draw mandrel 36 and is thereby held in position. For this purpose, the draw mandrel 36 is connected to the traction carriage 74.

(40) In FIGS. 11 and 12, the setting tool 70 is described in cooperation with a conventional pressing machine 100 which is suitable per se for pressing fittings and pipe connectors. The pressing machine 100 is provided to advance a ram 102 relative to brackets 104 and 106 which are connected to the pressing machine 100 and to thereby move a pair of rollers 108 and 110 via a mount 112. The configuration of the pair of rollers is not important here, the operation thereof is only required for the pressing of fittings and will not be described any further here. In any case, the rollers 108 and 110 linearly transfer the force generated by the ram 102 onto the housing 72.

(41) A fastening bolt 114 is also provided which is detachably connected to the brackets 104 and 106. The traction carriage 74 which is arranged inside the housing 70 is connected to the pressing machine 100 by the fastening bolt 108. When the pressing machine 100 is actuated and the ram 102 is moved relative to the pressing machine 100 and thus also relative to the brackets 104 and 106, a corresponding relative movement occurs between the housing 72 and the traction carriage 74. This relative movement then causes a movement of the press-in connecting piece 2 resting on the housing 72 relative to the tension bolt 36 connected to the traction carriage 74.

(42) Thus, by actuating the pressing machine 100, the tension bolt 36 is pulled out through the press-in connecting piece 2 so that the tapering end portion 14 of the press-in nozzle 10 is beaded and widened. At the end of the movement stroke of the ram 102, the widening procedure is complete and the press-in connecting piece 2 is fastened on the pipe 13 (see FIG. 4).