Radial press

Abstract

A radial press has a plurality of press bodies arranged around a press axis which can be moved radially in relation to the press axis, and a drive unit for shifting the press bodies in the direction of or away from the press axis. The press bodies each have a main jaw and a pressing jaw, which is fixed interchangeably on the main jaw. The main jaws each comprise a radially inwardly arranged pressing-jaw-supporting surface and, adjacent to the latter in the circumferential direction, two side surfaces. The pressing jaws butt against the pressing-jaw-supporting surface of the associated main jaw and have a fixing protrusion, which projects from the abutment surface, enters into a mount provided on the main jaw and interacts with a locking device. Each main jaw has a recess on its supporting surface which extends from the mount and opens out on one of the side surfaces.

Claims

1. A radial press (2), comprising a plurality of press members disposed around a press axis and capable of moving radially relative to the press axis, the radial press configured for moving the press members in the direction of the press axis or away from the press axis, wherein: the press members each have a radial direction and a circumferential direction defined relative to the press axis and each comprise a base jaw (1; 1′) of a plurality of base jaws and a press jaw (14) of a plurality of press jaws fixed exchangeably on the corresponding base jaw; each base jaw (1; 1′) of the plurality of press jaws comprises a radially inwardly disposed press-jaw bracing face (6) and two side faces (7, 8) adjacent the press-jaw bracing face of the corresponding base jaw in the circumferential direction; each press jaw (14) of the plurality of press jaws comprises a mating face (13) for bearing on the press-jaw bracing face (6) of the corresponding base jaw (1; 1′) and each press jaw has, protruding from the mating face (13), a fixation projection (12), which is inserted in a seat (11) provided on the base jaw (1; 1′) and the fixation projection cooperates with a locking device (15) disposed in the seat of the base jaw; wherein each of the base jaws (1; 1′) of the plurality of base jaws is provided with an open channel recess at the press-jaw bracing face (6), wherein the open channel recess (17), connects and extends from the seat (11) to a first side face of the two side faces (7, 8) and opens at the first side face.

2. The radial press of claim 1, wherein the recess (17) extends in the circumferential direction.

3. The radial press of claim 1, wherein the press-jaw bracing faces (6) and the mating faces (13) are respectively constructed according to a circular-cylinder portion.

4. The radial press of claim 1, wherein each base jaw (1′) is provided with a first cutout (28) extending from an opening (25) of the open channel recess (17) to a front side (4) of the base jaw (1′).

5. The radial press of claim 4, wherein at a second side face of the two side faces opposite the first side face, adjacent a peripheral region (30) of the press-jaw bracing face (6), a second cutout (29) is provided, and the second cutout extends in an axial direction to the front side (4) of the base jaw (1′).

6. The radial press of claim 1, wherein each base jaw (1′) is provided at a second side face (8) of the two side faces disposed opposite an opening (25) of the recess (17), with a cutout (29) extending from a front side (4) of the base jaw to the opening (25) of the recess (17) of an adjacent base jaw (1′).

7. The radial press of claim 1, wherein the locking device (15) exerts a radially outwardly directed preload force on the fixation projection (12) inserted in the seat on the corresponding base jaw.

8. The radial press of claim 1, wherein each base jaw is provided with a bore at a front side of the base jaw such that the corresponding locking device (15) is unlocked through the bore (16).

9. A radial-press system, comprising the radial press (2) of claim 8, and a quick-change jig (19) permitting changing of the press jaws all together and having a handle (20), a press-jaw holder (21) and an unlocking arrangement (31) having unlocking elements (32) capable of being inserted at the front side into the bores (16) of the base jaws (1; 1′), wherein the press-jaw holder (21) and the unlocking arrangement (31) of the quick-change jig (19) can be turned relative to one another around a tool axis (X).

10. The radial-press system of claim 9, wherein the press-jaw holder (21) of the quick-change jig (19) is connected to its handle (20) in a manner to be turned together therewith.

11. The radial-press system of claim 9, wherein the quick-change jig (19) is provided with a depth stop (27) cooperating with the front sides (4) of the base jaws (1; 1′).

12. The radial-press system of claim 11, wherein the unlocking arrangement (31) is disposed on the depth stop (27).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 shows a base jaw used in an inventive radial press according to a first exemplary embodiment, in a first perspective view,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the base jaw according to FIG. 1 from another perspective,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a quick-change jig that can be used in connection with the present invention for changing of press jaws, from a first perspective,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the quick-change jig according to FIG. 3 from another perspective,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the quick-change jig according to FIGS. 3 and 4 with a press-jaw set received thereon,

(7) FIG. 6 shows one stage of changing of the press jaws on the radial press provided with the base jaws according to FIGS. 1 and 2,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a base jaw used in an inventive radial press modified, compared with FIGS. 1 and 2, according to a second exemplary embodiment, in a first perspective view,

(9) FIG. 8 shows the base jaw according to FIG. 7 from another perspective, and

(10) FIG. 9 shows a modification of the quick-change jig shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) The base jaw 1, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, of the radial press 2 shown partly in FIG. 6 and provided with eight such base jaws has, to a rough approximation, a wedge-shaped configuration in a manner known as such. For its bracing, guided in radially displaceable manner on a frontal bracing disk 3 of the radial press 2, a guide slot 5 having a T-shaped cross section is provided on a first front side 4 of the base jaw 1, so as to cooperate with a guide block mounted on the bracing disk 3 and configured as a sliding block.

(12) The base jaw 1 is provided radially inwardly with a press-jaw bracing face 6—constructed according to a circular-cylinder portion—and with a side face 7, 8 adjacent to this in circumferential direction and respectively adjoining the press-jaw bracing face on both sides. The said two side faces 7, 8 are oriented relative to one another with an angle of approximately 45°, and so the side faces 7, 8 disposed opposite one another on two base jaws 1 adjacent to one another are oriented at least substantially parallel to one another. On both sides, respectively three pockets 10 are provided that function to receive the ends of restoring springs 9, which respectively act between two base jaws 1 adjacent to one another in the sense of opening of the press tool. Furthermore, the base jaw 1 is provided radially inwardly with—disposed approximately centrally relative to the press-jaw bracing face 6—a seat 11 for a peg-like fixation projection 12, which protrudes radially outwardly—at the mating face 13 of the press jaw 14 designed for bearing on the press-jaw bracing face 6 of the associated base jaw 1 and likewise constructed approximately according to a circular-cylinder portion—from the press jaw 14 to be mounted on the base jaw 1.

(13) The press jaw 14 placed respectively on the base jaw 1 is secured in position by cooperation, by means of interlocking latching, of a locking device 15 integrated in the base jaw 1 with the peg-like fixation projection 12 of the press jaw 14 engaging in seat 11. The locking device 15 is accessible through the bore 16 provided on the first front side 4 of the base jaw 1; it may be unlocked by means of a pin-shaped unlocking element introduced into it.

(14) Within the scope described in the foregoing, the base jaw 1 corresponds to the sufficiently well known prior art, and so further explanations are not needed. Incidentally, this is similarly the case for the radial press 2 equipped with this base jaw 1, for example with respect to the basic design and the drive concept bringing about the radial movement of the base jaws 1; after all, this is not material to the present invention and even in this respect the radial press may correspond to the sufficiently well known prior art.

(15) During implantation of the present invention, the base jaws 1 are respectively provided at their press-jaw bracing face 6 with a channel-like recess 17, which—oriented in circumferential direction C—extends from the seat 11 to a first side face 7 of the two side faces 7, 8 of the base jaw 1 and opens at this.

(16) The eight press jaws 14, which may be constructed in a manner matching the sufficiently well known prior art, can be attached simultaneously to the eight base jaws 1 as a complete press-jaw set 18. For this purpose, they are received, as illustrated in FIG. 5, on the quick-change jig 19 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This comprises a handle 20 and a press-jaw holder 21 connected therewith in a manner to be turned together therewith. The latter is provided with eight pins 22, which engage in corresponding bores of the press jaws 14, as well as with holding magnets 23 disposed adjacent to this.

(17) The insertion of the press-jaw set 18 into the installation space formed between the eight base jaws 1 takes place in that—during a first axial movement stage—the peg-like fixation projections 12 are respectively guided by being pushed into an open space 24 existing between two base jaws 1 adjacent to one another and, in fact, so far that they are respectively disposed opposite an opening 25 of the recesses 17 provided on the base jaws 1. This said position of the unit comprising quick-change jig 19 and press jaws 14 received on it is defined by a disk 26 which, forming a part of the quick-change jig 19, functions as a depth stop 27 by bearing on the front side of the base jaws 1. By turning the quick-change jig 19 by means of its handle 20 around its axis by 22.5°, the fixation projections 12 are respectively moved—along the associated recess 17—into their position aligned with the associated seat 11. This turning movement is limited by the cooperation of the fixation projections 12 and the seats 11 themselves. By bringing the base jaws 1 together radially in a manner corresponding to closing of the press tool, the fixation projections 12 completely enter the seats 11 and reach the mating faces 13 of the press jaws 14 in order to bear on the press-jaw bracing faces 6 of the base jaws 1. The locking devices 15 snap into place and respectively one base jaw 1 and one press jaw 14 mounted on it together respectively form a press member.

(18) The base jaw 1′ illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 represents a modification of the base jaw 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2. Substantially the foregoing explanations are correspondingly applicable to them. Decisive differences are two cutouts 28, 29 explained in more detail hereinafter. And, in fact, base jaw 1′ is provided on that first side face 7 at which recess 17 opens, in the transition region from the press-jaw bracing face 6 to level with the first side face 7, with a cutout 28 extending from the opening 25 of the recess 17 to the first front side 16 of the base jaw 1′. On the opposite, second peripheral region 30 of the press-jaw bracing face 6, a further, second cutout 29 is provided, which—in approximately mirror-image manner relative to the first cutout 28—extends over a length comparable to that, likewise in axial direction as far as the first front side 16 of the base jaw 1′.

(19) The two cutouts 28, 29, disposed opposite one another, of two base jaws 1′ adjacent to one another define a kind of guideway for a press-jaw fixation projection 12 and, in fact with a width that is widened compared with the other free space 24 between the base jaws 1′ in question.

(20) FIG. 9 illustrates the preferred assembly of the quick-change jig 19 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) with an unlocking arrangement 31. This comprises eight unlocking elements 32 in the form of unlocking pins 33, which are attached to the disk 26 forming the depth stop 27. During the axial positioning of the quick-change jig 19, the unlocking pins 33 enter the bores 16 of the base jaws 1 or 1′ and unlock the locking devices 15. During the subsequent turning movement of the unit comprising handle 20 and press-jaw holder 21 (together with press-jaw set 18 received thereon), the disk 26 remains fixed in place. For this purpose, the press-jaw holder 21 and the disk 26 can be turned relative to one another (around the tool axis X).