Other

Eg&g Pressure Science, Inc.

Kevin S Warehime

Daniel T Munley

Jeffrey E Swensen

Thomas S Oh

Fluid jet cutting system with nozzle assembly having a monolithic main body with a central fluid passageway with fixed diameter intermediate fluid jet passageway with orifice component at un upper end. The upper end of a modified focus tube is positioned directly below the outlet of the fluid jet passageway such that the enlarged opening at the upper end of the focus tube forms the mixing chamber. This avoids the high cost of mixing chamber wear inserts. The enlarged upper end opening has a diameter equal to or larger than a circumferential ring contacting the external most portion of the outlet of each of the preferably 3 or 4 abrasive ports spaced about the main body. The focus tube with mixing chamber enlargement avoids efficiency degrading abrasive contact with wall surfaces of the nozzle assembly. The abrasive ports extend from an upper, sloped surface of the main body to the abrasive ports outlet with the central axis of the abrasive ports forming an acute angle of less than 15 degrees. This angle minimization results in less efficiency degrading horizontal velocity components in the abrasive feed through the nozzle assembly, and also reduces surface wear contact in the main body since the abrasive ports dump the abrasive more along the central axis of the fluid filled fluid passageway and less into the side walls of the nozzle assembly and more into the fluid stream directly in a mixing region provided by the enlarged focus tube mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is preferably in the form of a deepened V configuration with a non-converging, uppermost section (e.g., a cylindrical section) having the largest diameter and a lower positioned converging section spaced below. The low wear features allows for the focus tube and main body to be formed of a material that is relatively less expensive than the high abrasion resistant material wear inserts.

Fluid jet cutting and shaping system

A fluid jet cutting system that includes an X-Y axis support table that is adjustable in both the X and Y-axis direction and has frame structures that overhang a centralized support platform assembly. The frame structures include overlapping central openings positioned above an opening defined by the platform assembly. A driving system such as a linear motor system shifts the support table. A Z-axis holder is provided for supporting a nozzle head assembly in a central area of the opening defined by the platform assembly. The nozzle head assembly has a main body that is fixed in position or limited to Z-axis movement with or without fourth and fifth axis rotation capability. Workpieces are supported by rails or the like within the open area. The nozzle head assembly directly receives abrasive through a plurality of abrasive ports which directly receive branch tubes of a multi-branch abrasive feed assembly. The fluid jet energy is conserved by the abrasive flow arrangement, the avoidance of lengthy tubing, the providing of uninterrupted high pressure fluid conduits, and a gas forced abrasive particle stream when particles are utilized. The avoidance of having the nozzle head assembly shift along an X-Y plane allows for a stationary catcher tank which can be rolled into and out of position on a roller carriage. The system further includes a filter which is internally positioned within an attenuator and bellville seal/return members provided in respective chambers of a dual action intensifier.

Fluid jet cutting system having an X-Y axis support table adjustable in both the X and Y-axis direction and frame structures that overhang a support platform assembly. The frame structures include overlapping central openings positioned above an opening defined by the platform assembly. A driving system such as a linear motor system shifts the support table. A Z-axis holder is provided for supporting a nozzle head assembly in a central area of the opening defined by the platform assembly. The nozzle head assembly has a main body fixed in position or limited to Z-axis movement with or without fourth and fifth axis rotation capability (i.e., the nozzle head assembly is precluded from movement linearly in the X and Y-axis directions). Workpieces are supported by rails or the like within the open area. The nozzle head assembly directly receives abrasive though a plurality of abrasive ports which receive branch tubes of a multi-branch abrasive feed assembly. The fluid jet energy is conserved by the abrasive flow arrangement, the avoidance of lengthy tubing, the providing of uninterrupted high pressure fluid conduits, and a gas forced abrasive particle stream when particles are utilized. Avoiding the nozzle head assembly shift along an X-Y plane allows for a stationary catcher tank which can be rolled into and out of position on a roller carriage. The system includes a filter internally positioned within an attenuator and bellville seal/return members provided in respective chambers of a dual action intensifier.

Fluid jet cutting and shaping system and method of using

A pipe coupling device for coupling the peripheral flanges of a pair of pipes together, including a pair of retainers with gripping grooves therein for receiving portions of the peripheral flanges of the pipes. The gripping grooves of the retainers have a unique inner surface with a pair of slanted gripping surfaces and a pair of non-gripping surfaces that are located within the outer envelope of the peripheral flanges. This provides for lightweight, compact retainers. The retainers are pivotally coupled at one of their ends by a hinge assembly and releasably coupled at their opposite ends by a latch mechanism. The hinge assembly has at least two links pivotally coupled at one of their ends to one of the retainers by a first pivot pin being received in a pivot slot formed in the retainer and pivotally coupled at their other end to the other retainer by a second pivot pin being received in a pivot slot formed in the retainer. The pivot slots are open holes in some embodiments to reduce the weight of the pipe coupling device. The pivot pins are separated from each other such that the links of the hinge assembly straddle the flanges of the pipes. The latch assembly utilizes coupling members with tenons which are received in coupling slots formed in the retainers.

Compact pipe coupling device

A pipe coupling device for coupling the peripheral flanges of a pair of pipes together, including a pair of retainers with a V-shaped groove therein for receiving portions of the peripheral flanges of the pipes. The retainers are pivotally coupled at one of their ends by a hinge assembly and releasably coupled at their opposite ends by a latch mechanism. The hinge assembly has at least two links pivotally coupled at one of their ends to one of the retainers by a first pivot pin and pivotally coupled at their other ends to the other retainer by a second pivot pin. The pivot pins are separated from each other such that the links of the hinge assembly straddle the peripheral flanges of the pipes. This arrangement provides more uniform pressure at the ends of the retainers since the moment resulting from the offset of the hinge assembly is moved closer to the circumferential loading line between the retainers and the flanges of the pipe. In a second embodiment, the retainers are pivotally coupled together at one of their ends by a single pivot pin and releasably coupled together at their other end by a canted latch mechanism.

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Taneytown, MD, United States of America

Kevin S Warehime