The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 03, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 15, 2001
Karl Jay Blethen, Manchester, MI (US);
Pilot Industries, Inc., Dexter, MI (US);
Abstract
A die assembly is disclosed for forming a bead on a cylindrical tube. The assembly includes a holder which secures the tube against axial movement so that a portion of the tube protrudes outwardly from the holder along a predetermined axis and in which the holder has a forming surface circumscribing the tube. The die assembly further includes a first die part having a cylindrical mandrel aligned with and slidably receivable into the outwardly protruding portion of the tube. A tubular cylindrical sleeve is mounted to the first die part so that the sleeve is coaxial with the mandrel and so that the tube extends between the mandrel and the sleeve. The sleeve also includes a conical surface coaxially formed about a free end of the sleeve. A second die part has a throughbore complementary in size and shape to the outer periphery of the sleeve so that the sleeve is slidably receivable within the throughbore. This second die part is movable between an extended position in which the sleeve is aligned with the second die part throughbore and a first position in which the sleeve extends at least partially into the second die part throughbore.