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:
Mar. 16, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 23, 2001
Timothy P. McCorry, Lapeer, MI (US);
Russ Manning, Pontiac, MI (US);
Randall F. Alder, Lapeer, MI (US);
Dana Corporation, Toledo, OH (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming the free end of a length of metal foil wrap corrugated tubing, in which a free end of the tubing is first crimped against a mandrel, then folded to extend radially inwardly, then folded further to extend axially inwardly within the inside diameter of the tubing end, and then compacted axially to bring the corrugations into facing abutment with each other and tighten the formed end of the tubing against unwrapping of the metal foil. The crimping operation involves closure of a plurality of jaws around the free end of the tubing and deforming the tubing end against a tapering surface on an internal mandrel. The tubing is then gripped between jaws that form a radially indented channel in the periphery of the tubing, both to enhance the clamping action of the jaws and to isolate the formed end of the tubing from the remainder of the tubing. The clamped length of tubing is then engaged by a folding tool to fold the crimped end of the tubing radially inwardly, and then by a compacting tool further to fold the end axially into the tubing and then to compact the end portion of the tubing to form a tight tubing end joint.