Tube straightener and drive therefor

Abstract

A supply of continuous thin wall tubing which is drawn by a pair of opposed conveyor belts frictionally engaging the outside surfaces of the tubing first through a tube straightening device before the tube walls become engaged with the aforesaid conveyor belts so that straightened tubing is always subjected to engagement with the surfaces on the conveyor belts. The conveyor belts effect a longitudinal driving movement of the tubing into and through a tube cutting device and thence into a tube length control for accurately positioning the tube relative to the tube cutters in the tube cutting device and before the tube is cut. Once the tube length detection circuitry in the tube length control has been satisfied by the positioning of the tubing, the tube cutters in the tube cutting device is activated to sever the tubing.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A combination of a tube straightening device and a tube drive mechanism therefor, comprising: 
 a frame extending lengthwise of a path of movement of a length of tube to be straightened;    plural rollers mounted on said frame and oriented on opposite sides of said path of movement to define a pathway for said length of tube to be straightened, alternating ones of said plural rollers engaging and working opposite diametrical sides of said length of tube to be straightened in response to said length of tube to be straightened being moved lengthwise thereof between said rollers; and    at least first and second opposing endless conveyor belts and a drive motor therefor, said endless conveyor belts extending generally coextensively with said path of movement, said first and second opposing endless conveyor belts being oriented downstream of said plural rollers and receiving a straightened tube therebetween, surfaces on said belts frictionally engaging said straightened tube from opposite sides thereof, said drive motor driving said belts to effect a pulling said length of tube to be straightened between said rollers to effect a straightening of said tube before engagement thereof by said belts.    
     
     
         2 . A thin wall continuous tube driving apparatus, comprising: 
 a frame;    a carriage reciprocally movably mounted on said frame between at least first and second positions;    at least first and second opposing pairs of endless conveyor belts and separate drive motors therefor mounted on said carriage and movable therewith in a direction transverse of a longitudinal direction of each said endless conveyor belt;    at least two side-by-side endless grooves in at least one of said first and second endless conveyor belts, a surface of each endless groove being configured to oppose a surface on said second conveyor belt to define at least two sets of openings, a tube from a tube source being received in a selected one of said openings, said surfaces on each of said first and second belts being configured to frictionally engage the tube from opposite sides thereof; and    drive means for reciprocating said carriage to orient a selected one of said openings in axial alignment with an axis of the tube from the tube source.    
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said sets of openings are of a differing size so as to accommodate tubing of a corresponding differing size from said tube source.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said drive motors is reversible.  
     
     
         5 . A tube straightening device, comprising: 
 a frame extending lengthwise of a path of movement of a length of tube to be straightened;    at least one elongate lever oriented along a length of said path of movement, said lever including pivotal securement means for securing a first end of said lever to said frame and for movement about a first axis;    a roller on each end of said lever disposed to contact opposite sides of the tube and deflect the tube, each oppositely to the other, a first of said rollers at said first end of said lever being rotatably supported about an axis of rotation that is congruent with said first axis; and    an adjustment mechanism on said lever oriented intermediate said rollers thereon, said adjustment mechanism including an anchor member secured to said frame, and means operatively connecting said anchor member and said lever for effecting a movement of said lever relative to said anchor member to cause said lever to pivot about said first axis to effect a varying of a spacing between one of said rollers on said lever oriented on one side of said tube and a further roller separate from said rollers on said lever as well as varying an orientation of a second of said rollers on said lever relative to an outer surface of said tube.    
     
     
         6 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said further roller is a sizing roller.  
     
     
         7 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said further roller is one of said rollers on a next adjacent lever.  
     
     
         8 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said means operatively connecting said anchor member and said lever includes an elongate opening in said lever located intermediate said rollers thereon and receiving therein said anchor member which is smaller in size than is the size of said elongate opening, and said anchor member having an internally threaded hole threadedly receiving therein an externally threaded bolt rotatably supported on said lever so that a rotation of said bolt will effect a pivoting of said lever about said first axis.  
     
     
         9 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said frame has a pair of cylindrical sizing rollers adjacent said lever, each said sizing roller engaging an opposing side of said tube for shaping said tube to a cylindrical form.  
     
     
         10 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 9 , wherein said further roller is a sizing roller.  
     
     
         11 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said lever and said anchor member include means configured for releasable securement to said frame; wherein said frame includes a latch movable between first and second positions for securing at least one of said lever and said anchor member to said frame when in a first position thereof and releasing said at least one of said lever and said anchor member from said frame when in said second position thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein at least two levers are provided which are spaced along said length of said path of movement, each lever being pivotally secured at first ends thereof to said frame and for respective movements about respective first axes; 
 wherein a roller is provided on each end of each lever, respective rollers on each lever being disposed to contact opposite sides of the tube and deflect the tube, each oppositely to the other, a first of said rollers at said first ends of said levers being rotatably supported about axes of rotation that are congruent with said first axes;    wherein both of said levers include an anchor member oriented intermediate said rollers thereon and being secured to said frame; and    wherein means are provided for operatively connecting both of said anchor members and said respective levers for effecting selective independent movements of said levers relative to said respective anchor members to cause said respective levers to pivot about respective said first axes to effect a varying of a said respective spacing between a first of said rollers on a first of said two levers oriented on one side of said tube and one of said rollers on a second of said two rollers as well as varying an orientation of a second of said rollers on said first of said two rollers relative to another surface of said tube.    
     
     
         13 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 5 , wherein said frame includes at least two holes therein into each of which is received a respective one of said anchor member and said pivotal securement means for said lever.  
     
     
         14 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said anchor member and said pivotal securement means include first means configured for releasable securement to said frame; and 
 wherein said frame includes a sliding latch slidably supported for lengthwise sliding movement on said frame between first and second positions, said sliding latch having second means operatively coupleable with said first means in response to a movement of said sliding latch to said second position thereof, a sliding of said sliding latch to said first position thereof effecting an uncoupling of said first and second means to enable removal of said lever and associated anchor member and said pivotal securement means from said frame.    
     
     
         15 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 14 , wherein said frame includes a third hole therein, said third hole having a size equal to a size of a first hole for said pivotal securement means, an axis of said third hole being oriented on a theoretical line perpendicular to said first axis and an axis of a second hole for said anchor member which extends parallel to said first axis and at an equal distance from said second hole as said first hole is from said second hole, an axis of said third hole extending parallel to said axes of said first and second holes so that said pivotal securement means is receivable in a selected one of said first and third holes whenever said anchor means is received in said second hole.  
     
     
         16 . A combination of a length of tube measuring device and a tube cutting device, comprising: 
 a frame;    a supply of continuous length tubing;    said tube cutting device having an entry port, an exit port and a tube cutter therebetween, said entry port being configured to receive therein tubing from said supply of continuous tubing;    said length of tube measuring device having an entrance port axially aligned with said exit port and configured to receive therein a tube exiting from said exit port;    a drive means for effecting an intermittent lengthwise driving movement of said tube between said supply, said tube cutting device and said length of tube measuring device;    said length of tube measuring device including at least one reference location on said frame and a spaced apart light sending unit and light detecting unit for detecting therebetween a presence of a leading end of said tube oriented at said reference location, said light sending unit producing a wide band of light and said detecting unit detecting all of said wide band of light and producing a graduated signal representative of a segment of length of said leading end whose presence has been detected in relation to said reference location and which blocks a portion of said wide band of light transmitted from said sending unit to said detecting unit;    control means responsive to said graduated signal and determining therefrom a measured location of a leading end of said tube end relative to said reference location and producing a control signal indicative of the amount said leading end needs to be moved in order to orient said leading end at said reference location, said drive means, during a dwell in said intermittent lengthwise driving movement of said tube, being responsive to said control signal for effecting a varying of the location of said leading end to said reference location so that said control means will produce a cutter activating signal indicative that said leading end is located at said reference location;    said tube cutting device being responsive to said cutter activating signal for effecting a severing of said tube present therein so that the length of tube extending from a location of said severance implemented by said tube cutting device to said reference location is repeatably controlled.    
     
     
         17 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 16 , wherein said drive means is reversible so that said control signal will effect either a forward or backward driving of said drive means to orient said leading end at said reference location.  
     
     
         18 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 16 , wherein said drive means includes: 
 a frame and at least first and second opposing endless conveyor belts and separate drive motors mounted on said frame, at least one endless groove on one belt, a surface of said groove being configured to oppose a surface on the other belt to define an opening, a tube from said tube supply being received in said opening, said surfaces on each belt being configured to frictionally engage the tube from opposite sides thereof.    
     
     
         19 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 16 , wherein said length of tube measuring device includes an elongate two part support for said tube, each part of said two part support being configured to engage and thereby support only a portion of said tube diameter along the length of said tube.  
     
     
         20 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 19 , wherein drive means are provided for moving at least one of said parts of said two part support between first and second positions, respectively, toward and away from said other part.  
     
     
         21 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 20 , wherein each part of said two part support is comprised of an elongate, generally V-shaped member, said V-shaped members being oriented horizontally laterally of each other with the open part of each V-shaped member opposing one another, mutually adjacent and opposing edges of said two parts being spaced from one another when in said first position driven toward one another so that light from said light sending unit on one side of said two part support will pass therebetween to said light detecting unit on an opposite side of said two part support, said wide band of light being intersected by a tube oriented inside said opposed V-shaped members when in said first position thereof.  
     
     
         22 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 21 , wherein spacers are provided which are oriented in a path of movement of said at least one of said two parts to maintain the spacing for said wide band of light to pass therethrough.  
     
     
         23 . The tube straightening device according to  claim 22 , wherein said spacers are part of each of said light sending unit and said light detecting unit.