Lathe guard systems, remote lathe control systems, and portable lathe assembly kits including the same

Abstract

Lathe guard systems, remote lathe control systems, and portable lathe assembly kits including the same. A lathe guard system includes a ramp guard and/or a ring guard, each configured to be operatively coupled to a portable lathe to prevent the formation of a pinch point between a tripper pin tower and a tool slide assembly of a portable lathe. The ramp guard includes a ramped surface, and the ring guard at least partially overlaps the tool slide assembly to prevent the formation of a pinch point between the tripper pin tower and the tool slide assembly. Remote lathe control systems include an operator pendant configured to enable remote operation of a portable lathe and a control tether extending from the operator pendant. In some examples, a portable lathe assembly kit includes a portable lathe in combination with a lathe guard system and/or a remote lathe control system.

1 . A lathe guard system for a portable lathe that includes a fixed ring configured to be fixedly mounted on a cylindrical workpiece that extends along a workpiece longitudinal axis, a rotating ring rotatably and operatively coupled to the fixed ring, a drive motor configured to rotate the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring during operative use of the portable lathe, a tool slide assembly mounted to the rotating ring and including a tool bit, and a tripper pin tower fixedly coupled to and extending radially away from the fixed ring and including a tripper pin, the lathe guard system comprising one or both of:
 (i) a ramp guard configured to be operatively mounted proximate to the tripper pin tower to prevent formation of a pinch point between the tripper pin tower and the tool slide assembly as the rotating ring rotates relative to the fixed ring during operative use of the portable lathe; wherein the ramp guard includes a ramped surface extending at least partially oblique to an outer circular surface of the portable lathe during operative use of the portable lathe; and wherein the ramp guard is configured to be operatively coupled to one or more of the tripper pin tower, the fixed ring, and the outer circular surface during operative use of the portable lathe; and 
 (ii) a ring guard that is configured to be operatively coupled to one of the fixed ring or the rotating ring; wherein the ring guard extends radially outward relative to the fixed ring and at least partially overlaps the tool slide assembly to prevent the formation of the pinch point between the tripper pin tower and the tool slide assembly as the rotating ring rotates relative to the fixed ring during operative use of the portable lathe. 
 
     
     
         2 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ring guard; wherein the ring guard extends at least substantially around a full circumference of the portable lathe; and wherein the ring guard extends at least partially around the drive motor. 
     
     
         3 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ring guard; and wherein the ring guard includes a ring guard first portion and a ring guard second portion that are configured to be independently selectively and operatively coupled to the fixed ring to assemble the ring guard. 
     
     
         4 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ramp guard; wherein the tool slide mount includes a mount edge that extends radially away from the outer circular surface by a mount height, as measured between the outer circular surface and an outer extremity of the mount edge along a direction perpendicular to the workpiece longitudinal axis; and wherein the ramp guard extends radially away from the outer circular surface by a ramp guard height, as measured between the outer circular surface and an outer extremity of the ramp guard along the direction perpendicular to the workpiece longitudinal axis, that is equal to or greater than the mount height. 
     
     
         5 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ramp guard; wherein the tripper pin tower extends radially away from the outer circular surface by a tower height, as measured between the outer circular surface and an outer extremity of the tripper pin tower along a direction perpendicular to the workpiece longitudinal axis; and wherein the ramp guard extends radially away from the outer circular surface by a ramp guard height, as measured between the outer circular surface and an outer extremity of the ramp guard along the direction perpendicular to the workpiece longitudinal axis, that is equal to or greater than the tower height. 
     
     
         6 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises each of the ramp guard and the ring guard; and wherein the ring guard defines the outer circular surface. 
     
     
         7 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ramp guard; wherein the ramped surface of the ramp guard forms a ramp guard tangent angle with the outer circular surface, as measured between a line tangent to the ramped surface and a line tangent to the outer circular surface and as viewed along a direction parallel to the workpiece longitudinal axis, that is at least 100 degrees and at most 170 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ramp guard; wherein the ramped surface of the ramp guard forms a ramp guard radial angle with a mount edge of the tool slide mount as the tool slide mount moves past the ramp guard during operative use of the portable lathe as measured between a line tangent to the ramped surface and a line tangent to the mount edge and as viewed along a direction parallel to the workpiece longitudinal axis; and wherein the ramp guard radial angle is at least 30 degrees and at most 80 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The lathe guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the lathe guard system comprises the ramp guard; wherein the ramp guard is configured to be operatively coupled to the tripper pin tower; wherein the lathe guard system further comprises a ramp guard mount configured to selectively and operatively couple the ramp guard to the tripper pin tower; wherein the ramp guard mount is configured to permit the ramp guard to be selectively and operatively coupled to the tripper pin tower at one of a plurality of radial positions along the tripper pin tower; and wherein the ramp guard mount includes a spring-loaded mounting pin that is configured to engage the tripper pin tower to maintain the ramp guard mount at a selected position relative to the tripper pin tower. 
     
     
         10 . A portable lathe assembly kit comprising the lathe guard system of  claim 1  in combination with the portable lathe. 
     
     
         11 . A portable lathe assembly kit comprising the lathe guard system of  claim 1  in combination with a remote lathe control system that comprises:
 an operator pendant configured to receive a user input from a human user and to generate a control signal for remote operation of the portable lathe; and 
 a control tether extending from the operator pendant to convey the control signal to another component of the remote lathe control system. 
 
     
     
         12 . A remote lathe control system for a portable lathe that includes a fixed ring configured to be fixedly mounted on a cylindrical workpiece, a rotating ring rotatably and operatively coupled to the fixed ring, a drive motor configured to rotate the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring, a tool slide assembly mounted to the rotating ring and including a tool bit and a star wheel, and a tripper pin tower fixedly coupled to and extending radially away from the fixed ring and including a tripper pin, the remote lathe control system comprising:
 an operator pendant configured to receive a user input from a human user and to generate a control signal for remote operation of the portable lathe; and   a control tether extending from the operator pendant to convey the control signal to another component of the remote lathe control system.   
     
     
         13 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 12 , wherein the control signal is configured to permit the human user to selectively and remotely transition the tripper pin between an activated configuration, in which the tripper pin is positioned to engage and rotate the star wheel as the tool slide assembly moves past the tripper pin tower, and a disabled configuration, in which the tripper pin is positioned to be spaced apart from the star wheel when the tool slide assembly moves past the tripper pin tower; and wherein the tripper pin tower includes a tripper actuator that is configured to selectively transition the tripper pin between the activated configuration and the disabled configuration in response to the control signal. 
     
     
         14 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 13 , wherein the operator pendant includes one or more of:
 (i) a tripper pin activator configured to selectively transition the tripper pin between the activated configuration and the disabled configuration;   (ii) a machine start control configured to initiate rotation of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring; and   (iii) a machine stop control configured to halt rotation of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring.   
     
     
         15 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 12 , further comprising a pneumatic conditioning unit configured to receive and condition a pneumatic air source; wherein the pneumatic conditioning unit includes:
 a pneumatic air inlet configured to receive a pneumatic air flow;   at least one pneumatic air outlet configured to convey the pneumatic air flow to the portable lathe; and   an operator pendant interface configured to receive the control signal from the operator pendant.   
     
     
         16 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one pneumatic air outlet includes one or both of:
 (i) a drive air outlet configured to convey the pneumatic air flow to the drive motor; and   (ii) a tripper air outlet configured to convey the pneumatic air flow to a pneumatic tripper actuator of the tripper pin tower.   
     
     
         17 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 16 , wherein the operator pendant is configured to be transitioned between a running configuration, in which the control signal operates to direct the pneumatic air flow from the pneumatic air inlet to the drive air outlet, and a stopped configuration, in which the control signal operates to restrict the pneumatic air flow from flowing to the drive air outlet; wherein the operator pendant includes:
 (i) a machine start control configured to initiate rotation of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring and configured to receive the user input to selectively transition the operator pendant from the stopped configuration to the running configuration; and   (ii) a machine stop control configured to halt rotation of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring and configured to receive the user input to selectively transition the operator pendant from the running configuration to the stopped configuration.   
     
     
         18 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 17 , wherein the operator pendant is configured to automatically transition from the running configuration to the stopped configuration when the pneumatic air flow into the pneumatic air inlet is interrupted; and wherein the operator pendant is configured to transition from the stopped configuration to the running configuration only when both of:
 (i) the pneumatic air flow into the pneumatic air inlet is reestablished; and   (ii) the machine start control is operated to transition the operator pendant from the stopped configuration to the running configuration.   
     
     
         19 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 15 , wherein the control signal includes at least a portion of the pneumatic air flow. 
     
     
         20 . The remote lathe control system of  claim 15 , wherein the pneumatic conditioning unit includes one or both of:
 (i) a flow control valve configured to selectively modulate one or both of a flow rate of the pneumatic air flow and a pressure of the pneumatic air flow to selectively modulate a rotational speed of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring during operative use of the portable lathe; and   (ii) a lockout valve configured to interrupt a flow of pneumatic air to the drive motor to cease rotation of the rotating ring relative to the fixed ring.   
     
     
         21 . A portable lathe assembly kit comprising the remote lathe control system of  claim 12  in combination with the portable lathe.