OVERLAY SANDER

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/883,448 filed on January 4, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to portable machining tools or machine in place machining tools, and, more particularly, to an overlay sander that can smooth the weld overlay on a pipe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is sometimes necessary to machine in place existing equipment for the purpose of testing, repairing and/or reconditioning the equipment. This process may be a result of the original fabrication of the machine or testing thereof, machine breakdown or malfunction, or may be part of a repair or maintenance program to overcome normal wear and tear or to prevent a malfunction of the equipment.

[0004] For example, relatively large piping which may be part of a pipeline, building, plant machinery, ship or other structures/devices, can include overlays which are a result of a welding process during the initial fabrication of the piping, or a repair or maintenance of the equipment. The overlays are basically weld buildup rings, or weld crowns, of inconel (a hard, tough material), or other material, around the outer perimeter of the piping or piping component such as a nozzle or valve, in the vicinity of the weld. The necessity of providing a juncture on a pipe that is professionally finished with a defect-free weld has been appreciated for some time, and more particularly in the case of nuclear power plants and pipelines, for example, the necessity of providing junctures that are reliable and durable is of the utmost importance. Consequently, the weld crowns need to be smoothed out in order for testing equipment to be

used to check for cracks, wall thickness, etc. Further, the equipment size, location and connection to other structures may determine that it is advantageous to machine the equipment in place, rather than remove it from its operational configuration for refurbishment.

[0005] A known method of smoothing out the weld crowns is to use an axial feed slide mounted to a "clamshell" and cut or machine the overlay. Clamshells are portable pipe lathes that are connected to the outside of the pipe, where the cutting tool can move around the outside perimeter of the pipe to machine the outside of the pipe. Such devices are known in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,739,685, 4,939,964, 5,549,024 and 6,619,164, for example. One problem with this method is that the machine would cut round and most overlays are not perfectly round. Because of this, more material has to be removed than necessary to get the entire overlay to be smooth. This also requires extra time.

[0006] The time element can be critical in pipelines, nuclear reactors, and the like, where downtime can be very costly and the necessity of providing junctures that are reliable and durable is of the utmost importance. Frequently, the working conditions associated with the pipe machining equipment have been quite hostile either to the machine or to the machine operator. For example, in nuclear reactors, the necessity for pipe replacements has been such that these types of maintenance procedures are required quite frequently. However, maintenance personnel may only work in an area that is radioactively hot for extremely short periods of time. Accordingly, the desirability of an apparatus for finishing pipes which can be set up in a minimal amount of time, can complete the machining in a minimum of time, and can be initialized and dismantled in a minimal amount of time has obtained increasing importance and acceptance in the industry.

[0007] What is needed in the art is an apparatus and method of machining an exterior surface of equipment, particularly piping, that can machine in place existing equipment and

which can smooth weld crowns or other elements that may not be perfectly round, or perform other machining, efficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention provides an apparatus and method of machining an exterior surface of equipment, particularly piping, that can machine in place existing equipment and can smooth weld crowns or other elements which may not be perfectly round, or perform other machining, efficiently. More particularly, the present invention provides an overlay sander for such purposes.

[0010] The foregoing features and other advantages of the invention appear in the detailed description which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an overlay sander mounted to a clamshell that, in turn, is mounted to piping, according to the present invention;

[0012] Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the overlay sander of Fig. 1; and

[0013] Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the area 3-3 of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly, to Fig. 1, there is shown a machining apparatus 50 connected to pipe structure 52 having an overlay, weld crown or other work surface 54. Weld crown 54 is shown schematically, but will typically have an irregular width and height. Machining apparatus 50 includes a portable pipe lathe or clamshell 56 as is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,739,685, 4,939,964, 5,549,024 and/or 6,619,164, for example, and incorporated herein by reference. Clamshell 56 is not limited by the cited references, but can also include other embodiments of similar devices. Clamshell 56 generally includes stationary

portion 58 fixedly connected to pipe structure 52, and ring gear housing 60, each of which include adjoining semicircular segments which allow them to be positioned circumferentially around the pipe. The two are joined together by bearings internal to the construction. As such, the rotatable portion 62 can be made to spin about the central axis of stationary portion 58 when the ring gear is driven by a motor driven drive gear. An overlay sander 64 is connected to rotatable portion 62.

[0015] Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, overlay sander 64 works in part by using an air cylinder 33 to hold the contact or tracking wheel 40 against the overlay surface 54, with the moving belt 1 in between the wheel 40 and the surface 54. The housing 2 has a window in its perimeter right below the wheel 40 where the belt 1 is exposed to the surface of the pipe to be sanded. The cylinder 33 pressure can be regulated to pivot the sander about the axis of shaft 31 and thereby change the force exerted on the work surface by the sander, which determines the rate of removal of material from the work surface by the belt 1. Air cylinder 33 is connected to pivot bracket 28 via shoulder bolt 41, and is also connected to cylinder mount bracket 29. Cylinder mount bracket 29 connects to tilt adjustment block 27. Swivel elbow fittings 36 connect the cylinder 33 to air hose connections (not shown), one for extending the cylinder and the other for retracting it.

[0016] Pivot bracket 28 connects to belt housing 2 with shafts 30 and 31, with a bushing 16 between each shaft and the hole in the housing 2 through which the respective shaft 30 or 31 extends, and with shaft 30 threaded into pivot bracket 28 and shaft 31 extending through the bracket 28 and threaded into tilt adjustment block 27. Shaft 31 establishes the pivot axis of the overlay sander, so cylinder 33 pivots the sander about the axis of shaft 31. Shaft collars 34 fix the housing 2 and attached sander assembly to the shaft 30. Set screws 35 fix side adjustment block 42 to height adjustment block 26, which is slideable up and down in tracks 37 and 38 that

are fixed to slide 25. Starwheel 32 includes a lead screw that is threaded into the block 26 so that turning the starwheel adjusts the position of the block 26 along the tracks 37 and 38.

[0017] Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, tilt adjustment block 27 and side adjustment block 42 are connected by several components, including intermediate block 43, arcuate slot brackets 44, and linear slot brackets 45. Tilt adjustment block 27 and intermediate block 43 are connected by a fastener 51 in a slot 53 that permits tilt adjustment block 27 to slide relative to intermediate block 43 in the direction height adjustment block 26 may slide. The tilt adjustment block 27 also rotates relative to side adjustment block 42 about an axis parallel to the direction along which side adjustment block 42 may be moved. This permits the overlay sander 64 to tilt and sand up to 45° tapered surfaces.

[0018] Referring to Fig. 3, overlay sander 64 is tilted as follows: first, fasteners 46 and 47 are loosened, but are not removed from the assembly. This permits blocks 27 and 43 and arcuate slot brackets 44 to slide in the direction of the slots on linear slot brackets 45. Note that this step is only necessary if intermediate block 43 is originally abutted against side adjustment block 42 so that intermediate block 43 may be rotated in subsequent steps. Next, fastener 48 is loosened, but is not removed from the assembly. Intermediate block 43, tilt adjustment block 27, housing 2, belt 1 and other components may be commonly tilted thereafter relative to side adjustment block 42. When the components have been rotated to a satisfactory working position, the fasteners 46, 47, and 48 are tightened to prevent further rotation and secure the assembly.

[0019] Referring again to Fig. 2, on the drive side, drive wheel 39 is connected to housing 2 with drive wheel bracket 18 and bearing 14. Drive wheel 39 further connects to motor 20 using square adapter shaft 24, drive adapter shaft 21 and bearing 19. Motor 20 can be an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic motor. Motor 20 further includes motor mount 8 and housing

mount 22 that connects the motor 20 to the housing 2, and adapter plates 23 and 49 that allow electric, pneumatic and/or hydraulic fittings 70 and 71 to connect to motor 20.

[0020] The path of endless belt 1 is defined by the axes of wheels 40, 39 and roller wheel

4, and is generally parallel to those axes, which are also generally parallel to the axes of shafts 30 and 31. The connection of the sander to the clamshell biases the sander against the workpiece, under the force of the cylinder 33, so as to permit the sander to follow the surface of the workpiece as the sander removes material from the workpiece. The result is that the surface may not have a fixed center, but being perfectly round is not a requirement in many applications.

[0021] Slide 25 is bolted to the face of any size clamshell. An electric variable speed reversible motor (not shown) is used to drive clamshell 56 so overlay sander 64 can be driven either clockwise or counterclockwise around overlay 54. Side adjustment block 42, in conjunction with tracks 37 and 38 and height adjustment block 26, are used to move overlay sander 64 so contact wheel 40 is directly above workpiece 52 and weld overlay 54. Contact wheel 40 is connected to housing 2 with alignment shaft 3, left alignment bracket 13, bearings 14 and washer 17. Starwheel 32 is used to position contact wheel 40 about 1/2" above workpiece 52. Belt housing 2 is then positioned along shafts 30 and 31 over the top of the overlay 54 by using the shaft collars 34 and guide shaft bushings 16. Belt 1 is put on housing 2. Belt adjustment nut 5 slides in tracks in the housing 2. Spring 12 is compressed between bushing 7 and nut 5 to bias nut 5 away from knob 15, that has a threaded shank that is threaded into the nut

5. Roller wheel 4 is mounted to nut 5 with a shoulder bolt 11 and bearings 10. Belt 1 is tensioned by turning knob 15 to adjust the position of slide nut 5 to change the tension exerted on the belt 1 by the wheel 4.

[0022] The sanding is done by first starting clamshell 56 rotating by taming on the electric drive. The overlay sander drive motor 20 is then started to get belt 1 spinning. The

cylinder 33 is extended to push contact wheel 40 against work surface 54, with the belt 1 between the contact wheel 40 and the work surface 54. Overlay sander 64 is rotated once around overlay 54, and then the electric drive for the clamshell 56 is reversed to go the other way around overlay 54. This is repeated until the entire overlay surface is smooth. Cylinder 33 is retracted to lift contact wheel 40 off the surface and the clamshell 56 rotation is stopped. The overlay is now smooth but not necessarily round.

[0023] The present invention can include a control box (not shown), and associated wiring and air hoses) that is used to start/stop the motors and adjust the air pressure. The present invention can include a tripper mechanism (not shown), as is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,881,618 for example, which can be used to advance starwheel 32 if desired. A reversing tripper (not shown) can also be installed on machine apparatus 50 to reverse the direction of the clamshell automatically. Also, the direction of the belt 1 of the overlay sander 64 could also be reversed.

[0024] A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail. Many modifications and variations to the preferred embodiment described will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the embodiment described.