Tubing cleaning and cutting method

Abstract

Methods of cutting pipe and removing contaminants from surfaces of pipe (40) and fittings (37, 38, and 39) that connect pipe (40) by soldering. During the cleaning and cutting of the pipe (40), contaminants are removed by way of a pipe cleaning abrasive (24) that is connected to the cleaning and cutting device. Rotating the device around the axis of the pipe (40) cleans and cuts the pipe until severed. Fittings (37, 38, and 39) are cleaned by a streamlined fittings cleaning abrasives (31, 32 and 33) located on the cleaning and cutting device. A fitting (37, 38, or 39) is placed over the fittings cleaning abrasives (31 or 32 and 33) and pushed so that the fittings cleaning abrasive (31,32 or 33) enters the fitting of the proper diameter (37, 38, or 39) removing the contaminants. The pipe cleaning abrasive (24) and the fittings cleaning abrasives (31, 32, and 33) may be replaceable. The cleaned surfaces of pipe (24) and fittings (37, 38, and 39) are ready to continue soldering process.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of Invention[0002] This invention pertains to a tool and method for cleaning and cutting the surfaces of tube ends for jointure with fittings, more particularly to a tool that utilizes in one unit the means to simultaneously clean and cut the surface pipe or tubing as well a method to clean the surface of fittings for jointure by soldering.[0003] 2. Prior Art[0004] In the plumbing industry, plumbers and pipefitters are called upon to prepare tube endings, pipes, and fittings for connection and repairs. The volume of connections to be made can be very numerous, and accordingly, an invention that provides a method and tool to speed up this work without affecting or detracting from the quality of the connected joint is a valuable contribution to the industry and highly useful for plumbers and steamfitters.[0005] The term pipe or tubing as used in the description of the present invention is intended to mean all commercial forms of pipe or tubing including copper, aluminu...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Both of the separate procedures, pipe cutting and cleaning, are time consuming, requiring substantial physical effort.

However, this device accommodates only a single size pipe.

Other prior known self feeding tube cutting tools are U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,150 to Garcia et al (1985) which is a very complex device thereby very expensive to manufacture and also requiring a separate driving motor.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,062 to Cummings (1983) is a hand operated tool also very complex.

A further prior known self feeding device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,205 to Girala (1981) a tube cutter assigned to NASA and extremely complex and hence would be prohibitively expensive to manufacture.

However, these tools do not include means for a cutter that also cleans the surfaces of the tubing in one process for soldering or a streamline fittings cleaner that is also contained in the handle of the cutting tool.

These tools do not include means for cleaning the tubing surface in the process of it being cut for soldering or a streamline fittings cleaner that is contained in the adjusting handle of the cutting tool.

Conventional cutting and cleaning of many tubing and fitting joint components can become tedious and time-consuming, which may lead to inattention and error by plumbers.

For example, having the ability to complete these operations more quickly and effectively would decrease the likelihood of a plumber knocking over the flux or soldering torch, which are set down during cutting and cleaning operations.

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