1. Test procedure for use in mass-producing a batch of hoses, one after another, where the hoses comprise respective lengths of elastomeric tubing and respective hollow metal ferrules;
the test procedure is effective to determine, on a hose-by-hose basis, whether the tubing is properly present inside the ferrule, and includes:
pressing a dimple inwards into the metal of the ferrule, in such manner as to make an indentation in the metal;
providing a dimple-force measuring-device, and measuring the force needed to form the dimple, termed the dimple-force;
determining a threshold value for the dimple-force;
making an assessment, in respect of the individual hoses, whether the dimple-force is above or below the threshold; and
accepting those hoses of the batch in respect of which the dimple-force is above the threshold, and rejecting those hoses of the batch in respect of which the dimple-force is below the threshold.
2. As in claim 1, including providing a dimple-pin, and applying the dimple-force to the ferrule by pressing the dimple-pin into the ferrule.
3. As in claim 2, wherein the dimple-pin is right-cylindrical and round-ended.
4. As in claim 2, including:
providing a crimp-press, for crimping the ferrule to an end of the elastomeric tubing, to form the hose;
providing, in the crimp-press, crimp-tooling, which includes a plurality of crimp-punches;
so arranging the crimp-tooling that operating a crimp-stroke of the crimp-press is effective to drive the crimp-punches inwards together, thereby crimping the metal ferrule onto the elastomeric tubing, and thereby permanently deforming the metal of the ferrule inwards, and thereby producing hydraulic sealing and mechanical securement of the hose as a unit;
placing the metal ferrule in the crimp-tooling;
inserting the elastomeric tubing into an open end of the ferrule;
then operating the crimp-stroke; and
then removing the resulting crimped hose, as a unit, from the crimp-tooling.
5. As in claim 4, including so arranging the dimple-pin in the crimp-tooling that operating that same crimp-stroke of the crimp-tooling is effective also to apply the dimple-force to press the dimple-pin into the ferrule of that same hose.
6. As in claim 4, including so arranging the crimp-tooling that the dimple in the metal is physically spaced apart from the deformation of the metal arising from the crimp-punches.
7. As in claim 4, including so arranging the crimp-tooling that the dimple-pin is functionally incorporated into one of the plurality of crimp-punches, termed a dimple-crimp-punch, in that the dimple-pin is pressed inwards into the ferrule in unison with the dimple-crimp-punch, during operation of the crimp-stroke.
8. As in claim 4, including arranging the crimp-tooling in a dies-close configuration, in which, during the crimp-stroke, the crimp-punches travel inwards until the crimp-punches reach a mechanical stop, which constrains the crimp-punches against further movement inwards.
9. As in claim 4, including arranging the crimp-tooling in a dies-do-not-close configuration, in which, during the crimp-stroke, the crimp-punches travel inwards until the force pushing the crimp-punches inwards reaches a predetermined maximum.
10. As in claim 1, including, the ferrule being closed- or blind-ended, inserting the elastomeric tubing right to the blind- or closed-end of the ferrule.
11. As in claim 10, including:
providing the ferrule with a sight-hole, right through the metal;
so placing the sight-hole that, if the elastomeric tubing has been properly inserted into the ferrule, the tubing is visible through the sight-hole.
12. As in claim 11, including forming, in addition to the said dimple, also a second dimple in the same ferrule, so pitched around the circumference of the ferrule from the said dimple that if one of the dimples coincides with the sight-hole, the other does not.
13. As in claim 1, including providing the dimple-force measuring-device in the form of an electronic load-cell, which sends a signal indicative of the dimple-force to a computer.
14. As in claim 13, including determining the threshold value for the dimple-force as follows:
recording certain parameters of the dimple-force as the dimple is pressed into the ferrule;
carrying out a preliminary sampling, including keeping records of the parameters as recorded from several completed hoses;
inspecting the several hoses, and determining, in respect of each hose, whether the elastomeric tubing has been properly inserted into the ferrule;
relating that decision to the as-recorded parameters, in respect of each hose, and computing the difference between an accept-value of the parameter, recorded in respect of hoses in which the tubing was properly inserted, and a reject-value of the parameter, recorded in respect of hoses in which the tubing was not properly inserted; and
setting the threshold of the dimple-force to a value between the accept-value and the reject-value.
15. As in claim 14, wherein the parameter is the peak magnitude of the dimple-force.
16. As in claim 1, including applying the dimple-force at a high enough magnitude to cause permanent deformation of the metal of the ferrule.
17. As in claim 1, including applying the dimple-force at a low enough magnitude to avoid puncturing right through the metal of the ferrule.
18. As in claim 3, wherein the dimple-pin is at least 3 cm long.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An anvil assembly, useable against a shoe of a machine which seals a cover to flanges of a package, the flanges and the cover having predetermined thicknesses, the anvil assembly comprising:
a base;
a pin operably connected to said base;
a first insert rotatable about said pin over a predetermined range of rotation and having a surface constructed and arranged to act the shoe during a sealing operation; and,
a second insert opposite said first insert and rotatable about said pin over a predetermined range of rotation and having a surface constructed and arranged to act against a shoe of the sealing machine during a sealing operation.
2. The anvil assembly of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a wall defining a hole sized to receive said pin.
3. The anvil assembly of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a pair of opposed walls, each defining a hole receiving opposite ends of said pin.
4. The anvil assembly of claim 3 wherein said base further comprises a floor connecting said opposed walls.
5. The anvil assembly of claim 4 wherein said inserts are positioned a predetermined distance from said floor such that when said inserts are rotated, said inserts abut against said floor, said floor thereby defining the limits of said range of rotation.
6. The anvil assembly of claim 1 wherein said predetermined range of rotation is between 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.
7. The anvil assembly of claim 6 wherein said predetermined range of rotation is on the order of 1.0 degrees.
8. The anvil assembly of claim 3 wherein said walls extend above said first and second insert surfaces by a predetermined amount.
9. The anvil assembly of claim 8 wherein said predetermined amount that said walls extend above said first and second insert surfaces is greater than the predetermined thicknesses of the cover and the package combined, measured when said inserts are parallel to said walls.
10. The anvil assembly of claim I wherein said first and second inserts are separated and define a channel therebetween through which a packaging tape may pass while a plastic covering film is attached thereto.
11. The anvil assembly of claim 3 further comprising a spring surrounding said pin and sized to press said inserts against said base walls.
12. The anvil assembly of claim 3 further comprising a spacer of a predetermined length surrounding said pin and sized to maintain said inserts in a spaced apart relationship.
13. An anvil assembly, useable in a package sealing machine, comprising:
a pair of opposed inserts having flat upper surfaces of predetermined widths; and,
a base constructed and arranged to rotatably hold said inserts such that said flat upper surfaces are presented toward sealing shoes of the package sealing machine during operation.
14. The anvil assembly of claim 13 wherein said base comprises at least one pin rotatably holding said inserts.
15. The anvil assembly of claim 14 wherein said base further comprises a wall defining a hole sized to receive said at least one pin.
16. The anvil assembly of claim 14 wherein said base further comprises a pair of opposed walls, each defining a hole sized to receive said at least one pin.
17. The anvil assembly of claim 16 wherein said holes defined by said pair of opposed walls are in opposing alignment with each other.
18. The anvil assembly of claim 16 wherein said base further comprises a floor connecting said opposed walls.
19. The anvil assembly of claim 13 wherein said inserts are rotatably held by said base such that the inserts have a predetermined range of rotation which is less than 180 degrees.
20. The anvil assembly of claim 19 wherein said predetermined range of rotation is between 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.
21. The anvil assembly of claim 19 wherein said predetermined range of rotation is on the order of 1.0 degrees.
22. The anvil assembly of claim 16 wherein said walls extend above said first and second insert surfaces by a predetermined amount.
23. The anvil assembly of claim 22 wherein said predetermined amount said walls extend above said first and second insert surfaces is on the order of 0.5 millimeters when said inserts are parallel to said walls.
24. The anvil assembly of claim 13 wherein said first and second inserts are separated and define a channel therebetween through which a packaging tape may pass while a plastic covering film is attached thereto.
25. The anvil assembly of claim 17 wherein said at least one pin comprises one pin having two ends, each of said ends riding in one of said aligned holes.
26. The anvil assembly of claim 25 further comprising a spring surrounding said pin and sized to press said inserts against said base walls.
27. The anvil assembly of claim 25 further comprising a spacer surrounding said pin and sized to maintain said inserts adjacent said base walls and to further maintain a channel therebetween.
28. The anvil assembly of claim 18 wherein said inserts are positioned a predetermined distance from said floor such that when said inserts are rotated, said inserts abut against said floor, said floor thereby defining limits of said insert rotation.
29. An anvil assembly, useable in a package heat sealing machine, comprising:
a U-shaped base having two opposed vertical walls extending upwardly from opposite sides of a horizontal floor, each of said walls defining a hole sized to receive a pin;
two inserts having flat upper surfaces of predetermined widths, each insert defining a hole slightly larger than the holes defined by said walls;
a pin having two ends, each of said ends received by one of said holes in said walls such that said pin extends from one wall to the other, over said floor, and passes through said holes defined by said inserts such that said inserts are supported by said pin between said walls.
30. The anvil assembly of claim 29 wherein each of said predetermined insert widths are substantially equal.
31. The anvil assembly of claim 29 wherein said inserts comprise bottom edges which are separated from said floor by a predetermined amount such that, when said inserts are rotated in forward and reverse directions, said bottom edges abut said floor, thereby preventing further rotation and defining a range of rotation.
32. The anvil assembly of claim 31 wherein said range of rotation is between 0.5 degrees to 2.5 degrees.
33. The anvil assembly of claim 32 wherein said range of rotation is on the order of 1.0 degrees.