US3779057A

US3779057A - Appliance for treating especially thin-walled metal work pieces

Info

Publication number: US3779057A
Application number: US00010433A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Sonnenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-02-11
Filing date: 1970-02-11
Publication date: 1973-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-18

Abstract

The invention concerns an appliance or tool for treating, in particular, thin-walled metal work pieces, such as automobile fenders and like metallic body parts which need repair or require straightening out of dented or bulging damaged parts thereof. The appliance is so constructed that the applicator''s adaptor can be changed to operate under the action of a state of vacuum or through continuous or successive agitation under pressure of a fluid, such as air, steam, and the like. This operation may take place depending, e.g., on the damage of a work piece of the aforesaid type to be treated or repaired, so that dents, as well as bulging or projecting parts of a fender may be readily worked upon in a service station or at the garage of a home. The velocity and impact of the stream of fluid employed may be readily regulated or can be even completely stopped. The fluid may be admitted to the appliance to act under vacuum or pressure with respect to the adaptor proper applied to the work piece, thus affording the construction of a universally applicable tool for all practical purposes.

Description

Sonnenberg APPLIANCE FOR TREATING ESPECIALLY THIN-WALLED METAL WORK PIECES Filed:

Inventor: Kent L. Sonnenberg, 750 Kappock St., Riverdale, N.Y.

Feb. 11, 1970 Appl. No.: 10,433

[52] US. Cl .L 72/56, 72/705, 29/421 [51] Int. Cl BZld 1/12 [58] Field of Search 72/705, 38, 39, 54,

251/24; 417/185; 294/64 R, 64 A, 64 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,318 7/1957 Blucher et a1. 29/421 X 1,926,413 9/1933 Tibbs 138/46 3,146,798 9/1964 Chenault 138/44 1,181,566 5/1916 Bowden 73/213 X 3,352,320 11/1967 Camp 138/46 X 3,538,517 11/1970 Cornish et a1. 251/24 2,771,933 11/1956 Edwards 72/705 2,112,290 3/1938 Holland 417/185 X 3,099,278 7/1963 Keszler et a1. 417/185 X 3,584,836 6/1971 Brubaker 72/705 X 3,052,479 9/1962 La-Trell 417/185 X 2,200,800 5/1940 Miller 294/64 A 3,039,623 6/1962 Sehn et al.... 294/64 A 3,728,891 4/1973 Hall 72/705 X Dec. 18, 1973 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-[Irvin M. Combs Attorney-J. B. Felshin et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT The invention concerns an appliance or tool for treating, in particular, thin-walled metal work pieces, such as automobile fenders and like metallic body parts which need repair or require straightening out of dented or bulging damaged parts thereof. The appliance is so constructed that the applicators adaptor can be changed to operate under the action of a state of vacuum or through continuous or successive agitation under pressure of a fluid, such as air, steam, and the like. This operation may take place depending, e.g., on the damage of a work piece of the aforesaid type to be treated or repaired, so that dents, as well as bulging or projecting parts of a fender may be readily worked upon in a service station or at the garage of a home. The velocity and impact of the stream of fluid employed may be readily regulated or can be even completely stopped. The fluid may be admitted to the appliance to act under vacuum or pressure with respect to the adaptor proper applied to the work piece, thus afi'ording the construction of a universally applicable tool for all practical purposes.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention specifically deals with an automobile body repair appliance or tool which may be employed for straightening out thin-walled metal parts of objects which possess a base or body with substantially thinwalled metal cover.

It is therefore one'of the objects of this invention to provide means facilitating speedy repair of damaged body parts of the aforesaid type by means of a portable appliance which may be operatively connected to a pressure or vacuum line from a gas or air source of a service station or to a handy and portable aerosol container which is under gas pressure, thus enabling the performance of repairs substantially without any loss of time.

It is another object of the invention to provide means affording regulation of the velocity of the fluid stream for varying the suction or vacuum effect at the applicator end or adaptor which is interchangeably connected to the tool.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of .means contributing to the interchangeability and shape of the adaptor relative to the applicator de pending upon the extent, 'largeness and nature of the repair to which the work piece is to be subjected.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means conducive to a simplified and compact structure or appliance of the aforesaid character which can be easily held and guided by the hand of an operator, as it is light in weight, portable and generally easily accessible to parts to be repaired.

Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of means envisioning switching over of the appliance from a suction. action to pressure exerting effeet, which may be administered continuously or intermittently (as a hammering-like impact).

The invention further contemplates the formation of an applicator which can be readily equipped with various shapes of adaptors suitably dimensioned in thickness and height to be placed over the work piece area BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation (partly in section) of an appliance pursuant to the invention, showing head piece and applicator for connection with a conduit.

FIG; 2 illustrates partly in section a modified form of the head piece and applicator.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a valve plate employable in carrying out the invention, as seen along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show bottom plan views of various shapes of adaptors employable with the applicator, to which further reference is made later on.

FIG. 7 is a hand-operated aerosol container connected to ahead piece equipped with an applicator according to the invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a valveoperated applicator nozzle for use in connection with a compressed air or fluid supply line.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more specifically to the drawings, there has been disclosed in FIG. 1 an appliance 10 which principally comprises a head piece 11, an applicator body 12 and a tubular connector piece 13, which interconnects the head piece with the applicator. Head piece 11 consistsof a casing proper 14 having a tubular insert 15 terminating in a nozzle 16. The opposite end of the insert is threadedly engaged at 17 to the head piece body and includes a hose or pipe connector part 18 for receiving the end of tubular part 19 of tube or hose 20 made of any suitably bendable material. Tube body 20 is equipped with a hand-operated valve construction 22 known per se, which is actuatable through a lever mechanism 21 to permit and cut off the fluid stream to head piece 11. g

Casing 14 of head piece 11 terminates in a suitably shaped end nozzle 25 which is coaxially located with, but distant from nozzle 16 of tubular insert 15.

Head piece 11 has further an exit opening 24, the wall defining the opening'24 is threaded to facilitate connection with tubular connector piece 13 substantially at right angles to

coaxial nozzles

16 and 25. Threaded tubular piece 13 reaches: further with its extension 23 into the applicator l2 and is attached to the latter by means of threads 23a.

Applicator 12 is preferably rectangular or round in shape although its end piece 29 is recessed for retaining an adaptor element 30 which may assume any desirable form and dimension. Tubular connector piece 13 terminates within applicator 12 in a nozzle 31 which may be either replaceable or adjustable in diameter in accordance with the invention.

Adaptor 30 consists preferably of a ring member made of rubber or similar yieldable and conformable material and is so chosen that it abuts and remains in contact with a surface area of a thin-walled piece of material 32 to be worked upon. As illustrated in FIG. 1, work piece 32 is indicated torepresent a portion of an automobile fender, which is dented at 33 and which is to be treated in order to straighten out this fender portion. To this end applicator 12 is applied to an area defined by points or

straight parts

34, 35 so that nozzle 31, e.g. under strong vacuum is capable of acting on this dented portion 33 to straighten the same through continuous or intermittent actuation, as required.

This may be accomplished by connecting first tubular hose or conduit 20 to a vacuum machine or similar source (not shown) generally employed in service or gas stations. In such a case nozzle 25 of head piece 11 will be plugged or closed, as will be later described, so that the vacuum action is further transferred from tubular insert 15 via connector piece 13 to nozzle 31.

If the need of a strong vacuum action is not required it will often suffice to connect hose 20 with an existent air compression line and let compressed air escape through

nozzles

16 and 25 of head piece 11 thereby producing in a well-known manner a vacuum effect in the closed area 36 via nozzle 31 and second tubular conduit 13 which is in communication with the

nozzle arrangement

16, 25 receiving compressed air from a suitable source via hose 20. In both cases as just explained, the supply of air or fluid through hose 20 may be controlled by means of lever-valve mechanism 21, 22 of known construction.

In order to regulate also the outflow of air or like fluid through exit or end nozzle 25 to the atmosphere, there has been provided according to FIGS. 2 and 3 a metallic valve plate 40 which is rotatably mounted on or connected with either the head piece 11 or tubular connector 13, e.g. as illustrated and shown in section in FIG. 2.

In recess 39 of head piece 11 (FIG. 1) there is attached as by means of welding a support or carrier 38 which is engaged by a center pin or screw bolt 41, which rotatably and adjustably carries valve plate 40. This plate is provided with a plurality of differently shaped and dimensioned

nozzle end apertures

42, 43, 44 and 45 so positioned, that the same may be brought successively into registry with nozzle 25 of head piece 11 at end wall 25a. It is thus possible to either additionally control the outflow of compressed air through combined and registrable nozzle apertures 25-42 or 25-43, etc. or to completely plug end or exit nozzle 25 and prevent compressed fluid flow to the atmosphere by intimate contact of valve plate slug location, say, 46 (FIG. 3) with end nozzle 25 in end surface 25a. Location 46 is preferably indicated by an imperforate valve plate portion positioned between

nozzle parts

43 and 44.

The admission of compressed air or similar fluid occurs then against a bulging portion of an automobile fender either continuously via nozzle 31 and special adaptor (preferably of greater height or thickness than that designated by numeral 30) or intermittently by a controlled valve 50 producing a type of hammering effect on the work piece as may be easily realized from FIG. 8. To this end either the lever-valve mechanism 21, 22 may be actuated by admitting or stopping temporarily (successively) flow of compressed fluid or the stream of fluid may pass through tubular connector piece extension 23a in which suitably, preferable S- shaped valve 50 is rotatably installed, which during fluid driven valve rotation successively opens and closes momentarily and intermittently passage to nozzle 31a (FIG. 8).

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show bottoms of

various adaptors

30, 30a and 30b in circular and quadrangular formations, respectively, (adaptor 30b being broken off, as indicated).

FIG. 7 schematically shows a side elevational view of the head piece 11 and applicator 12 connected to a portable material handling container a of the aerosol type, which is gas-actuated and acts on

nozzle arrangement

16, 25, as well as on operational nozzle 31 in a manner hereinabove explained.

Such aerosol container 20a is commercially available, but should be pressurized commensurate with the purpose intended.

Adaptor 30c may be interchanged to comply with the area extent and height (thickness) required for covering the damaged location to be treated.

Any and all modifications of this invention are covered by the latter in its broadest aspects and the invention is not considered to be limited to the specific embodiments herein shown and described.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided according to the invention a highly versatile appliance of the type herein disclosed-which is capable of being applied to metal surfaces of objects at 34, 35 to straighten out the same after having been dented at 33 or bent outwardly protruding at 33a. The appliance may be operated, depending on the circumstances, either under negative pressure (vacuum) or regulated impact pressure or even under pressure producing interrupted or intermittent pressure effects as indicated, e.g. in FIG. 8.

Accordingly the invention is directed to a portable appliance of the type herein disclosed, which is connectable with a fluid pressure line and which comprises, in combination, a hollow T-shaped structure including a head piece containing a venturi device, a first end piece forming part of said head piece for connection with a fluid pressure line, a second end piece having a discharge nozzle located forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator or an axis at right angles to the axis of said venturi device and said nozzle, an adaptor forming part of said applicator and structured to span a work piece to be treated, and a valve element in said tubular means exposed to the impact of said fluid flow and structured to automatically and intermittently regulate said fluid flow to said adaptor, thereby to provide a hammering effect caused by the action of said fluid flow past said valve element. It will now be understood that this invention comprises the following:

An appliance for treating thin-walled metal work pieces, in particular automobile fenders and like metallic work pieces, and appliance'being portable and connectable with a fluid pressure line; comprising, in combination, a head piece provided with a connector piece for said fluid pressure line and containing a venturi device and terminating in a discharge opening forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator at right angles to said venturi device and said discharge opening of said head piece, said applicator being equipped with an adaptor to span said work piece to be treated, so that flow of fluid when guided to said discharge opening via said venturi device engenders said adaptor when the latter is applied to a work piece a fluid effect on the latter, and an aerosol container forming a source of supply for said fluid and operatively joined to said head piece at said connector piece, said aerosol container being interchangeably attachable to said head piece connector, said appliance further including a value plate located outside said head piece and for rotatable operation of forwardly of and in contact with said discharge opening, said valve plate being provided with means to close the flow of said fluid through said discharge opening, said valve plate being further equipped with apertures of different diameters for registration with said discharge opening respectively, thereby to vary the crosssectional dimension of said discharge opening and to regulate pressure effects resulting from the corresponding fluid flow with respect to said adaptor.

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance for treating thin-walled metal work pieces, in particular automobile fenders and like metallic work pieces, said appliance being portable and connectable with a fluid pressure line; comprising, in combination, a head piece provided with a connector piece for said fluid pressure line and containing a venturi device and terminating in a discharge opening forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator on an axis at right angles to the axis of said venturi device and said discharge opening of said head piece, said applicator being equipped with an adaptor to span said work piece to be treated, so that flow of fluid when guided to said discharge opening via said venturi device engenders in said adaptor when the latter is applied to a work piece a fluid effect on the latter, and an aerosol container forming a source of supply for said fluid and operatively joined to said head piece at saidv connector piece, said aerosol container being interchangeably attachable to said head piece connector, including a valve element structured to rotate in said tubular means, the flow of said fluid through said tubular means and past said valve element being automatically and intermittently regulatable with respect to said adaptor, thereby to attain a hammering effect caused by the action resulting from the fluid flow past said rotable valve element.

2. An appliance according to claim 1, said valve element being located adjacent said adaptor, and a valve plate formed with a plurality of aperatures of varying sizes located for individual registration of said apertures with the discharge opening of said head piece, thereby to vary the operation of said valve element and the flow of fluid with respect to said adaptor.

3. An appliance for treating thin-walled metal work pieces, in particular fenders and like automobile body parts; comprising a hollow, portable T-shaped structure including a head piece containing a venturi device, a first end piece forming part of said head piece for connection with a fluid flow line, a second end piece hav ing a discharge nozzle located forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator on an axis at right angles to the axis of said venturi device and said discharge nozzle, an adaptor forming part of said applicator and structured to span a work piece to be treated, and a valve element in said tubular means exposed to the impact of said fluid flow and structured to automatically intermittently regulate said fluid flow to said adaptor, thereby to provide a hammering effect caused by action of said fluid flow past said valve element.

4. An appliance according to claim 3, including a valve plate rotatably mounted in front of said discharge nozzle, said valve plate being provided with apertures of various diameters passing through said valve plate for registration with said discharge nozzle respectively, and means on said valve plate to close passage of fluid flow through said discharge nozzle and to divert said fluid flow via said tubular means and said device element to said adaptor.

Claims

1. An appliance for treating thin-walled metal work pieces, in particular automobile fenders and like metallic work pieces, said appliance being portable and connectable with a fluid pressure line; comprising, in combination, a head piece provided with a connector piece for said fluid pressure line and containing a venturi device and terminating in a discharge opening forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator on an axis at right angles to the axis of said venturi device and said discharge opening of said head piece, said applicator being equipped with an adaptor to span said work piece to be treated, so that flow of fluid when guided to said discharge opening via said venturi device engenders in said adaptor when the latter is applied to a work piece a fluid effect on the latter, and an aerosol container forming a source of supply for said fluid and operatively joined to said head piece at said connector piece, said aerosol container being interchangeably attachable to said head piece connector, including a valve element structured to rotate in said tubular means, the flow of said fluid through saId tubular means and past said valve element being automatically and intermittently regulatable with respect to said adaptor, thereby to attain a hammering effect caused by the action resulting from the fluid flow past said rotable valve element.

3. An appliance for treating thin-walled metal work pieces, in particular fenders and like automobile body parts; comprising a hollow, portable T-shaped structure including a head piece containing a venturi device, a first end piece forming part of said head piece for connection with a fluid flow line, a second end piece having a discharge nozzle located forwardly of said venturi device, an applicator, tubular means connecting said applicator on an axis at right angles to the axis of said venturi device and said discharge nozzle, an adaptor forming part of said applicator and structured to span a work piece to be treated, and a valve element in said tubular means exposed to the impact of said fluid flow and structured to automatically intermittently regulate said fluid flow to said adaptor, thereby to provide a hammering effect caused by action of said fluid flow past said valve element.