US3800387A - Crimping device - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention consists of a hand-operated crimping device used to close a flange, such as on a car door, comprising cooperating dies where the lower die is a foot coupled to a movable handle and the upper die is the lower frame of the tool.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 I 1 1 3,800,387 Hamilton l l Apr. 2, 1974 CRlMPlNG DEVICE 3,466,727 9/1969Bukcr 0! a] 29 200 B Inventor: Jam amil 18006 3,503,111 3/1970 Janecck 29/200 B Vanowen, Reseda, Calif. 91335 Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager [22] Flled' Sept 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sanford Astor [21] Appl. No.: 286,073

52 us. Cl 29/200 B [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. B23p 19/00 This invention consists of ahand 0 perated crimping [58] Fleld of Search 29/200 200 device used to close a flange, such as on a car door, comprising cooperating dies where the lower die is a foot coupled to a movable handle and the upper die is [56] References Cited the lower frame of the tool.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,310,] 18 7/l9l9 Greenfield et al. 29/200B 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 2:914 1800 387' SHEET 2 BF 2 1 :CRIMPING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art, closing the flange on a metal edge such as a car door frame required removing the car door from the car due to the tight space between the door edge and the fender. When new door paneling was being put on, the door was removed and replaced after the flange was crimped.

Another method recently developed uses an air driven crimping tool; however, this tool has difficulty getting into tight places and cannot go around corners at all.

Naturally to be able to crimp the flange on a car door without removing the door saves a great deal of time and labor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool which will crimp a flange in an area where there is a very narrow opening to the flange.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a hand-operated tool which can be used to crimp the flange on a car door without removing it from the car.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the device.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the device.

FIG 5 is a cross-section taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4 with a work piece to be flanged or crimped.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section as in FIG. 5 but with the crimp completed.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 there is shown the tool of this invention comprising a body orframe 10 having a crimping head or fixeddie 12, at the front edge ofbody 10. Afixed handle 14 extends downward frombody 10.

Amovable handle 16 is attached tohead 10 by apin 18 allowingmovable handle 16 to rotate aroundpin 18. The upper end ortip 20 ofmovable handle 16 extends through aslot 22 in the top ofbody 10.

A movable die orfoot 24 is slidably held inbody 10, byflanged edges 26 in the top ofbody 10 and is elongated to extend out frombody 10.

Theupper end 20 ofmovable handle 16 extends through a hole, not shown, inmovable die 24 so that movement ofmovable handle 16 moves theupper end 20 inslot 22 causingmovable die 24 to slide back and forth.

Asmovable handle 16 is brought towards fixed handle l4 movable die 24 is brought towards fixed die 12.

Pressure onmovable handle 16 towardsfixed handle 14 squeezes movable die orfoot 24 against fixed die 12 to squeeze a flange or work piece placed between them.

Referring now to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 there is shown the body orframe 28 having fixed die 30 andfixed handle 32.

Amovable handle 34 pivots on end ortip 38 ofmovable handle 34slot 40 in theframe 10.

A movable die 42 is slidingly received in the upper edge offrame 28 above fixed die 30. Movable die 42 has ahole 44 through which protrudestip 38.

In FIG. 5 awork piece 46 having aflange 48, which is open, is in position to be crimped around awork piece 50 which has anedge 52 to be sealed within the closedflange 48.

FIG. 6 shows the device aftermovable handle 34 is closed towardsfixed handle 32 squeezingfoot 42pin 36. The upper extends through a towards fixeddie 30.Flange 48 has been crimped or closed aroundwork piece 52.

The narrow width ofmovable die 42 allows it to extend into extremely narrow openings such as the space between a car door and the fender. Only the foot ormovable die 42 needs to protrude through the opening and around the flange, while the remainder of the tool stays outside where it can be operated by the user.

Foot 42 is preferably shaped in a generally triangular shape. This shape makes turning corners and working on edges and flanges which have many curves extremely easy. If the foot is rectangular, turning of curves and corners is more difficult and sometimes impossible. The triangular shape of the foot thus gives even greater use and mobility of the tool and allows it to get into eventighter places and turn more complicated corners.

While the manner of movement ofthe foot shown is the simplest method and is effective other manners of association between the movable die or foot and the movable handle may be utilized, such as a forked tipped handle in which the upper end of the handle is forked and fits into two slots in the slidable portion of the foot. The manner shown however allows greater movement that is greater distance of travel apart of the two dies and is thus more effective in many cases.

In operation on a car door, for example, the panel is replaced and the tool is inserted with the foot placed through the narrow opening between the door and the fender. The tool is then operated by squeezing the handles together along the flange moving it a few inches at a time until the flange is completely crimped. The tool.

easily moves around corners or any curved surfaces on the door.

The tool may be manufactured out of any suitable material such as steel or cast iron and the parts are easily replaceable should one part become defective.

I claim:

1. A hand-operated crimping tool for closing a flange onto a metal edge comprising a frame, a fixed die, a fixed handle and a movable die being a foot activated by a movable handle, said movable handle passing through a slot in the foot.

2. The tool of claim 1 in which the movable handle passes through a slot in the top of the frame.

3. The tool of claim 1 in which the foot is slidably received in the top of the frame.

4. The tool of claim 1 in which the foot is elongated and slidably received in the top of the frame and is generally triangular in shape.

shape, activated by f. a movable handle, said movable handle passing through a slot in said frame and a slot in said movable die.

Claims (5)

1. A hand-operated crimping tool for closing a flange onto a metal edge comprising a frame, a fixed die, a fixed handle and a movable die being a foot activated by a movable handle, said movable handle passing through a slot in the foot.

2. The tool of claim 1 in which the movable handle passes through a slot in the top of the frame.

3. The tool of claim 1 in which the foot is slidably received in the top of the frame.

4. The tool of claim 1 in which the foot is elongated and slidably received in the top of the frame and is generally triangular in shape.

5. A hand-operated crimping tool, comprising: a. a frame b. a fixed handle c. cooperating dies consisting of d. a fixed die e. an elongated movable die generally triangular in shape, activated by f. a movable handle, said movable handle passing through a slot in said frame and a slot in said movable die.

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