Axial swage tool having a stabilizing pin

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is embodied in an axial swaging tool having a drop-in movable jaw unit and a stabilizing pin that effectively counters deflection forces on the movable jaw unit during a swaging operation.
The design of the tool, in combination with other features described below, contributes to a balanced swaging tool that is extremely compact and lightweight.
The swaging tool of the present invention furthermore is simple to operate, reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and low in maintenance.
The swaging tool includes a tubular housing having a first end portion, a second end portion defining a closed cylinder and a port for providing pressurized fluid and a middle portion between the end portions.
A ram is located within the closed cylinder of the housing and a piston is movable into engagement with the ram.
A fixed jaw unit is located on the first end portion of the housing and a movable jaw unit is located on the piston.
An important feature of the present invention is that a pin or piston rod is inserted through the piston and into the ram to stabilize the piston and ram within the housing.
In addition, bearings are located on the outside of the ram and on an end portion of the stabilizing pin to react the moments generated during swaging directly into the housing and to reduce undesirable deflection or cocking of the movable jaw unit during swaging.
The pin and bearings also permit smooth movement of the piston and ram within the housing.
Another feature of the present invention is that the second end portion of the housing is a closed cylinder, i.
e.
, it is not slotted longitudinally through to the end as in prior swaging tools.
Such a closed cylinder design improves the structural integrity of the swaging tool.
To facilitate assembly, the middle portion of the housing is provided with a cutout to permit radial access of the piston to the interior of the housing.
This configuration advantageously provides a modular design wherein the components fit together and cooperate to provide an extremely compact and lightweight swaging tool