US1412277A - Tube expander - Google Patents

Description

T. J. DIXON.

TUBE EXPANDER. APPLICAT|QN FILED 1ULY23, 1920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET THOMAS J. DIXON T. J. DIXON.

TUBE EXPANDER. APPLICATION FILED .IULY23, 1920. I 1,412,277. Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THoMAsd. DIXON I'I/IIIIIIII UNITED STATES THOMAS J. DIXON, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

TUBE EXPANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed July 23, 1920. Serial No. 398,463.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, THOMAS J. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, res1d1ng at Madison, in the county of Dane and State 'ing or flaring the tube end outside the tube sheet at the same time that the tube is being expanded in the tube sheet and capable of being so manipulated whereby the usual or extra process of bending or flaring the end of the tube with a hammer or like implement, after it has'been expanded, preparatory to bending the tube, is eliminated.

\Vith other objects in view that will hereinafter be brought out, my invention comprehends an implement or tool of the char acter and purposes stated, of a relative sim ple and inexpensive construction andwhich embodies the peculiar features and novel arrangement of parts, all of which will be fully mentioned in the following detailed description, be specifically pointed out in the appended claim and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved construction of tool or implement for flaring and expanding boiler tubes and it illustrates a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved tube flaring and expanding tool, the mandrel being omitted.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal section of a portion of the tool and illustrates the operative relation of one of the expanding rollers and a cooperating flaring roller or disk.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of my improved construction of tube expanding and flaring tool taken substantially on the line 4% on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the expander rollers that works independent of the flaring rollers or disk, the holding frame therefor, and the spring clamp that secures the holder within the casing body or shell, the stop shoulder feature being also shown in this view.

l igure (3 is a detail perspective view of one of the spring clamps hereinafter referred to.

Figure '7' is a plan view of a shell or casing shaped for receiving an improved arrangement of tube expanding and end flarmg means.

Figures 8 and 9 are detail sectional elevations that illustrate slightly different forms of mounting the expanding and flaring disk.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are detail views of further modifications hereinafter specifically mentioned.

In my present construction of tool for expanding and flaring tube ends, as in my patented expander before referred to, the siell 3, in which the expanding and flaring elements are mounted, is made for an auto matic feed and it has a number of (preferably three) radial straight slots i which are diagonally arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube, as is best shown in Figure 7.

' The expanding rollers 2-2, in my present construction of tool, each have a centrai bearing 5 at each end for engaging the bearing boxes 6-6 that fit into and are freely siidable in the opposite ends of the radialslotsH.

Ushaped spring clamps 91 are also provided, in my present invention, for engaging the shell 3 and holding the rollers 2-2 under tension and in the inwardly drawn position, the operation of-the several parts inent-ioned'being similar to the like parts in my patented tool before referred to.

My present invention in its essential features, differs from my patented tool in that a simple and effective means is provided for bending or flaring the end of the tube as it is being expanded by feeding the mandrel inwardly and as the shell is being turned, as it is being fed forwardly within the tube end.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings, it will be noticed a roller or disk 7 having a tapered or flared peripheral face 70 is mounted within the radial slot i adjacent the outer end of the roller 2.

The disk roller 7 has a minimum diameter equal the diameter of the adjacent roller 2 and its peripheral edge is so beveled or flared expanding roller 2.

By reason of providing a flaring disk 7 within the slot 4: and located at the outermost end of. the roller 2, it "follows that as the'expanding roller about reaches the limit of the inward feed of the cage or shell 3, the disk roller 7 is caused to engage the outer edge of the open end of the tube and as the cage is further fed into the tube, it bends up r flares the said end in the manner clearly understood from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

In practice, a flaring disk need be, it desired, provided for cooperating with but one of the expanding rollers and, when thus applied, the disk 7 has a su'fliciently large aperture 72 to permit it to rotate freely around the center bearing of the adjacent end of the roller 2, when arranged as in Figure 3.

If desired, the disk 7 may have an axial stud bearing 75 for engaging a socket 76 in the-roller bearing box, as shown in Figure 12, and again a plain roller disk 7 may be used, as shown-in Figure 11, in which the shell slot is-shown peened where it receives the flaring disk roller 7 to prevent the said flaring roller or disk from 'l allingin .or out.

In my present construction of tube manipulating tool, those slots 4 in which only the expanding rollers are held have their inner end 30 formed with a radially extended stop shoulder 31, the purpose of said shoulders 31 being to stop the further inteed of the cage after the flaring disk 7 shall have .flnished the operation of bending up or flaring the tube end at whlch time the rear edge of the disk 7 will be flush with the outer edge of the tube and the shoulder 31 of the cage in position for engaging with theflared tube end to operate as a stop.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is believed the complete construct-ion, the manner of operation and the advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those familiar with the use of tools or implements for shaping up the ends of boiler tubes.

To operate my present invention, the tool is placed in the boiler to a point where the inner or smaller diameter of the disk 7 comes into contact with the end of the tube, the mandrel l is then placed between the expanding rollers 2 and the rotary motion is started.

The self-feeding action on the mandrel and the rollers 2 forces the shell or roller holder further into the tube thereby causing the flaring roller or disk 7 to be drawn fan ther into the tube, also, it; being apparent from the drawings thatthe flaring roller or :disk 7 being tapered, in being forced further llltO the tube. while 1t revolves, flares or bonds the end ofthe tube back, as shown.

Thetube is then ready for beading. Providing the tube with expanding rollers and one or more flaring disks, as shown and described, it follows that the tube is expanded :into the tube head and, under the same operation, its outer end is flared ready for beading.

vv hen the flaring roller 2 and the box 6 are arranged as in Figure 9, apin 50 is connected with that end o f-the roller 2 adjacent the flaring disk 7, passes through the aperturein the disk 7 and into a suitable socket in the adjacent box 6. The said pin con- .nection 50 serves to hold the flaring disk .beingloosely mounted on the said journal,

that'end of the. expanding roller engaging the disk being bevelled whereby to hold the disk at an angle with respect to said expand-- ing roller and with its inner edge in a plane with themandrel engaging surface of the expanding roller and its outer edge projected outwardly at an angle with respect to the tube engagmg surface of the roller to.

flarethe outer edge of the tube, a tapering mandrel and tension devices engaging the tubular body and with opposite bearing boxes tending to normally move the expanding roller and theflaring disk against the tube being worked.

7 THOMAS J. DIXON.

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