US3006380A

US3006380A - Boiler tube repair device

Info

Publication number: US3006380A
Application number: US810305A
Authority: US
Inventors: Santosuosso Ralph; John J Mahoney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-05-01
Filing date: 1959-05-01
Publication date: 1961-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-31

Description

Get. 31, 1961 R. SANTOSUOSSO ETAL 3,006,380

BOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1. 1959 Halo/1 Sanfowosso John J. Mulroney 1NVENTOR$ BY flirt Oct. 31, 1961 R. SANTOSUOSSO EI'AL 3,006,380

BOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed lay l. 1959 Ralph Sgnfoswgs'o John J Mulroney INVENTORS BY av-My United States Patent BOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE Ralph Santosuosso and John J. Mahoney, both of 298 Proctor Ave., Revere, Mass.

Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,305 9 Claims. (Cl. 13891) This invention relates to repair devices and more particularly to a device to repair boiler tubes.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical, comparatively easily used boiler tube repair device which may be applied to seal olf both ends of a leaky boiler tube while the boiler is in operation or when the boiler is temporarily out of operation, depending on existing conditions and the desires of the user.

Boiler tube repair is often quite difficult. Briefly, the boiler tube repair device in accordance with this invention seals both ends of the faulty tube while working entirely from the accessible end of the boiler tube. Use of the device materially reduces the time and eifort involved in the repair of a conventional boiler tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boiler tube repair device comprising a plurality of concentric sleeves and an innermost rod concentric with the sleeves. Each sleeve has a lateral closure plate component fixed to the distal or remote end of the sleeve, said plate being segmental or generally triangular with an arcuate outer edge. A plurality of nuts are provided at the opposite or proximal ends of the sleeves to draw the sleeves lon itudinally and lock them in place. By rotating the sleeves relative to each other and then tightening down the nuts, the cooperating segmental plates at the outer or distal ends of the sleeves may be brought to a position at which a disk-like plate is formed for sealing the distal end of the boiler tube. The proximal or inner end of the boiler tube is sealed by a gasket-equipped one-piece disk-like plate.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a structurally and functionally unique boiler tube repair device which relies on a number of telescoping concentric sleeves and a core-like concentric rod in the bore of the innermost sleeve, together with means at both ends of said sleeves and rod for manipulating the tubes or sleeves and for sealing the respective ends of the defective boiler tube.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a boiler having a defective boiler tube which is repaired by one of the repair devices.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the tube and repair device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the expansible and contractible closing head or distal plate of the repair device in position for insertion into a defective boiler tube.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 1, with some of the nuts removed.

In the accompanying drawings there is a fragment 10 of a boiler showing one boiler tube 12 of the numerous tubes in a boiler. The boiler 10 is defective, that is, it has a tube which would leak under normal operating conditions. Boiler repair device 14 is shown in the defective boiler tube 12.

The repair device consists of an innermost rod 16 hav- 3,006,380 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 ing threads 18 at one end and having a part 20 of head 22 at the opposite end. A first or inner sleeve 24 is mounted concentrically and rotatably on rod 16, and there is a second or intermediate sleeve 26 concentric to and encasing sleeve 24, and finally, an outer or third sleeve 28 concentrically and rotatably surrounding sleeve 26. Each of the sleeves has an externally threaded end, there being threaded ends 30, 31 and 32 on

sleeves

24, 26 and 28 respectively. The third or outer sleeve 28 has a solid circular washer or plate 34 provided with a central aperture 35 through which sleeve 28 is extended. The washer or plate 34 is slipped into place on sleeve 28 just to the left of the threaded proximal end portion. Essentially U-shaped guides or sliding

runners

36 and 37 have their lateral ends welded to the sleeve 28. The guides are preferably elongated U-shaped rods and they are located adjacent to each other. When viewed from the end (FIGURE 5) the

guide rods

36 and 37 extend approximately radial outward from the assembly of sleeves and rod and are parallel and circumferentially spaced from each other.

The tube-end blocking and closing head 22 is made up of four approximately triangular or

segmental plates

20, 40, 41 and 42 respectively (FIGURE 4).

Plates

41 and 42 have confronting shallow recesses 43 and 44 at their inner ends, while plate 40 has a deeper recess 46 facing plate 41. Plate 20 has a stepped recess 48 which is deeper than the recess 46, enabling all of the

plates

20, 40, 41 and 42 to form an approximately planar assembly when the four plates are rotated with respect to each other and to a position at which the recessed portions of each of the plates nest (FIGURE 3).

Front and rear heat resistant flexible (e.g. plastic)

gaskets

50 and 52 are concentrically mounted on the rod and sleeve assembly. Gasket 50 fits between the front end of boiler tube 12 and the rear or confronting face of plate 34. Gasket 52 is engaged on the outer surface of the third sleeve 28 and fits between the face of the plates of head 22 and the adjacent end of boiler tube 12. This forms a seal for the ends of the tube.

An optional sleeve 56 fits over the threaded ends of the

sleeves

28, 24 and 26. Sleeve 56 has an end wall 58 provided with an aperture 60 through which the threaded end 18 of the rod 16 extends. There are four nuts 62, 63, 64 and 65 on the threaded ends 18, 30, 31 and 32 of the rod and sleeve assembly. Final nut 67 is on the threaded end 18 of rod 16 and is adapted to bear against the wall 58 of sleeve 56 whose inner end bears against the plate 34.

In use and operation, the head 22 is arranged in a position shown in FIGURE 4 and pushed through tube 12 from one end thereof.

Guides

35 and 36 are in a down position (FIGURE 5) to center the repair device in the tube. Gasket 52 is pushed through the tube along with head 22 and comes to rest on the outer end of the defective boiler tube 12. Then, the

sleeves

24, 26 and 28 are turned with respect to the rod 16 until all of the arrows of the sleeves are aligned. These arrows may be scribed at the threaded end of the sleeves and are used merely to indicate when the

plates

20, 40, 41 and 42 are in position to form a disk as shown in FIGURE 3. Then the nuts 62, 63, 64 and 65 are tightened thereby axially sliding the sleeves on the rod 16 and interlocking

plates

20, 40, 41 and 42.

In order to provide more tension in rod 16, sleeve 56 can then be applied over the nuts and threaded ends of the three sleeves and rods 16. Nut 67 can then be placed on the threaded end 18 of the rod 16 and tightened.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A readily-insertable end-closing temporary repair device for a defective boiler tube while, for example, the boiler is being used, comprising a readily-insertable and removable ready-to-install device usable by a single Workman and insertable fro-m the end adjacent the workman and embodying a plurality of concentric telescopically assembled sleeves, a rod mounted lengthwise in the bore of the innermost sleeve, a tube-end closing and sealing head mounted on and carried by the distal ends of the sleeves and rod respectively, said head including a plurality of cooperating segmental plates which, prior to insertion into the bore of the tube, may be aligned one behind the other and all radiating in the same direction and manner and being longitudinally spaced apart, the adjacent inner ends of the sleeves and rod, respectively, being available to the workman so that by progressively turning the rod and sleeves in a predetermined step-bystep manner the segmental plates may be brought together and assembled in a manner to define the stated closing and sealing head, and means connected with the respective inner proximal end portions of said sleeves and rod for locking the sleeves in a predetermined relationship and correctly providing said head, said head functioning to span and seal the distal end of the boiler tube, and adjustable closing and sealing means at the proximal associated end portions of the sleeves and rod and serving to effect a closure for the proximal end of said boiler tube.

2. A readily-insertable end-closing temporary repair device for a defective boiler tube while, for example, the boiler is being used, comprising a readily-insertable and removable ready-to-install device usable by a single workman and insertable from the end adjacent the workman and embodying a plurality of concentric telescopically assembled sleeves, a rod mounted lengthwise in the bore of the innermost sleeve, a tube-end closing and sealing head mounted on and carried by the distal ends of the sleeves and rod respectively, said head including a plurality of cooperating segmental plates which, prior to insertion into the bore of the tube, may be aligned one behind the other and all radiating in the same direction and manner and being longitudinally spaced apart, the adjacent inner ends of the sleeves and rod, respectively, being available to the workman so that by progressively turning the rod and sleeves in a predetermined step-by-step manner the segmental plates may be brought together and assembled in a manner to define the stated closing and sealing head, and means connected with the respective inner proximal end portions of said sleeves and rod for locking the sleeves in a predetermined relationship and correctly providing said head, said head functioning to span and seal the distal end of the boiler tube, and adjustable closing and sealing means at the proximal associated end portions of the sleeves and rod and serving to effect a closure for the proximal end of said boiler tube, and longitudinally elongated guide means carried by and radiating from an outermost one of the sleeves, said mean being adapted to slide sled-like along the bore of the boiler tube and to thus support the over-all weight of the assembled readyto-use device.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said means comprises a pair of spaced parallel elongated 'U- shaped runners having lateral end portions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spaced points, said runners being of a length less than the length of the bore of the boiler tube and yet of a length sufiicient to permit the two runners to function in efiectually inserting, supporting and guiding the over-all device into the position required and with the segmental plates projecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to be adjusted 4 relative to each other to define and provide the stated head.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said means comprises a pair of spaced parallel elongated U- shaped runners having lateral end portions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spaced points, said runners being of a length less than the length of the bore of the boiler tube and yet of a length sufficient to permit the two runners tofunction in effectually inserting, sup porting and guiding the over-all device into the position required and with the segmental plates projecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to be adjusted relative to each other to define and provide the stated head, and wherein there are three sleeves; namely, an inner sleeve snugly surrounding the rod, an intermediate sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, and an outer sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, said rod being of a length greater than all of said sleeves, the outermost sleeve being the shortest of the sleeves and the other intermediate and inner sleeves being longer, whereby the proximal ends of the sleeves may be progressively exposed and threaded to accommodate assembling and retaining nuts.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein said sleeves have readily available and visible markings at the threaded ends of the sleeves through the medium of which the relative positions of the sleeve and the respective head plates thereon may be located in order to initially line up the segmental plates in single file and thereafter rotate the plates one by one until they nest together in head-forming relationship.

6. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein said sleeves have readily available and visible markings at the threaded ends of the sleeves through the medium of which the relative positions of the sleeves and the respective head plates thereon may be located in order to initially line up the segmental plates in single file and thereafter rotate the plates one by one until they nest together in head-forming relationship, and an additional sleeve adapted to fit over the threaded nut-equipped ends of said sleeves and having an end wall, said end wall being provided with an aperture through which the threaded end of the rod projects, and an auxiliary nut on the threaded end of said rod and reacting against said wall to provide additional tension on the rod by exerting end-thrust pressure of the inner end of the additional sleeve against the cooperating sealing means at the proximal ends of the sleeves.

7. A readily-insertable defective boiler tube repair device designed and adapted to close and seal off both ends of the defective tube, said device being usable by a single workman working entirely from an adjacent proximal end of the defective boiler tube, said device comprising a rod having one end screw threaded and provided with cooperating nuts, a segmental plate secured to the distal end of said rod and lateral and radial thereto, a first innermost sleeve concentrically encasing said rod and of a length less than the rod and having an inner end screw threaded and provided with a nut, the outer distal end of said sleeve being provided with a radial segmental plate similar to the first-named plate, an outer sleeve and an intermediate sleeve, the intermediate sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, and the outer sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, the inner proximal ends of said outer and intermediate sleeves being screw threaded and provided with nuts, the outer sleeve being of a length less than the intermediate sleeve, and the intermediate sleeve of a length less than the inner sleeve, the distal ends of said intermediate and outer sleeves having radial segmental plates which may be grouped and assembled to assume cooperating relationship and to define a closing and sealing head for the outer otherwise open end of the boiler tube.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 and a one-piece gasket-equipped closing and sealing head for the inner proximal end of the boiler tube, an additional end-thrust sleeve adapted to fit over the screw threaded ends and nuts on the cooperating proximal end portions of the rod and several sleeves and having an end wall, said end wall provided with an aperture through which the screw threaded end of the rod projects, and an additional nut on said threaded end of said rod and reacting on said end wall of said additional sleeve to draw additional tension on said rod by having said sleeve react at an inner end against the cooperating proximal end closing head.

9. A readily-insertable defective boiler tube repair device designed and adapted to close and seal ofi both ends of the defective tube, said device being usable by a single workman working entirely from an adjacent proximal end of the defective boiler tube, said device comprising a rod having one end screw threaded and provided with cooperating nuts, a segmental plate secured to the distal end of said rod and lateral and radial thereto, a first innermost sleeve concentrically encasing said rod and of a length less than the rod and having an inner end screw threaded and provided with a nut, the outer distal end of said sleeve being provided with a radial segmental plate similar to the first-named plate, an outer sleeve and an intermediate sleeve, the intermediate sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, and the outer sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, the inner proximal ends of said outer and intermediate sleeves being screw threaded and provided with nuts, the outer sleeve being of a length less than the intermediate sleeve, and the intermediate sleeve of a length less than the inner sleeve, the distal ends of said intermediate and outer sleeves having radial segmental plates which may be grouped and assembled to assume cooperating relationship and to define a closing and sealing head for the outer otherwise open end of the boiler tube, a gasket-equipped closing and sealing head for the inner proximal end of said boiler tube, and a pair of spaced parallel elongated U-shaped runners having lateral end portions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spaced points, said runners being of a length less than the length of the bore of the boiler tube and yet of a length sufiicient to permit the two runners to function in effectually inserting, supporting and guiding the overall device into the position required and with the segmental plates projecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to be adjusted relative to each other to define and provide the stated head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS