US3831413A - Tube expander - Google Patents

Tube expander Download PDF

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Publication number
US3831413A
US3831413A US00302951A US30295172A US3831413A US 3831413 A US3831413 A US 3831413A US 00302951 A US00302951 A US 00302951A US 30295172 A US30295172 A US 30295172A US 3831413 A US3831413 A US 3831413A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
cable
tube
elastomer
tubular member
tubular
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00302951A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
R Glatthorn
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CBS Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to US00302951A priority Critical patent/US3831413A/en
Priority to JP48119486A priority patent/JPS5123466B2/ja
Priority to SE7314838A priority patent/SE404306B/xx
Priority to ES420128A priority patent/ES420128A1/es
Priority to FR7338845A priority patent/FR2220326B1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3831413A publication Critical patent/US3831413A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D39/00—Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating; Tube expanders
    • B21D39/08—Tube expanders
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49826—Assembling or joining
    • Y10T29/49908—Joining by deforming
    • Y10T29/49938—Radially expanding part in cavity, aperture, or hollow body
    • Y10T29/4994—Radially expanding internal tube

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A tube expander comprising an elastomer bushing (g1. 725; ⁇ ,3925/(2); which expands outwardly when compressed between [58] Fieid 62 370 two bushings pulled together by a cable, which is pulled through a plurality of short lengths of tubing 72/466 29/523 269/48'1 capable of folding against each other when the cable is [56] References Cited slack, allows the tube expander to fit through manways and into corners of channel heads of heat ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS changers to expand the tubes a predetermined disl,0l6,770 2/1912 Persons tance from one end thereof, 2,507,979 5/1950 Kelar 3,252,210 5/1966 Bowden 8 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures TUBE EXPANDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • This invention relates to tube expanders and more particularly to tube expanders which expand a tube a predetermined
  • the expanding tool must be capable of being fed through a manway and around a small radius so that it can fit in close quarters in the channel head of the heat exchanger and must be able to be operable in a minimum amount of time when the heat exchanger is a nuclear steam generator as these vessels generally have a low level of radioactivity.
  • Apparatus for expanding a tube a predetermined length from one end thereof when made in accordance with this invention comprises a cable, a bushing attached to the cable, an elastomer tubular member slidably disposed over the cable, and a device for drawing the cable through the tubular members, whereby the elastomer tubular member is compressed and expands in a radially outward direction thereby expanding a portion of the tube adjacent thereto.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tube expander made in accordance with this invention
  • FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing how the tube expander folds to fit into clamped quarters
  • FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view of heat exchanger having a tube expander disposed to expand a tube adjacent a tube support sheet.
  • FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for expanding a tube a predetermined distance from one end thereof.
  • the apparatus or tube expander 1 comprises a wire rope or cable 3, a first bushing 5 fastened to one end of the cable 3 by soldering or other means, and an elastomer tubular member 7 made of polyurethane or other resilient material, slidably disposed on the cable 3 adjacent the first bushing 5.
  • a second bushing 9 is slidably disposed on the cable 3 adjacent the elastomer tubular member 7 and a plurality of tubular members or pipes 11 are slidably disposed on the cable 3.
  • the bushings 5 and 9 generally have two cylindrical surfaces, a short portion 12 adjacent the elastomer tube member 7 which is slightly larger in diameterthan the elastomer tube member 7 and slightly smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of the tube to be expanded.
  • the tube expander 1 also comprises means for drawing the cables 3 through the tubular members 7 and 11.
  • the means for drawing the cable 3 through the tubular members comprises a base or bucking plate 13, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 15 fastened to the base plate 13, and a bridge plate 17 also fastened to the hydraulic cylinders 15.
  • the bridge plate 17 has a semi-circular grooved cable support 19 cooperatively associated therewith.
  • the cable 3 loops over the cable support 19 andis tied to itself by a cable clamp 21.
  • the base plate 13 has a centrally disposed hole 23 through which the cable is threaded.
  • a hydraulic pump 25 which may be hand operated, as shown, or motor operated, supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid to the cylinders 15, which expand as pressurized fluid is supplied thereto, drawing the cable 3 through the tubular members 7 and 11 and causing the bushings 5 and 9 to axially compress the elastomer tube member 7 which expands radially outwardly to expand the tube.
  • the tubular members 7 and 11 and bushings 5 and 9 fold with respect to each other when the hydraulic cylinders 15 are not extended allowing the apparatus to fit through a manway and into a tube of heat exchanger even though there may be lim-' ited access to the tube as it may be adjacent the wall of a spherical shaped channel head.
  • the operation of the tube expander 1 is as follows; a predetermined number of tubular members 11 are threaded on the cable 3 and the cable is threaded through the hole 23 in the base plate 13 and looped over the cable support 19 and clamped to itself by the cable clamp 21 securing the end of the cable to the cable support. Sufficient slack is provided in the cable so that the tubular members and bushings can fold with respect to each other as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the number and length of the tubular members is determined by the distance from the end of a tube 31 to a support sheet 35 or a distance from a tube sheet 33 to a support sheet 35, so as to position the elastomer bushing adjacent the location where the tube is to be expanded.
  • the tube expander 1 is fed through a manway (not shown) and the end containing the elastomer member 7 is fed in to the tube 31.
  • the hydraulic pump 25 is operated supplying pressurized fluid to the cylinders 15 causing the cylinders to expand moving the bridge plate 17 away from the support plate 13 and drawing the cable 3 through the tubular members which result in the bushings 5 and 9 compressing the elastomer tubular member 7 in an axial direction, which causes the clastomer tubular member 7 to expand radially thereby contacting the tube 31 and expanding it radially outwardly into engagement with the tube support sheet 35, so that a portion of the tube 31 can be cut off and extracted for metallurgical tests and the portion of the tube remaining in the heat exchanger will be securely fastened in its normal position.
  • the cut off tube from contacting adjacent tubes and damaging them, as the cut off tube vibrates as a result of fluid flow or vibrations induced by associated equipment.
  • the tube expander Since the tubular members can fold, the tube expander is operable in cramped quarters and no time is required for assembly in place, the tube expander can be assembled in the shop to expand a tube a predetermined distance from the end thereof and a minimum amount of time is required in utilizing the tube expander 1. This is extremely important when the heat exchanger is radioactive and the time an operator can spend therein is limited.
  • Apparatus for expanding a heat exchanger tube a greater distance from one end thereof than the clearance between the one end of the tube and an adjacent wall of the heat exchanger comprising a cable, a tubular bushing member attached to the cable, an elastomer tubular member slidably disposed over said cable, a plurality of rigid segmented tubular members slidably disposed over said cable, all of said tubular members being cooperatively associated with the cable to allow each tubular member to fold with respect to the adjacent tubular member, and means for drawing the cable through said tubular members, said elastomer tubular member being so disposed with respect to the other tubular members that when the cable is drawn through the tubular members said elastomer tubular member is compressed in an axial direction causing it to expand in a radially outward direction, thereby expanding a portion of said tube adjacent thereto.
  • Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for drawing said cable through said tubular members comprises at least one hydraulic cylinder disposed to draw said cables through said tubular members as said hydraulic cylinder is expanded.
  • Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for drawing said cable through said tubular members comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders cooperatively associated to draw said cable through the tubular members as said cylinders are extended.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Joints Allowing Movement (AREA)
  • Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)
US00302951A 1972-11-01 1972-11-01 Tube expander Expired - Lifetime US3831413A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00302951A US3831413A (en) 1972-11-01 1972-11-01 Tube expander
JP48119486A JPS5123466B2 (es) 1972-11-01 1973-10-25
SE7314838A SE404306B (sv) 1972-11-01 1973-10-31 Anordning for att vidga ett ror pa ett forutbestemt avstand fran nagon av dess endar
ES420128A ES420128A1 (es) 1972-11-01 1973-10-31 Un aparato para ensanchar un tubo a una distancia predeter-minada de uno de sus extremos.
FR7338845A FR2220326B1 (es) 1972-11-01 1973-10-31

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00302951A US3831413A (en) 1972-11-01 1972-11-01 Tube expander

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3831413A true US3831413A (en) 1974-08-27

Family

ID=23169949

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00302951A Expired - Lifetime US3831413A (en) 1972-11-01 1972-11-01 Tube expander

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3831413A (es)
JP (1) JPS5123466B2 (es)
ES (1) ES420128A1 (es)
FR (1) FR2220326B1 (es)
SE (1) SE404306B (es)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0004864A1 (en) * 1978-04-14 1979-10-31 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Mandrel for hydraulically expanding a tube into engagement with a tubesheet
US4213236A (en) * 1975-11-25 1980-07-22 Otto Fuchs Kg Tool for deforming a plurality of groove defining flanges against insulating bars in the grooves
US4776198A (en) * 1984-08-03 1988-10-11 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Method and apparatus for securing structural tubes in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies
US4776072A (en) * 1985-12-18 1988-10-11 Framatome Process for extracting a section of a heat-exchanger tube
DE4008642A1 (de) * 1990-03-17 1990-11-15 Daimler Benz Ag Spreizbarer rohraufweiter bzw. -entbeuler
US5685190A (en) * 1993-06-25 1997-11-11 Daikin Industries, Ltd. Expanding mandrel, expanding method and expanding apparatus using the expanding mandrel and heat exchanger with heat exchanging tubes expanded by the expanding method
US20130186166A1 (en) * 2012-01-20 2013-07-25 Kaydon Corporation Tube forming machine

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106141000A (zh) * 2015-04-14 2016-11-23 上海工业锅炉有限公司 一种适合狭小空间的锅炉胀管装置

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1016770A (en) * 1909-08-20 1912-02-06 James O Persons Apparatus for lining pipes.
US2507979A (en) * 1948-03-13 1950-05-16 Rca Corp Anchoring cathode
FR1199258A (fr) * 1957-12-11 1959-12-11 Kleber Colombes Procédé de sertissage utilisant du caoutchouc
US3252210A (en) * 1964-02-28 1966-05-24 Roy N Bowden Tool for removing hydraulic valve lifters
US3691609A (en) * 1970-03-25 1972-09-19 Hydro Vel Services Inc Tube plugging tool

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1016770A (en) * 1909-08-20 1912-02-06 James O Persons Apparatus for lining pipes.
US2507979A (en) * 1948-03-13 1950-05-16 Rca Corp Anchoring cathode
FR1199258A (fr) * 1957-12-11 1959-12-11 Kleber Colombes Procédé de sertissage utilisant du caoutchouc
US3252210A (en) * 1964-02-28 1966-05-24 Roy N Bowden Tool for removing hydraulic valve lifters
US3691609A (en) * 1970-03-25 1972-09-19 Hydro Vel Services Inc Tube plugging tool

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4213236A (en) * 1975-11-25 1980-07-22 Otto Fuchs Kg Tool for deforming a plurality of groove defining flanges against insulating bars in the grooves
EP0004864A1 (en) * 1978-04-14 1979-10-31 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Mandrel for hydraulically expanding a tube into engagement with a tubesheet
US4776198A (en) * 1984-08-03 1988-10-11 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Method and apparatus for securing structural tubes in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies
US4776072A (en) * 1985-12-18 1988-10-11 Framatome Process for extracting a section of a heat-exchanger tube
DE4008642A1 (de) * 1990-03-17 1990-11-15 Daimler Benz Ag Spreizbarer rohraufweiter bzw. -entbeuler
US5685190A (en) * 1993-06-25 1997-11-11 Daikin Industries, Ltd. Expanding mandrel, expanding method and expanding apparatus using the expanding mandrel and heat exchanger with heat exchanging tubes expanded by the expanding method
US20130186166A1 (en) * 2012-01-20 2013-07-25 Kaydon Corporation Tube forming machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5123466B2 (es) 1976-07-16
JPS4977874A (es) 1974-07-26
SE404306B (sv) 1978-10-02
FR2220326A1 (es) 1974-10-04
ES420128A1 (es) 1976-03-01
FR2220326B1 (es) 1980-05-23

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