Patent ID: 9709346
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: F16L,F28F,Y10T

Claim:
1. A tube plug insertable into one end of a heat exchange tube, comprising: a. a solid metal one-piece elongated shaft having length L, a distal part and an opposite proximal part which terminates in a proximal end with an elongated threaded hole extending axially into said proximal part in the distal direction to a depth D distance less than L, said shaft being tapered on its outer surface from said proximal end to said distal part such that said distal part has smaller diameter than said proximal part, with said outer surface having a fixed dimension at each axial location along the length of said solid shaft, and b. a removal tool having (i) a handle part and a stem part extending in the distal direction which stem part has external threads that match threads in said threaded hole in said plug's shaft, said stem part being threadedly insertable in a first rotation direction a predetermined axial distance into said threaded hole in said proximal end of said tube plug, and (ii) a stop element situated on said stem part for barring further rotation in said first rotation direction of said stem part relative to said shaft after said stem part is threadedly inserted said predetermined distance into said threaded hole of said shaft, c. where further rotation of said stem part in said first rotation direction will urge said tube plug to rotate in said first rotation direction relative to said heat exchange tube.