Abstract:
A tool including a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. The front housing may be coupled to the tool body, or can be integral with the tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry one or more functional elements such as a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/346,767 filed Jun. 7, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is often necessary to connect malleable conduits or tubing to other conduits or tubing, or to fixtures, for example. This may require that one of the free ends of the tubing be expanded, so that an appropriate coupling or seal can be made. To that end, tube expanding tools have been developed that are used to deform the malleable metal tube end. Conventionally, such tools include a cone-shaped member that is introduced into the free end of the tube to be expanded, while using a die placed around the outer portion of the tube end. Penetration of the cone-shaped member into the tube results in the expanding of the tube. 
         [0003]    Existing tube expanding tools require manual force, such as through a leveraged screw-type tool, an impact-type tool requiring the use of a hammer, or a manual pump hydraulic hand tool. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus that forms an expanded end on malleable metal tubing that does not require significant manual force for operation, and that is easy to manufacture and use. 
         [0004]    It also would be desirable to provide a tool that may hold one or more various other functional elements to carry out a variety of utilitarian functions. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Problems of the prior art have been addressed by the embodiments disclosed herein, which in certain embodiments provide a manually operable expanding tool and a method of expanding. In certain embodiments, the expanding tool includes a front housing and an expander head ring that is readily attachable and detachable from the front housing. In certain embodiments, the front housing can be coupled to the expanding tool body, or can be integral with the expanding tool body. The front housing may have a mating end that has one or more locking tabs that are configured to be engaged by the expander head ring. The expander head ring may carry a die set that may be expanded by insertion of an expander extending from the expanding tool such as by manual actuation of the tool. A plurality of expander head rings, each with a different size die set, can be alternatively attached to the front housing, depending on the desired extent of expanding of the pipe or the like with the tool. In some embodiments, a kit is provided, the kit including an expanding tool and exchangeable expander head rings, each with a different sized die set. In other embodiments, the expander head ring may carry an element having a different functionality than a die set. 
         [0006]    In certain embodiments, a hydraulic expanding tool is provided that includes a tool body including a hydraulic pump; a pressurizable chamber in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump; an expander positioned in the pressurizable chamber; and a front housing having an internal bore and first and second spaced locking tabs. One or more head rings, each carrying, for example, expandable die elements, may be coupled to the front housing, the head ring including a first groove for receiving the first locking tab, and a second groove for receiving the second locking tab. The locking tabs do not allow for axial adjustment of the extent to which the expander penetrates into the die set; the extent of penetration remains constant regardless of the functional element carried by the expander head ring. 
         [0007]    In its method aspects, embodiments disclosed herein include providing an expander head ring having one or more grooves configured to slidingly receive one or more locking tabs in a front housing, coupling the expander head ring to the front housing by inserting the one or more locking tabs in the one or more grooves to fix the expander head ring onto the tool, and actuating the tool to cause the functionality attached to the expander head ring to operate, such as causing an expander to travel through the front housing and into the expander head ring to expand a die set held by the expander head ring. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a side view, in cross-section, of a front housing of a tool in accordance with certain embodiments; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  is a top view, in cross-section, of the front housing of  FIG. 1  in accordance with certain embodiments; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a side view, in cross-section, of an expander head ring in accordance with certain embodiments; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a top view, in cross-section taken along line  2 A- 2 A of  FIG. 2A , of the expander in accordance with certain embodiments; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view, in cross-section of a tool including an expander shown in a first position in accordance with certain embodiments; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view, in cross-section of a tool including an expander shown in a second position in accordance with certain embodiments; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an expander head ring in accordance with certain embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    A more complete understanding of the components, processes and apparatuses disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. The figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease of demonstrating the present disclosure, and is, therefore, not intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the devices or components thereof and/or to define or limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments. 
         [0016]    Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the embodiments selected for illustration in the drawing, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawing and the following description below, it is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like function. 
         [0017]    The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0018]    As used in the specification, various devices and parts may be described as “comprising” other components. The terms “comprise(s),” “include(s),” “having,” “has,” “can,” “contain(s),” and variants thereof, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended transitional phrases, terms, or words that do not preclude the possibility of additional components. 
         [0019]    It should be noted that many of the terms used herein are relative terms. For example, the terms “upper” and “lower” are relative to each other in location, i.e. an upper component is located at a higher elevation than a lower component, and should not be construed as requiring a particular orientation or location of the structure. 
         [0020]    The terms “top” and “bottom” are relative to an absolute reference, i.e. the surface of the earth. Put another way, a top location is always located at a higher elevation than a bottom location, toward the surface of the earth. 
         [0021]    Turning now to  FIG. 1A , in certain embodiments there is a front housing  10  which includes axially extending member  12  having an internal bore  14 , the axially extending member  12  having external threads  13  for coupling the front housing  10  to a tool body. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other ways of coupling the front housing  10  to the tool body could be used and are within the skill in the art. Alternatively, the front housing  10  could be made as an integral piece of the tool body, in which case the external threads  13  would not be required. The front housing  10  also includes an annular disc-shaped portion  15 , and a cylindrical portion  16  that includes a plurality of spaced radial locking tabs  17 A,  17 B. In certain embodiments, there are two spaced radial locking tabs  17 A,  17 B, although in certain embodiments there may be additional tabs. The internal bore  14  communications with another internal bore  18  of smaller inside diameter than the internal diameter of internal bore  14 . The annular region  9  between the disc-shaped portion  15  and the locking tabs  17  may accommodate an O-ring  11  ( FIG. 3 ) or the like. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1B , in certain embodiments the locking tab  17 A extends 60° around the circumference of the cylindrical portion  16 , as does the locking tab  17 B. Regions each encompassing 120° that are devoid of tabs separate the locking tab  17 A from, the tab locking  17 B. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aforementioned spacing of the locking tabs  17 A and  17 B is exemplary and that other spacings are within the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein. 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 2A , there is shown an expander head ring  20  in accordance with certain embodiments. The expander head ring  20  is generally cylindrical, and may include annular knurled or textured external regions  21 ,  22  to facilitate manual gripping of the head ring  20 . In certain embodiments, the head ring  20  includes at one end an internal bore  23 , configured to receive one or more functional elements such as a plurality of expander dies that extend through the bore and are positioned to receive a movable member such as a conical expander  50 , for example ( FIG. 3 ). Other suitable functional elements include those that are capable of changing the configuration of a tube or the like, such as elements for flaring and tube forming, for example. The internal bore  23  extends through the expander head ring  20 , expanding in internal diameter in several steps between the smallest internal diameter at end  20 A to the largest internal diameter at end  20 B. As best seen in  FIGS. 2B and 5 , in certain embodiments the expander head ring  20  includes an annular ring  127  positioned axially inwardly of the outer edge or free end  20 ′ at end  20 B of the head ring  20 , and that extends radially inwardly from the inner surface of the head ring  20 . In certain embodiments, at one or more intervals along the annular ring  127 , there are two spaced radially inwardly extending projections  27 A,  27 B. The projections  27 A,  27 B extend radially inwardly a distance further than the annular ring  127 , and extend axially (in the direction away from the free end or edge  20 ′) a distance further than the annular ring  127 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the ends  27 E of each projection  27 A,  27 B are ramped to gradually taper towards the annular ring  127 . 
         [0024]    In certain embodiments, a second annular ring  128  is axially spaced from annular ring  127 , as seen in  FIGS. 2A and 5 . The space between the second annular ring  128  and projection  27 A defines a first groove  30 . Similarly, the space between the second annular ring  128  and the projection  27 B defines a second groove  300  ( FIG. 2A ). Each groove  30 ,  300  ramps to a respective stop  32 A,  32 B ( FIGS. 2B and 5 ). Each groove is configured to receive a respective locking tab  17 A,  17 B of the front housing  10 . Thus, to assemble the front housing  10  to the expander head ring  20 , the locking tabs  17 A,  17 B of the front housing  10  are inserted into the space between the projections  127 A,  127 B of the expander head ring  20 , and then the expander head ring  20  and the front housing  10  are rotated with respect to each other to cause the locking tabs  17 A,  17 B to be slidingly received by the grooves  30 ,  300  until the locking tabs  17 A,  17 B abut against the stops  32 A,  32 B, fixing the expander head ring  20  to the front housing  10  and preventing any axial movement thereof. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates the expander head ring  20  assembled to the front housing  10 , which in turn is coupled to an expander tool  200  including expander  50 . The expander  50  preferably terminates in a portion  50 A that is shaped to engage the interior shape of die elements and expand the elements as the portion  50 A penetrates that interior region. In certain embodiments, the portion  50 A is conically shaped. The expander  50 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , is in its normal unexpanded position, housed in chamber  210  of tool  200 . Biasing member  212  biases the conical expander  50  to the resting position shown in  FIG. 3 . In certain embodiments, the chamber  210  is part of a hydraulic pump and may be pressurized by activation of the hydraulic pump such as by manual actuation of a pumping lever associated with the tool  200  as is known in the art, such as the tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,099, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Pressurization of the chamber  210  causes the expander  50  to move, against the force of biasing member  212 , to the tube expanding position shown in  FIG. 4 . As the expander  50  travels through the internal bore  23 , it engages and radially expands a plurality of die elements of a die set (not shown) attached to the expander head ring  20 , thereby expanding deformable tubing positioned on the die set. 
         [0026]    In accordance with certain embodiments, an expanded tube is formed by clamping or otherwise coupling a tube having a tube end between a plurality of die elements attached to the expander tool  200  that are radially expandable and shaped to form an expanded tube end. The die elements may be held in place in the head ring  20  by a washer  79  and snap ring  80  or the like ( FIG. 5 ). The head ring  20  is attached to the front housing  10  by aligning the spaces between the projections  27 A,  27 B with respective locking tabs  17 A,  17 B, forcing the locking tabs into respective grooves  30 ,  300 , and rotating the head ring  20  with respect to the front housing  10  to cause the locking tabs  17 A,  17 B to be captured beneath respective projections  27 A,  27 B and fix the head ring  20  in place. Actuation of the tool causes the expander  50  to translate axially in the tool and travel through internal bore  14 , internal bore  23 , and engage the die elements and cause them to expand radially, thereby expanding the tube.