New or Improved Means for Securing Flanges to the Ends of Pipes and Tubes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
COMPTE PITICATION.
New or Improved Means for Securing Flanges to the Ends of Pipes
and Tubes.
A communication to me from abroad by CLAUDE VASSEL, Mechanical Engineer,
of 102, Rue Tronchet, Lyons, in the Republic of France.
I, CHARLES WELLIN of 45 Acton Street King's Cross, London W.C. Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to new or improved means and process for securing flanges.
to the ends of pipes and tubes without employment of soldering or braizing. It
consists in expanding the pipe or tube, when in the central hole of the flange, said
hole having been previously prepared for the purpose.
In carrying the invention into effect there is employed a metal expanding mandril
(somewhat similar to that used for the expansion of the ends of the tubes in the
tube-plates of tubular boilers), fitted with rollers as will more fully hereinafter be
set forth.
The drawings hereunto annexed show the said mandril and method of application
for the purpose.
Fig. 1 shows, in central longitudinal section, the expansion mandril, the conical
expanding spindle, and the special-rollers engaged with the tube and flange under
process of being joined together.
Fig. 2 is side view of the tool without the conical expanding spindle.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section at line a, of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, shows (on larger scale) in section, the tube and flange secured together.
Fig. 5, a like view to Fig. 4; but, with wire-ring-retainers interposed between
the tube end and the metal of the hole in the flange.
Fig. 6, represents one of the setting-rollers of the roller mandril.
A, is the mandril formed with a central hole therethrough and with internal
recesses or mortises a to receive the rollers B, which, when in use, will be forced
outward by the introduction of a conical spindle C, the rotation of said spindle C,
within the mandril A, and against the rollers B, will cause the rollers B to rotate,
when the mandril is placed within the hole in the flange D, for bevelling the
edges of the said hole; or, when the instrument is employed for expanding the end
of the pipe or tube and securing the flange to the said pipe or tube.
In the case shown in Fig. 5, the operating expression-rollers B, in the mandril A,
will be varied in their external contour, so as also to form, by action of rotation
and expression, the annular grooves in the metal of the central hole of the flange to
receive the wire rings; as at d.
The rollers B, are not parallel to the axis of the tool but are slightly inclined
to or placed and do work at an angle with it, as shown in Fig. 2. They are each
retained in the recess or mortise a of the mandril A, by two small trunnions b,
located in the foot-steps or grooves a', (shown in dotted lines Fig. 2) which
grooves a are not cut to continuously extend from the centre hole of the
mandril A, to the exterior of the mandril body or shell, but the outer shell
of the mandril is left uncut so that the rollers B, when placed and introduced
from the interior of mandril A, cannot fall out when the conical spindle C, has been
ID 077

page_text: introduced. If required the rollers B may be held to position by means of retaining
screws, or screwed-in centres; not shown by the drawings.
The inclination given to the rollers has for object to cause them to advance
inside the pipe or tube when rotary motion is given to the spindle C, but this
advancement is limited by the three rollers E, mounted and turning on axes fixed
to the outerside of the mandril and which when so rolling or turning against or upon
the end or extremity of the pipe or tube will press down upon and so as to "flange"
or "lay-over" the tube-end; as indicated at t, upon the chamfered edge of the hole
of the tube-flange D, Figs. 1, 4, and 5.
"
The rollers B, are grooved circumferentially to form a recess which will
correspond in length to the thickness of the flange D, and for the requisite
rounding-over of the pipe or tube. The line vv, (Fig. 2) indicates the position
of the rear end of the roller groove, and is shown, at a short distance, forward
of the line 2, 2, which indicates the position of the rollers E and this is so
provided in order to press over the outer and innerward ends of the pipe or tube T,
upon the chamfer of the edges of the hole in the flange D, all as indicated in the
drawings.
In order to perform the operation of attachment, the pipe T, with its end cut
off level at right angles to the axial line thereof, is fixed in a vice and the flange D
is placed at right angles with its central hole on the pipe-end; then the tool above
described is introduced into the pipe until the three rollers E come into contact
with it, and by means of a key-wrench or handle and with the right hand, the
operator is to give a rotary movement to the mandril A, B, E at the same time
pressing slightly at the beginning of the operation with his left hand upon the outer
extremity of the spindle C.
When the operation has been performed the mandril is withdrawn by turning the
spindle C from right to left.
If after a certain time of use the pipe becomes loose in the flange again apply
the tool giving a turn or two thereof, whereupon the junction will be set right
again.
Such mandrils are made specially for the purpose of securing flanges on bent or
elbowed pipes.
In case still greater security is required grooves may be made in the surface wall
of the hole of the flange as shown at d d Fig. 5, and wire rings are to be placed in
the annular grooves.
These grooves are made by means of a tool similar to the one described above in
which the rollers B are furnished with projecting ribs destined to indent their way
into the metal of the hole of the flange not by the cutting out of the metal but by
expression on the surface thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The new or improved means for securing flanges to the ends of pipes and tubes
without soldering or brazing as and for the purpose herein set forth.
C. WELLIN,
45, Acton Street, London, W.C.