An Improvement in Tube Expanders..
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Tube Expanders..
I CHARLES WICK STEED Stamford Road Works Kettering Northampton Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto in order to keep the rollers of a tube expander from falling out of the case
in which they run, it has been the practice to make the case in two parts usually held
together by screws, or to place wires either through or partially through the rollers or
while making a solid case in such a form as to prevent the rollers falling through
outwards they are prevented from falling inside by placing a nut on the end of the
mandril so as to prevent its being withdrawn after work.
The object of my invention is to prevent the rollers from falling out of the case
without using any of the aforementioned means all of which are more or less objec-
tionable. To do this I cut the solid case in which the rollers move in such a form as
to prevent them from falling through outwards, while I place a wire or wires in such
a position behind and at the side of the rollers as to prevent them falling back inwards,
but at the same time allowing the necessary freedom of action. This wire by pre-
ference I put in through a hole drilled from the end of the case it being prevented
from falling out by a screw being screwed into the end of the hole. This method may
however be varied, the main object being to place the wire securely in the proper
position, and to enable its ready removal when required for the purpose of removing
the roller.
Dated this Third day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty nine.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Tube Expanders.
I, CHARLES WICKSTEED, of Stamford Road Works, Kettering, Northamptonshire,
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:-
Hitherto in order to keep the rollers of a tube expander from falling out of the
case in which they run it has been the practice to make the case in two parts usually
held together by screws; or to place wires either through or partially through the
rollers, or while making a solid case in such a form as to prevent the rollers falling
through outwards they are prevented from falling inside by placing a nut on the end
of the mandrel so as to prevent its being withdrawn after work.
The object of my invention is to prevent the rollers from falling out of the case
without using any of the aforementioned means all of which are more or less objec-.
tionable. To do this I cut the solid case in which the rollers move in such a form as
to prevent them from falling through outwards while I place a wire or wires in such
a position behind and at the side of the rollers as to prevent them falling back inwards
but at the same time allowing the necessary freedom of action. This wire by pre-
ference I put in through a hole drilled from the end of the case it being prevented
from falling out by a screw being screwed into the end of the hole. This method may
however be varied the main object being to place the wire securely in the proper
position and to enable its ready removal when required for the purpose of removing
the rollers

page_text: Figure 2 is a longitudinal section ;
Figure 3 is an end elevation;
Figure 4 is a sectional end view on the line Z of Figure 2 and
Figure 5 is a detail.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the case or body and B the rollers which are preferably placed diagonally as
shown so as to cause the tube expander to feed up to its work. This invention how-
ever can be equally well applied to rollers which are parallel to the axis of the
expander. C is the movable collar or shoulder and D) a collar upon the end of the
body A to keep C from falling off while the latter is free to revolve as may be required.
The body A is provided with the requisite number, preferably three openings or
recesses E formed upon the angle which the rollers are required to assume with the
axis of the tool. The shape of these openings E will best appear from the cross
section Fig. 5, from which it will be seen that one of the interior edges of the
opening is curved forward while the other one E2 is brought in straight so that the
roller would be naturally able to fall out into the open interior of the body A. To
prevent this a wire or equivalent F is placed parallel with the axis of the roller and
preferably extending the whole length of the roller, and for convenience a little more
so as to take a bearing in the body at each end of the opening E. With this wire or
equivalent in place as shown in Figure 5 the roller though perfectly free to move in
the recess E is prevented from escaping either inwards or outwards; it cannot
escape inwards because the distance between the wire F and the opposite wall of the
recess is too small for it to pass, and it cannot pass outwards because the outer edges
of the recess are too near together to allow of the passage of the roller. This is clearly
shown in the Figure, the roller being shown in section, in full lines prevented from
passing outwardly, and in dotted lines prevented from passing inwardly.
Owing to the angle at which the rollers are set it is difficult to show in the drawing
the exact relation of the retaining wire F and the roller B, but it will be understood
as above explained that the axis of the wire is practically parallel with the axis of the
roller and that it extends for the whole length of the roller.
In constructing these tube expanders 1 prefer to drill a hole right through from the
end of the expander into the bottom of the recess E so that the wire may be slipped in
from the end; the hole is then tapped and preferably countersunk and a screw G is
screwed into it which keeps the wire in place while the wire keeps the roller in place.
It will be manifest that instead of employing a loose wire and a separate screw to
retain it the wire can be constructed with a head and end integral with it which
would take the place of the separate screw shown in the drawings. The arrangement
of the wire F and screw G will be well understood from the two views Figures 2
and 5 and it will be seen from this arrangement that I am able to employ a solid
body or case for the tool which while it has all the strength and other advantages of
the usual solid case affords also the facility and conveniences of a case in two parts.
The rollers are pressed outwards to their work by means of a simple tapered
mandrel which can be removed when the job is finished, the rollers then allowing the
removal of the tool.
These tools may be made with advantage of mild steel case hardened; but to
present to the end of the rollers where the strain chiefly comes a surface as hard as
possible to take the wear, I prefer to bore a hole through the end of the tool body
opposite each recess E and into these I screw or otherwise secure a piece of tool
steel H which may be hardened with the rest of the tool after it has been placed in
position and will pre-ent to the roller a surface as hard as or harder than its own. To
secure this piece of steel in place I may drill partly in the plug H and partly in the
tool body A a small hole in the well known manner which is tapped and into which is
screwed a small plug I which may be of softer metal and which when screwed home
will hold the plug H securely in place.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, I declare that what I claim is :-
-
1. In a "solid" body tube expander securing the roller by forming the recess with
its outer walls too near together to allow of the passage of the roller and with one of
its inner walls so cut away or shaped as to allow of the passage of the roller except
when prevented by a rod wire or equivalent retaining device such as F substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a "solid" body tube expander the combination with a roller recess such as E
of a wire or equivalent roller retaining device such as F substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a "solid" body tube expander the combination with a retaining wire such
as F of a screw such as G introduced for the purpose of retaining the wire in place
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete solid tube
expander substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
>
CHARLES WICKSTEED.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
Соп лет сто
nano
CHARLES WICKSTEED.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.