AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING TUBES IN STEAM BOILERS AND CONDENSERS, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tully, of Kennington Park, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
SECURING TUBES IN STEAM BOILERS AND CONDENSERS, AND FOR SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tully at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1881.
WILLIAM TULLY, of Kennington Park, in the County of Surrey, Engineer. "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING TUBES IN STEAM BOILERS AND CONDENSERS,
AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to an improved apparatus chiefly designed for securely
fastening the ends of tubes in steam boilers and condensers. The said apparatus
may also be employed for fastening rings, ferrules, or the like in the plates or other
pieces to which they are required to be secured. It may also be used to expand
rings, ferrules, or the like when the same may require to be expanded for any other
purpose.
The present Invention is designed to provide an apparatus or implement which,
although somewhat similar to apparatus described in the Specification of my former
Letters Patent, dated 21st October, A.D. 1879, No. 4273, is nevertheless furnished
with certain improvements in detail, which enable me to employ the apparatus
made according to this Invention more advantageously for certain descriptions of
work than is possible without such improvements.
In carrying this Iuvention into practice I provide a cylinder having at one end
thereof a circular chamber, which is designed to enter the tube to be fastened. At
the rear of this chamber there is a flange which abuts against the end of the tube,
thus forming a support for the tool or apparatus, and preventing the same from
entering too far within the tube. The periphery of this circular chamber is
provided with a number of apertures extending completely through the metal, each
of which apertures is designed to receive a movable piece to be forced outward

page_text: laterally for expanding and securing the tube. These movable pieces may be of any
suitable shape or dimension, but I find in practice that the best results are obtained
when they are made in the form of rollers, whose length considerably exceeds their
diameter. Within the said circular chamber I place several segments which
together form an annular piece of considerable strength, through the centre of
which a mandrel is designed to work for effecting the lateral pressure. I prefer
that these segments shall be consideraby inclined at their ends, namely, at the parts
of each segment which face the corresponding parts of the segment adjacent thereto,
for the reason that the open spaces between the segments when they are expanded
will thus be slanting, and the rollers will therefore be prevented from falling into
these open spaces. The rollers rest upon the outer surface of these segments, and
when the mandrel is operated it exerts great lateral pressure upon the segments, which
thus push out the rollers laterally against the internal surface of the tube, which is
thus expanded with great force and secured to the plate. The mandrel is connected
with a screw working in the cylinder, and the end of the screw-rod projects from
the cylinder at the opposite end to that at which the cylinder is situated, and is
provided with suitable means for turning the same, so as to cause the mandrel to
advance or recede as required. Instead of a screw I may employ a lever or any
other suitable device for operating the mandrel. The cylinder is also furnished
with suitable means (for instance, a ratchet pawl and handle), whereby the entire
tool or apparatus may be rotated when the end thereof is in the tube. This
rotation causes the rollers to travel around the internal surface of the tube, and
expands it at all points evenly, and as each roller touches the tube and the
segments along a narrow line only, the amount of friction is exceedingly small, so
that the rotation is effected with the greatest ease even when using the largest
sizes of the apparatus.
The mandrel may be either solid or
end which passes within the segments.
piece with the cylinder, or may be made
thereto by screws or otherwise.
hollow, and is made conical or taper at the
The hollow cylinder may be made in one
separate therefrom so as to be secured
In some cases the segments may be provided with teeth gearing with corre-
sponding teeth on the mandrel, and the mandrel may be caused to rotate
independently of the cylinder- by means of a ratchet-wheel, pawl, and handle, or
by any other suitable device. By the rotation of the mandrel the segments will
also be caused to rotate.
In some cases. I may dispense with the internal. segments and the, rollers, and
may attach to a parallel mandrel or rod cams or excentrics, which will be pressed
outward forcibly by rotating the said mandrel or rod, and will pass through
openings provided for them in the circular chamber. These cams.will thus be
forced against the interior of the tube, and may be rotated so as to travel completely
around the same.
This improved apparatus may be made of any suitable metal and of any desired
dimensions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Tully in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th August
-1881.
WILLIAM TULLY, of Kennington Park, in the County of Surrey, Engineer. "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SECURING TUBES IN STEAM-BOILERS AND CONDENSERS,
AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to an improved apparatus chiefly designed for securely
fastening the ends of tubes in steam boilers and condensers. The said apparatus
may also be employed for fastening rings or ferrules in plates, tubes, or other pieces
to which they are to be secured; it may also be used to expand rings or ferrules
when necessary for any purpose.
The present Invention is designed to provide an apparatus or implement which,
although somewhat similar to apparatus described in the Specification of my former
Letters Patent, dated 21st October A.D. 1879, No. 4273, is nevertheless by reason
of various improvements in detail more advantageous for certain descriptions of
work than apparatus without such improvements.
Figure 1 is an exterior view of one form of my improved apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the said apparatus on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an exterior view, and
Figure 5 an end view of the segments forming the annular piece or split collar,
hereinafter described.
Figure 6 is an exterior view, and
Figure 7 a central longitudinal section of another form or arrangement of my
improved apparatus, and
Figure 8 is a central longitudinal section of the circular chamber of the said
apparatus detached.
Figure 9 is an exterior side view, and
Figure 10, a central longitudinal section of another modification of my improved
apparatus with a plain or smooth mandrel and segments.
Figure 11 is a central longitudinal section of the said apparatus provided with a
toothed or fluted mandrel and segments, as hereinafter described, and
Figure 12 is a transverse section of the same on the line y, y, Figure 11.
Figure 13 is an exterior view, and
Figure 14 a central longitudinal section of a further modification of my Invention
drawn to an enlarged scale.
.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
a represents the cylinder or casing of the apparatus, and b a chamber at the
front end of the same; c is the mandrel, and d, d, are segments forming .the
annular piece or split collar or ring, hereinafter described; e, e, represent rollers or
pieces inserted in the chamber b, and f is a screw for causing the mandrel c to
advance or recede as desired; g is a handle or lever for imparting through the
pawl hand ratchet wheel i rotary movement to the casing a or mandrel:c; j is a
cap or washer for retaining the segments d in the chamber b. The remaining parts
'are hereinafter described.
"
In carrying my Invention into practice I provide the cylinder a at its forward
end with the circular chamber b, which is designed to enter the tube to be fastened
For, secured in a boiler plate or otherwise. At the rear of this chamber there is a

page_text: flange b¹, which abuts against the end of the tube when the said chamber is
inserted therein, and thus forms a support for the tool or apparatus, and prevents
the same from entering too far within the said tube. This chamber b is provided
with a number of apertures or slots 62. Each of these apertures is designed to
receive a movable piece to be forced outward laterally for expanding and securing
the tube in its plate or other support.
These movable pieces may be of any
suitable shape or dimensions, but I find in practice that the best results are
obtained when they are made in the form of rollers, whose length considerably
exceeds their diameter, as shewn at e, Figure 2. Within the said circular chamber
I place the segments & which together form an annular piece or split collar or ring
of considerable strength. Through the centre of this piece or collar the conical
mandrel cis designed to work for effecting the outward movement of the rollers e,
and the consequent lateral pressure of the same upon the interior surface of the
tube. I prefer that the adjacent surfaces or faces of these segments & should be
considerably inclined, as shewn at d', for the reason that the open spaces between
the said segments when they are expanded will thus be oblique to the axis of the.
rollers e, which will therefore be kept from falling into these open spaces. The
said rollers rest upon the cylindrical outer surface of these segments d, and when
the mandrel is operated longitudinally it exerts great lateral pressure upon the
said segments, and through them forces out the rollers e laterally against the
internal surface of the tube, which is thus permanently expanded with great force
and secured to the plate or other part designed to receive the same.
The mandrel is connected with the screw f working in the cylinder a, and the
-end of the screw rod projects through the end of the said cylinder, as shewn, and
is provided with suitable means for turning the same to cause the mandrel to
advance or recede as required. Instead of a screw I may employ a lever or any
other suitable device for operating the mandrel. The said cylinder a is also
furnished with suitable means whereby the entire implement or apparatus may be
rotated when the end thereof is inserted within the tube. I prefer for this purpose
to employ the lever, pawl, and ratchet wheel shewn at g, h, i. This rotation of the
apparatus causes the rollers to travel around the internal surface of the tube, and
expands it at all points evenly, and as each roller touches the tube and the
segments & along a narrow line only the amount of friction is exceedingly small, so
that the rotation is effected with great ease, even when using the largest sizes of
the said apparatus.
In constructing apparatus for expanding tubes of very large diameter I in some
cases modify the arrangement of the devices for rotating the said apparatus, that is
to say.
Instead of turning the implement directly by the aforesaid ratchet.pawl
and lever I provide the flange b' of the chamber b with teeth, into which a pinion
or gear wheel meshes, this pinion being provided with a ratchet wheel, with which
the pawl carried by the lever g engages; or I may provide the said flange b¹ with
teeth, so as to form a worm wheel, with which a worm actuated by the said lever
engages.
The mandrel may be either solid or hollow, and is made conical or taper at the
end, which passes through the segments d, as shown. The hollow cylinder a may
be made in one piece with the chamber b, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or may be
made separate therefrom, so as to be screwed thereto, as shewn in Figures 7, 8, 9,
10, and 11, or secured thereto by screws or atherwise.
Instead of rotating the entire implement by means of the lever g through the
ratchet wheel i attached to or forming part of the cylinder a, as shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 6, and 7, I in some cases attach the said ratchet wheel to the
mandrel itself, as shewn in Figures 9, 10, and 11, so that the said mandrel will be
caused to rotate independently of the cylinder; by the rotation of the mandrel in
this case the segments will also be caused to rotate. Or in some cases to ensure
the positive rotation of the said segments I provide the same with teeth, with
which corresponding teeth on the mandrel gear, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12.
For expanding the ends of very small tubes I further modify my apparatus, as

page_text: shewn in Figures 13 and 14, that is, instead of having the segments or intermediate
pieces separate or detached from the cylinder or case a, as above described, I form
these segments by slitting or dividing the forward end of the case a longitudinally,
as shewn at a', and provide the same with recesses, in which the rollers e are
placed as in the apparatus described in the Specification of the said former Letters
Patent. I also form in the circumference of the said case an annular channel or
series of cuts at a², which form a flexible connection of the segments with the said
case, so that when the mandrel c is screwed forward its conical end will expand the
said segments, and thereby press the rollers into contact with the interior surface
of the tube, thereby securing the same in its plate or other support, as above
described. To effect the rotation of this apparatus I may employ a lever, pawl, and
ratchet wheel, as shewn, or may use other suitable means for this purpose.
In some cases I may dispense with the internal segments and the rollers, and
combine with a parallel mandrel or rod cams or excentrics, which by rotating the
said mandrel will be caused to act forcibly on pieces which pass through openings
provided for them in the circular chamber. These pieces will thus be forced
against the interior of the tube, and may be rotated so as to travel completely
around the same.
My improved apparatus may be made of any suitable metal, and of any desired
dimensions.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shewn how the same may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that
I am aware that it has been proposed to employ an apparatus in which a conical
mandrel is arranged to act directly upon a series of rollers to force them into
contact with the interior of a tube, for the purpose of securing the latter in its
plate or other support, as, for instance, in the Specification of former Letters
Patent, dated March 7th 1866, No. 699, but with an apparatus so constructed it is
very difficult if not impossible to tightly secure a tube in a parallel hole, whereas
with my improved apparatus this object will be readily and easily effected, as the
axes of the rollers while the said rollers are being forced outward are parallel to
the axis of the apparatus itself, and to that of the tube in which the said rollers
are inserted, and consequently the surface of the said tube will fit properly in a
parallel hole in the plate or other support in which the tube is to be secured, and
I claim,
First. In an apparatus for expanding boiler tubes, and for similar purposes, a
mandrel fitted in a cylinder or case, and adapted to be adjusted longitudinally by
a screw or other suitable means in combination with segments interposed between
the said mandrel and a series of rollers or pieces projecting through apertures or
slots in a circular chamber, all substantially as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Second. The combination with my improved apparatus of the devices for
rotating the same, substantially as set forth, and as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 6, and 7,
or Figures 9, 10, and 11, of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The modification of my Invention for use in expanding small tubes,
substantially as above described, and as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tully, have hereunto set my hand
and seal. this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
WILLIAM TULLY. (L.S.)