Improvements in Tube Expanders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
Improvements in Tube Expanders.
A communication to me from abroad by J. ALLWORTHY, of the Brighton and
Marine Hotel, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, Engineer's Assistant.
I, WILLIAM CROSS, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to bo as
follows:-
This invention has reference to a construction of tube expander such as will
enable tube ends to be expanded in a more advantageous and convenient manner
than has heretofore been usual with the tube expanders commonly employed. For
this purpose the tube expander is constructed with two or more Interally adjustable
taper or conical rollers arranged to project through elots in a box or holder and
mounted to rotate about a correspondingly tapered but reversely arranged mandrel
or conical bearing that is capable of endways movement relatively to the box, the
arrangement being such that when the roller end of the expander is inserted in a
tube end, the mandrel adjusted end ways, and the box or holder rotated, the rollers
will be caused to roll upon the mandrel and bear all along their length upon the
interior of the tube end with a pressure dependent upon the extent of endways
adjustment of the mandrel relatively to the box or holder.
In one arrangement the mandrel is provided with a loose conical sleeve against
which bear the reversely arranged conical rollers which are retained in a slotted
reduced position of the box or holder by a cap or plate adapted to permit them to
move radially. The larger part of the box or holder is provided externally with a
squared or equivalently formed part so that it can be readily turned, and the
mandrel is screwed into it so that the extent to which the rollers project laterally
through the box and the pressure exerted by such rollers on the interior of the tube
end, can be easily regulated from time to time to suit requirement.
A taper mandrel without a loose conical sleeve may be used, but the use of such
a sleeve is preferred, as it considerably reduces friction.
Dated this 25th day of June 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tube Expanders.
A communication to me from abroad by JOIN ALLWORTHY, of the Brighton and
Marine Hotel, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, Engineer's Assistant.
I, WILLIAM CRoss, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 has reference to a construction of tube expander such as will
enable tube ends to be expanded in a more advantageous and convenient manner
tban has heretofore been usual with the tube expanders commonly employed. For
this purpose the tube expander is constructed with two or more laterally adjustable
[Price 8d.1

page_text: taper or conical rollers-arranged to project through slots in a box or holder and
mounted to rotate about a correspondingly tapered but reversely arranged mandrel
or conical bearing that is capable of endways movement relatively to the box, the
arrangement being such that when the roller end of the expander is inserted in a
tube end, the mandrel adjusted endways, and the box or holder rotated, the rollers
will be caused to roll upon the mandrel or bearing and bear practically all along
their length upon the interior of the tube end with a pressure dependent upon the
extent of end ways adjustment of the mandrel relatively to the box or holder.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows partly in longitudinal central section, Fig. 2 in plan, and Fig. 3 in
front end elevation, a tube expander constructed according to this invention.
1 is a holder, 2 taper or conical rollers, of which there are three shown, and 3 a
mandrel that is longitudinally adjustable, for which purpose it is externally screw
threaded at 3 and takes into a corresponding internal screw thread in the
holder 1. In the arrangement shown, the mandrel is provided with a conical
alcove 4 that is mounted to freely rotate upon its forwardly projecting portion 3°.
Upon the sleeve bear the reversely arranged conical rollers which are retained
within slots 5 in the reduced portion 1 of the box or holder by an annular cap or
plate 6 which is formed with radial or approximately radial slots 6 to receive the
pins or projections 2 on the forward ends of the rollers and so permit these rollers
to move readily inward and outward. The front and rear ends of each slot are
made flat and parallel so that the roller therein cannot become canted, the rear end
of each slot having turned over portion 1° that serves to prevent the roller falling
out of the lot when the tube expander is not in use. The slots 5 and the rollers 2
therein are preferably arranged at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the
toul, as shown in Fig. 2, in order to prevent the toul from forcing itself out of a
tube end when pressure is applied to the rollers by screwing in the mandrel. The
larger part of the box or holder is provided externally with an octagonal squared
or equivalently formed part 1 so that it can be readily turned for expanding a tube
end, and the mandrel is screwed into it so that the extent to which the rollers
project laterally through the box and the pressure exerted by such rollers on the
interior of the tube end, can be easily regulated from time to time to suit
requirement.
As will be seen by arranging the conical rullers 2 to rotate about a corre
spondingly tapered but reversely arranged mandrel or conical sleeve or bearing 4,
the interior of a tube end that has been expanded by such a tool will be of
cylindrical instead of conical form as heretofore usual, the periphery of the rollers
bearing practically throughout their length upon the interior of the tube end.
A taper mandrel without a loose conical sleeve such as 4, may be used, but the
use of such a sleeve is preferred, as it considerably reduces friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tube expander constructed with laterally adjustable taper or conical rollers
arranged to project through slots in a box or holder and mounted to rotate about a
correspondingly tapered but reversely arranged mandrel or conical bearing that is
capable of endways movement relatively to the box, the arrangement being such
that when the tube expander is in use, the rollers will roll upon the mandrel or
bearing and bear practically all along their length upon the interior of the tube and
substantially as herein described.
2. The improved tube expander constructed substantially as described and
shown.
W. CROSS,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.