An Improved Mandrel Serving to Insert the Tubes of Boilers, and to Fix and Bead such Tubes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mandrel Serving to Insert the Tubes of Boilers,
and to Fix and Bead such Tubes.
1, CLAUDE GUERIN, of 102 Rue St. Maur, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention consists in an improved mandrel serving to fix and also to make
the joints of the tubes in the plates of steam boilers, as well as to fix or bead
such tubes.
For this purpose the apparatus in question comprises:
1. The main body or roller carrier of round form pierced with a central conical
opening for the passage of the mandrel, and with three slightly oblique openings on
its edge for receiving rollers which according to the circumstances and to their
object are either three cutting rollers, three compressing rollers, or finally three
beading rollers, such body having further in the spaces between the three openings
three trunnions cast in iron, on which are placed three other rollers either
compressors or beaders or regulators, and either flat, or with a profile having
successive projections, according to the circumstances and their object.
2. A mandrel composed of a round metal rod which is slightly conical, having
a square head for operating it and a screw-threaded regulating nut, carrying in its
upper part a tubular interposing piece, and its lower part a disc; these two
accessory pieces having for their object to ensure the centreing of the mandrel in
the interior of the tubes to be fixed and beaded.
The employment of the apparatus in question for the purpose above indicated is
effected in the following manner:
It serves first to form in the interior of each hole of the tube plate one or
several circular grooves with a milled bottom. This effect is produced by the
employment of rollers provided with beads cut with a milled surface which are
placed in the openings of the roller carrier where they can pivot freely, which
milled rollers, under the pressure of the mandrel cut the metal, and form therein
one or several grooves. The smooth rollers mounted on the trunnions of the said
roller carrier, rolling on the plate, regulate the penetration of the apparatus in
each hole of the plate, and determine the position of the grooves.
The said apparatus then serves to fix the tubes in the hole thus prepared in the
tube plate. For this purpose the rollers with the milled beads are replaced by
smooth rollers, and on the other hand the snooth rollers of the trunnions are
themselves replaced by rollers with successive projections on their profile. The
smooth rollers, under the pressure of the mandrel, force the metal of the tubes to
penetrate into the interior of the milled grooves circularly formed in each hole of
the tube plate, which produces a hermetic joint, principally because the material of
the tube adapts itself perfectly to the milling of the bottom of the grooves, and
at the same time the rollers with projections bead the extremity of the tube on to
the exterior face of the plate, while forcing the material of the said tube towards
the interior of the hole and under the smooth rollers, which compensates for the
loss of material which has entered into the grooves and preserves the whole thickness
of the tube.
Finally the said apparatus also serves to bead the tubes in the holes of the
plates (without forming grooves), both on the inner side of the said plates and on
the outer side, which has the effect of doing away with the brazing, and this object

page_text: is effected by placing in the three openings of the roller carrier three rollers which
have a swell or bulge in the form of beads at their extremities, by the action of
which the tube is first beaded on the outer side of the plate, and further swelled
circularly on the inner side, which produces the double beading and fixes the tube
absolutely to the plate.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Mandrel Serving to Insert the Tubes of Boilers,
and to Fix and Bead such Tubes.
°
1, CLAUDE GUERIN, of 102 Rue St. Maur, Paris, France, 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 consists in an improved mandrel serving to fix and also to make
the joints of the tubes in the plates of steam boilers, as well as to bead such tubes
in their seats while doing away with brazing.
The same tool performs the three following operations:
1. The preparation of the holes in the tube plates, by forming therein internal
circular grooves to ensure the jointing of the tubes.
2. The fixing of the tubes in the holes thus prepared, and
3. The mounting of the tubes in collars or rings so as to dispense with brazing
such collars or rings.
These different operations only necessitate the changing of the working parts of
the tool, the body or carrier of which is always the same in all cases.
The tool in question with its accessory parts is shown in the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus and of a portion of a tube plate,
in a hole in which such apparatus is, by means of rollers E provided with cutting
beads, forming internal circular cuts or grooves a.
Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of the same apparatus which, by means of
compressing rollers D, is fixing a tube placed in the prepared hole in the tube plate,
by forcing the metal of such tube to enter into the grooves a of the hole, and at the
same time beading the end of the tube against the outer face of the plate by
means of rollers F the profiles of which are formed with progressive projections.
Figs. and 4 are respectively a side elevation and an end view showing the
body or carrier C in detail, in the openings in which are arranged the compressing
rollers D. Beading rollers F, F, F₁ are mounted on the trunnions R.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation on a larger scale of a cutting roller E provided with two
cutting beads a¹.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view also on a larger scale showing the application of the
system to the tubing of boilers, L being a portion of a perforated tube plate, in a
hole in which is seen a portion of a tube M which has been fixed by the apparatus ;
the material a¹ of the said tube has been forced by the pressure to penetrate into
the circular grooves a formed in the interior of the hole of the plate L.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section showing the application of the apparatus to the
swelling or bulging of the tubes by means of the rollers O, which swell or bulge
the tube M on both sides of the collar or ring P, and enable brazing to be
dispensed with.
The tool in question consists essentially of a body or roller carrier C, and a conical
mandrel A passing through same.
The body or roller carrier C is of cylindrical form. It is pierced in its axis

page_text: with a slightly conical opening, and transversely by three slightly inclined openings
serving to receive either cutting rollers E, compressing rollers D, or finally
beading rollers O, all of which are provided with small trunnions. On the body or
roller carrier C, in the spaces between the openings for the rollers, three trunnions R
radiating from the centre are cast thereon, on which rollers F, F, F" or rollers N
(according to the employment of the tool) can turn freely; these rollers F or N are
each retained on the trunnions by a washer G and a screw H.
The conical mandrel A passes through the central opening of the body or roller
carrier and bears against the rollers D, E, or O, according to the operation to
he effected. This mandrel terminates in a square head by which it is rotated.
A regulating nut B is screwed on the said head of the mandrel, and is fixed in
the desired position by means of a pressure screw J which bears on the thread
through the intermediary of a brass bush K. This regulating nut B limits the
travel of the mandrel by abutting against the roller carrier C. The pressure
screw J might be replaced by a check nut B₁ as is shown in Fig. 2. The opposite
extremity of the mandrel A carries a disc T which serves to keep it central in the
tube and to prevent it slanting. For the same purpose a tubular piece inter-
posed between the head of the mandrel and the roller carrier C might be employed,
such piece also enabling tubes of different diameter to be operated upon, by
regulating the extent to which the mandrel can penetrate into the body C.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
As will be seen in Fig. 1 the apparatus fitted with cutting rollers E first forms
circular grooves in the inner wall of a hole pierced in the tube plate L.
The
cutting beads a shaped and toothed for this purpose attack the metal by cutting it
and without displacing same, and cut away two grooves the bottom of which is
milled in the operation. At the same time the smooth rollers N rolling against
the outer face of the plate L, serve to regulate the penetration of the rollers E
in the hole of the plate, and to exactly fix the position of the grooves.
In the operation illustrated in Fig. 2 the cutting rollers E have been replaced
by the compressing rollers D, and the regulating rollers N have been replaced by
rollers F, F, F, the profiles of which have progressive projections. The mandrel A
acting upon the compressing rollers D, forces the metal of the tube M inserted
within the hole of the plate L to penetrate into the milled grooves a in the
interior of said hole in the plate. While this penetration of the metal into the
grooves is taking place, and in order to avoid a decrease in the thickness of the
tube M, at this point, the rollers F, F1, F", force back from the end the material
of the tube towards the hole in the plate, to compensate for the part of this material
which has become lodged in the milled grooves, and at the same time the rollers F
bead the end of the tube M against the outer face of the plate L. By this operation
the tube M is fixed, beaded and jointed in the hole in the plate L, without having
lost any of its thickness, and with solidity and perfect tightness, on account of
the adherence resulting from the milling of the bottom of the grooves to which the
metal of the tube M adapts itself exactly, being forced into such grooves by the
rollers D.
Finally as illustrated in Fig. 7, the same tool also serves to mount collars or
rings on the tubes for the purpose of connecting two tubes together end wise,
bolts being afterwards passed through the two collars or rings. 1 employ bulging
or swelling rollers and retain the rollers F, F1, F". The rollers O are cut away
at the part corresponding to the collar or ring P. Such ring or collar being
placed on the end of the tube M, and held in a vice or a press, the operation is
carried out in the same way as described in connection with Fig. 2, with this
difference that the metal is not squeezed tightly against the ring or collar; it is
only bulged or swelled behind the ring or collar by the projection of the rollers O,
and turned down or beaded on the edge by the rollers F, so that the ring or
collar is simply imprisoned and retains the power of 'turning round the tube,
which permits of making the holes in the rings or collars for the fixing bolts, by
means of which the two tubes are to be connected together, coincide.

page_text: 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 improved mandrel for inserting tubes in boilers and for beading or swelling
such tubes with the object of doing away with brazing, such tool consisting of a
roller carrier and of a mandrel, properly so-called, of a slightly conical form
passing through a central opening, also of conical form, in the said roller carrier,
the latter being pierced at its periphery with three openings for receiving cutting,
compressing or beading rollers, according to the operation to be effected, and
carrying in the spaces between such openings three trunnions cast with the carrier
to receive regulating or beading rollers according to the operation to be effected,
the whole being arranged and combined :-1. For fixing tubes in boilers by
cutting grooves in the holes of the plates and in afterwards forcing the material
of the tubes into such grooves, and 2. For beading or swelling the ends of tubes
in their seats in rings or collars, so as to do away with brazing, all substantially
as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of August 1896.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.