Year: 1898

page_text: I, FRANK GEORGE HAMPSON of Airdale, Southdown Road Shoreham in the County
of Sussex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the expanding of one tube into another or into a tube
plate or the like and although it is applicable in accessible places and for large sizes
as well as small it is particularly suitable for expanding very small tubes in
inaccessible places, and I will now describe it in that application.
Hitherto in the case of boilers having many small tubes connected with drams or
larger tubes great difficulty has been experienced in expanding the ends of the
smaller tubes in the holes in the larger ones and the size of tubes which could thus
be used has been practically limited by reason of this difficulty. My present
invention relates to the expanding of tubes as above explained, and I will describe the
apparatus suitable for that purpose.
The apparatus comprises the necessary rod, tube, shaft, or equivalent by which the
apparatus can be inserted in the larger of the tubes so as to carry it down to the
place where the smaller tube has to be expanded; also, this tube, or what it may be,
1B useful for operating the parts, or for carrying other rods, tubes etc to do the
necessary operation.
If required electrical or pneumatic means or flexible shafting may be employed for
driving the mechanism. The expanding apparatus comprises the following
features:-
A roller carriage substantially of usual construction and tapered or not as preferred
18 adjustably carried in a suitable frame, and provided with studs engaging with cam
grooves.or by other means. It is adapted to be withdrawn into or projected from the
rest of the apparatus. In use the apparatus is inserted in the main tube up to the
end of the small tube which 18 to be expanded and the roller carriage is then
projected into that tube Inside the roller carriage 18 a mandrel upon which is a
bevel wheel or other means by which it can be rotated, the mandrel being capable of
sliding in this wheel, but always rotating with it. A portion of the mandrel is screw-
threaded, and there 18 a nut connected preferably by a clutch with the before.
mentioned bevel wheel or driving apparatus. When the nut, wheel and mandrel
rotate together of course no axial movement is imparted to the mandrel By means
of a rod or other gear the clutch can be moved so that the wheel is disconnected from
the nut and the same mechanism also looks the nut to the main frame or equivalent;
in this condition it will be appreciated that if the mandrel be rotated it will also be
projected axially, and being tapered will force out the expanding rollers in the well-
known manner.

page_text: Conveniently the framework 18 carried upon the end of a tube through which
passes a tube or spindle with a handle at its outer end, the spindle carrying a small
bevel pinion which engages with the previously mentioned bevel wheel, so that as
the handle is rotated the mandrel is also rotated. The wheel spindle may be hollow
so that through it may be run another spindle or rod, which will control the clutch in
the manner previously mentioned so that the whole apparatus can be controlled and
operated from the outer or accessible end of the tube in which it is required to
expand the other tube or tubes
The framework, block or other device which carries the apparatus may be made in
two or more portions, and is shaped so as to form a section of the external radius of
the large tube into which the small tube is being expanded, thus controlling the
expander centrally and the nut previously described is preferably provided with a
point to engage with the larger tube to assist in holding or locking the apparatus in
its proper position.
In the case of expanding tubes into thin tubes it may be necessary to provide a
plate or shoe to take the pressure of the point on the nut to prevent it (the point)
from making holes in the large tube and perhaps going right through the shoe may
also be a section of the radius of the large tube and operate to control the expander
centrally.
It will be appreciated that the actual details of this invention may be greatly
varied without departing from the spirit of this invention and would necessarily be
varied according to the nature of the work and its accessibility or otherwise. The
foregoing description however will serve to indicate how the invention may be
carried into effect,
1
•
3000
"Improvements in or relating to Tube Expanding."
I, FRANK GEORGE HAMPSON of Airdale, Southdown Road, Shoreham, in the County
of Sussex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same 18 to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the expanding of one tube into another or into a tube
plate or the like, and although it is applicable in accessible places and for large sizes
of tubes as well as small, it is particularly suitable for expanding very small tubes in
inaccessible places, and I will now describe it in that application,
Hitherto in the case of boilers having many small tubes connected with drums or
larger tubes great difficulty has been experienced in expanding the ends of the
smaller tubes in the holes in the larger ones and the choice of the sizes of
tubes which could thus be used has been practically limited by reason of this
difficulty.
A tube expander constructed according to this invention will enable the ends of small
tubes to be expanded into holes in the wall of a drum or larger tube or chamber whose
dimensions are limited to such an extent that the use of the ordinary type of tube
expander within it would be impossible or impracticable; it is herein described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the complete expander in position
within a tube in readiness to expand a smaller tube into engagement therewith;
Figures 2 and 8 are views similar to Figure 1 with the movable parts of the

page_text: expander in the different positions assumed by them in the operation of the apparatus
as hereinafter described;
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1
Figure 5 18 a perspective view of the frame C hereinafter referred to with certain
of its appurtenances, and
Figure 6 18 a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The body of the apparatus comprises a shaft A of sufficient length to enable it to
pass far enough into the large tube L in which the work is being executed to carry
it down to the place where the smaller tube L' is to be expanded This shaft
supports the apparatus by which the actual operation of expansion is effected, the
axis X Y about which the expansion rollers travel being arranged at an angle,
which preferably, as in the present example, is a right angle with the length of the
shaft A, and with the axial line of the control and operating mechanism.
The end of the shaft opposite to that at which the expansion apparatus 18 carried
supports the handles of the control mechanism by which the adjustment of the
expansion apparatus 18 effected, so that it can be controlled and operated from the outer
or accessible end of the larger tube L.
The expansion apparatus comprises a roller carriage B which may be tapered as
shown or not, as preferrea, carrying in recesses the expansion rollers B' and adjustable
in the direction of the axie X Y in a frame secured to the shaft A so that the carriage
may be withdrawn into or protruded from the rest of the apparatus. The frame Cin
the example illustrated is made in twin parts C¹ C² which abut against each other
upon the central plane 1-1 (Figure 4) of the apparatus being held together by
countersunk screw studs and by a plate A¹ formed on one end of the shaft Å
and engaged with the parts C¹ (2 by screws A² and by the entry of extensions C
on the parts into a Locket A³ on the shaft A. The lower portion of the
frame thus constituted is approximately semi-cylindrical in transverse section
as may be seen from Figure 6 so as to approximately fill one half of the
lower portion of the larger tube L into which the apparatus 18 inserted whilst
the upper portion is narrower (see Figure 5) enclosing the carriage B when the latter
18 retracted and serving to form a guide for the slides F which bear against its outer
faces as will be presently explained.
In each of the parts C C a semi-circular recess is formed, the two semi-circular
recesses, when the parts C¹ C³ come together, forming a complete circular recess C³ in
which B, D and G hereinafter referred to are rotatable.
The carriage B is moved endwise by devices which do not interfere with its rotation
around the mandril D when the rollers B₁ are in operation; on the carriage B 18 a
ring E carried in a circumferential groove B2 upon the exterior thereof and provided
with pins E. These pins are controlled by slides Fadjustable upon the frame C in
a direction transverse to that of the axis X Y by a rod F1 and provided with cam
alota F which are arranged at an angle with the direction of motion of the slides and
receive the outer ends of the pins E¹. In addition to the cam slots F, the plates F
are provided with straight slots F3 arranged parallel with the direction of motion of
the plates and engaged by pins C which project from the sides of the frame against
which the plates bear so as to keep the plates from riding up or down on the central
projection which they embrace
Fis a rod by which the plates F can be adjusted; this extends into proximity to
the handle J¹.
The mandril D which extends into the carriage B is encircled by a bevel wheel D¹
retained in a recess C³ in the frame C; the wheel is so engaged with the recessed
frame as to be free to rotate but not to have movement in the direction of its axis;
that portion D³ of the mandril which passes through and, in the drawings, extends
below the bevel wheel D¹ is of angular form in cross section and passes through an
angular hole of corresponding shape in the boss or centre of the bevel wheel with
which it makes a sliding fit; so that whilst the mandril D can move endwise easily
through the boss of the bevel wheel D¹ to follow up or to recede before the roller

page_text: carriage B, yet the bevel wheel Di cannot be rotated without turning the mandril with
it. The portion D³ of the mandril which bears upon the rollers B₁ is coned and the
opposite.end D' of the mandril is screw-threaded to engage with a screw threaded
nut G encircling it. The nut G is journalled like the bevel wheel D¹ to turn in the
frame C; it occupies the lower portion of the recess C and contains a sliding bolt H
which can enter recesses Ds in the face of the bevel wheel D¹. Instead of the threaded
end D of the mandril or the bolt H, there may be other equivalent means by which
the nut G can be engaged with or disengaged from the bevel wheel D¹ or the mandril,
against both of which it bears.
J is a spindle journalled in the shaft A and frame C, with a handle J1 at its
outer end and at its inner end a pinion J engaged with the bevel wheel D¹, so that
by rotating the handle J¹ the bevel wheel D¹ and mandril can be turned. K is a rod
movable endwise in the frame C; this rod is employed to bolt the nut G to the
frame CC through which the rod passes and also to operate by means of its coned or
bevelled inner end K¹ the sliding bolt H, with the bevelled portion H¹ of which it
engages. He is a spring by which the bolt H 18 normally kept in such a position that
it looks the nut G and bevel wheel D¹ together; by movement of the rod K in the
direction of the arrow thereon, from the position in which it is shown in Figure 3 into
that in which it is shown in Figure 1 the bevelled portions Hand K¹ of the sliding
bolt and rod engage so that the latter operates to retract the bolt H and free the nut
G from the bevel wheel D¹ the rod K simultaneously engaging the nut G and so
locking it in the frame C C¹ C
A reverse movement of the rod K permits the bolt H
to re-engage the nut G with the bevel wheel D¹ under the influence of the spring H*
and leaves the nut free to turn in the frame C.
In use the apparatus 18 passed with its parts in the position in which they are
shown by Figure 1 into the main tube L as far as the end of the small tube L' which
is to be expanded, and the roller carriage B 18 then protruded as in Figure 2 into the
small tube L¹ by the slides F which are moved endwise so that the inclined slots F
therein acting upon the pins E¹ and so upon the ring E, move the carriage B out of
the frame C from the position in which it is shown in Figure 1 into that in which it
is shown in Figure 2. When this has been done the rod K is moved so as to retract
the bolt H and disengage the bevel wheel D' from the nut G which is simultaneously
locked by the rod K to the frame C; then the spindle J is rotated to turn by means
of the pinion J' the bevel wheel D¹ without the nut in such a direction as to rotate
the mandril D and cause it to screw itself out of the nut G, following up the carriage B
and forcing the rollers B¹ against the interior of the small tube L' as shown in Figure 3.
As soon as the mandril has been moved out sufficiently far the rod K is moved so as
to unlock the nut G from the frame C and allow the bolt H to re-engage the nut
with the bevel wheel D¹ these two parts G D¹ being subsequently rotated in company
by the pinion J to cause mandril D to turn and force the rollers B to travel over the
inner surface of the tube L' operated upon and expand it outward in a manner well
understood. When the nut G, wheel D¹ and mandril D rotate in company in this
manner the mandril of course receives no endwise movement. The nut 18 preferably
provided with a pointed portion G¹ to engage with the larger tube L to assist in-
holding or locking the apparatus in its proper position therein.
Instead of allowing the pointed portion G¹ to bear against the interior of
the tube L a shoe or packing piece could be inserted between the point G¹ and the
tube to distribute the pressure over the latter; this would be advantageous when
working in thin tubes which the unprotected point would be liable to puncture.
It will be appreciated that the actual details of this invention may be greatly varied
without departing from the spirit of this invention, and would necessarily be varied
according to the nature of the work, and its accessibility or otherwise.
The foregoing desorption will serve however to indicate how the invention may be
carried into effect.
In the place of the shaft A, a rod or other form of body may be adopted Elastic or
menmatic annaratus or flexible shafting may be emploved for driving the spindle L.

page_text: The mandril D and nut G can be rotated by other than bevel gear. The various
spindles such as J K may be arranged one within the other.
A tube expander such as 18 herein before described can be inserted into the larger
tube, operated therein, and withdrawn therefrom without detachment of any of its
parts, and it can be used to expand smaller tubes than could be expanded under
similar conditions with any other known expander.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what !
clain 18:
1. A-tube-expander for expanding a smaller tube in an opening in-the-wall-of-a
larger tube-which is inserted operated-and-withdrawn without detachment of any of
its-parts.
2. A tube expander adapted to be-insorted-without-detachment of any of its parts
into and operated-from-outside the large tube-to expand from made it a smaller
tube-into-an opening in-the-wall of the larger one-
3. In a tube-expander-the-combination-with-a-roller-expanding mandrel lying
across the axis of the-tube-in-which the apparatus is used of means-operated from
outside that tube for projecting or retracting the mandrel the metrament being
inserted-operated-and-withdrawn without the detachment-of-any-of-its-parte.
4. In a tube-expander-the combination with-n-support- such as CA of a roller
carriage and mandrel each adjustable in a line at an angle to the axis of the support,
and driving mechanism to rotate the mandrel-for-the-purpose-described
1. b. In a tube expander comprising a roller-carriage and mandrel each adjustable
at an angle to the axis of a support such as CA, driving and clutch mechanism to
impart rotary and endwise motions to the mandrel for the purpose described
2. 6 In a tube expander the combination with a support such as CA of a roller-
carriage adjustable at an angle with the axis thereof a nut such as G, a mandrel
engaged therewith, and clutch driving-gear which will cause the mandrel to screw
into or out of the nut or the two to rotate in company.
3. In a tube expander the combination with a roller-carriage B and nut G of a
gear wheel such as D₁ bolt H and rod K operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4. & In a tube expander the combination with a roller-carriage such as B adjustable
in a frame C of a ring E provided with pins E¹, and slides F substantially as and for
the purpose described
5. 9. A self-centring tube expander of the kind described.
6. 10. The complete tube-expander substantially as described or illustrated in the
accompanying diawings.
FRANK GEORGE HAMPSON
BOULT & WADE
Agents for the Applicant.