IMPROVEMENTS IN BOSS AND UNION HOLDERS FOR JOINING AND MAKING SOLDERED CONNECTIONS TO PIPING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Alfred Hudgell, of Hendon, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOSS AND UNION
HOLDERS FOR JOINING AND MAKING SOLDERED CONNECTIONS TO PIPING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Alfred Hudgell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1881.
WILLIAM ALFRED HUDGELL, of Hendon, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOSS AND UNION HOLDERS FOR JOINING AND MAKING
SOLDERED CONNECTIONS TO PIPING."
My improvement relates to means for holding boss, union, and other pieces
required to be joined and soldered to lead and other kinds of piping during the
process of soldering or making the joint. The instrument composing my improve-
inent is made to hold the union to the pipe from the inside of the pipe in such a
manner as not to interfere with the making of the joint on the exterior of the
pipe.
In one form of structure the holder consists of a hollow metal stem provided with
clamping or expanding levers attached to one end of the stem by a pin passing
through said stem and one end of the expanding levers. The stem thus provided
with expanding levers is inserted into the pipe to which the boss or union is to be
soldered. The ends of the expanding levers are then forced out against the insidos
of the pipe by a rod and set screw working in the hollow stem, the rod being made
to act against the inner ends of the clamping levers, and the set screw for acting
on the rod works in the outer end of the hollow stem. By thus forcing the ends of
expanding or holding levers against the insides of the piping the stem becomes a
permanent fixture.
The union or piece to be soldered to the pipe is then properly set and clamped to
the pipe by a conical piece usually working on a screw made on the outside of the
hollow stem. The holding expanding levers on the inside end of the stem prevents

page_text: said stem from being drawn out of the pipe by the conical clamp. When the union
is thus secured to the pipe it is ready for soldering.
The hollow stem may be made of any suitable metal tubing, and the other parts
of the instrument of steel or iron. The ends of the expanding levers should be
provided with teeth or made rough for taking hold and prevent slipping when
forced against the inside of the piping. The conical clamp for holding the piece to
the pipe to be soldered thereto would be best made of hard wood to prevent
injury or bruising the piece being soldered to the pipe.
When the bosses are being soldered to piping provided with a union nut or collar,
means are provided for holding them up or out of the way to prevent interfering
with making the joint. This may be done by pieces of bent wire secured to the
nut, and attached to a flange or lever secured to the outer end of the holding stem.
The holder is capable of being used for joining union or other pieces to the sides of
pipes as well as to the ends.
An expanding mandril or sleeve may be used instead of the levers for taking
hold of the inside of the piping. This mandril can be forced out by a rod and set
screw working in the stem of the holder. The apparatus can be made in different
sizes to suit the dimensions of the piping to which it is applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Alfred Hudgell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1881.
WILLIAM ALFRED HUDGELL, of Hendon, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN Boss AND UNION HOLDERS FOR JOINING AND MAKING
SOLDERED CONNECTIONS TO PIPING."
My improvement relates to means for holding boss, union, and other pieces required
to be joined and soldered to lead and other kinds of metal tubing or piping during the
process of soldering or making the joint. The instrument or tool composing my
improvement is made to hold the union to the pipe from the inside of the pipe
in such a manner as not to interfere with the making of the joint on the exterior
of the pipe.
In one form of structure the holder consists of a hollow metal stem provided
with clamping or expanding levers) attached to one end of the stem by a pin
passing through said stem and one end of the expanding levers. The stem thus
provided with expanding levers is inserted into the pipe to which the boss or
union is to be soldered. The ends of the expanding levers are then forced out
against the insides of the pipe by a rod and set screw working in the hollow stem,
the rod being made to act against the inner ends of the clamping levers, and the
set screw for acting on the rod works in the outer end of the hollow stom. By thus
forcing the ends of the expanding or holding levers against tho insides of the piping
the stem becomes a permanent fixture.
The union or piece to be soldered to the pipe is then properly set and clamped to
the pipe by a conical piece usually working on a screw made on the outside of the
hollow stem. The holding expanding levers on the inside end of the stem prevents
said stem from being drawn out of the pipe by the conical clamp. When the union
is thus secured to the pipe it is ready for soldering.
The hollow stem is made of any suitable metal tubing, and the other parts of
the instrument of steel or iron. The holding ends of the expanding levers should
be provided with teeth or made rough for taking hold and preventing slipping
when forced against the inside of the piping. The conical clamp for holding the
piece to the pipe to be soldered thereto would be best made of hard wood to prevent
injury or bruising the piece being soldered to the pipe, but if desired may be mado
of metal.
When the bosses are being soldered to the piping provided with a union, nut, or
collar, means are provided for holding them up and out of the way to prevent
interfering with making the joint. This may be done by pieces of bent wire
secured to the nut, and attached to a flange or lever secured to the outer end of the
holding stem. The holder is capable of being used for joining union or other pieces
to the sides of pipes as well as to the ends.
An expanding mandril or sleeve may be used instead of the levers for taking
hold of the inside of the piping. This mandril can be forced out by a rod and set
screw working in the stem of the holder. The apparatus can be made in different
sizes to suit the dimensions of the piping to which it is applied.
In order to give a fuller description of my said improvement, reference is made
to the accompanying Drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, and mado
to form part of this Specification. Similar letters refer to corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved holder, showing the manner of
applying it to use, also a top view of same.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the holder, with the expanding levers closed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation of the holder, showing the expanding levers
extended.
In one form of structuro the holder consists of a hollow metal stock A furnished
with a screw, and provided with expanding clamping lovers B attached to the

page_text: lower end of the stem A by a pin a, and near the upper end of the expanding levers,
as represented, the lower end of the expanding levers B, B, are forced against tho
inner sides of the pipe G by the stem or rod C, which is forced down by the set
screw D working in the boss I attached to the top of the stock A. The upper end
of the clamping levers B are formed at an angle of 45°, more or less, so that when
the lower end of the stem C is forced down on the upper end of the clamping levers,
it causes their lower ends to expand outward and engage with the inner sides of
the pipe G, as represented. The lower ends of the levers are made rough, or
provided with saw teeth, for firmly taking hold of the pipe, and preventing slipping.
After the holder is thus attached to the pipe C, the box or union piece F to be
soldered to the end or side of the pipe is placed in position, and the conical
clamping nut E working on the screwed stock A is screwed down against the union
piece F to hold it in position. After being properly adjusted in the pipe or on its
ends in cases where the liner F is provided with a union nut or cap K, it is held
up out of the way of the workman in the process of soldering the joint by the wire
spring H, provided with a hook at its lower end to engage with the screw thread
in the union nut, as shown, and bent at its upper end and passed down through
holes d in the flange J. The friction caused by the spring of the wire H in the
holes d is found sufficient to hold the union nut up out of the way to prevent
interfering with the making of the joint. A slot c is cut in the side of the conical
nut or clamp E to permit the wire to pass in beyond the edge of the nut, as shown
in Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 4 represents a transverse view of part of the holder, showing its application
to the side of a pipe for holding the union or other pieces thereto. In this case the
expanding levers B, B, are made to take hold of the pipe at or a little above its
centre, and are forced out in the manner before described by the rod C and screw D.
The Drawings are sufficient plain to show the action of the holder on the side of the
pipe without further description
If desired the holder may be used for abutting or holding the ends of two union
pieces or other hollow pieces together for soldering of any required length. In such
cases, if the pieces were unusually long, it would be requisite to make the stock A
and rod C of the holder proportionally longer.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the pipo G, Fig. 1, through the line b, for more
fully showing the action of the expanding levers B and their connection with the
pipe G.
The form of the several parts of the holder or apparatus may be varied to suit
circumstances without departing from the principle of my Invention.
Having described the manner of constructing and mode of working my improve-
ment, what I claim is,-
1st. The stom A, expanding levers B, rod C, set screw D, and boss I, or their
mechanical equivalents, for attaching the holder to the pipe G in the manner and
for the purpose herein before described.
2nd. The nut E or its equivalent in combination with the stock A for holding
the union piece F to the pipe while being soldered thereto, as hereinbefore
mentioned.
3rd. The several parts of the holder, substantially as constructed, represented,
and described, for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Alfred Hudgell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord 1881.
WILLIAM ALFRED HUDGELL. (L.S.)