A NEW OR IMPROVED TUBE EXPANDER.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomson, of the City of Glasgow, in;
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED TUBE EXPANDER.
Sealed the 16th October 1874, and dated the 24th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th April 1874.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED TUBE EXPANDER," to be as follows:-
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of a "tube expander" or tool for ex-
panding and fixing the ends of tubes in the end plates of boilers and
other vessels where such is required, and which will be more simple and
casily mado and actuated or worked than the expanders heretofore in
use. And the nature of this Invention consists in constructing or

page_text: forming the tool with a central actuating "prime roller," having a
square or polygonal head on its outer end, preferably beyond a large
collar, for actuating it by a wrench, "dwang," or other equivalent, and
having on its long inner round end beyond the said collar, retained on it
by a screw nut, pin, collar, or other equivalent at the extreme end, at
rigid open frame turning on it by end discs, retained at a considerable
distance apart by three or more studs or bolts, and carrying between
them three or more long small antifriction expanding rolls or rollers
revolving loosely throughout their length on the periphery of the primo
roller and between the said collars of the frame, which retains the rollers
by end journals working loosely in holes in them at nearly equal distances
round and from the axis of the prime roller, or concentric to it but
having the axis of each roller lying at a considerable angle to that of
the prime roller in their front elevational view at right angles to a radial
line or plane taken through these axes.
Either the central prime roller or the expanding rollers, or both, are
made with a slight hollow curve in their length towards the middle, so
that although they lie at an angle to each other, all the outer rollers will
thus still roll and bear on the prime roller throughout their whole
length.
The central roller is preferred to be about the same diameter at the
inner and outer ends, or a little larger at the latter, and to give the
necessary conical rolling expanding action. The expanding rollers are
made slightly conical, smallest at the point and largest at the outer end
towards the large collar and acting head, having their outer periphery
projecting some little distance beyond that of the retaining collars of
their carrying frame, so that the point of the tool and whole set of
rollers suit and enter freely the end of the size of tubes to be expanded,
all so that as and while the central roller is being turned by its projecting
square head and wrench (or other equivalent by hand, or, when desired,
by motive power) its inner end rolls and bears on the inner surface of
the expanding rollers, causing them to turn and roll round the inner
periphery of the end of the tube, and as they do so their angular rolling
action feeds them automatically and the tool gradually into the tube,
so as to thoroughly expand and fix it in the tube plate without any
expanding or radial motion of the expanding rollers, or any use of or for
an expanding wedge, mandrel, hammer, mallet, or screw actuating the
same.

page_text: th
It will be understood that the best rolling action, with least slip or
friction, will be obtained when the circumference of the inner end of the
prime roller has the same proportion or relation to that of the rollers as
that of the outer end of the prime roller to that of the rollers, and that
the length of the rollers, and conical expanding taper, and angles at
which they are set for feeding in the tool depend mainly upon the nature
and thickness of the metal of which the tubes are made and the force
required to expand them, but generally the rollers may be from three to
six inches long, with an expanding taper outside over all from 16"
to of an inch on these lengths, and having the angle of their axes in
the right direction to that of the prime roller to feed in the tool according
to the direction it is turned, and preferably crossing each other near the
middle at about 16th to 18th on the radius of half these said lengths. But
these proportions may be varied considerably without materially affecting
the Invention or working of the tool, and the tool may either be made
long enough to suit one, two, or more sizes of tubes, or have different
sized revolving frames of rollers to suit the same central or prime roller
for being changed or removed and replaced to suit different sized tubes,
or have a separate tool for every size of tubes, as say, rising by 16th, 10"
or 4th of an inch.
and
tb
.
Another and simple modification of this Invention or tube expander
might also be made with one solid prime roller with its inner long end
nearly parallel, and a little less in diameter than the tube to be expanded,
and having three or more nearly rectangular or slightly dovetailed
recesses widest towards the bottom, cut at equal distances and at an
angle longitudinally to a little more than the length of the expanding
roller from the inner end, and rather less in depth than the diameter of
the rollers, so as to receive them whether parallel or conical, pro-
jecting more at the outer end than the point, to enter the tube and
expand it as it feeds itself in while being turned by a head and wrench
at the outer end, and the angular rolling action of the rollers on the
bottom of their grooves and on the internal periphery of the tube, and
held in position by the sides of the grooves, or end journals, or an end
plate or disc screwed on the inner end of the prime roller after inserting
the expanding rollers from the end into their grooves. The smallest turn
of the tool in the contrary or backward direction rolls it back and
slackens it, substantially in an equal manner to the feeding of it in to
the tube by the turning of it in the forward direction, as described in

page_text: the former modification, the action being in fact a modification of the
angular rolling friction screw action, taking advantage of rolling screws
instead of cutting them.
Another improvement, applicable to either of the modifications herein
described of this tube expander, consists in making the central or prime
roller with an actuating head at both ends to enable the tool to be
reversed and worked from both sides, and in making the back ends of
all the angled expanding rollers rather smaller and nearly parallel for a
short distance, as, an inch or so, so that after each tube has been
thoroughly expanded and fixed by and to the slight angle of the front
end of the expanding rollers and tool, it is reversed, and the back end of
the rollers is then inserted and turned within the tube so far fixed, so as
to finish the expansion of the tube to a parallel shape and hole close
to the tube plate as firmly fixed at the inner edge as at the outer
edge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 24th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMSON, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Thomson, Her special licence
that I, the said William Thomson, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR-
IMPROVED TUBE EXPANDER," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: I, the said William Thomson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of a tube expander or tool for expanding
and fixing the ends of tubes in the tube plates of boilers and other
vessels where such is required, which tube expanders or tools will be
more simple and easily made and actuated or worked than those here-
tofore in use.
And in order that the nature and novelty and mode of performing my
said Invention may be properly understood, I will now proceed to
describe the several Figures and modifications of my said tube expander
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which show the best modes
and means I am at present aware of for carrying out the whole into
effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating the same or
equivalent parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are a side elevation, a plan of the top or driving
end, and of the lower end or point respectively, while Figures 4 and 5
are a sectional elevation and transverse section respectively, taken on
the lines 1-1 and 2----2 on these alternately, all corresponding to
cach other, of one modification of my said tube expander, and con-
structed in accordance with and illustrative of my said Invention, and
actuated by one end a of the centre spindle or roller A.
Figures 6, 7, and 7 A are respectively a side elevation, a plan, and a
transverse section of a slightly different modification of my said tube
expander (from that shown in Figures 1 to 5), made to be entered and
actuated from either opposite end a, a¹, of the central spindle or roller A,

page_text: and which enables it (after the tube has been expanded sufficiently. with
the tapered end C³) to be reversed, and have the head end c" which is
parallel inserted into the tube, so as to quite finish or expand and fix the
tubes in parallel holes in the tube plate when desired.
3
Figures 8, 9, and 10 are respectively a side elevation, and an end view
of the driving head, and a cross section through the centre line 3-
in Figure 8, while Figure 11 is a sectional elevation taken on the line
44 in Figure 10, all of another modification of my said tube
expander (from that shown in Figures 1 to 7), not being driven or
actuated by a central spindle or roller, but by the rigid frame B, B¹, 1
which carries the angled expanding rollers C and a central roller A¹, all
revolving loose in it.
Figure 12 is a side elevation of a modification of my said tube
expander, which is actuated by the central spindle and frame D, D',
made in a solid or rigid form, carrying the expanding rollers C in 1
journal bearings c, and rolling, rubbing, or slipping on the central
spindle D¹.
----
Figures 13, 14, and 15 are respectively a side elevation partly in
section, a plan of the driving end, and a transverse section taken on the
centre line 5 5 in Figure 13, all of a modification of my said tube 2
expander, which may be actuated either by the central spindle or
roller A, or by the rigid rolling frame B, B¹, carrying the expanding
rollers C; C, C.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5, and 6, 7, and 7 A, these two modifications
of my said new or improved tube expander consist of a central cylindrical 2
actuating spindle or roller A having the square head a (or it might be
other polygonal head) formed on its outer end, preferably beyond the
largo collar a¹¹ for actuating the whole by a wrench, "dwang," or other
equivalent as a hand tool. This spindle A has the long inner cylindrical
part A turned or formed beyond the said collar a" for carrying the rigid 3
open frame B, B¹, revolving loose, and is retained on it by the screw
nut a¹ and pin a², Figures 1 to 5, or it might be as shown in Figures 6,
7, and 7 A, by the collar a¹¹ and pin a³ or other equivalent at the extreme
inner end a¹. The revolving frame B, B', is formed of two end discs B,
which are retained at a considerable distance apart by three (or more) 3
bars or stay bolts B³, and carry between them three (or it might be
more) long small antifriction expanding rolls or rollers C revolving

page_text: loosely throughout their length on the periphery of the central prime
moving spindle or roller A, and between the said collars or discs B, B,
of the frame B, B, which retain and carry the rollers C by end
journals c, c¹, working loosely in holes b, b', in them at nearly equal
distances round and from the axis of the prime roller A or concentric to
it, but having the axis of each roller lying at a considerable angle to
that of the prime roller (in their front elevational view at right angles
to a radial line or plane taken through the axes), as indicated by the red
line 6- 6 in Figures 1, 6, and 13, so that annular lines, as 7---7
in thèse Figures, would roll at an angle or screw-like on the inner
surface of the tubes Z to be expanded. Either the prime roller A or the
expanding rollers C, C, C, or both, might be made with a slight hollow
curve in their length towards the middle, especially in Figures 6, 7,
and 7 A, in which the surfaces of the rollers C are not straight, so that
(although they thus lie at an angle to each other) the rollers will still
roll and bear on the prime roller A throughout their whole length,
although, the angle being so little, it is found that practically they work
quite as well straight.
To give the necessary conical rolling expanding action the expanding
rollers C, C, C, are made slightly conical and smallest at the point O'
and largest at the outer end c¹ towards the large collar a¹ and acting
head a, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, or it might be only towards the line
c and have the part between c³ and c¹ made cylindrical as shown in
Figures 6, 7, and 7 A, which represent another modification of this tube
expander. In this modification the spindle or prime roller A is made
with an actuating head a, a', at each end to enable the tool to be
reversed and worked from either end; and the back ends c¹¹ of all the
angled expanding rollers C are made rather smaller for a short distance
than or nearly parallel with the part marked c², so that after each tube
has been thoroughly expanded and fixed by and to the slight angle of
the front end of the expanding rollers and tool the tool is reversed, and
its back end inserted and turned within the tube so far fixed so as to
finish the expansion of the tube to a parallel shape and hole close to the
tube plate Z, and as firmly fixed at the inner as at the outer edge.
The central or prime roller A is preferred to be nearly cylindrical, and
about the same diameter as the middle part of the expanding rollers C,
so that the inner and outer ends c¹, c¹¹, of these would only be a little
smaller and larger respectively that their surface might roll with little

page_text: friction. The outer periphery of these rollers C, C, C, project some
little distance beyond that of the retaining collars B and bars B¹ of
their carrying frames B, B¹, so that the points C₁ of the tool and whole
set of rollers C suit and freely enter the end of the particular size of
tubes to be expanded; all, so that as and while the central spindle or
prime roller A is being turned by its projecting square head a and
wrench or other equivalent (by hand, or when desired, by motive power)
the surface of its inner end or part A rolls and bears on the inner sides
or surfaces of the expanding rollers C, C, C, and causes them to turn
and roll round the inner periphery of the end of the tube Z, as indicated
in red lines in Figures 1 and 2, and as they do so their angular rolling
action (before referred to) automatically feeds them and the whole tool
gradually into the tube so as to thoroughly expand and fix it in the tube
plate Z without any expanding or radial motion of the expanding rollers
C, C, C, or any use of or for the expanding wedge, mandril, and
hammer, mallet, or screw for actuating the same, as heretofore used
with tube expanders.
In the modifications 1 to 7 the revolving frame B, B', is formed of the
two end discs B, B, with the bars B¹ rivetted into the outer disc at 6" and
fixed to the inner end disc B after inserting the expanding rollers C into
their journal holes 6, 6, either by the screw nuts 61, Figures 1 to 5, or
by the countersunk screw pins 6, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in
either caso so as to form a rigid frame which revolves loosely, as
stated, on the driving spindle A secured in position by the nut a¹¹ or
collar a¹¹¹.
Referring to Figures 8 to 11 the expander is actuated by the square
head a, and is formed in one piece with the frame B, B¹, which in this
caso is shown as made or cast out of solid metal, as of steel or malleable
cast iron, and has the central prime roller A¹ revolving loose in journal
bearings at B", B³, in the centre of the frame B, B', and not turned
directly by this frame or its actuating spindle a, but by the friction and
pressure of the rollers C rolling on it while expanding the tubes. This
central roller A¹ is inserted through a hole B2 in the lower end or point
at B*, and after the journals c, c¹, of the rollers C are inserted in their
round and slotted bearings b, b', in the ends B of the frames the ring
* is inserted in a recess over the journals in the slotted bearings b³, so
as to hold the rollers C in their place, when the screw washer B³ is then
screwed into the hole B2 to retain the roller A¹ and ring 6' in position.

page_text: An end view of the retaining end washer B' is shown at 11 A, with an
oil hole e in the centre and two holes e¹ for screwing and unscrewing
it by.
Referring to the modification shown in Figure 12 the actuating square
head a is formed on the solid body, consisting of the collar D and central
spindle D', all formed in a solid piece having a securing end disc D"
screwed tightly up on the square or polygonal end of the spindle D¹, by
a screw nut at D³, the three expanding rollers C being carried by their
end journals c, c', in bearing holes b, b', in the collars D, D", of the
solid or rigid frame D, D', D", which carries round the rollers C by their
journal bearings b, b', in which they turn while rolling in and expanding
the tubes, at the same time bearing and slipping or rolling on the central
spindle D¹, the angular position and action of the rollers C feeding the
tool into the tube as it is being turned and expanded, all otherwise as in
the other modifications.
Figure 12 A shows a transverse section of a modification of my tube
expander somewhat analogous in its action to that shown in Figure 12,
but having the inner long end or body part D, D¹, D", more nearly
parallel and a little less in diameter than the interior of the tube to be
expanded, and having three or more nearly rectangular or slightly dove-
tailed recesses d, widest towards the bottom, and cut or formed at equal
distances around it and at an angle longitudinally a little longer than
the expanding rollers C from the inner end and rather less in depth than
the diameter of these rollers, whether parallel or conical, so as to receive
them and cause them to project more at the outer end than at the point,
so as to enter the tube and expand it while being turned by a wrench on
the square or polygonal head a at the outer end of the solid spindle
D, D', D", the angular rolling action of the rollers C rolling and gripping
on the internal periphery of the tube, and slipping on the bottom of
their grooves d, feeding the tool in as in the other modifications. The
rollers C are in this case held in position by the angled sides of the
grooves d, or it might be by end journals and bearings or an end washer
or disc D screwed on the inner end of the solid spindle D, D', D¹¹, after
inserting these expanding rollers from the open end, as described in
reference to the former Figures 6, 11, and 12.
Referring to the modification of my said Invention or tube expander,
shown in Figures 12 to 15 the from D DI

page_text: ·
solid metal, and has a large actuating square head a* formed on it with
a hole through it at 6 and in the point B* at 4, within which the central
spindle or roller A works loosely, turned by its square driving head a
and secured by the broad washer B' and screw nut a¹¹ and pin a* at the
point B of the tool, after the rollers C have been inserted into their 5
spaces between the bars B', and with their journals c, c¹, inserted and
working in their round and slotted bearings b, b', in the ends B, B, of
their carrying frame B, B', in which position they are retained by the
said broad washer B', which by a groove b³ in its inner face holds the
projecting ends of the journals c', working in the slotted bearings b¹ in 1
position, all so that this tube expander may either be actuated by the
square head a and internal spindle or roller A, with great power as for
expanding steel or thick iron tubes, as described in reference to Figures 1
to 7; or otherwise by the square head a* and frame B, B', with consider-
ably less power, as suitable for expanding soft iron or brass or copper]
tubes in the same manner as by the modification shown in Figures 8
to 11. In either case the angular action of the rollers C would feed in
this tool and expand the tubes, substantially as described in reference to
the former modifications shown and described.
In all these modifications of my said improved tube expander it will
be understood that the best rolling action with least slip or friction will
be obtained when the circumference of the inner end of the central
spindle or prime roller A, A', has the same proportion or relation to that
C¹ of the rollers C, C, C, as that of the outer end of the prime roller
A, A¹, to that c¹ of these rollers, and that the length of the rollers C
and conical expanding taper and angles at which they are set for feeding
in the tool depend mainly upon the nature and thickness of the metal
of which the tubes are made, and the force required to expand them,
but generally the rollers O may be from three to six inches in length,
with an expanding taper outside over all from to ½ of an inch on
these lengths, and having the angle of their axes (as shown in red lines
6 in Figures 1, 6, & 13) in the right direction to that of the
central roller to feed in the tool according to the direction in which
it is turned, and preferably crossing each other near the middle at about
to of an inch on the radius of half these lengths; but these pro-
portions may be varied from considerably without materially affecting
the Invention or working of the tool; and the tool may either be made
long enough to suit one, two, or more sizes of tubes, or may have
6
-
---

page_text: different sized rollers C or revolving frames B, B', with their rollers C to
suit the same central roller A for being changed or removed and
replaced to suit different sized tubes; or have a separate tool for every
size of tubes, as say rising by 1, To, or of an inch.
The smallest turn of any of these tools in the contrary or backward
direction rolls or screws them back or slackens them, substantially in
an equivalent manner to the feeding of them into the tube by the
turning of them in the forward direction as described in reference to the
several modifications, the action being in fact a modification of the
angular rolling frictional screw action employed for rolling screws instead
of cutting them.
Although only three tapered angled rollers or cones have been referred
to and described in these several modifications (or constructions and
arrangements of the parts), of my said new or improved tube expander
and shown on the Drawings, it is to be understood that two, four, or
more might be used although I prefer three, and when only two are
used they would be placed nearly radially opposite each other, and a
part of the frame or body of the tool might be made tapered to only a
little less in diameter than that filled or occupied by the rollers, so as to
steady the tool in the tube at the centre of the spaces between the
rollers. And further, that I do not claim as new the use of a central
rolling spindle or mandril for driving or expanding an outer set of
expanding rollers or their carrying frame or the combination of these
three parts in tube expanders. The novelty in my said new or improved
tubo expander therefore consists in making the central roller A, A',
parallel, and having the expanding rollers C placed at an angle, and
tapered or conical, and both long enough to expand the tube by the
angular frictional rolling action of the outer rollers without expanding
these rollers.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be per-
formed, I have to state that I do not confine or restrict myself to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be
novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to mo
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
•
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of tube
expanders (with angled feeding-in rollers C, and with or without a

page_text: central parallel roller A, A', and which expand the tube without being
themselves expanded by a central spindle), all substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and distinguished under the several modifi-
cations in reference to and shown in the respective Figures of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. The constructing of tube expanders with long tapered angled
rollers revolving in and with their frames upon a nearly parallel central
spindle or roller which does not expand the angled rollers, the tool being
either turned by the central spindle or roller or by the frame, all
substantially as described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The making of tube expanders with tapered angled rollers,
which feed themselves into the tube and expand it by their angular
frictional or screw rolling action, either turned by and on a central parallel
roller or by and in their frames, all substantially as described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
WILLIAM THOMSON. (L.S.)