An Improved Apparatus for Expanding ana TTIMMIng the Ends of Tubes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1836.
Complete Left, 15th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1887.
An Improved Apparatus for Expanding ana TTIMMIng
the Ends of Tubes.
I, GEORGE FLETCHER, of Masson Works, Litchurch, in the County of Derby,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved apparatus or tool for
expanding and trimming the ends of tubes.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a hollow spindle the upper part
of which fits into the socket of an ordinary drilling machine spindle, the lower
end being screwed to receive the expander which is of the Dudgeon type. A taper
centre piece or drift is carried by a socket piece placed in the hollow of the spindle ;
this socket piece is so arranged that the drift can revolve with rollers with which the
tool is provided (independently of the socket) with very little friction. The socket
piece serves to raise or lower the drift in the following manner.. The spindle is screwed
externally and an internally screw threaded hand wheel moves over the same; this
wheel has a ring or hollow sleeve secured to it by means of a collar made in halves
and set screws; a taper pin connects the ring or hollow sleeve to the socket so that
by turning the hand-wheel the drift can be raised or lowered as required. The thread
upon the spindle is cut in the opposite direction to that in which the tool revolves and
as the hand-wheel, spindle and expander all revolve together the machine attendant by
placing his hand upon the hand-wheel and thereby stopping it during one or more
revolutions of the spindle, can lower the drift and so force out the rollers in
the expander as required leaving one hand free to work the slacking off wheel &c.
The tool is also so arranged that the ends of the tubes can be cut and trimmed
at the same time that the tubes are being expanded or the two operations can be
effected separately.

page_text: The trimming arrangement consists of a cutter which fits into grooves in the
expander and into the end of the spindle; it is secured in its place by a set screw; the
cutter also acts as a key preventing the expander from becoming unscrewed
and getting loose in the spindle.
The tool being fixed in the drilling machine spindle would be lowered and raised in
the usual manner thus making the cutting arrangement entirely independent of the
expanding arrangement; Vertical slots are cut in the opposite sides of the spindle to
allow of the free passage of the hereinbefore described taper pin.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1886.

page_text: the Ends of Tubes.
I GEORGE FLETCHER, of Masson Works, Litchurch, in the county of Derby,
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 relates to the construction of an improved apparatus or tool for
expanding the ends of tubes into tube plates or discs and at the same time trimming,
rounding or moulding the ends of the said tubes to their proper length and finishing
them, the tool being adapted to be worked in a drilling or other machine or
by hand power.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a hollow spindle the upper part
of which is adapted to fit into the socket of an ordinary drilling machine spindle, the
lower end being screwed to receive the expander which is of the Dudgeon type.
A taper centre piece or drift is carried by a socket piece or hollow bush placed in the
hollow of the spindle; this socket piece is so arranged that the drift can revolve with
rollers with which the tool is provided (independently of the socket) with very little
friction. The socket piece serves to raise or lower the drift in the following manner.
The spindle is screwed externally and, when required to expand the tool, moves in an
internally screw threaded hand wheel; this wheel has a ring or hollow sleeve secured
to it by means of a collar made in halves and set screws; a taper pin connects the ring
or hollow sleeve to the socket so that by turning the hand wheel the drift can
be raised or lowered as required.
The tool is also so arranged that the ends of the tubes can be cut and trimmed
at the same time that the tubes are being expanded or the two operations can be
effected separately.
The trimming arrangement consists of a cutter, trimmer, rounder or beader
which fits into grooves in the expander and in the end of the spindle; it is secured in
its place by a set screw; the cutter also acts as a key preventing the expander from
becoming unscrewed and getting loose in the spindle.
Vertical slots are cut in the opposite sides of the spindle to allow of the free passage
of the hereinbefore described taper pin.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe a
suitable arrangement whereby it can, with advantage, be carried into practical effect by
reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a vertical section
of a tool, for expanding and trimming the ends of tubes, constructed according to the
said invention; figure II is an elevation of part of the hollow spindle, the view being
taken at right angles to figure I; figure III is a horizontal section taken on
the crooked line A B of figure I. Similar letters in all the figures represent
similar parts.

page_text: A is the hollow spindle, the upper part of which is adapted to be fitted into
the socket of an ordinary drilling machine spindle or of a ratchet brace; so that the
tool can be operated by machine or by hand; L-is the screw threaded lower end of the
spindle A, and K is the expander of the Dudgeon type which screws into the end I of
the spindle D is the taper centre piece or drift, and E is the socket piece or hollow
bush placed and sliding in the hollow of the spindle A and carrying the head of the
drift D which revolves with very little friction with the rollers J of the expander K
when the tool is operated, independently of the socket or bush E; L represents
the screw threaded external part of the spindle and C the internal screw threaded.
hand wheel in which the part L rotates when expanding the tool, the screw thread
upon the spindle being formed in the opposite direction to that in which the
tool revolves; F is the ring or hollow sleeve with which the hand wheel C is
provided, and G is the collar made in halves which are fixed to the hand wheel C
by set-screws M, M and serve to connect the sleeve F to the hand wheel C,
the collar rotating in a groove in the sleeve F; N is the taper pin which connects the
sleeve F to the socket E the said pin also passing through a hardened steel block B
which is by this means fixed in the socket E and serves as a bearing for the inner end
of the drift D; O, O are the vertical slots cut in the opposite sides of the spindle A
for allowing the free passage of the taper pin N; H is the cutter, trimmer, rounder
or header for trimming or finishing off the tubes at the same time that they are being
expanded or by a separate operation; P is the groove in the expander K, in which
groove, and into a groove in the end of the spindle the cutter H fits; Q is the set
screw for securing it in its place; it will be obvious that the cutter H acts also
as a key for preventing the expander K from becoming unscrewed and getting
loose in the spindle A.
By this construction, if the tool be placed in an ordinary drilling machine spindle
and be introduced into the end of the tube to be expanded and the said machine be set
in operation the hand wheel C, spindle A, and expander K will all revolve together
and the attendant, by placing his hand upon the hand wheel C so as to stop the
rotation of the same during one or more revolutions of the spindle A, will cause
the drift D to be lowered, and the rollers J in the expander K to be thereby
forced outwards so as to expand the tube to the required extent, one of the attendant's
hands being left free to work the slacking-off wheel, etc., and as the tool can be raised
and lowered in the usual manner it will be evident that the cutter can be caused
to operate on the end of the tube so as to cut or round or mould it as required whilst
it is being expanded, or the cutter can be caused to operate independently of
the expanding arrangement.
Instead of fixing my improved tool in a drilling machine it will be obvious that by
attaching it to a ratchet brace or the like it can be operated by hand power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
1. The combination with a tube expander of a cutter, trimmer, rounder or beader
whereby the tubes can be finished off at the same time that they are being expanded
into their places; the apparatus being adapted for use either as a machine tool or to
be worked by hand power.
2. The improved apparatus or tool for expanding and trimming the ends of
tubes hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.