Patent ID: 7922475

Claim:
An expansion tool apparatus for producing a socket at an end of a pipe, the pipe being of a polymeric or composite material, the expansion tool apparatus comprising: a ferrule formed of a plurality of chucks movable in a radial direction; a tapered needle movable in a direction toward said plurality of chucks, said tapered needle movable in an axial direction to a first position so as to cause said plurality of chucks to be separated, and movable in an opposite axial direction to a second position so as to cause said plurality of chucks to tighten; and a rotatable member cooperative with said tapered needle so as to move said tapered needle in the axial direction from said first position to said second position with a rotation of said rotatable member for a portion of a turn, said rotatable member connected to said ferrule so as to cause said ferrule to rotate for a portion of a turn in relation with the rotation of said rotatable member, wherein the ferrule and tapered needle are operatively engaged with each other such that movement of the tapered needle from the second position to the first position and back to the second position causes each of the plurality of chucks to rotate to an angular position that was not occupied by any of the plurality of chucks immediately prior to the movement of the tapered needle from the second position to the first position and back to the second position.