The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 12, 1980
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1978
Richard L Stiller, St. Louis County, MO (US);
Robert Shaffer, Swissvale, PA (US);
Edward H Smith, Plum Borough, PA (US);
Regis R Vollmer, Trafford, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A method for inserting a tube through a tubesheet aperture and expanding it into contact with the aperture's wall. A tube guide-expander device is assembled in an open end of a tube with a portion of the device protruding from the tube. The guide-expander includes a distally protruding tip portion tapered to diverge in a direction toward the tube so as to facilitate insertion of the guide-expander and engaged tube through apertures in spatially separated tube supports and tubesheet. The guide-expander and tube engaged therewith are axially displaced relative to the tubesheet until the desired relative configuration is obtained. Expansion of the tube results from expanding the assembled tube guide-expander and driving the housing tube in the radial direction against the tubesheet aperture's wall. Such guide-expander expansion obtains from relatively axially displacing two structural components and compressing an interposed, radially expansible structure.