Reusable locking tube insertion and removal fixture and method in a

Abstract

A fixture for inserting and removing locking tubes into and from locking positions in a top nozzle includes a lower traveling plate and an upper traveling plate disposed above the lower plate. The lower plate has hollow flexure tubes attached to and projecting downwardly therefrom. Each flexure tube has an axially segmented sleeve portion which terminates in a lower segmented rim, with the rim being expandable to a first outside diameter greater than an inside diameter of the locking tube and collapsible to a second outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the locking tube. The upper plate has actuating rods attached to and projecting downwardly therefrom through the flexure tubes. Each actuating rod has a shaft portion which terminates in a lower enlarged nose disposed below the segmented rim of one flexure tube such that movement of the plates away from one another forcibly inserts each enlarged nose into one segmented rim sufficiently to expand the same to its first outside diameter size wherein the segmented rim will engage the lower end of each locking tube, whereas movement of the plates toward one another withdraws each enlarged nose from each segmented rim sufficiently to allow contraction of the same to its second outside diameter size wherein the segmented rim will fit through the locking tube.