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:
May. 19, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1995
David A Snyder, North Huntingdon, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
Method for expanding tubular members, such as U-shaped heat transfer tubes having ends thereof located in the confined space adjacent the curved sides of the bowl-shaped lower plenum of a typical nuclear steam generator. The apparatus includes an elongate mandrel having a flow channel therethrough in communication with a resilient tubular bladder surrounding the mandrel. The bladder is flexible about its longitudinal axis due to the ribbed construction of the wall thereof. The mandrel includes a plurality of segments, adjacent ones of the segments interconnected by a ball-and-socket joint therebetween, so that the segments swivel about respective ones of the ball-and-socket joints. Thus, the mandrel and the expandable bladder connected thereto are flexible rather than rigid in order to be easily inserted into the tube ends located adjacent the curved sides of the bowl-shaped plenum and in order to easily traverse the upper U-bend portion of the tube.
Data source: USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) public patent records. Weekly synchronization. How IDiyas builds this profile