EP0309078A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of apparatus for expanding and sealing a sleeve into a surrounding tube
Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corp
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Filing: 1988-07-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-22
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for locating a sleeve within a surrounding tube and pressure-tightly sealing the sleeve within the tube to repair leaks in the tube. The sealing method utilizes dual elongated pressurizable tools. The first tool device includes a housing having a reduced-diameter forward extension portion attached to a front cylinder, and containing a rear piston. The front cylinder, is attached to a collet having multiple radially expandable fingers and contains a front piston attached to a tapered mandrel which is axially movable within the fingers, and has a forward tapered nose portion to facilitate inserting the tool into a tube. The rear piston is attached to the front piston by an elongated rod. By pressurizing the tool front piston by a hydraulic fluid pressurizing unit, the mandrel is forced forward through the collet fingers to expand the fingers against the sleeve and thereby expand the sleeve tightly into the tube to form the seal joint. After withdrawing the tool from the tube, the tool rear piston is similarly pressurized to retract the front piston and attached mandrel back through the collet expandable fingers to reset the tool prior to its further use. The second tool includes a housing containing an axially movable piston and a forward reduced diameter portion and having an elastic expander unit for inserting into the sleeve and tube in a tubesheet. The expander unit consists of at least two elastic rings composed of an elastomer material and each having a chamfer provided at the outer edge of the unit forward and rear faces. By pressurizing a port at the housing front end, the piston is moved rearwardly to axially compress and expand the expander rings radially outwardly sufficiently to expand the sleeve firmly into the tube and provide a pressure-tight seal therebetween. Following such expansion of the sleeve, the piston is pressurized and moved forward to release the compression on the expander unit rings, so that the tool can be easily withdrawn from the expanded sleeve and tube and inserted into another sleeve and tube for repeated usage.
Inventors
- 👤 George B. Rabe
- 👤 Robert Harold Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:02
CPC Classifications
B; B21; B21D; B21D39/00; B21D39/04; B21D39/06; B21D39/08; B21D39/20; B21D39/203; B21D39/206
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for remotely expanding and sealing a tubular sleeve into a surrounding close-fitting tube to provide a seal joint therebetween using dual elongated pressurizable tool devices, the method comprising: (a) inserting an elongated tubular sleeve into a tube, said sleeve having a length extending past any ruptures in the tube; (b) inserting an elongated pressurizable first tool device into said sleeve and aligning radially expandable collet fingers of the tool near the forward end of the sleeve, then pressurizing the tool to expand said fingers outwardly against the inner surface of the sleeve and thereby expand the sleeve forward end firmly against the tube wall and forming a seal therebetween, then withdrawing the first tool from the sleeve and tube; (c) inserting a second pressurizable tool device into said sleeve, said second tool including a housing containing an axially movable piston and having an elastic expander provided near the rear end of the sleeve; (d) pressurizing said second tool device to move its piston rearwardly to axially compress the elastic expander unit and radially expand the sleeve rear end firmly against the tube wall and forming a seal therebetween; and (e) withdrawing said second tool device from the sleeve and surrounding tube.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
167 words
A method for remotely expanding a tubular sleeve forward end into a surrounding tube to provide a seal joint therebetween using an elongated expander tool device, comprising: (a) inserting an elongated tubular sleeve into a tube; (b) inserting an elongated tool device into said sleeve and aligning radially expandable collet fingers of the tool near the forward end of said sleeve; (c) pressurizing a front piston in said tool device and forcing an axially movable tapered mandrel attached to the piston forward end through the collet expandable fingers, so as to radially expand said fingers outwardly against the inner surface of the sleeve and thereby expand the sleeve firmly against the tube; (d) further pressurizing the front piston to force the mandrel further through the collet fingers and thereby retracting the collet fingers; (e) withdrawing the tool device from the expanded sleeve and tube; and (f) pressurizing the tool rear piston to retract the mandrel rearwardly through the collet fingers and reset the tool for further use.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the tool front piston is pressurized to 3500-4500 psig pressure for expanding the collet fingers and sleeve.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 2, including pressurizing the rear side of the rear piston to additionally force the mandrel forward against the collet fingers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the tool rear piston is pressurized to 3500-4500 psig pressure to retract the mandrel through the collet fingers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
169 words
A pressurizable tool adapted for expanding a sleeve rear end into a surrounding tube in a tubesheet, comprising: a housing having a cylindrical axially bore and containing a front port connected to the bore; a closure plate having a forward portion inserted into said cylindrical bore, and containing a rear port connected to said bore; a piston axially movable within said housing bore, said piston being attached at its forward end to an elongated rod, said rod having a retainer nut threadably attached onto its forward end; and an elastic expander unit encircling said rod between said housing and said retainer nut, said expander unit containing a plurality of elastomer rings and having a chamfer provided at the outer edge of the expander unit front and rear faces, whereby pressurizing the housing front port moves said piston rearwardly in the housing to axially compress the elastic expander unit against the housing so as to radially expand the expander unit firmly against the sleeve into the tube in the tubesheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A tool according to claim 6, wherein said closure plate is attached to said housing by a plurality of fastener bolts and is pressure-sealed to said housing and piston by outer and inner O-ring seals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A tool according to claim 6, wherein said piston has a rearward projection which extends through said closure plate and is pressure sealed to the plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A tool according to claim 6, wherein an adapter flange is rigidly attached to said housing front end, said flange having a front portion adapted to fit inside a tube and contact an end of the sleeve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A tool according to claim 6, wherein said expander unit consists of a two rings having equal thickness, with each ring having a chamfer with a radial dimension equal to 15-30% of the ring radius.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A tool according to claim 6, wherein said expander unit rings are composed of polyurethane elastomer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
218 words
A pressurizable tool adapted for expanding a sleeve rear end into a surrounding tube in a tubesheet, comprising: a housing having a cylindrical axial bore and containing a front port connected to the bore; a closure plate having a forward portion inserted into said cylindrical bore and containing a rear port connected to said bore; a piston axially movable within said housing cylindrical bore, said piston having a rearward extension which extends through said closure plate and is attached at its forward end to an elongated rod, said rod having a retainer nut threadably attached onto its forward end; an adapted flange rigidly attached to the front end of said housing encircling said rod, said adapter flange having a front should portion sized to fit inside a tube and contact the rear end of the sleeve; and dual elastic expander rings provided encircling said rod between said housing adapter flange and said retainer nut, said expander unit containing dual rings each having a chamfer located at the outer edge of the front and rear faces, whereby pressurizing the housing front port moves said piston rearwardly in said housing to axially compress the elastic expander unit against said housing adapter flange, so as to rapidly expand the expander rings firmly against the sleeve into the tube in the tubesheet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
260 words
An elongated first tool device adapted for remotely expanding a tubular sleeve forward end into a surrounding tube, comprising: (a) a housing having first and second ports provided therein, said housing having a forward extension portion which is attached to a front cylinder; (b) a collet attached to said front cylinder at its forward end, said collet having at least three radially expandable fingers located at the collet forward end; (c) a front piston axially movable within said front cylinder, said front piston being connected to an elongated tapered mandrel having an enlarged diameter at its rearward end and an adjacent longitudinally extended reduced diameter portion, said mandrel being axially slidable in said collet and connected to a front guide portion; (d) a rear cylinder located within said housing and containing a rear piston which is rigidly connected to said front piston by a centrally located rod extending therebetween; and (e) an elongated tube centrally disposed around said rod, said tube being arranged for supplying fluid pressure from said first housing port to the rear end of said front piston, said housing having said first port flow connected to the rear end of the front piston and second port flow connected to the forward end of the rear piston, whereby the tool forward extension portion can be inserted into a tubular sleeve and the front piston pressurized to move forward the tapered mandrel so as to radially expand the collet fingers against the sleeve and thereby expand the sleeve firmly into a tube to seal the sleeve into the tube.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein a spacer ring is attached to the forward end of said housing for axially locating said collet within the sleeve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein said front cylinder is threadably attached to said housing forward extension by an elongated spacer tube to provide for adjustment of the tool length.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein said front guide portion is a tapered nose piece having an outer diameter slightly less than that of the collet and is rigidly attached to the forward end of said tapered mandrel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein said mandrel forward portion has a diametral taper of 0.050-0.065 inch per inch of mandrel length.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein said housing contains an auxiliary rear port connected to the rear side of said rear piston, so as to additionally force the mandrel forward against said collet fingers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
A tool according to claim 13 wherein said collet has 6-12 radially expandable fingers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
285 words
An elongated first tool device adapted for remotely expanding a tubular sleeve forward end into a surround tube to provide a seal therebetween, the tool comprising: (a) a housing having first and second ports provided therein, said housing having a forward extension portion and a spacer piece 51 attached at its forward end to a front cylinder; (b) a collet attached to said front cylinder at its forward end, said collet having 6-12 radially expandable fingers located at the collet forward end; (c) a front piston axially movable within said front cylinder, said front piston being connected to an elongated tapered mandrel having an enlarged diameter at its rearward end and an adjacent longitudinally extended reduced diameter portion, said mandrel being axially slidable in said collet and connected to a front tapered nose guide piece having a diameter slightly less than that of the collet; (d) a rear cylinder located within said housing and containing a rear piston which is rigidly connected to said front piston by a centrally located rod extending therebetween; and (e) an elongated tube centrally disposed around said rod, said tube being arranged for supplying fluid pressure from said first housing port to the rear end of said front piston, said housing having said first port flow connected to the rear end of the front piston and said second port flow connected to the forward end of the rear piston, whereby the tool forward extension portion can be inserted into a tubular sleeve and the front piston pressurized to move forward the tapered mandrel so as to radially expand the collet fingers against the sleeve and thereby expand the sleeve firmly into a tube to seal the sleeve into the tube.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for radially expanding a sleeve rear end in a surrounding tube in a tubesheet, comprising: inserting a tool device into a close-fitting sleeve to be expanded in a surrounding tube, said tool device including a housing containing an axially movable piston and having an elastic expander unit provided at the housing forward end; pressurizing the tool to move said piston rearwardly and axially compressing the expander unit so as to radially expand the expander unit and sleeve firmly against the inner wall of the tube to produce a pressure-tight seal therebetween; then pressurizing the tool to move the piston forwardly to release the axial compression from the expander unit and contract the expander unit; and withdrawing the tool from the expanded sleeve and tube within the tubesheet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 21, wherein the expander unit includes a forward and rear elastomer ring, and the forward ring is discarded after at least each 20 cycles of use and both rings are discarded after at least 40 cycles of use.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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