Incremental tube or vessel expander

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING PRESSURE VESSEL SHELLS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE, A PEDESTAL ATTACHED THERETO AT ONE END; AN EXTERNAL DIE-RING IN THE FORM OF A SHORT HOLLOW CYLINDER MOUNTED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BASE, SAID DIE-RING HAVING A LARGER INTERNAL DIAMETER THAN THE SHELL TO BE EXPANDED; A SUPPORT FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID PEDESTAL; AN INTERNAL, BASICALLY CYLINDRICAL, EXPANDER ASSEMBLY FIXED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SUPPORT AND AXIALLY POSITIONED TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN AND CONCENTRIC WITH SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING, SAID EXPANDER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED, FLEXIBLE EXPANSIBLE MEANS EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE ASSEMBLY AND AXIALLY OF SAID DIE-RING OVER A MAJOR PORTION OF ITS LENGTH; AN EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE CASING FABRICATED OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF AND ENGAGING THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE-ACTUATED, FLEXIBLE, EXPANSIBLE MEANS, SAID CASING BEING AXIALLY POSITIONED TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN AND CONCENTRIC WITH SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING AND COMPRISING REINFORCEMENT MEANS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL OF THE CASING FOR IMPARTING DIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES TO THE CASING RESTRICTING ELONGATION IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION, AND PERMITTING ELONGATION IN THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION; A JIG ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND CAPABLE OF AXIAL DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL EXPANDER ASSEMBLY AND THE PEDESTAL; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JIG ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO SUPPORT ONE END OF SAID SHELL WITH ITS WALL PASSING BETWEEN THE MATERIAL EXPANDER ASSEMBLY AND EXTERNAL DIE-RING; AND MEANS FOR FEEDING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID FLEXIBLE EXPANSIBLE MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID MEANS AND EXPAND A PORTION OF THE SHELL RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AGAINST SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING PRESSURE VESSEL SHELLS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE, A PEDESTAL ATTACHED THERETO AT ONE END; AN EXTERNAL DIE-RING IN THE FORM OF A SHORT HOLLOW CYLINDER MOUNTED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BASE, SAID DIE-RING HAVING A LARGER INTERNAL DIAMETER THAN THE SHELL TO BE EXPANDED; A SUPPORT FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID PEDESTAL; AN INTERNAL, BASICALLY CYLINDRICAL, EXPANDER ASSEMBLY FIXED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SUPPORT AND AXIALLY POSITIONED TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN AND CONCENTRIC WITH SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING, SAID EXPANDER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED, FLEXIBLE EXPANSIBLE MEANS EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE ASSEMBLY AND AXIALLY OF SAID DIE-RING OVER A MAJOR PORTION OF ITS LENGTH; AN EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE CASING FABRICATED OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF AND ENGAGING THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE-ACTUATED, FLEXIBLE, EXPANSIBLE MEANS, SAID CASING BEING AXIALLY POSITIONED TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN AND CONCENTRIC WITH SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING AND COMPRISING REINFORCEMENT MEANS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL OF THE CASING FOR IMPARTING DIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES TO THE CASING RESTRICTING ELONGATION IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION, AND PERMITTING ELONGATION IN THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION; A JIG ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND CAPABLE OF AXIAL DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL EXPANDER ASSEMBLY AND THE PEDESTAL; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JIG ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO SUPPORT ONE END OF SAID SHELL WITH ITS WALL PASSING BETWEEN THE MATERIAL EXPANDER ASSEMBLY AND EXTERNAL DIE-RING; AND MEANS FOR FEEDING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID FLEXIBLE EXPANSIBLE MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID MEANS AND EXPAND A PORTION OF THE SHELL RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AGAINST SAID EXTERNAL DIE-RING.