Apparatus for tube removal

Claim 2

A tool for relieving the hoop stresses in expanded tube joints of heat exchanger vessels comprising: a cutter having a pair of circumferentially spaced teeth for removing material from the tube wall to simultaneously form two spaced parallel axial slots on the interior thereof, said teeth being spaced to form slots separated from each other by an angle within the range of 10* to 20* measured from a point on the bore of the tube diametrically opposite the slots; and tool support means associated with said cutter to hold said cutter at a desired radial distance to prevent tooth penetration through the exterior surface of the tube wall.

Claim 3

A tool for relieving the hoop stresses in expanded tube joints of heat exchanger vessels comprising; a cutter having a pair of circumferentially spaced teeth for removing material from the tube wall to form two spaced parallel axial slots on the interior thereof, said teeth being spaced to form slots separated from each other by an angle of approximately 10* to 20* measured from a point on the bore of the tube diametrically opposite the slots; tool support means associated with said cutter to hold said cutter at a desired radial distance to prevent tooth penetration through the exterior surface of the tube wall, said tool support means including a raised central portion behind said cutter, said raised portion having a width equal to the width of the material between the slots formed by said teeth, said portion having a height less than the thickness of the tube wall, said support having angled slot formed therein associated with said raised portion whereby engagement of said raised portion with the portion of the tube between the slots formed by said cutter teeth causes an inward force to be exerted thereon to rip the portion of the tube between the slots from the remainder of the tube and displace the ripped material into the angled slot formed in said tool support.

Claim 4

A tool for relieving the hoop stresses in expanded tube joints of heat exchanger vessels comprising; a cutter having a pair of circumferentially spaced teeth for removing material from the tube wall to form two spaced parallel axial slots on the interior thereof, said teeth being spaced to form slots separated from each other by an angle of approximately 10* to 20* measured from a point on the bore of the tube diametrically opposite the slots; tool support means associated with said cutter to hold said cutter at a desired radial distance to prevent tooth penetration through the exterior surface of the tube wall, said tool support means including a raised central portion behind said cutter, said raised portion having a width equal to the width of the material between the slots formed by said teeth, said portion having a height less than the thickness of the tube wall, said support having angled slot formed therein associated with said raised portion whereby engagement of said raised portion with the portion of the tube between the slots formed by said cutter teeth causes an inward force to be exerted thereon to rip the portion of the tube between the slots from the remainder of the tube and displace the ripped material into the angled slot formed in said tool support.

Claim 5

A tool according to claim 1 wherein said tool support means includes: a shank for engagement by a suitable tool for propelling said cutter axially within the tube; and a head adapted for attachment to said shank, said head having a slot extending longitudinally of said head, said slot having a bottom inclined at an angle to the axis of said head, said slot progressively decreasing in depth from the leading end of said head toward said shank, said slot being adapted for slidably receiving said cutter.

Claim 6

A tool for relieving the hoop stresses in expanded tube joints of heat exchanger vessels comprising: a cutter having a pair of circumferentially spaced teeth for removing material from the tube wall to form two spaced parallel axial slots on the iNterior thereof, said teeth being spaced to form slots separated from each other by an angle of approximately 10* to 20* measured from a point on the bore of the tube diametrically opposite the slots; tool support means associated with said cutter to hold said cutter at a desired radial distance to prevent tooth penetration through the exterior surface of the tube wall, said tool support means including a shank for engagement by a suitable tool for propelling said cutter axially within the tube; a head adapted for attachment to said shank, said head having an angled slot extending longitudinally of said head, said slot having a bottom inclined at an angle to the axis of said head, said slot progressively decreasing in depth from the leading end of said head toward said shank, said slot being adapted for slidably receiving said cutter; and a wear shoe suitably affixed to said tool support means opposite said cutter.

Claim 7

A tool for relieving the hoop stresses in expanded tube joints of heat exchanger vessels comprising: a cutter having a pair of circumferentially spaced teeth for removing material from the tube wall to form two spaced parallel axial slots on the iNterior thereof, said teeth being spaced to form slots separated from each other by an angle of approximately 10* to 20* measured from a point on the bore of the tube diametrically opposite the slots; tool support means associated with said cutter to hold said cutter at a desired radial distance to prevent tooth penetration through the exterior surface of the tube wall, said tool support means including a shank for engagement by a suitable tool for propelling said cutter axially within the tube; a head adapted for attachment to said shank, said head having an angled slot extending longitudinally of said head, said slot having a bottom inclined at an angle to the axis of said head, said slot progressively decreasing in depth from the leading end of said head toward said shank, said slot being adapted for slidably receiving said cutter; and a wear shoe suitably affixed to said tool support means opposite said cutter.

Claim 8

A tool according to claim 4 wherein said head is provided with a second slot parallel to the axis of said head, said slot being adapted for slidably receiving said wear shoe.

Claim 9

A tool according to claim 5 wherein said cutter is adapted for sliding movement in said angled slot into abutting engagement with said shank; and cutter-positioning means formed in said shank for receiving said cutter to effect an axial and radial positioning of said cutter relative to said head and associated wear shoe.

Claim 10

A tool according to claim 6 further including a pin adapted for insertion through said shank and said head to prevent relative rotation therebetween and to assure the desired alignment of the angled slot in said head with the cutter positioning means on said shank.

Claim 11

A tool according to claim 7 further including a collar adapted for engagement with said shank for axial positioning thereon, said collar serving as a tool stop to prevent insertion of the tool beyond the desired distance within the tube.