Apparatus for enlarging an extremity of a plastic pipe

Claim 2

An expanding mandrel assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of radially disposed expander jaws and a plurality of expander wedges, said expander wedges being located alternately with respect to said expander jaws, each of said expander jaws including an arcuate outer wall surface and angularly disposed converging inner wall surfaces and each of said expander wedges including an arcuate outer wall surface having a radius complementary to that of the expander jaws and angularly disposed diverging side walls having an angular relationship complementary to that of the converging inner surfaces of the expander jaws; a radially disposed wedge guide associated with each expander wedge, the base of each expander wedge being provided with a longitudinally disposed T-shaped slot for the reception of the complementarily conformed upper extremity of the associated wedge guide; each of said expander jaws and expander wedges being provided with a circumferential notch adjacent at least one extremity thereof and a continuous coil spring received within said aligned circumferential notches to bias said expander jaws and wedges toward each other; cam means located axially of said mandrel assembly and movable laterally to increase selectively the diameter of said mandrel, said cam means being constituted by a tapered spindle and each wedge guide having a complementarily tapered inner surface which engages said spindle, the peripheral surface of said spindle being provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed and uniformly spaced wedge guide receiving slots within which the lower extremities of said wedge guides are slidably received; expansible spring means surrounding said mandrel assembly, said spring means being operative to urge said expander jaws and expander wedges inwardly toward a retracted position; and inner and outer flanged end caps for said mandrel and spindle assembly, said inner end cap including a vertically disposed wall having a centrally located aperture to permit ready passage therethrough of the axially located cam means, said outer end cap being mounted upon the outer extremity of said cam means and engaging with the oUter extremity of said mandrel assembly in surrounding relationship when said cam means approaches the limit of its movement in the expanding direction.

Claim 3

An expanding mandrel as set forth in claim 1 where the vertically disposed wall of the inner end cap is provided with a plurality of radially spaced T-shaped slots and the inner extremity of each wedge guide has a complementarily shaped vertical extremity receivable within an associated slot whereby said wedge guides are secured to said inner end cap.

Claim 4

Apparatus for enlarging an extremity of a length of a plastic pipe so that the extremity of an adjacent length of plastic pipe may be received and retained therein, said apparatus including a mounting plate, a bracket including an internally threaded handwheel mounted on one face of said mounting plate, and a horizontally disposed threaded adjusting rod extending through said bracket and mounting plate; an expanding mandrel assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of radially disposed expander jaws and a plurality of expander wedges, said expander wedges being located alternately with respect to said expander jaws, each of said expander jaws including an arcuate outer wall surface and angularly disposed converging inner wall surfaces and each of said expander wedges including an arcuate outer wall surface having a radius complementary to that of the expander jaws and angularly disposed diverging side walls having an angular relationship complementary to that of the converging inner surfaces of the expander jaws; a radially disposed wedge guide associated with each expander wedge, the base of each expander wedge being provided with a longitudinally disposed T-shaped slot for the reception of the complementarily conformed upper extremity of the associated wedge guide; each of said expander jaws and expander wedges being provided with a circumferential notch adjacent at least one extremity thereof and a continuous coil spring received within said aligned circumferential notches to bias said expander jaws and wedges toward each other; cam means located axially of said mandrel assembly and movable laterally to increase selectively the diameter of said mandrel, said cam means being constituted by a tapered spindle mounted upon the inner extremity of said threaded adjusting rod and each wedge guide having a complementarily tapered inner surface which engages said spindle, the peripheral surface of said spindle being provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed and uniformly spaced wedge guide receiving slots within which the lower extremities of said wedge guides are slidably received; expansible spring means surrounding said mandrel assembly, said spring means being operative to urge said expander jaws and expander wedges inwardly toward a retracted position; and inner and outer flanged end caps for said mandrel and spindle assembly, said inner end cap including a vertically disposed wall having a centrally located aperture to permit ready passage therethrough of the axially located cam means, said outer end cap being mounted upon the outer extremity of said cam means and engaging with the outer extremity of said mandrel assembly in surrounding relationship when said cam means approaches the limit of its movement in the expanding direction.

Claim 5

Apparatus for enlarging an extremity of a length of a plastic pipe so that the extremity of an adjacent length of plastic pipe may be received and retained therein, said apparatus including a mounting plate, a bracket including an internally threaded handwheel mounted on one face of said mounting plate, and a horizontally disposed threaded adjusting rod extending through said bracket and mounting plate; an expanding mandrel assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of radially disposed expander jaws and a plurality of expander wedges, said expander wedges being located alternately with respect to said expander jaws, each of said expander jaws including an arcuate outer wall surface and angularly disposed converging inner wall surfaces and each of said expander wedges including an arcuate outer wall surface having a radius complementary to that of the expander jaws and angularly disposed diverging side walls having an angular relationship complementary to that of the converging inner surfaces of the expander jaws; a radially disposed wedge guide associated with each expander wedge, the base of each expander wedge being provided with a longitudinally disposed T-shaped slot for the reception of the complementarily conformed upper extremity of the associated wedge guide; each of said expander jaws and expander wedges being provided with a circumferential notch adjacent at least one extremity thereof and a continuous coil spring received within said aligned circumferential notches to bias said expander jaws and wedges toward each other; cam means located axially of said mandrel assembly and movable laterally to increase selectively the diameter of said mandrel, said cam means being constituted by a tapered spindle mounted upon the inner extremity of said threaded adjusting rod and each wedge guide having a complementarily tapered inner surface which engages said spindle, the peripheral surface of said spindle being provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed and uniformly spaced wedge guide receiving slots within which the lower extremities of said wedge guides are slidably received; expansible spring means surrounding said mandrel assembly, said spring means being operative to urge said expander jaws and expander wedges inwardly toward a retracted position; and inner and outer flanged end caps for said mandrel and spindle assembly, said inner end cap including a vertically disposed wall having a centrally located aperture to permit ready passage therethrough of the axially located cam means, said outer end cap being mounted upon the outer extremity of said cam means and engaging with the outer extremity of said mandrel assembly in surrounding relationship when said cam means approaches the limit of its movement in the expanding direction.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 where said adjustable mandrel includes an inner flanged end cap having a centrally located aperture through which the spindle extends, means being provided to secure said inner flanged end cap to said mounting plate in spaced relation with respect thereto the spacing between said mounting plate and inner end cap being sufficiently great to receive that portion of the spindle which passes through the mandrel when the limit of enlargement will be reached.

Claim 7

An expanding mandrel as set forth in claim 1 where the expansible spring means surrounding said mandrel assembly is a stainless steel spring sheath having overlapping edges and adjustable With said mandrel to provide a smooth peripheral surface for at least a portion of the length of said expander jaws.

Claim 8

Apparatus for enlarging an extremity of a length of plastic pipe as set forth in claim 3 where the expansible spring means surrounding said mandrel assembly is a stainless steel spring sheath having overlapping edges and adjustable with said mandrel to provide a smooth peripheral surface for at least a portion of the length of said expander jaws.