Abstract An apparatus for inserting tubes into a shell casing in the manufacture of a heat exchanger of the shell-and-tube type, comprising a tube-supporting bed which is laterally and vertically movable for proper alignment with the holes of tubesupporting sheets in the shell, a plurality of guide rollers forming V-shaped tube passages on the tube bed, a tube pusher cooperative with the guide rollers, and a feeder for automatically feeding tubes to the guide roller arrangement. The tube bed has stoppers that can rise and fall to enable the tubes to be coupled with pilots before insertion. The tube pusher has controls for stopping its movement when the driving torque is excessive. The tube feeder is provided with a loading mechanism having controls, tube position detectors and tube-receiving recesses which are adapted to be turned upside down to face the guide rollers.
A tube-inserting apparatus comprising a tube bed which is laterally and vertically movable relative to the direction in which tubes are inserted into a mating shell, a plurality of tube-guiding means arranged in parallel on the tube bed along the direction of tube insertion, tube-pushing means provided reciprocably on the tube bed for cooperation with the tubeguiding means, and means for automatically feeding tubes to the tubeguiding means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
A tube-inserting apparatus comprising a tube bed which is laterally and vertically movable relative to the direction in which tubes are inserted into a mating shell, a plurality of tube-guiding means arranged in parallel on the tube bed along the direction of tube insertion, tube-pushing means provided reciprocably on the tube bed for cooperation with the tubeguiding means, and means for automatically feeding tubes to the tubeguiding means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A tube-inserting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the tube bed is equipped with retractable stoppers, and a tube-inserting pilot is located on the tube bed in front of each of the tubes, and means for automatically feeding said tube-inserting pilots to the tube-guiding means is provided.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A tube-inserting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the tube-pushing means is provided with means for controlling the same in such a way that, if the torque for driving the tube-pushing means exceeds a predetermined value, the same means is stopped.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
A tube-inserting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the tube-feeding means includes a feeding mechanism having controls, and a loading mechanism having a plurality of tube position detectors and tube-receiving recesses so that when the loading mechanism is turned upside down the recesses are opposed to the tube-guiding means, said loading mechanism and tube-guiding means being provided with their position detectors which coact with the tube-position detectors of the loading mechanism to feed tubes to the tube-guiding means via the feeding and loading means.