Apparatus for expanding tubular material

In an externally held, adjustable spreader for a tubular material which is movable in a selected direction relative to the spreader, the spreader comprising:

• at least two spreading and guiding units arranged to be laterally juxtaposed in the region enclosed by the tubular material, each unit having an outer guide face positioned to face outwardly of the region encosed by the tubular material, and comprising at least one endless transporting belt having a circumference which extends in part along the outer guide face;
• and feed rollers arranged to be located outside the material and each releasably operatively engageable with said belt of a respective said unit, the improvement wherein said spreader further comprises:
• a plurality of externally engaging support rollers, each having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the selected direction of movement of the material,
• a plurality of counterrollers which are rotatably mounted in said units, and each releasably operatively engageable with a respective support roller;
• and
• means supporting said feed rollers and said support rollers associated with one of said units for joint displacement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the material to permit setting a desired spreading width of the spreader, and wherein
• each feed roller has a common axis of rotation, and forms a roller pair, with a respective support roller;
• and
• to prevent the exertion of tilting moments on each said unit, at least two roller pairs are placed on one side of each said unit with respect to the direction of movement of the material and at least one roller pair is placed on the opposite side.

In an externally held, adjustable spreader for a tubular material which is movable in a selected direction relative to the spreader, the spreader comprising:

• at least two spreading and guiding units arranged to be laterally juxtaposed in the region enclosed by the tubular material, each unit having an outer guide face positioned to face outwardly of the region enclosed by the tubular material, and comprising at least one endless transporting belt having a circumference which extends in part along the outer guide face;
• and feed rollers arranged to be located outside the material and each releasably operatively engageable with said belt of a respective said unit, the improvement wherein said spreader further comprises:
• a plurality of externally engaging support rollers, each having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the selected direction of movement of the material;
• a plurality of counterrollers which are rotatably mounted in said units, and each releasably operatively engageable with a respective support roller;
• and
• means supporting said feed rollers and said support rollers associated with one of said units for joint displacement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the material to permit setting a desired spreading width of the spreader, and wherein
• each said unit has two sides facing away from one another,
• each feed roller and each support roller is disposed adjacent a respective side of a respective unit, and
• said support rollers and said feed rollers adjacent one side of one said unit are movable toward and away from said support rollers and said feed rollers adjacent the other side of said one unit.