Expandable pin plug for automated use

An expandable plug, adapted to be mounted in an opening in a material for sealing said material opening comprising:

• a) a plugging means to seal said material opening and having a plurality of grooves on an outer surface thereof;
• b) an expansion means, said expansion means inserted into said plugging means for expanding said plugging means in said material opening, thereby providing an enhanced seal of said material;
• and
• c) a sequencing means attached to said expansion means to regulate the sequence of applying force to said expansion means during the insertion of said expansion means into said plugging means;
• and
• d) adhesive means for temporarily securing said expansion means to said plugging means thereby allowing said plugging means and said expansion means to be handled as one piece prior to and during installation.

An expandable plug, adapted to be mounted in a plug mounting bore in a material for sealing the material at high pressure comprising:

• a) a plug body having an axially spaced inner end wall and a coaxial bore extending between an outer end of the plug body and the inner end wall, the coaxial bore having a tapered bore section with a larger diameter end at its outer end, said tapered bore section forming a socket;
• b) a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves and lands along an external portion of the plug body;
• c) a tapered plug pin adapted to be driven into the socket to expand the plug body into locking engagement with a wall of a plug mounting bore, the tapered plug pin having a surface tapered approximately the same as the tapered bore of the socket and a diameter larger than the diameter of the socket to substantially uniformly expand the peripheral lands of the plug body into engagement with the wall of the plug mounting bore;
• d) a shear flange surrounding the plug pin and positioned so that it is flush with the plug outer end with a small amount of pre-installation of the pin to allow for sequential installation of the expandable plug pin;
• and
• e) an adhesive means for temporarily securing the plug pin to the inner surface of the plug body thereby allowing the plug body and the plug pin to be handled as one piece prior to and during installation.