Tubing expansion tool
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorAndrew Michael Duggan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a tubing expansion tool and to a method of expanding tubing. In one embodiment, a tubing expansion tool (10) is disclosed which comprises a body (14) and at least one expansion member (16) radially movably mounted on the body (14) for movement towards an extended configuration describing an expansion diameter for expanding tubing (12) to a predetermined diameter, the expansion member (16) being lockable in the extended configuration. In further embodiments, the expansion member (16) is biased radially inwardly; the expansion member (16) is moveable in response to both an applied mechanical force and an applied fluid pressure force; and the expansion member (16) is pivotably mounted with respect to the body (14).
Claims31
A tubing expansion tool comprising:
- a body;
- at least one expansion member radially movably mounted on the body for movement towards an extended configuration describing an expansion diameter;
- an activating member movable within the body and having an activating position in which the activating member urges the expansion member towards the extended configuration;
- and
- a locking assembly for locking the activating member in the activating position to maintain the expansion member in the extended configuration.
A method of expanding tubing, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tubing expansion tool comprising a body, at least one expansion member movably mounted on the body, and an activating member for moving the expansion member;
- moving the expansion member radially outwardly to an extended configuration describing an expansion diameter;
- locking the activating member using a locking assembly when the expansion member is in the extended configuration;
- and
- moving the expansion tool through tubing to be expanded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.