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US 8,474,292 B2Granted
Straightening a tube on an expander
AssigneeSMS Meer GmbH
InventorsManfred Kolbe, Uwe Feldmann, Arno Topueth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tube extending along a tube axis is straightened by radially outwardly plastically deforming and expanding the tube by means of an expander mandrel and simultaneously bending the tube by applying radially inwardly directed forces to the tube at three points lying on a triangle. One of the points is level with the mandrel on one side of the tube and the other two points axially flank it in axially opposite directions and bear on the other side of the tube.
Claims6
An apparatus for straightening a tubes extending along a tube axis, the apparatus comprising:
- a radially expandable mandrel;
- means for relatively axially shifting the mandrel and the tube while expanding the mandrel to radially expand and plastically deform the tube at the mandrel;
- two outer straightening elements bearing radially inward against the tube at respective outer points thereon axially spaced from and flanking the mandrel and radially substantially nonmovable relative to the mandrel;
- a central element bearing radially inward on the tube at a central point axially level with the mandrel and between the outer points;
- a common frame carrying all of the straightening elements;
- and
- means for radially inwardly shifting one of the straightening elements on the frame relative to the other two straightening elements so as to apply radially directed bending forces to the tube and thereby straighten a section of the tube lying between the outer points.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.