Gas bolt heating apparatus

A gas bolt heating apparatus for connecting to a heating tube and heating a bolt member having a bore, the heating tube being positionable within said bore, and the heating apparatus comprising:

• a gas torch emitting a flame and having a torch tip through which hot gas passes, the torch tip having a distal end;
• a hollow cylindrical housing having a first end, a second end opposite thereof and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart exhaust openings at the second end of the housing, the distal end of the torch tip aligning with and being adjacent to the exhaust openings;
• an insert disposed within the housing, the insert having an interior end disposed between the first end and the second end of the housing, a central passageway extending from the first end of the housing to the interior end of the insert, the central passageway being configured to receive said torch tip, and a downwardly convergent air outlet passageway configured to direct air passing therethrough towards said torch tip for feeding and directing the flame, the air outlet passageway extending through said interior end of the insert;
• and
• a pipe bushing threadably connected to the housing and being positioned adjacent to the interior end of the insert, the pipe bushing being configured to threadably connect to the heating tube, the torch tip being configured to extend into the heating tube for directly heating the heating tube when the heating tube is so connected to the pipe bushing, the distal end of the torch tip being positioned adjacent to the second end of the housing and being spaced-apart above the bolt member.