Assembly for plugging a tube
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorAbdullah M. Al-Otaibi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for plugging a tube that includes setting a tapered plug in a tube with a compression ring that circumscribes the plug. The ring radially expands when axially compressed and wedges the plug in the tube. An anchoring assembly fits over the tapered end of the plug and is coupled to the plug while being pushed against the compressed ring. When coupled to the plug, the anchoring assembly maintains the ring in a compressed state. The anchoring assembly can be made up of legs that fasten to the tapered end of the plug and have shoulders attached on a free end that are positioned against a lateral side of the compressed ring.
Claims17
A plug assembly for plugging a tube comprising:
- a frusto-conical plug in the tube having a blunt end and a tapered end;
- an annular compression ring circumscribing a portion of the plug and changeable into a sealing configuration that radially spans between the plug and an inner surface of the tube so that an inner radial surface of the ring is in sealing contact with an outer surface of the plug and an outer radial surface of the plug is in sealing contact with an inner surface of the tube;
- and
- a compression fitting comprising, a leg having an elongate first segment disposed against a terminal end of the tapered end and an elongate second segment attached to the first segment and that projects along a lateral side of the plug, a shoulder on an end of the second segment distal from the first segment, and that is wedged against a lateral side of the compression ring, a fastener coupling the first segment to the plug and that has an end that threadingly attaches to threads formed in a bore that intersects the tapered end of the plug and terminates within the plug so that a threaded end of the fastener terminates within the plug.
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tube sheet,
- a tube set in a bore in the tube sheet;
- and
- a plug assembly in the tube comprising,
- a frusto conical plug having a blunt end and a tapered end,
- a compression ring that is axially compressed in a portion of the space between the plug and the tube, and that radially expands into sealing contact with the plug and the tube,
- a retainer having a portion set on a tapered end of the plug, and another portion extending along a length of the plug and in compressive engagement with a lateral side of the compression ring facing the tapered end, and
- a fastener rotatable with respect to the retainer, that couples the portion of the retainer into engaging contact with the tapered end of the plug, and that has a threaded portion that threadingly engages the tapered end of the plug when the compression ring is axially compressed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.