Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~:: BACKG~OUND OF THE INVE~`JTION
This invention relates to a manually operated tool of a
configuration to be recei~Jed internally of a pipe and pipe flange
~' for holding the flange in axial alignment with respect to the pipe
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-~ 5 to facilitate ~he pipe and flange being welded together. Prior
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~ art flange aligners employ a one stage principle fur expa~sion and
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operates to expand simultaneously into contac~ with the bor~ of~
both the flange and the pipe. Accordingly, the expansion me~ber
first con~acts the smaller diamater bore, whichever it may be,
then as the tool is further expanded contact i6 made with the
larger diameter bore. Such an operation mades it difficult~to
-~ properly position the flange respective to the pipe bscaus'e the
flange and pipe are being simultaneously engaged'by ths tool. This
';' type of aligner is not at all satisfactory Eor aligning flanges to
' 15 pipe ends wherein large differences in the internal bore between
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the flang~ and pipe are encountered.
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~' For ~xample, in pressure vessel constructivn, the pipe i~
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''~ o~ten of a heavier ~chedule than the pipe flange to be welded
'' thereon, and accordingly, the internal diameter differences pre-
clude the satisfactory use of many prior art ~lange aligner~.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to hav~ made availa~le
-~ a flange aligner having a two stage alignment apparatus, OnQ stage
for engaging the pipe independently of a second stage'for engagin~
the flange. With such an apparatus, either the flange or the pipe
~, can first be engaged by the appropriate engaging apparatus, and
thereafter the flange can be properly oriented respective to the
pipe prior to s tting ~he second stage of the apparatus.
' Large pipe flanges weigh several hundred pounds and are
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very difficult to properly bring into axial alignment ahd orienta-
tion with a pipe~ Accordingly, should one be able to secure a
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flange allgner tosl fLrst ~rithin th~ pipe, the flange can subsequently be
mounted on the second stage apparatus and the weld gap and flange holes easily
set and oriented since the tool now supports the heavy flange. This assures
accurate and proper alignment of the flange with respect to the pipe end prior to
welding. This also makes lt possible to accurately choose the optimum gap
between the confronting ends bf the flange and pipe.
A tool that achie~es the above desirable attr-lbutes and overcomes
the drawbacks of the prior art is the subject of the present invention.
PRI0 ART STATEMENT
; lO Jacobsen U.S. 3,330,021 teaches a pipe lining tool. Spaced shoe
members 8 and 24 are simultsneously moved when wheel 4 rotates at threads 3.
Jacobsen is the type of pipe lining tool that Applicant' 9 contribution
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represents an improvement thereover for the reason that Applicant's shoes are
independently moved into contact with the flange and pipe.
Adams et al U.S. 2,615,413 is somewhat similar to Jacobsen in many
`~ respectæ because it is a single stage expansion tool for retracting or extending
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the illustrated shoes 24, 24, 62.
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Britton U.S. 3,736,286 illustrates two coacting members of whlch are
telescopingly received one ~lithin the other. The members are conical in shape
and serve to hold a flange to a pipe. The apparatus of Britton obviously has
little to do with Applicant's contribution.
Boyer U.S. 2,080~906 shows a pipe lining tool having blades 17 spAced
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from one another and radially arranged respective to the main housing thereof.
The blades 17 bear against inner member 19 and are forced radially outwardly
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whenever the crank 29 ls actuated. Accordingly, Boyer '906 is a single stage
apparatus that simultaneously extends the blade into engagement with the pipe
~ and flange, rather than individually as, set forth in Applicant's present claims.
`.J~ Canadian Patent 629,929, 10-31 61, to Taylor discloses confronting
` cones that simultaneously engage expander member 26 for simultaneously engaging
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flange 14 and plpe 10. Since this is a single stage operation, ~t is not
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` anticipatory of Applican~, contribution.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVEMTIOM
A flange aligner tool for aligning the bore sf a flange
with the bore of a pipe so that the flange and plpe can be properly
welded together in aligned relationship. The tool ha~ an elongated
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body with there b~ing opposed maryinal ends. Spaced radially
arranged extensible pipe engaging means extend from one marginal
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end of said main body for engaging the interior of a pipe;~an~
second spaced radi~lly arranged extensible flange engaging m~ans
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-~ extends from the other marginal end of said main body for engaging
the interior of a flange.
Means are attached to said main body for independently
extending said pipe engaging means and said flange engaging means,
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~ whereby~ the interior of~` a marginal end of a pipe can be engaged
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~ with the novel pipe engagin~ means, and thereafter a flange can be
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~ 15 positioned on the flange engaging means, so that the ~lange and
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pipe are releasably attached to one another in axial aligned rela-
tionship and the ~lange~ and p~pe can therefore be welded together.
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The main body of this invention preferably is cylindrical
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~ and includes two axially spaced sets of circ~fere~tially spaced
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indows formed through a siclewall thereof. The flange enqaging
means are radially extendin~ blades and each blade reciprocatingly
~ extends through a window and moves in response to axial movemsnt
- of a mandrel.
- Another set of circumferentially spaced windows receive
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a pipe engaging se~ of blades therethrough, and the pipe engaging
~`~ blades are extended xadially outwardly in response to axial move-
ment of another mandrel.
,
The flange mandrel is actuated by a cylindrlcal knob
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~ locat~d adjacent to the outer end o~ the main body~ The flan~e
, .................................. .
'; 30mandrel incl~des a threaded surface which threadedly engages a
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medial length of the inne~ surface of the main bsdy. The ~lange
` mandrel terminates in a coniaal surEace against which ~ sloped
,~ edge of the blade m~mber is slidably received so that axial move-
,, ment of the flange mandrel forces the flang~ en~aging blads~ to be
j~ 5 extended or retrac,ted through the radial windows.
~,, The pipe ma~drel has a marginal length which threadedly
engages a medial length of the main body and inaludes a conical
i~-.................... . .
portion which bears against a sloped portion of the pipa engaging
blades. A circular knob is connected to a central shaft which ex-
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~'" 10 -tends through the flange mandrel and into attached relationship
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~' respective to the pipe mandrel so that ro~ation of the knob mov~s
`' the mandrel axially.
'~, Accoxdingly, o~e end of the tool is inserted into the
~'' pipe bore and the pipe mandrel is moved axially until the pip8 en-
gaging blades contact the inside peripheral surEace of the plpe.
The tool is located with the flange blades positioned ex~eriorly o
the pipe. The flange is next positioned about the flange engaging
,~'," blades, and the flange mandrel is moved axiaLly by manipulating
~ the flange knob until the flange engaging blade~ contact tha in-
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', 20 sicle peripheral surface oE the flange bore thereby releasably
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, locking the flange and pipe -together. The flange engaging blades
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,",', can be loosened to enable repositioning of the flange until the
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,'`' flange is properly oriented respective to the pipe, wheraupon the
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~' two are welded together, and then the tool is removed from the
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~1~, 25 interior of the flange and pipe~ ~
,'^,' A primary object of,the present invention is the provi-
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~'''i sion of a two stage fl~nge aligner tool wherein the stages inde-
pendently engage a pipe and a flange so that a pipe can be engaged
with one stage of the tool and thereafter the flange positioned on
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the tool and subsequently engaged by the other stage, and then '
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welded to the pipe, whereupon the tool is then r~moved from the
pipe and f lange ~ .
Another object of this invention is the pxovision of a
flanye aligner comprising an elongated tool having a marginal end
for releasably engaging the interior of a pipe and an opposed
marginal end for releasably engaging a flange so that th~ tool can
be selectively attached to either the flange or pipe~ the flange
and pipe can then ~e properly oriented respective ko one another
and then welded together; and, then the tool is r~moved from the
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welded pipe and flang
A still further ob]ect of this invention is the provision
of a flange alignment tool Eor precisely aligning a flange respec-
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;. tive to the end of a pi~`e, wherein the alignment tool includes
:~ spaced mandrels which actuate spaced sets of blades, whercin the
' lS blades are radially spaced respective to the mandrels, and the sets
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of blades independently engage a pipe and a flange.
Another and still further objeck of this invention is the
provision of a flange aligner comprising a main body axially re
ceived within a flange to be welded to a pip~, with there being an
cxtensible pipe engaying means and an extensible flange engaging
~ means which are indep~ndently actuated for releasably engaging a
;~ pipe and a flange.
.:: These and various other objects and advantages of the
invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art
upon reading the following detailed description and claims and by
f,~ referring to the accompanying drawings.
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The above o~jects a~e attained in accordan~e with the
.- present invenkion by the provision of a method for use with appa-
'~ ratus fabricated in a manner ~ubstantially as described in th~
above abstract and summary.
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I. S. CAYZER
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BRIEF DESCRIE~TION OF THE D~AW~NGS
.. Figure 1 is a perspective side view of a flange aligner
to~l madc in accordance wi.th the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective side view of another embodiment
`.. 5 of a flange align~r tool made in accordance with the present inven-
`~ tion;
: Figure 3 is a perspective side view which shows the tool
: of Figure 1 operatively connected to a pipe and ~lange to ba
~ welded together; part of t;he pipe and flange have ~een r~moved and
:~ 10 ~he remaining parts shown in cross-section;
.. ~ Figure 4 is an enlarged, longitu,dinal, cross-sectional ,
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~ view of the apparatus disclosed in Figures 1 and 3;
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-~ Figures 5 and 6, respectively, are cross-sectional views
~I taken along lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively~ of Figure ~
., 15 Figure 7 is an end view of the tool disclosed in Figure
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4;
~, Figure 8 is an exploded view of the tool disclosed in
Figure l; and,
Flgure 9 is a s.ide elevation view of part of the appara-
.~ 20 tus disclosed in the foregoing iigures.
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DETAILED DESCR:[PTXON OF T~l~ PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In Figure l, thexe is disclosed a flange ali~ning tool
lO made in ~ccordance with the presen-t invention. The flange
aligner of Figure l has a main body l~ which preferably is of an-
,~; 5 nular configuration. Radially spaced about the main body 12 is a
, pipe engaging blade assembly 14. Axially spaced from the pipe
~ engaging blade assembly is a flange engaging blade assembly 16.
',~ The details of the blade assemblies will be more fully discussed
later on herein.
A circular knob 18 forms an actuating handle which can
~ be rotated for radially extendins the blades 14~ The handle .i8
''~ suppor~ed by rotatable shaft 20~ The rotatable shaft 20 ig con-
~, nected to be rotated by`the circular knob 22 which is supported
'- by the shaft 20 and knob 18 as well ~s the main body 12.
~, 15 As seen in Figure 4, together with other $igures of the
drawings, the knob ]8 is connected to end 26 of the shaft 24 which
~' extends through the before mentioned hollow shaft 20 and into the
'' main body 12. The shaft Z4 is therefore attached to the knob 18
-, and rotates within the holl,ow i~haft 20. Numeral 28 indicatei3 the;-, ,
hollow interior surface of shaft 20. Numeral 30 indicate~ th2
outer surface of the shaft ~4 which is slidably received ~n a
,- rotatable manner within tha inner hollow surface 28 of hollow
` shaft 20.
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'- Still looking at Figure 4, together with other figures
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of the drawings, a pipe mandrel 32 has a threaded marginal end 34
separated from an opposed conical shaped marginal end 36, with
there being a shoulde~ 37 formed therebetween~ Pin 38 attaches
the pipe mandrel 32 to the pipe shaft 24.
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~ ~he pipe engaging blades 14 preferably are arranged 120
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, 30 apart rom one another and include a sloped inner edge 40 made
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complementary re~pective -to the 510pe 36 of mandrel 3Z ~o that th~
pipe engaging edge portion 42 of the blades 14 can ~e radially
extended or retracted when the mandrel is moved along the longi-
tudinal axial centerline of the tool, that is, moved axially. The
5 have opp~s~ c;idcs ~4 of a (limension to be reciprocatingl~
' extended in a slidable manner through a slot or window 46 formed
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-; through the sidewall of the main body 12, thare b~ing a window ~6
for each of the blades 14.
The pipe receiving marginal end of the main body is in-
ternally threaded at 48 for threadedly receiving the ~afora men--
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~ tioned threaded part 34 of the pipe mandrel. End cap 50 forms a
`~ closure member and a stop for the pipe end of the tool lO.
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Each of the p~pe blades 14 receive the illustrated
'' groove 52 on the outer ed~e thereof which coincides and i5 aligned
with a groove 54 formed about the circumferentially extending
~l outer peripheral surface of the main body 12. The blade groove
,i 52 coincides with the main body groove 54 so that the illu~trated "
~' spring 74' seen lying witll ~roove 54 also lies within qxoove 52
;! of the blades.
The flange margina] end oE the main body 12 has formed
therein an internal thread 56 which can be the same type of ~hread
previously seen at 48. The 1ange end of the main body terminates
in an apertured cap 58. The apertured cap 58 fo~ms a closure mem-
" ber which is opposed to end cap 50. Cap 58 has a bore formed
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~, 25 therethrough which rotatably recei~es hollow shaft 20 in close
tolerance relationship therewith and aids in main~aining the con-
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- centric shats 20 and 24 :Ln perfect axial alignment.
, .
~- Flanye mandrel 60 is provided with male threaded surface
area 62 along a maryinal length thereoE. The threads 62 are m~de
complementary respective to the beore mentioned female threaded
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I. S, CAYZER
:~ area 56 of the main body. The flange mandrel include~ a conical
: ~urface 64 a-t the other marginal end th~reof, ag~in~t whi4h in-
; clined surface 66 of the flange blades 16 are received.
: Radially spacecl flange windows 68 are spaced axially
~rom the pipe winclows 46. The flange windows 68 rsciproca~ingly
receive the flange blades l6 therethrough, with the flange blades
: having opposed edqes 70 slightly smaller than the length of the
window 68. A groove 72 c:irc~nferentially extends about the main
body in spaced, parallel xela~ionship respective to the bafore
mentioned qroove 54. The groove 72 is aligned with ~roove 74
formed wlthin each of the blade members 16. The illustrated spring
: 74' of the pipe engaging end of the tool.
::~ An annular concial tapered acceptance cavity 76 is formed
between the confronting milrginal ends 78 and 80, respectively, of
, .. .
15 the pipe and flange mandrels, respectiv~ly, so that end ao oE the:,
flange mandrel can be abuttingly received within the annula~ area
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formed by end 78 of the pipe mandrel and thereby ~orm an internal
t stop for lim.itlng the traveling of the mandrels toward one another,
.. ..........
: ~ The knob 22 is pinned at 82 to the outer or hollow shat
20. The knob 18 i~ 6imilarly rigiclly attached to the internal
shaft 26 by means of pin 38u Rotation of knob 18 rotates the in-
ternal shaf~ 24 and causes the pipe mandrel to move axially respec-
tive to the longitudinal axis of the main body~ Kno~ 22 is inde-
pendently rotakable respective to knob 18, and rotates the outer
shaf~ 20 to cause the flange mandrel 6Q to move axially respective
.
to the main hody 12. The threaded surfaces 34~ 48 and 62, 56 pre-
ferably are all right-~anded hut can be otherwise as may be .deemed
.I desirable~ . -
Nurneral 84 indicates the sliding surface formsd between
the interior of knob 22 and the axterior of knob 180 Cavity 85
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I. S. CAYZER
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~ permits kno~ 18 to be partially received within kn~b 2~ as the
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~ pipe mandrel and flancJe mandrel move toward one another.
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In ~igures 3 and 4, numeral 86 broadly indicates ~ flange
, while numeral 88 broadly indicates a pipe. Groove 90 formed be-
`' 5 tween the flange and the pipe is a bevel which usually is provided
to enable various diferent gaps to be achieved, depending upon
`~ the engineering specifications of the job. The gap provides a
space for receiving electric welding which joins the two members
.~
together.
, ~ 10 Numeral 92 indic:ates the inner face of cap 58 and is
~; arranged in confronting relationship respective to face 94 of the
flange mandrel so th~t the faces 92 and 94 can abut one another at
the extreme end of trave~l of the flange mandrel. Numerals 96 and
98 indicate the confronting faces formed between the end cap 50
.. . .
- 15 and the pipe mandrel 32. The confronting faces 96 and 98 provide
~- a stop means for limiting the travel of the pipe mandrel 32 in ons
direction.
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i~ In order to enable the tool to be disassembled and
serviced, it is preferable that the flange knob l~ be releasably
~, .
attached to the inner shaft 24 at 26 and the inner shaft 24 be re-
leasably at-tached to the pipe mandrel 32 at pin 38. The outer
,:;
shaft 20 and the flange mandrel 60 can be made integral if desired~
Rotation of the pipe knob 18 rotates inner shaft 24
` which in turn rotates the pipe mandrel 32 causing the threaded co-
",;' 25 acting surfaces 34, 48 to rotatably move the pipe mandrel 36
, ......
~; linearly along the longitudinal axis of the main body 12, thereby
causing the coacting surfaces 36 and 40 to force the blada members
: ....
14 to slidably move through the windows 46, depending upon the
, ~ direction of rotation of the pipe knob 18. This action moves the
... ~................................................ .
blades 34 laterally and therehy effectively increases the diameter
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I~ SO CAYZER
of the tool, whereupon a means is p~ovided by which one end of the
tool can he centered in releasably attached relationship respec-
`~ tive to a pipe 88 having an appropriate inside diameter that lies
within the opera~ing range of the tool~
S The flange knob 22 likewise can be rotatecd inclependentlyof the p pe knob 18 in order to rotate the flange mandrel 60,
whereupon the coacting threaded surfaces 56, 62 of, the main body
and mandrel cause the conical surface 64 of the flange mandrel to
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move alon~ the longitudinal axial centerline of the main body 12.
This action causes the coacting surfaces 64, 66 located between
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the cone and the blade 16 to radially move the blade thxough the
, window 68 in a direction depending upon the rotational dixectional
; of the flange knob 22. ~scordingly, the effective diameter of the
flange end of the main body 12 of the tool is chan~ed in size to
thereby engage the interior of a flange 86 so long as the inside
diameter of ~he flange bore is within the working range of th~ tool.
Figure 1, together with other ~igures of the drawlngs,
illustrates a relatively small diameter flange alignincJ tool which
can be used to accommodate a wide range of flang~ and pipe sizes,
depending upon the construction of the two mandrels and the co-
acting blade a~semblies.
'`;' Figure 2 of tha drawings indicates a rela,tively large
,"~
flange aligning tool which likewise can accommodate a wide range of
` . pipe and flange diameters, depending upon the des~gn expedi~nts
`` employed for -the two spaced mandrels and blade assemblies.
The present invention provides several dif~erent embodi-
:~- ments of a flange alig~er tool which can advantageously be used to
~ carry out a new method for attaching a flange to the end of a pipe
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,,; by following the above described procedure.
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The mat~rial of construction of the flancJe aligner of
this invention can be of various different metals and pla~ticis.
Often a very lightweight non~magnetic, non-sparking tool is re-
~' quired, especially when working in hydrocarbon plants~ In this
`~ 5 instance, it is advantageous to make as many of the parts from
....
- aluminum ~nd pla~tic as possible~ Okher applications call for a
;~, very strong and durable flange aligner, in which instance ste~l
, .. . . .
~lloys can advan-tageously be employed as may be de~ired. A com-
posite of stePl, aluminum and plastic can be designed into the tool~
`` 10 The axial alignment achieved with the tool of the present
invention provides unexpected results in the eas~ with which a
flange can be accurately positioned and oriented onto a pipe end.
, ~ "
The design of the tool o~ the present invention maintains the pipe
, blades and flange blades aligned along the lon~itu~inal axial,,",j .
,~ 15 centerline thereof in a manner heretofore not enjoyed by the prior
, .
~1 art~
The accuracy and assembly time realized when using the
present tool achieves an improved comibination of assembl~d parts
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heretofore unknown -to those skilled in the art.
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