Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TI~E OF THE INVENTION
ELECTRIC-PU~SE TUBE EXPANDER
BACEGROUND OF ~HE INVEI~rION
The i~vention relates to metal working and more
particularly to apparatus for electric-pulse expanding
of tubes.
As is known, electric-pulse expanding of tubcs can
be put into offect using electric explo~ion cartridges
comprising a body, a fiIler and a conductor. ~he
electric-pulse cartridges are ins~rted into tubes to be
expanded. As an electrode approaches the el~ctric_explo~
~io~ Cartridge~ a pulse of energy is supplied to tbe
cartridge to effect a high-vo'Itage explosion. ~he
generated pressure pulse acts upon the inside sur-
f~ce of the tub~ which is 'expàndcd as a result of an
elastic-plastic deformation.
'~The electric-pulse tube expander can be employed
for expanding tubes o~ h~at-exchange apparatus, expanding
tubes in free state (not insertsd into a tube plate)
or set into dies a~d/or performing other oporations
invDlving deformstion of tubes.
~ here i8 knDwn an apparatus for electric-pulse expan-
sion of tubes comprising a b~d, a vertical quide and
hDrizontal gu1des~ an electrode for dcllver'ing a pulse
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to a tube being oxpanded, designed for vertical and horizon-
tal motions, d~ives for moving the el~ctrode in vertical
and borizDntal planes, a genorator croating a current
pulse for expanding tubes and a control systom for
oporating the apparatus.
Tho prior-art appa~atus is intendod to oxpand tubos
which must bo arranged in horizontal and vertical rows,
ono tubo por pulso, and has a relativoly low officioncy.
Tbe invention provides an apparatus for electric-pulse
oxpanding of tu`oos, w~ose improved arran~ement and a novel
dosign of a dovic~ for supplying energy to el~ctric-
-cxplosion ¢artridgos ~ould onhance the tbroughput
capa¢ity and bho officioncy of the apparatus, expand
process possibilities t~ereof and simplify adjustmonts.
The abovo and other objects of the invontion aro
attainod in an apparatus for ele¢tric-pulse e~pansion
of tubos ¢omprising a bed- mDunting a vertical guide
whoroin is se¢ured for~mDtion a devico for suppl~ing
onorgy to ele¢tric-explosion ¢artridgos inserbed into
tubos, horizontal guides mounted on tbe bed, mocbsnisms
for vorbical motion of t~c dovi¢o for suppl~ing enorgy
bo tho electriv-oxplosion cartridgos and for borizontal
mobion of tbe vorti¢al guidc, a ¢urront pulso genorator
connected to tho dovi¢o for supplying onergy to the
olo¢tric-explosion ¢artridges and ¢oupled to a control
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system, which, according to the invention, includes a
mechanism for positioning a bundlo of tubes and whorein
tho dovice for supplying energy to the electric-oxplosion
cartridges i9 formod with a single or sevoral pairs
of electrodes connected to current pulse generator
terminals, the generator being coupled via the control~ ;~
system with the mechanism for vortical motion oi tho
dovice for supplying energy to tbo electric-oxplosion :~
cartridges, witb ths mechanism for horizontal motion
of tho vertical guide and with the mechanism for positio~
ning tube bundles.
It i~ advantagoou9 to connect pairs oi ~lectrodos in
sorios with respect to one anobher.
Of each pair of electrodes, one electrode mag bo
connected to the negative, and the other, to the positive
torminals of the current pulse generator.
Each pair of tbe electrodes should be preferably
attached to protecbive shields mounted on a sliding bar,
the protective shields being hinged to one a~other for
angular motion and locking in position~
. Ono of the electrodes ma~ bo conne¢ted to the positive
terminal of the currenb pulso generator, and the other)
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the one in contact ~itb a bundle of tubes, to t~e negative :-
terminal of the current pulse generator.
It is useful to provide the mechanism for positio~ing
ba~dlcs of tubes with several pairs of supporting rollers,
a common sbaft o~ the live rollers being geared to
olements setting the angular position o~ tube bu~dles
and coupled with the current pulse generator through a
control sy~tem.
Tbe tube expandor may be Judiciouslg prDvided with
travol setting elements controlling the motion of the
vortical guide and of the dcvice for supplying energy
to the electric-explosion cartridges, tbe drives of the
mechanisms for horizontal motion of the vertical guide
and for vortical motion o~ the dovico ~or supplying ~ -
energy to the ele~tric-explosion cartridges being
coupled thro~gh tho travol 9etting elements witb the
control s~stem and the current pulse ge~erator;
Each travel 9etting.element for controlling tho
horizontal motion of bhe vortical guide and the vcrtical
mobion of the dovico ~or.supplying energy to the electric-
-oxploslo~ cartridges can be advantageou91y formed ~lth
a single-reduction goar ~hose driving gear s~aft
would bo provided with platos interacting with contactless
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switcbes coupled via a pulse counter witb tbe control
s~stem of tbe tube expandor and tho curront pulso
generator. ' -
The tube expander according to the ~nvention i8
designed to expand bundled tubes arra~ged in horizontal
and vertical rows, along concentric circles and spiras.
The tubo expandcr is bighly efficient, as it i9 capable
of expanding several tubes by a single pulse. Tbe tubo
expander requires no accurate setting of tbe drive
for horizontal motion of the electrode tbrough a
distanco separating tubes being expanded, this dispensing
with tbo need for interchangeable gears and simplifying
tubo expandor read~ustments. The tubo expandor improves
both officioncy and electric discbarge conditions.
These and other objects and features of tho invention
becomo readily apparent from one embodiment thereof wbich
will now be described by way of example with reference
to the acc~mpanging drawing which presents tbe gearing
dlagram of the electric-pulse tub~ expand~r, according
to the inv~ntion.
Tho electric-pulse tube oxpandor illustrated compri-
ses a bed 1 mounting a vortical gido 2 with an attached
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thersto device ~or supplying energ~ to electric-explosion
eartridges 3 formed with a pair o~ electrodes 4 conaected
to terminals o~ a curr~nt pulse generator 5.
Tbo electric-explosion cartridges 3 are i~serted
into tubos (not shown~.
Tbe electrodes 4 aro metallic rods with a dielsctrie
eoat. ~he eleetrodes 4 are seeurod witb tbe aid o~ a binge
6 and proteetivs shields 7 to a 91iding bar 8 tbrough
wbicb tbe electrodes 4 are attached to the v~rtical guido
2. Tbe protectivo sbields 7 o~ tbe electrode 4 are provided
with a positioning mechanism 9.
~ hc oxpand~r includes horizontal guides 10 placed
on the bed 1, a mechanism 11 for vertieal mot.ion of the
deviee ~or supplying energ~ to tbe eleetrie-explosion
eartridges 3.
Tbe meebanism 11 eomprises a driving goar 12 and a
driven gear 13 ~Ihose shaft earries a plato 14 interaeting
witb a contactless switeh 15 wir~d to a pulse count~r 16
eonnceted to a control system 17 coupled with the eurrent
pulse generator 5.
~ ho expander comprises a meehanism 18 for borizontal
motion o~ the verticalguide 2, including a drlving
gaar 19 and a driven gear 20 wboss sbaft earries a plate
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21 interacting with a co~tactless switch 22 wired to a
pulse counter 23 coupled with tho control system 17
itsel~ connected to the current pulse gen~rator 5.
The cxpander also incorporates a mechanism 24 ~or posi-
tioning tube bundles comprisinæ ~wo pairs of supporting
rollers, each composed o~ live rollers 25 and idle rol-
lers (not shown). A commo~ shaft 26 of the live rollers
25 carries a drivi~ gear 27 meshing with a driven
gear 28 whose shaft receives a plats 29 interacting with a ~ ?
contactless switch 30 coupled with a pulse counter 31
connected to the control system 17 joined to the curre~t
pulse generator 5.
Tho dri~e of the mechanism 11 comprises an electric
motor 32 and a reducing gear 33.
The drive of t~e mechanism 18 conslsts of an electric
motDr 34 and a reducing gear 35.
~ he drive of the mechanism 24 i9 composed of an
olectric motor 36 and a reducing gear 37.
Tubes to be expanded are arranged in a bundle 38.
q~ho reducing gears 33 and 35 mesh wibh mobion scrows
39 and 40.
~ ho electric-pulse tube expander operates in ths follo-
wing manner.
~ o expand tubes arran~ed in horizontal rows in
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the bundl~s 38, the electrodes 4 are brought with tho
aid of the mechanism ~1 for vertical and the mechanism
18 for horizootal motions against the extreme cartridges
3 inserted into the tubes to bc expanded.
~ he protective shields 7 are set at a specified
angle to provide ~he same spacing of the working ends
of the electrodes 4 as that of the tubes in the bundle 38
with the aid of the hinge 6 and locked in position by
the positioning mechanism 9.
The current pUl9e generator 5 and the co~trol system
17 are energized. The current pulse generator 5 deliver~
a current pulse through the olectrodes 4 to the electric-
-explosion carbridgos 3. A high-voltage explosio~ of
conductors composing the electric-explosion oartridges 3
produces a prsssure pulse deforming tube walls. ~ soon
as the high-voltage discharge takes place, the control
system 17 energizes the electric motor 34 of th~
mechanism 18 to eff3ct the horizontal motion o~ the ver~
cal guido 2.
~ orquo is transmitted via the reducing gear 35 to
the travel screw 40 with tbe offect that the vertical
guido 2 carrying the slid~ng bar 8 with the electrodes 4
moves along tho guidos 10 toward a next batch of tho
electric-explosion cartridges 3.
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At the sams time, torqu~ is transmit~ed from the
reducing gear 35 to the driving gear 19 meshing with
the driven gear 20 whos2 shaft accommodates the plate 21.
As the plate 21 passes between coils of the contactless
switch 22, a pulse i5 dslivered to thc pulse counter 23.
After the counter ~3 receives a specified number of
pulses, corresponding to the distance between the tubes
to be expanded in the bundle 38, the counter 23 ini-
tiates a signal to tbe control s~stem 17 which orders
the generator 5 to deliver a current pulse. The cycle ~ :
is then resumed.
When tbe electrodos 4 coms to the extreme cartridges
3 ln a row, tbe control system 17 energizes the
elec~ric motor 32 of the mechanism 11 for vertical motion
of the device for supplying energy to tbe el~ctric-explosion
cartridges 3. ~rom the el~ctric motor 32, torque is
transmitted via the reducing gear 33 to tbe travel -~
screw 39 witb the ef~ect that the sliding bar 8 moves
along the v~rtical guide 2 toward the next horizontal
rows of the cartridges 3, ~be driving gear 12, set
on bhe same shaft as the travel screw 39, transmits
torque to th~ driven gear 13 who9e shaft carries tbe plate
14. A pul9e is delivered to the pulse cou~ter 16 as the
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plate 14 passes between coils of the con~actless switch 15.
Once the counter 16 receives a preset number of pulses,
corresponding to the spacing o~ the horizontal rows
o~ the tubes in the bundle 38, the counter 16 dolivers
a signal to the control system 17 which initiates
orders to the generator 5 for discbarging a current
pulse and to e~ergize the mechanism 18 for effecting a
horizo~tal motion of the vertical guido 2.
If so roquired by process conditions, the mecbanism
11 for vertical motion can operate under conditions
doscribed previously for tho mechanism 18, ths mechanism
18 thon moving the vertical guid~ 2 tbrougb one step
(spacing) between vertical rows of tho rubes in the
bu~dle 38.
When expanding tubcs placed in the bundle 38 along
concentric circles, the electrodes 4 are placed opposite
the electric-explosion cartrid~es 3 ~he control system
17 then energizes the current pulse generator 5 which
dolivers a high-voltage discharge through the electrodes
4 to the electric-explosion cartridges 3, the mechanism
24 for burning the tube bundle 38 being swltched on simul-
tanoously with the discharge. Torquc ~rom the electric
motor 36 is transmitted to tho live rollers 25 ~hich
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positiDn the tube bundle 38. ~he shaft 26 of tbe live
rollers 25 carries a driving gear 27 which transmits
torque to ~he driven gear 28, the plate 29 turning
together with the gear 28. A pulse is delivered to the :
pulse counter 31 as the plate 29 passes between coils
of ~he contactless switch 30. Once a speci~ied number
of pulses, corresponding to a 9pecified angle of rota-
tion of the tube bndle 38, has been delivered to the
pulse counter 31, it initiates an order to the ~enerator
5 to deli~er a current pulse, and the cgcle is~hen
resumed. '~ith alL the tubes positioned on a circle
expanded, the control s~stem 17 energizas the mecbanism :
11 for vertical motion? whicb operates as previously
described, with the effect that the electrodes 4 are : :
moved toward next concentric circles.
~ he simultaneous operation of the mechanism 11, 18,
24 is designed tD move the electrodes 4 t~rough an~ patb. : .:
The electric-pulse tube expandor i8 thus designed
to expand several tubes by a single currenb pulse, thi~
providing both h~gh throughput oapacity and e~ficienc~
tbereof.
Provision o~ the travel setting elements for control- :
ling the motion of tbe electrodes 4 in 9pace and the
angle of rotation o~ the tube bundle 38 simplifies the
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adjustment Df th~ expander and expands the process
potentialities thereof, allowing it to handle tubes
who~e ends in the bundle 38 are arranged not only
in rows, but also alDng circles, spirals or in any
other suitable manner.
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