FRANK SADOFSKY
Engineers in Pittsburgh, PA

4823846, Apr 25, 1989

Dec 24, 1987

7/137622

James W. Everett - Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County PA
Frank Sadofsky - Pittsburgh PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F16L 5512

138 89

Apparatus for restraining the tip of a tube plug from traveling in a tubular member when the tip is fracturedly separated from the plug during the process of extracting the plug from the tubular member. The tube plug includes a shell defining an open cavity therein inwardly tapered from the tip of the plug. Slidably captured in the cavity is a shell expander which has a first bore therein, for expanding the shell into sealing engagement with the tubular member. The apparatus comprises an expansible restrainer, which is disposed in the first bore, for radially expanding the expander into engagement with the shell by radially expansibly engaging the first bore when axially compressed in the first bore. When the restrainer radially expansibly engages the first bore, the expander expansibly engages the shell for restraining the tip of the shell when the tip is fracturedly separated from the shell so that the tip does not travel in the tube and become lodged in or damage the tube.

4829660, May 16, 1989

May 18, 1987

7/050799

James W. Everett - Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County PA
John B. Gunter - Catonsville MD
William Woolfolk - Export PA
Frank Sadofsky - Pittsburgh PA
Lawrence A. Nelson - Penn Township, Westmoreland County PA
George D. Fulmer - Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County PA
George G. Elder - Monroeville PA
Robert F. Keating - Trafford PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

B23P 1526

29727

An improved system for removing a plug from the open end of a heat exchanger tube in a nuclear steam generator is disclosed herein. It is particularly adapted for removing a plug formed from an elongated, cylindrical shell of Inconel. RTM. having a closed end, an open ends, and an expander element that radially expands the shell when axially drawn from the clossed to the open end of the shell. The system comprises an expander remover for axially pushing the expander element from the open end completely through the closed end of the plug shell, and a TIG torch for creating beads along the longitudinal axis of the plug shell which relax the engagement between the plug shell and the tube after the weld beams harden. Finally, the system includes a plug puller for pulling the loosened plug from the tube. The expander remover and plug puller maybe remotely operated by means of a robotic arm, and a compliance coupling is provided to facilitate alignment between these tools and the plugged end of a selected heat exchanger tube.