A method of identifying a leak around a fitting in a tubing system includes connecting a source of heated air to an inlet of the tubing system, inspecting segments of the tubing system using a thermal detector, identifying segments of the tubing system that are warmer than other segments of the tubing system, and following the warmer segments of the tubing system to identify the leak around the fitting.

Expansion head for expansion tools for hollow workpieces, particularly for the ends of plastic pipes and metal-plastic composite pipes, comprising a union cap with a radially inwardly oriented guide flange, and a set of sector-shaped expandable jaws, each of which is individually received in the union cap in a radially movable manner by an inner flange sector that overlaps with the guide flange, the set of sector-shaped expandable jaws being movable between a closed state and an expansion state, and an approximately cylindrical lateral surface being embodied in the closed state by the outer wall of the expandable jaws, wherein the outer wall has at least one recess and/or raised area extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the expandable jaws.

A tube expansion tool for expanding a tube end portion includes a moving mechanism that moves a wedge in a front-rear direction, a plurality of jaws that mutually open radially outward when pushed by the wedge moving forward, a controller and a switch that transmits an on-signal to the controller when the switch is in an on-position. The tube expansion tool is configured such that when the controller receives the on-signal from the switch, the controller activates the moving mechanism to move the wedge (i) forward to a first advance position to open the plurality of jaws at a first opening angle, (ii) rearward to close the plurality of jaws, (iii) forward to a second advance position ahead of the first advance position to open the plurality of jaws at a second opening angle, and (iv) rearward to close the plurality of jaws.

An expansion toolhead configured to enable the expansion of multiple different sized diameters of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing with a single expansion toolhead. The expansion toolhead including a cap operably coupled to an expansion tool, and a plurality of jaws forming a 360 degree jaw section operably coupled to the cap, each of the plurality of jaws including an expansion tool interface portion forming a conical recess enabling a cone-shaped wedge of the expansion tool to move the jaw section between an unexpanded position and an expanded position, and a PEX tubing interface portion having a distal end, a proximal end and a plurality of lands positioned therebetween configured to form a corresponding plurality of substantially uniform diameter portions of the jaw section sequentially increasing m diameter between the distal end and the proximal end for the expansion of multiple different standard sized diameters of PEX tubing.

A tool operable to expand an end of a pipe, such as copper tubing, has a cylindrical jaw assembly with semi-cylindrical jaws movable between a closed position and an expanded position and rotatable about a longitudinal axis. A motor drives an output spindle driven by the motor, which in turn drives a radial cam. A wedge is movable by the radial cam in a reciprocating motion along the axis, causing the wedge to move between a first position where the jaws are in the closed position and a second position where the jaws are in the expanded position. A rotating ring is mounted on the wedge and connected to the jaws. The rotating ring is driven by the output spindle for rotating the jaws about the axis.

An expansion toolhead configured to enable the expansion of multiple different sized diameters of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing with a single expansion toolhead. The expansion toolhead including a cap operably coupled to an expansion tool, and a plurality of jaws forming a 360 degree jaw section operably coupled to the cap, each of the plurality of jaws including an expansion tool interface portion forming a conical recess enabling a cone-shaped wedge of the expansion tool to move the jaw section between an unexpanded position and an expanded position, and a PEX tubing interface portion having a distal end, a proximal end and a plurality of lands positioned therebetween configured to form a corresponding plurality of substantially uniform diameter portions of the jaw section sequentially increasing in diameter between the distal end and the proximal end for the expansion of multiple different standard sized diameters of PEX tubing.

An expansion tool includes a housing, a motor supported in the housing, and a plurality of jaws, a mandrel moveable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position, a drive mechanism configured to convert rotational input from the motor into translational movement of the mandrel between the retracted position and the extended position, and an actuator movable between a first position and a second position. The mandrel is engageable with the jaws to expand the jaws in response to movement of the mandrel to the extended position. The drive mechanism is operable in a high speed configuration when the actuator is in the first position and a low speed configuration when the actuator is in the second position.

A pipe fitting (100) includes a tubular connecting part (101); the tubular connecting part being configured to be inserted into an expanded pipe end section (111) of a pipe (110) having a first circumferential intact sealing region (113) on the inner surface (112) of the pipe end section (111); the tubular connecting part comprising a first radially outwards extending circumferential sealing barb (105) positioned for engaging, when in use, with the first circumferential intact sealing region during shrinkage of the pipe end section for forming a sealing between the pipe fitting and the pipe.

Disposed is a tube expander, which relates to a power tool, including an expansion die, an ejector pin, a drive element, and an indexing assembly, the expansion die including jaws, the indexing assembly including a rotary member rotatably disposed, an energy storage member connected to the rotary member, and an indexing member driving the jaws to rotate, the indexing member being disposed between the rotary member and the jaws and operable to transmit an intermittent rotational action, the rotary member and the indexing member being operable to drivingly engage or drivingly disengage with respect to each other; the ejector pin moving forward drives the rotary member to rotate forward, the rotary member rotating forward drives the energy storage member to be elastically deformed for the latter to accumulate energy, the rotary member rotating forward being drivingly disengaged from the indexing member; the energy storage member recovers from the elastic deformation during rearward movement of the ejector pin driving the rotary member to rotate reversely, the rotary member rotating reversely being drivingly engaged with the indexing member to push the jaws to rotate. The load of the electric motor does not increase instantaneously when the jaws stall, i.e., the driving load the electric motor is stable, which helps ensure operational stability of the electric motor.