A method for expanding an end of a pipe made of plastics having shape memory with the aid of an expander tool having a tool head having an expansion member arranged to be insertable inside the end of the pipe. The method includes steps of measuring the temperature of the pipe to be expanded, adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature of the pipe, and expanding the end of the pipe utilizing the adjusted expansion control parameter of the tool head. The expander tool includes a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the pipe to be expanded and/or ambient temperature, and an electronic control unit for adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature value.

A method for expanding an end of a pipe made of plastics having shape memory with the aid of an expander tool having a tool head having an expansion member arranged to be insertable inside the end of the pipe. The method includes steps of measuring the temperature of the pipe to be expanded, adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature of the pipe, and expanding the end of the pipe utilizing the adjusted expansion control parameter of the tool head. The expander tool includes a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the pipe to be expanded and/or ambient temperature, and an electronic control unit for adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature value.

A chuck device that allows easy attachment of a clamping target component and can provide powerful and highly reliable clamping includes a main body including a metal core part and an annular space coaxial with and formed around the metal core part; a rubber elastic body fitted in the annular space of the main body such that there is a pressure chamber between a circumferential wall that defines the annular space and the rubber elastic body, and a clearance for allowing a tubular clamping target component to be inserted between the rubber elastic body and the metal core part; and a passage for introducing a fluid to the pressure chamber, wherein the rubber elastic body is deformed to expand toward the metal core part by a pressure of a fluid introduced to the pressure chamber via the passage so that a tubular clamping target component that is attached to the metal core part is clamped by the metal core part and the rubber elastic body that has deformed to expand.

A method for expanding an end of a pipe made of plastics having shape memory with the aid of an expander tool having a tool head having an expansion member arranged to be insertable inside the end of the pipe. The method includes steps of measuring the temperature of the pipe to be expanded, adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature of the pipe, and expanding the end of the pipe utilizing the adjusted expansion control parameter of the tool head. The expander tool includes a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the pipe to be expanded and/or ambient temperature, and an electronic control unit for adjusting at least one of the expansion control parameters of the tool head on the basis the measured temperature value.

A chuck device that allows easy attachment of a clamping target component and can provide powerful and highly reliable clamping includes a main body including a metal core part and an annular space coaxial with and formed around the metal core part; a rubber elastic body fitted in the annular space of the main body such that there is a pressure chamber between a circumferential wall that defines the annular space and the rubber elastic body, and a clearance for allowing a tubular clamping target component to be inserted between the rubber elastic body and the metal core part; and a passage for introducing a fluid to the pressure chamber, wherein the rubber elastic body is deformed to expand toward the metal core part by a pressure of a fluid introduced to the pressure chamber via the passage so that a tubular clamping target component that is attached to the metal core part is clamped by the metal core part and the rubber elastic body that has deformed to expand.

A filler tube including a cylindrical body and flange is manufactured using a cylindrical workpiece. A material forms an outermost layer in the cylindrical body and flange of the cylindrical workpiece. Dividable molds move at a first speed upon adhering the cylindrical workpiece onto the site for forming the cylindrical body, thereby giving the cylindrical body a predetermined diametrical thickness; and then move at a second speed being slower than the first speed upon adhering the cylindrical workpiece onto the other site for forming the flange, thereby filling up the flange with the material and other materials for forming the flange over a diametrical range to be welded onto the fuel tank while making the diametrical thickness of the flange greater than that of the cylindrical body.

A pipe joining system and pipe joint are shown in which two sections of plastic pipe, particularly molecularly oriented pipe, are joined. A first section of plastic pipe has a female, belled pipe end with a mouth opening and having an exterior surface, an interior surface and having an interior circumferential recess formed in the belled pipe end adjacent the mouth opening on the interior surface thereof. A second section of plastic pipe having a mating male plastic pipe end has an interior surface and exterior surface. The exterior surface has a circumferential groove formed at one circumferential location thereof which is alignable with the interior recess formed within the mouth opening of the belled pipe end as the pipe joint is made-up. The circumferential groove is formed during the manufacture of the plastic pipe by expanding the pipe against a restraining element located in the interior of an expansion mold. The respective grooves contain elements of a restraint system which form a restrained joint when the male and female pipe sections are assembled.

A pipe joining system and pipe joint are shown in which two sections of plastic pipe, particularly molecularly oriented pipe, are joined. A first section of plastic pipe has a female, belled pipe end with a mouth opening and having an exterior surface, an interior surface and having an interior circumferential recess formed in the belled pipe end adjacent the mouth opening on the interior surface thereof. A second section of plastic pipe having a mating male plastic pipe end has an interior surface and exterior surface. The exterior surface has a circumferential groove formed at one circumferential location thereof which is alignable with the interior recess formed within the mouth opening of the belled pipe end as the pipe joint is made-up. The circumferential groove is formed during the manufacture of the plastic pipe by expanding the pipe against a restraining element located in the interior of an expansion mold. The respective grooves contain elements of a restraint system which form a restrained joint when the male and female pipe sections are assembled.

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.