Expansion Joint Configurations

Telescopic Expansion Joint

A telescopic expansion joint uses one tube sliding inside another — like a telescope — rather than convoluted bellows, to absorb axial movement far larger than a standard bellows element could accommodate in the same envelope.

Telescopic expansion joint schematic showing nested sliding tube sections

Representative example — real Uma Bellows expansion joint:

Representative Uma Bellows expansion joint

How it works

The overlap between the inner and outer tube is sealed, typically with packing or a short bellows element, while the tubes themselves do the work of accommodating the large travel distance. This trades some of a bellows joint's inherent sealing simplicity for a much greater movement range.

  • Accommodates axial travel beyond standard bellows convolution limits
  • Overlap is sealed with packing or a supplementary bellows element
  • Used where large thermal growth must be absorbed in a compact length
  • A different working principle from convoluted bellows, not a bellows variant

Related: Axial Expansion Joint · Expansion Joints · High-Pressure Bellows

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