Apparatus and method for puncturing a pipe
AssigneeSpecialty Earth Sciences, LLC
InventorsLindsay Swearingen, Jason Swearingen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for puncturing a pipe in-situ is presently disclosed. The apparatus has an actuator in communication with a remote controller. A firing assembly has a firing chamber and a firing pin, wherein the firing pin is in communication with the actuator. The firing chamber is configured to hold and fire a bullet radially toward the pipe, upon the firing pin being actuated with the actuator. The method includes the steps of inserting a pipe puncturing apparatus into a pipe, activating an actuator, communicating the activation of the actuator to a hammer and moving a firing pin in the hammer to impinge a cartridge and fire a bullet.
Claims16
Apparatus for puncturing a pipe in-situ comprising:
- a support assembly having a length greater than a width, wherein the length is greater than an inner diameter of a pipe to be punctured and the width is less than the diameter of a pipe to be punctured;
- an actuator attached to the support assembly and in communication with a remote controller;
- a firing assembly attached to the support assembly and having a firing chamber and a firing pin, wherein the firing pin is in communication with the actuator;
- wherein the firing chamber is configured to hold and fire a bullet radially toward the pipe, upon the firing pin being actuated with the actuator;
- wherein the actuator communicates with the firing assembly with a pressurized fluid for moving the firing pin and firing the bullet;
- and
- wherein the actuator comprises a pressurized fluid container and a valve.
A method for puncturing a pipe in-situ comprising the steps of:
- loading a pipe puncturing apparatus, the loading comprising the steps of:
- removing a bolt from a receiver;
- and
- inserting a cartridge into a firing chamber in the receiver, wherein the firing chamber is configured to become substantially radially aligned with the pipe upon inserting the pipe puncturing apparatus into the pipe;
- the method further comprising:
- locking the bolt onto the receiver;
- inserting the pipe puncturing apparatus into the pipe;
- activating an actuator;
- communicating the activation of the actuator to a hammer and moving a firing pin in the hammer to impinge the cartridge and fire a bullet from the firing chamber and through the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.