Bypass bridge for fluid lines

A bypass bridge for a fluid handling line, the bypass bridge comprising in combination:

• a sleeve extending between an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a rigid ring located adjacent to each said end;
• a bladder located radially outboard of each said ring, said bladder inflatable to expand between said ring and a surface of the fluid handling line in which said sleeve is located;
• and
• wherein said ends of said sleeve include cuffs thereon, each of said rigid rings located at least partially within one of said cuffs.

A bypass bridge for a fluid handling line, the bypass bridge comprising in combination:

• a sleeve extending between an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a rigid ring located adjacent to each said end;
• a bladder located radially outboard of each said ring, said bladder inflatable to expand between said ring and a surface of the fluid handling line in which said sleeve is located;
• and
• wherein at least one of said rings is collapsible into separate ring portions which, when coupled together form said ring into a continuous substantially rigid structure.

A bypass bridge for a fluid handling line, the bypass bridge comprising in combination:

• a sleeve extending between an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a rigid ring located adjacent to each said end;
• a bladder located radially outboard of each said ring, said bladder inflatable to expand between said ring and a surface of the fluid handling line in which said sleeve is located;
• and
• wherein at least one spreader bar is located between one of said rings in said cuff adjacent to said upstream end of the bridge and one of said rings in said cuff adjacent to said downstream end of the bridge, said spreader bar maintaining a distance between said rings.

A bypass bridge for a fluid handling line, the bypass bridge comprising in combination:

• a sleeve extending between an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a rigid ring located adjacent to each said end;
• a bladder located radially outboard of each said ring, said bladder inflatable to expand between said ring and a surface of the fluid handling line in which said sleeve is located;
• and
• wherein at least one sleeve support is located beneath a portion of said sleeve and supporting at least a portion of said sleeve to reduce sagging downward when carrying weight loads of fluids passing through said sleeve.

A method for bypassing a fluid transport line between an upstream location and a downstream location on either side of a maintenance location, the method including the steps of:

• placing a bypass bridge extending through the line between the upstream location and the downstream location on either side of the maintenance location, the bypass bridge including a sleeve extending between an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a rigid ring located adjacent to each end of the sleeve;
• a bladder located radially outboard of each of the rings, the bladder inflatable to expand between the ring and a surface of the fluid handling line in which the sleeve is located;
• inflating at least the bladder adjacent to the upstream end of the bypass bridge;
• and
• supporting at least a portion of the support sleeve from gravity loads by placing at least one sleeve support beneath a portion of the sleeve and supporting at least a portion of the sleeve from sagging downward at least partially due to weight loads carried by the sleeve when fluids pass therethrough.