Apparatus and method for lined pipe welding
AssigneeMaxtube Limited
InventorsEncho Yakovchev, Martin Bremner, Johannes Straub, Roderick Sweeting, Rowan Paton
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Abstract
A joining sleeve configured to connect internal liners of two internally lined pipe sections across a welded pipe section joint and a method of use is disclosed. The joining sleeve comprises a sleeve body having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends configured to couple with opposing ends of first and second internal liners respectively. A collar is disposed around the outer surface of the sleeve body, the collar having a first retracted condition in which it has a first outer diameter, and a second expanded condition in which it has a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter.
Claims22
A joining sleeve configured to connect internal liners of two internally lined pipe sections across a welded pipe section joint, the joining sleeve comprising:
- a sleeve body having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends configured to couple with opposing ends of first and second internal liners respectively;
- and
- a collar disposed around and radially outward of an outer surface of the sleeve body, the collar having a first retracted condition in which it has a first outer diameter, and a second expanded condition in which it has a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter, wherein the collar is configured to protect the sleeve body and the first and second internal liners during a welding operation to form the weld pipe section joint;
- wherein the collar comprises a split ring comprising respective ends which overlap in a circumferential direction of the collar;
- and
- wherein a gap is produced between the outer surface of the joining sleeve body and the inner surface of the collar when the collar is in its second, expanded condition.
A method for connecting the internal liners of two internally lined pipe sections in a pipe welding operation, the method comprising:
- providing a joining sleeve having a sleeve body and a collar configured to protect the sleeve body and internal liners of the pipe sections during the pipe welding operation positioned around and radially outward of an outer surface of the sleeve body, the collar comprising a split ring comprising respective ends which overlap in a circumferential direction of the collar, and the collar being in a first retracted condition having a first outer diameter;
- locating the joining sleeve in a pipe section joint, such that first and second ends of the sleeve body couple with opposing ends of first and second internal liners respectively, and such that the collar is disposed proximate the weld location;
- causing the collar to move to a second expanded condition in which it has a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter;
- wherein a gap is produced between the outer surface of the joining sleeve body and the inner surface of the collar when the collar is in its second, expanded condition.
A collar for a joining sleeve, the joining sleeve comprising a sleeve body having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends configured to couple with opposing ends of first and second internal liners respectively to connect two internally lined pipe sections across a welded pipe section joint;
- wherein the collar is configured to be disposed around and radially outward of an outer surface of the sleeve body and protect the sleeve body and the first and second internal liners during a welding operation to form the welded pipe section joint;
- wherein the collar has a first retracted condition in which it has a first outer diameter, and a second expanded condition in which it has a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter;
- wherein the collar comprises a split ring comprising respective ends which overlap in a circumferential direction of the collar;
- and
- wherein a gap is produced between the outer surface of the joining sleeve body and the inner surface of the collar when the collar is in its second, expanded condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.