Adjustable molding system for forming material on pipe
AssigneeBayou HoldCo, Inc.
InventorRandall Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding system for applying insulation to a pipe employs an elongate mold in which to receive the pipe. A mold adjustment mechanism can adjust a shape of the mold to correspond to a shape of the pipe as the pipe sags in the mold cavity. In a method of insulating the pipe, the shape of the mold is adjusted to correspond to the shape of the sagging pipe and curable material is imparted into the mold while maintaining the adjusted shape of the mold. The elongate mold can include at least one double-walled mold member with an inner form wall, an outer jacket, and a plurality of radial supports that support the outer jacket on the inner form wall in radially spaced apart relation therewith.
Claims29
A molding system for applying insulation to a pipe, the molding system comprising:
- an elongate mold having a length along a longitudinal axis extending from a first end portion to a second end portion, the elongate mold including a mold member having a base mold member and at least one lid mold member mounted on the base mold member for opening and closing the elongate mold, and an inner form wall defining a mold cavity in which to receive the pipe such that the pipe is supported at the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold and is allowed to sag in the mold cavity between the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold;
- and
- a mold adjustment mechanism connected to the mold member to adjust the base mold member from a straight configuration to a curved configuration in which the base mold member bows downward to match a curvature of the pipe as the pipe sags and for moving the mold member to adjust a shape of the inner form wall of the mold member to correspond to a shape of the pipe as the pipe sags in the mold cavity.
A molding system for applying insulation to a pipe, the molding system comprising:
- an elongate mold having a length along a longitudinal axis extending from a first end portion to a second end portion, the elongate mold including a mold member having a base mold member and at least one lid mold member mounted on the base mold member for opening and closing the elongate mold, and an inner form wall defining a mold cavity in which to receive the pipe such that the pipe is supported at the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold and is allowed to sag in the mold cavity between the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold;
- and
- a mold adjustment mechanism connected to the mold member to move the base mold member from a straight configuration to a curved configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.