Pipe slitter
AssigneeThe Charles Machines Works, Inc.
InventorsWalter George Thompson, Mark D. Randa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe slitter assembly for lead pipe. The slitter assembly is configured to be pulled by a cable which is disposed through several of the various components of the assembly. At the lead of the assembly is a slitter, having one and only one blade. The blade has an edge which is oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the cable. The edge is created by two adjoining walls meeting at an included angle of about 21 degrees. Behind the blade may be various adaptors, and an expander. The expander opens the slit pipe, such that a pipe puller may be used to pull a replacement pipe into the void created by the slitter assembly. The slit pipe may be removed, or left in the subsurface around the newly introduced replacement pipe.
Claims20
A kit comprising:
- an expander configured to spread a pipe;
- a jaw assembly having a tapered outer surface configured for engagement to an inner surface of the expander;
- a cable configured to be attachable to the jaw assembly;
- and a blade assembly spaced longitudinally forward of said expander, and comprising:
- a hollow cylinder having a longitudinal axis;
- and one and only one blade extending from an outer surface of the hollow cylinder, the blade comprising a linear edge for cutting being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said cable.
A method for replacing an underground pipe, comprising:
- placing a cable through the underground pipe;
- disposing the cable through a blade assembly and an expander which are longitudinally spaced from one another, wherein the blade assembly comprises a hollow cylinder and one and only one blade, wherein the hollow cylinder defines a longitudinal axis and the blade comprises a linear edge which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
- attaching the cable to one or more jaws within the expander;
- and thereafter, pulling the cable through the underground pipe such that the linear edge slits the underground pipe.
A pipe slitter assembly for slitting a pipeline, comprising:
- a cable;
- and a blade assembly disposed about the cable, wherein the blade assembly comprises:
- a cylindrical segment surrounding the cable and axially aligned along a longitudinal axis, and one and only one slitter blade extending from the cylindrical segment, the slitter blade having a linear cutting edge oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the edge of the blade is longitudinally spaced from a pipe expander, and has an included angle substantially equal to 21 degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.