Skate apparatus for injecting tubing down pipelines
OwnerBenton F. Baugh, James R. Crawfordinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A new method and apparatus have been developed which inserts and withdraws tubing from pipes without bending or kinking the tubing. Beneficially, the new method and apparatus may be employed to insert and withdraw tubing to depths greater than ever possible before. The method involves using skate apparatuses to reduce coiling and friction of the tube. Advantageously, the apparatus is portable, easily handled, and adaptable to handle tubing of differing diameters.
Claims21
A skate apparatus used to facilitate injecting tubing into a pipe, said apparatus comprising
- (a) a body with a diameter greater than the diameter of the tubing, said body having a cylindrical port capable of fitting around a portion of the tubing, and said body being openable lengthwise by an amount sufficient to insert the injected tubing,
- (b) an attaching means to securely attach the body to the exterior of the tubing, and
- (c) at least one set of three or four rigid arms extending in a plane in a direction toward the interior surface of the pipe, wherein each of said arms comprises one or more wheels capable of movable communication with the inner surface of said pipe, and wherein the radius from the center of the injected tubing to the outermost edge of the wheels or rollers is between about 0.5 times and about 0.95 times the radius of the pipe.
A skate apparatus used to facilitate injecting tubing into a pipe, said skate apparatus comprising
- a first section for gripping the outer surface of said tubing,
- a second section comprising a body and a plurality of wheels mounted on legs with axles, said body connected with said first section and said legs, and said wheels extending outwardly from said body, and said wheels for contacting the inner surface of said pipe to support a portion of said tubing against contact with the inner surface of said pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.