Novel Pipe-Repair Tool
AssigneeWilliams Natural Resources, LLC
InventorJason Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe-repair tool is disclosed. The pipe-repair tool includes a first chamber to hold a first pressurized sealant and a valve to selectively allow the sealant to flow from the chamber into the interior of a pipe to be repaired. The tool may include a second chamber to hold a second pressurized sealant when using a two-part sealant, in which case the first sealant and the second sealant flow through a mixing chamber when flowing from the first and second chambers to the interior of the pipe. The valve may be a mechanical valve that is opened by moving the tool relative to the pipe to be repaired. The valve may be an electrically controlled valve that is opened with an electrical signal.
Claims11
A pipe-repair tool comprising:
- (a) a generally-tubular first accumulator chamber configured to hold pressurized sealant, the first accumulator having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) a sealant-deployment valve connected to the accumulator chamber and having a discharge port;
- and
- (c) a means for opening the sealant-deployment valve and thereby enabling pressurized sealant in the first accumulator chamber to flow out the discharge port.
A method of repairing a pipe comprising:
- (a) disposing in a pipe a generally-tubular first accumulator chamber containing a pressurized sealant, wherein the pipe has a longitudinal axis and the first accumulator chamber has a retaining ring disposed about it;
- (b) opening a valve to allow at least a portion of the pressurized sealant to flow from the first accumulator chamber into the interior of the pipe;
- and
- (c) moving the first accumulator chamber along the pipe's longitudinal axis and thereby causing the retaining ring to move at least a portion of the pressurized sealant allowed to flow into the interior of the pipe.
A pipe-repair tool comprising:
- (a) a tool body having a longitudinal axis;
- (b) a first accumulator chamber disposed in the tool body;
- (c) a discharge port disposed in the tool body at a first longitudinal position along the longitudinal axis and connected to the first accumulator;
- (d) a selectively movable sleeve configured to cover the discharge port in a first sleeve position and to uncover the discharge port in a second sleeve position;
- (e) a first packing component positioned along the tool body at a second longitudinal position along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- (f) a second packing component positioned along the tool body at a third longitudinal position along the longitudinal axis;
- (g) wherein the first longitudinal position is between the second and third longitudinal positions;
- and
- (h) wherein the first and second packing components are configured to fill an annulus between the tool body and an inner surface of a pipe when the tool is deployed within the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.