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US 2026/0225166 A1Published application
Pipe splitter and method
AssigneeTT Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Olander, Jeffrey Norman Dauderman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe splitter and associated systems and methods are disclosed. Pipe splitters are shown that include replaceable cutter blades and redundant cutter blades. Configurations and methods for replacing cutter blades are shown. Devices and methods of splitting pipe and removing pipe from the ground are further shown.
Claims23
A pipe splitter, comprising:
- a splitter body;
- a longitudinal slot in a side of the splitter body, the longitudinal slot including a slot base having a first width, and a lip at an exterior of the longitudinal slot defining a second width, smaller than the first width;
- an entry pocket at a first end of the longitudinal slot, and a rear retaining wall at a second end of the longitudinal slot;
- a replaceable cutter blade having a foot that fits radially into the entry pocket, then slides into the longitudinal slot, wherein the foot is retained radially within the longitudinal slot by the lip;
- a removable front slot retainer that fits within the entry pocket.
2 more elements
A pipe splitter, comprising:
- a splitter body;
- a longitudinal slot in a side of the splitter body;
- a first replaceable cutter blade in the longitudinal slot;
- a second replaceable cutter blade in the longitudinal slot behind the first replaceable cutter blade, wherein the second replaceable cutter blade is dimensioned to only engage a pipe to be replaced if the first replaceable cutter blade is at least partially broken.
1 more element
A method of pipe splitting, comprising:
- placing a first cutting blade into a longitudinal slot in a side of a splitter body, the longitudinal slot including a slot base having a first width, and a lip at an exterior of the longitudinal slot defining a second width, smaller than the first width;
- engaging the first cutting blade within the longitudinal slot using a foot of the first cutting blade, wherein the foot is retained radially within the longitudinal slot by the lip;
- sliding the first cutting blade into a back of the longitudinal slot against a rear retaining wall;
- and
- attaching a magnetic slot retainer at a front of the longitudinal slot to block a front entry end of the longitudinal slot.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- threading a first length of cable through a pipe to be replaced;
- attaching a splitter body to the first length of cable at a distal end of the pipe to be replaced;
- pulling the splitter body through the pipe to be replaced to split the pipe to be replaced;
- pulling in a second length of cable behind the splitter body as it splits the pipe to be replaced;
- and
- attaching the second length of cable to the distal end of the pipe to be replaced and pulling the second length of cable to remove the pipe to be replaced from of the ground.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.