Bushing, Control Bar Lock, and Housing for Manually Operated Plugging Machine

Abstract

Control bar locks of this disclosure are adapted for use with manually operated plugging machines like those used in oil and gas pipeline maintenance and repair. When in a locked state, the lock restricts and prevents lateral and longitudinal movement of the plugging machine’s control bar. In some embodiments, a bushing functions as the control bar lock. In other embodiments, a cap functions as the lock. The bushing eliminates the need to remove and replace the O-ring seal used in prior art housings; instead, the bushing contains the seal. The cap helps ensure the plugging head is in its final sealing position within the pipe as the cap’s geometry about the control bar prevents its connection to the housing when the control bar is moving the plugging head into the final sealing position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.