Air-actuated pipeline transportation system with wheeled vehicles

An air-actuated pipeline transportation system comprising,

• a vehicle including,
• a vehicle body having a generally round cross-sectional area,
• a plurality of load carrying wheels connected to the vehicle adjacent the bottom of the vehicle body adjacent each end of the vehicle body for supporting the vehicle for movement through the pipeline,
• two side wheels connected to the vehicle body adjacent each end of the vehicle, one of the wheels positioned on one side of the load wheels and the second of said side wheels positioned on the opposite side of the load wheels, the radial extent of the outer peripheries of the side wheels from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body being less than the radial extent of the outer peripheries of the load wheels whereby the side wheels are normally positioned out of contact with the interior of the pipeline when the vehicle is upright but one of the side wheels engages the interior of the pipeline when the vehicle rotates about its horizontal axis,
• said side wheels being toed outwardly in the direction of movement of the vehicle whereby the side wheels act to right the vehicle when the vehicle rotates sufficiently to bring one of the side wheels into contact with the interior of the pipeline,
• said pipeline including at least one opening in the bottom of the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a load wheel and positioned in the path of movement of the load wheels but out of the path of movement of the side wheels whereby debris will fall out of the opening but the wheels will pass over the opening, and
• a raised track on each side of the opening on the interior of the pipeline positioned to engage the side wheels.

A self-righting vehicle for moving by air through a tubular round conduit comprising,

• a vehicle body having a generally round cross-sectional area,
• a plurality of load carrying wheels connected to the vehicle adjacent the bottom of the vehicle for supporting the vehicle for movement through the conduit,
• at least two side wheels connected to the vehicle, one of said side wheels positioned on one side of the load wheels and the second of said side wheels positioned on the other side of the load wheels, the radial extent of the outer periphery of each side wheel from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body being less than the radial extent of the outer peripheries of the load wheels whereby the side wheels are positioned out of contact with the interior of the conduit when the vehicle is upright but one of the side wheels engages the interior of the conduit when the vehicle rotates about its horizontal axis,
• each of said side wheels being toed outwardly in the direction of movement of the vehicle whereby the side wheels act to right the vehicle when the vehicle rotates sufficiently to bring one of the side wheels into contact with the interior of the conduit.

In a pipeline transportation system in which load carrying vehicles having a plurality of load carrying wheels adjacent the bottom of the vehicles and a side wheel positioned on opposite sides of the load wheels in which the vehicle is moved by air, the improvement in a pipeline debris removal system comprising,

• an opening in the bottom of the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a load wheel and positioned in the path of movement of the load wheels but out of the path of movement of the side wheels whereby debris will fall out of the opening but the vehicle will pass over the opening,
• a ramp at the upstream side of the opening leading downwardly from the interior of the pipeline, and
• a ramp at the downstream side of the opening leading upwardly towards the interior of the pipeline,
• said ramps allowing the passage of the load wheels over the opening with a minimum of impact to the vehicle.

In a pipeline transportation system in which load carrying vehicles having a plurality of load carrying wheels adjacent the bottom of the vehicles and a side wheel positioned on opposite sides of the load wheels in which the vehicle is moved by air, the improvement in a pipeline debris removal system comprising,

• an opening in the bottom of the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a load wheel and positioned in the path of movement of the load wheels but out of the path of movement of the side wheels whereby debris will fall out of the opening but the vehicle will pass over the opening,
• a raised track on either side of the opening positioned to engage the side of wheels,
• a ramp at the upstream end of each track between the track and the interior of the pipeline, and
• a ramp at the downstream end of each track between the track and the interior of the pipeline.

In a pipeline transportation system having a vehicle loader and a vehicle unloader in which load carrying vehicles having a plurality of load carrying wheels adjacent the bottom of the vehicles at each end of the vehicle and a side wheel positioned on opposite sides of the load wheels in which the vehicle is moved by air, the improvement in a pipeline debris removal system comprising,

• an opening in the bottom of the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a load carrying wheel and positioned in the path of movement of the load wheels but out of the path of movement of the side wheels whereby debris will fall out of the opening but the vehicle will pass over the opening, said opening positioned downstream but adjacent to at least one of the loader and unloader,
• a raised track on either side of the opening positioned to engage the side wheels,
• a ramp at the upstream end of each track, and
• a ramp at the downstream end of the track.

An air-actuated pipeline transportation system comprising:

• a vehicle body having a generally round cross-sectional area, a plurality of load carrying wheels connected to the vehicle body adjacent each end of the vehicle and adjacent the bottom of the vehicle for supporting the vehicle for movement through the conduit,
• two side wheels connected to the vehicle body adjacent each end of the vehicle, one of the wheels positioned on one side of the load wheels and the second of said side wheels positioned on the opposite side of said load wheels, said side wheels extending outwardly from the lower half of the vehicle body,
• two of the wheels at each end of the vehicle toed outwardly in the direction of movement of the vehicle for co-acting with the interior of the pipeline for maintaining the vehicle upright,
• said pipeline including at least one opening in the bottom of the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a load wheel and positioned in the path of movement of the load wheels, but out of the path of movement of the side wheels when the vehicle is upright whereby debris will fall out of the opening but the vehicle will be supported by the side wheels and pass over the opening, and
• a raised track on either side of the opening positioned to engage the side wheels.

An air actuated pipeline tranportation system having pump means with at least one pump connection connected to the pipeline for creating an air flow in the pipeline and including

• a vehicle comprising,
• a vehicle body having a generally round cross-sectional area,
• at least two load carrying wheels connected to the vehicle adjacent the bottom of the vehicle body adjacent each end of the body for supporting the vehicle for movement through the pipeline,
• at least one of the wheels on each side of the body toed outwardly in the direction of movement of the vehicle for coacting with the interior of the conduit for automatically maintaining the vehicle upright in said conduit, said pipeline including at least one opening in the bottom of the pipeline spaced from all of the pump connections to the pipeline, said opening being wider than the width of a wheel but less than the width of the distance between the wheels at each end of the body whereby an upright vehicle will pass over the opening without the wheels being caught in the opening and debris will fall out of the opening.