US 4,362,049 AGranted

Method and apparatus for leak testing the interior of pipe

OwnerMark D. Hortoninventor

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for internally applying fluid pressure in order to determine the leak resisting characteristics of pipe, by gravitating a pipe into an elongated upwardly opening trough filled with a noncompressible fluid, such as water. The pipe is supported submerged within the trough and below the liquid level thereof such that opposed seals can be lowered into the trough, reciprocated towards one another and into engagement with the opposed ends of the filled pipe. Hence, the seals isolate the pipe interior after the pipe has been filled with the non-compressible fluid. The internal pressure of the pipe is increased and held for a finite period of time, thereby determining the rate at which the noncompressible fluid escapes from the pipe interior. The seals are released from the pipe ends, the fluid drained from the pipe and back into the trough, and the tested pipe is then removed from the apparatus.

Claims11

Dependent claims

Apparatus for hydrostatically testing pipe comprising a main frame, an upwardly opening water trough supported by said frame, said trough having a length greater than the length of a pipe to be tested;

a vertically movable pipe manipulator superimposed above said trough and movable towards and away from the trough opening;
spaced heads reciprocably carried by said pipe manipulator, means by which said heads releasably engage the opposite ends of a pipe in sealed relationship therewith;
a source of fluid pressure connected to one said head;
means by which a pipe can be transferred into said trough and positioned below the liquid level of any water which may be contained therein so that the pipe is filled with fluid;
said pipe manipulator includes means for engaging and lifting a submerged pipe into a position above said trough;
means for transferring a pipe away from said pipe manipulator;
whereby pipe to be tested is submerged below the fluid level of any water contained within the trough, the pipe manipulator is lowered until the heads are aligned with the axial centerline of the pipe, whereupon the heads are moved towards one another and into sealed engagement with the pipe ends, the pipe can then be removed from the trough, fluid pressure can then be applied to the interior of the pipe to thereby test the leak characteristics of the pipe, and the heads are then removed from the pipe ends.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.