Inflation anchor
AssigneeHalliburton Company
InventorErnest E. Carter, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An hydraulically inflatable anchoring device for use in pipelines. A woven fabric of braided steel cable is employed as the outer cover of the device, being expanded and maintained against the inside of a pipeline by inflation of an elastomeric bladder within. The anchoring device is configured in the shape of a dumbbell, with a center section of lesser diameter than the ends, in order to facilitate movement through curved sections of pipe. The woven fabric is wrapped around the ends of the anchoring device and clamped in the interior thereof, so as to provide a greater length of fabric for frictional engagement with the wall of the pipe.
Claims14
An inflation anchor adapted for use in a conduit, comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical mandrel;
- an anchor assembly comprising an anchor and a wedge mounted at each end of said mandrel;
- an inflatable elastomeric bladder surrounding said mandrel and each of said anchor assemblies;
- and
- an expandable fabric of substantially tubular configuration surrounding said bladder, said anchor assemblies and said mandrel, each end of said fabric being wrapped around the longitudinally outermost extremity of each anchor, and tucked against an interior surface thereof, being clamped against said anchor by said wedge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.