Method and apparatus for controlled application of a coating material to a pipe joint
AssigneeJoint Systems, Inc.
InventorsJess Eldridge, Benny L. Shatswell, Eric Jahoda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An applicator is provided for coating the uncovered end portions or stubs of pipe sections after they have been welded together. A belt is maintained in tension out of contact with the pipe until the pipe stubs are welded together and coating operations are to begin. The belt is then wrapped onto the pipes forming an annular cavity about the welded stubs. Chain reinforcing mesh is also applied to the exterior of the belt for support. An expanding foam which sets into a hard coating is then injected into the cavity. Once the foam hardens and fills the cavity, the belt and reinforcement are unwrapped from the coated joint and moved away from the pipe.
Claims23
A method of applying a coating to exposed end portions of pipe adjacent coated pipe portions in a pipeline, comprising the steps of:
- (a) maintaining a belt extended under tension at a spaced position from the pipe as the pipe is moved into position for the end portions to be coated;
- (b) causing relative pivotal movement of the belt with respect to the pipe when the pipe is in position to be coated;
- (c) wrapping the belt about the end portions of the pipe to form a cavity adjacent the exposed portions during such relative pivotal movement;
- (d) injecting chemicals which react to form a hard foam coating into the cavity to cover the end portions of the pipe.
An apparatus for applying a coating to exposed end portions of pipe adjacent coated pipe portions in a pipeline, comprising:
- (a) belt means for wrapping about the end portions to form a cavity adjacent the exposed portions;
- (b) pivotally movable frame means for maintaining said belt means extended under tension at a spaced position from the pipe as the pipe is moved into position for the end portions to be coated;
- (c) means for causing relative pivotal movement of said frame means with respect to the pipe;
- (d) said pivotally movable frame means moving said belt means into contact with the pipe and thereafter wrapping said belt means onto the pipe to form the cavity;
- (e) means for injecting the coating into the cavity to cover the end portions of the pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.