Pressure energized pipeline plug

Apparatus for plugging the bore of a pipe at a selected location and withstanding a pressure differential thereacross that may equal or exceed the designed working fluid pressure of the pipe, comprising in combination:

• cylindrical body means adapted for insertion into the pipe bore and for axial movement therein, said body means including a pressure head having a selected area,
• support means attached to and cooperating with said body means for supporting said body means axially in the pipe during movement therein,
• pipe gripping means carried by said body means for locking engagement with the inside surface of the pipe to anchor said body means in said pipe,
• a plurality of axially disposed annular elastomeric seal members having a selected annular area and concentrically disposed on said body means for radially expanding in response to axial force applied thereto for sealingly engaging the inside surface of the pipe and converting said axial force into radial sealing pressure in a predetermined relationship,
• actuating means for actuating said pipe gripping means and for applying a predetermined initial axial force to said compression seal means for radially expanding said seal means into engagement with said pipe,
• an annular metal ring disposed concentrically on said body means and centrally of said annular elastomeric seal members for separating said seal members into a pair of sealing means, said annular ring having a circumferential channel disposed thereabout and a radial bore therethrough communicating with the interior of said body means, said ring channel receiving pressurized fluid leaking past one of said pair of sealing means, and
• drainage means connected to said body means to exhaust said leaking pressurized fluid to the exterior of the pipe.

Apparatus for plugging the bore of a pipe at a selected location and withstanding a pressure differential thereacross that may equal or exceed the designed working fluid pressure of the pipe, comprising in combination:

• cylindrical locking module body means,
• cylindrical sealing module body means spaced forward of said locking module body means in the pipe and including a pressure head having a selected area,
• articulated connection means for structurally interconnecting said spaced locking and sealing module body means and permitting limited bending movement and axial deflection therebetween during axial movement within the pipe,
• support means attached to and cooperating with both said body means for supporting both said body means axially in the pipe during movement therein,
• a slip support member mounted on said locking module body means,
• a plurality of radially spaced axially movable slips supported by said slip support member and movable with respect thereto and adapted for wedging into locking engagement with the inside surface of the pipe in response to axial force applied thereto and converting said axial force into radial locking pressure in a predetermined relationship,
• compression seal means having a selected annular area and carried by said sealing module body means for radially expanding in response to axial force applied thereto for sealingly engaging the inside surface of the pipe and converting said axial force into radial sealing pressure in a predetermined relationship, and
• actuating means for engaging said plurality of slips and applying a predetermined initial axial force to said slips for moving said slips in relation to said slip support member and into locking engagement with the pipe wall and to said compression seal means for radially expanding said seal means into engagement with said pipe.