US 4,631,967 AGranted

Automatic insertion device

AssigneeWelker Engineering Company

InventorRobert H. Welker

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Abstract

The automatic insertion device will insert or withdraw a piston rod into a pressurized fluid pipeline. In one embodiment, the piston rod will allow intrumentation on the exterior of the pipeline to directly sense the pressure of the fluid inside of the pipeline. In an alternate embodiment, the piston rod may be used to remove liquids from the pressurized pipeline. In the preferred embodiment, a cap is put on the end of the piston rod to isolate it from the pressure inside of the pipeline. The automatic insertion device can then be equipped with a turbine meter, a temperature sensor, or doppler measuring equipment. In another embodiment, a pitot probe can be placed on the end of the pipeline for measurement of differential pressure which, with additional instrumentation, can be used to measure flow through the pipeline. In another embodiment, the automatic insertion device can be combined with a pump to remove samples of the fluid within the pipeline.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus to insert and remove a piston rod into and from a pressurized fluid pipeline through a valve mounted on a tee connected to the pressurized pipeline comprising:

(a) a spool having a first flange on one end and a second flange on the other end, said second flange being connected to said valve, said spool and said flanges being perforated by a longitudinal bore;
(b) an elongate cylinder having a flange on one end for detachable mounting of said cylinder;
(c) a plurality of elongate spacers with a first end releasably connected to said first flange of said spool and a second end releasably connected to said flange of said cylinder, said spacers positioning said cylinder in axial alignment with said longitudinal bore of said spool;
(d) a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder;
(e) said piston rod having a hollow axial passage, a first end removably connected to said piston, a second open end allowing access to said hollow passage and a port perforating said piston rod and communicating with said hollow passage, said piston rod extending through said longitudinal bore of said spool and said second end of said piston rod positioned for insertion and removal through said valve and said tee into and from said pressurized pipeline on reciprocation by said piston;
(f) means for limiting the depth of penetration of said second end of said piston rod into said pressurized pipeline including:
(i) a disk-shaped collar having a center hole to receive said piston rod;
(ii) said collar having a radial slot along the diameter thereof and through said center hole which divides said collar into two clam-shaped sections;
(iii) a threaded bolt passing through one of said clam-shaped sections into a threaded hole in the other of said clam-shaped sections, said bolt causing said clam-shaped sections to grip said piston rod when tightened and locking said collar to said piston rod;
and
(iv) a first post and a second post mounted on said first flange of said spool on opposite sides of said longitudinal bore, said posts having circular shoulders to engage and support said collar which, when locked to said piston rod, limits the depth of penetration of said second end of said piston rod into said pressurized pipeline;
(g) seal means extending around said piston rod to prevent leakage of said fluid from said pressurized pipeline.

9 more elements

An apparatus to insert and remove a piston rod into and from a pressurized fluid pipeline through a valve mounted on a tee connected to the pressurized pipeline comprising:

(a) a spool having a first flange on one end and a second flange on the other end, said second flange being connected to said valve, said spool and said flanges being perforated by a longitudinal bore;
(b) an elongate cylinder with circular walls having a window in a portion of said circular wall and having a flange on one end of said cylinder to detachably mount said cylinder on said first flange of said spool;
(c) a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder;
(d) said piston rod having a hollow axial passage, a first end removably connected to said piston, a second open end allowing access to said hollow passage and a port perforating said piston rod and communicating with said hollow passage, said piston rod extending through said longitudinal bore of said spool and said second end of said piston rod positioned for insertion and removal through said valve and said tee into and from said pressurized pipeline on reciprocation by said piston;
(e) means for limiting the depth of penetration of said second end of said piston rod into said pressurized pipeline;
and
(f) seal means extending around said piston rod to prevent leakage of fluid from said pressurized pipeline.

4 more elements

An apparatus to insert and remove a piston rod into and from a pressurized fluid pipeline through a valve mounted on a tee connected to the pressurized pipeline comprising:

(a) a spool having a first flange on one end and a second flange on the other end, said second flange being connected to said valve, said spool and said flanges being perforated by a longitudinal bore;
(b) an elongate cylinder having a flange on one end for detachable mounting of said cylinder;
(c) a plurality of elongate spacers with a first end releasably connected to said first flange of said spool and a second end releasably connected to said flange of said cylinder, said spacers positioning said cylinder in axial alignment with said longitudinal bore of said spool;
(d) a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder;
(e) said piston rod having a hollow axial passage, a first end removably connected to said piston, a second open end allowing access to said hollow passage and a port perforating said piston rod and communicating with said hollow passage, said piston rod extending through said longitudinal bore of said spool and said second end of said piston rod positioned for insertion and removal through said valve and said tee into and from said pressurized pipeline on reciprocation by said piston;
(f) an axially adjustable lock collar gripping the external circumference of said piston rod;
(g) a stop abutting said lock collar and limiting the depth of penetration of said second end of said piston rod into said pressurized pipeline;
(h) means for securing said lock collar to said stop;
and
(i) seal means extending around said piston rod to prevent leakage of said fluid from said pressurized pipeline.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.