US 5,172,639 AGranted

Cornering pipe traveler

AssigneeGas Research Institute

InventorsRichard M. Wiesman, Edward E. Fischer, Richard R. Fontana, Bruce B. Gamble, Robert T. Hsiung, Steven J. Kozminski

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Abstract

A cornering pipe traveler includes a tractor having a pair of carriages, a leading carriage and a trailing carriage, each carriage including a clamping device for positively engaging the inner surface of the pipe, and structure for propelling the carriage along the pipe; interconnected between the pair of carriages there is a device for exerting a curling force between the two carriages for mechanically compelling the lead carriage to curl and enter a turn in the pipe; also included is structure for aligning the lead carriage so that the curling force compels the pipe traveler to enter a selected turn to be made.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A cornering pipe traveler for moving through a pipe, comprising:

a tractor having a pair of carriages, a leading carriage and a trailing carriage, each carriage including clamping means for positively engaging the inner surface of the pipe, and means for propelling said carriage along the pipe;
curling means interconnected between said pair of carriages for exerting a curling force between the two carriages for mechanically compelling the lead carriage to curl in relation to the trailing carriage and enter a turn in the pipe;
and
means for aligning by steering the lead carriage about the longitudinal axis of the tractor so that the curling force mechanically compels the lead carriage to enter a selected turn to be made.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.