Composite joint infill system
AssigneeFoam Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsDennis E. Holbert, David C. Dressel, James H. McBrien, Richard L. Wyke
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Abstract
A pair of concrete coated pipe joints welded together end to end with a gap between the concrete coatings, the gap being filled with a fast setting elastomeric polymeric infill material, either solid or foamed, and a particulate filler material, and a method for molding the infill material with the mold being filled with filler material before the polymer components are injected, and with a membrane lining the mold to prevent the polymer from adhering to the mold.
Claims3
A method for forming a joint infill at the juncture of sequential lengths of concrete coated pipe welded together end to end with a gap between the concrete coatings said gap extending radially outwardly from the pipe to the surface of the concrete coating, which comprises
- enclosing a radially inner portion of the gap with a first mold having a top opening and forming a first annular mold space around the pipe in the gap, said first annular mold space having a radial thickness less than the radial extent of said gap,
- introducing into said first mold space sufficient particulate filler material to fill said first mold space,
- then injecting into said first mold a mixture of unreacted liquid components of a rapid setting elastomeric polymer,
- enclosing the gap with a second mold which encloses the entire gap including said first mold space, said second mold having a top opening, thereby forming a second annular mold space surrounding said first mold space,
- introducing into the second mold space sufficient particulate filler material to fill the second mold space,
- then injecting into the second mold space a mixture of unreacted foamable liquid components of a rapid setting foamed polymer, and
- allowing the components of the polymer to react and foam until the polymer sets up.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.