Apparatus for manufacturing a replacement pipe liner in reduced form
AssigneeINA Acquisition Corp.
InventorCampbell H. Steketee, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing a liner for installation in an existing conduit in reduced form. The apparatus includes an extruder for extruding heated thermoplastic pipe material through a die to form a tubular shape, a shaping station for shaping the extruded tubular plastic material to the reduced form, a cooling station to cool the liner so that the liner maintains the reduced form and a reheating station to render the liner pliable to be put in suitable form for storage. The liner may be spooled on itself in a layered condition or on a solid spool.
Claims22
Apparatus for manufacturing a length of substantially rigid thermoplastic plastic pipe in a flattened and folded form suitable for installation in an existing conduit, comprising:
- extruder means for extruding a thermoplastic material into a hollow tubular shaped pipe,
- calibrator means comprising a series of calibrator plates having aligned openings for reshaping the pipe into a desired flattened and folded form having dimensions less than when in the tubular form,
- vacuum means for holding the pipe against the walls of the openings of said calibrator plates to maintain the pipe in the desired flattened and folded shape as determined by the calibrator means;
- pulling means for pulling the reshaped pipe from the calibrator means,
- cooling means for cooling the flattened and folded pipe as it is pulled from the calibrator means to harden the pipe in its flattened and folded form,
- reheating means for reheating the cooled flattened and folded pipe to render it pliable;
- and
- coiling means for coiling the pliable flattened and folded pipe for storage.
An apparatus for manufacturing a length of substantially rigid thermoplastic liner in a reduced flattened and folded form wherein all cross-sectional dimensions are less than the diameter of the liner when in a tubular form, comprising:
- extruder means for extruding a thermoplastic material into a length of liner having a hollow substantially tubular cross-section;
- and
- shaping means including vacuum for reshaping the extruded tubular thermoplastic liner from the tubular form to a desired reduced flattened and folded form with all dimensions less than when in the tubular form and for maintaining the reduced form,
- pulling means for pulling the liner from the shaping means, and
- coiling means for coiling the liner in reduced flattened and folded form for storage, whereby the liner maintains the reduced form when subsequently reheated to render the liner pliable.
An apparatus for manufacturing a length of substantially rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe in a reduced flattened and folded form wherein all cross-sectional dimensions of the pipe are less than the diameter of the pipe when in a tubular form, which pipe must be heated to a temperature sufficient to render it pliable, comprising:
- extruder means for extruding a polyvinyl chloride material into a length of pipe having a substantially hollow tubular cross-section;
- shaping means and vacuum means for reshaping the polyvinyl chloride pipe at a temperature sufficient to make the pipe pliable from the extruded tubular form to a desired reduced flattened and folded form having dimensions less than when in the tubular form after exiting the extruder means and for maintaining the reshaped pipe in the reduced form;
- and
- coiling means for coiling the pipe in reduced form for storage, whereby the pipe maintains the reduced form when subsequently reheated to a temperature sufficient to render the pipe pliable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.