Device for repairing pipes

A device for repairing a pipe joint, comprising

• a body,
• a drill assembly mounted on the body,
• the drill assembly comprising upper and lower arms, movable between a closed position in which the arms occupy a radial area not substantially greater than a diameter of the body and an open position in which the arms bear against substantially opposing points of a wall of the pipe to stabilize the drill assembly within the pipe,
• a drill head mounted on one of the arms for urging a drill against the pipe wall to produce a drill hole,
• a locating system for locating a portion of the pipe to be repaired,
• a remotely operated control panel for controlling the device, and
• a sealant injection nozzle mounted on the upper arm for injecting a sealant into the pipe joint through the drill hole,
• wherein when the arms are in the open position the drill assembly stabilizes the drill head and the drill head can be actuated independently of the arms to move the drill toward and away from the pipe wall.

A method of repairing a pipe joint inside a pipe, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting into the pipe a device comprising a body having a drill assembly including an actuator and a sealant nozzle mechanism,
• (b) locating a pipe joint,
• (c) activating the actuator to urge a drill bit against the pipe and drilling a hole through the pipe,
• (d) retracting the drill bit from the hole,
• (e) moving the sealant nozzle mechanism in front of the actuator and activating the actuator to cause the sealant nozzle mechanism to bear against the hole, and
• (f) injecting sealant into the hole.