Method and apparatus for providing a tubular material within a pipeline
AssigneeLmk Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsLarry W. Kiest, Jr., Gary VanAmeyde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for inserting a lining material into a pipeline includes an elongated carrier device having a hollow central portion which encloses a liner-bladder assembly. The liner-bladder assembly includes an elongated inflation bladder which engages an open end of the carrier device and expands under fluid pressure out of the carrier device. The pipe liner is frangibly attached to the inflation bladder such that its attachment anchors the liner with respect to the open end of the carrier device to permit accurate placement of the liner within a pipeline proximate to a compromised section of the pipeline. The frangible connection breaks when the carrier device and inflation bladder are removed from the pipeline.
Claims16
A method of lining the interior of a pipeline, comprising:
- providing a pipe liner having a preselected length and diameter;
- providing an elongated, inflation bladder, said inflation bladder having a preselected length greater than said pipe liner length;
- forming a pipe liner assembly by frangibly attaching said pipe liner at one end thereof to a surface of said inflation bladder by way of a stitched connection, the stitched connection extending circumferentially around said inflation bladder;
- providing a hollow, tubular carrier and attaching one end of said inflation bladder to said carrier;
- impregnating said pipe liner with a curable resin to form a resin-impregnated pipe liner;
- enclosing said liner assembly within carrier to protect said resin-impregnated pipe liner from contact with the interior of said pipeline;
- introducing said carrier into said pipeline and urging said liner assembly out of said carrier into said pipeline by applying fluid pressure to said carrier, whereby said pipe liner assembly exfoliates out of said carrier and attains a position within said pipeline wherein said resin-impregnated pipe liner opposes and contacts said pipeline interior;
- allowing said resin to cure, whereby said pipe liner forms a new interior lining of said pipeline;
- and,
- removing said carrier from said pipeline by breaking said stitched connection between said resin-impregnated pipe liner and said inflation bladder.
A method of lining the interior of a pipeline comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated hollow carrier element having at least one open end;
- forming an elongated tubular inflation bladder;
- applying a tubular lining material to a first preselected surface of the inflation bladder to form a liner-bladder assembly so that the lining material lies adjacent said inflation bladder;
- forming a frangible connection between the lining material and said inflation bladder at an attachment location toward a common end thereof by circumferentially stitching said lining material to said inflation bladder;
- attaching an end of said liner-bladder assembly to an open end of said carrier element;
- applying a curable resin to said lining material;
- placing said liner-bladder assembly inside of said carrier element so that said inflation bladder lies radially inwardly of said carrier element and said lining materials lies radially inwardly of said inflation bladder;
- inserting said carrier element into the pipeline;
- everting said liner bladder assembly out of said carrier element under fluid pressure so that said lining material lies radially outwardly of and adjacent said inflation bladder first preselected surface in opposition to the interior said pipeline and said attachment location lies outside of said carrier;
- permitting said resin to cure to form a new interior lining within said pipeline;
- and, removing said inflation bladder and carrier element from said pipeline by exerting a force upon said inflation bladder so as to break said frangible connection between said inflation bladder and said lining material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.