Resin impregnation of absorbent material
AssigneeGelco Services, Inc.
InventorsClinton Kelly Odell, Patrick J. Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for use in impregnating an absorbent fibrous layer or similar portion of a tubular liner with a curable resin material to prepare such a liner for installation into a pipe to repair the pipe. Several vacuum applicators such as hollow needles, all connected to a vacuum, are used simultaneously to evacuate air from the entire absorbent fibrous layer of the tubular liner, beginning at a time significantly before curable resin is first introduced to be absorbed. A timer is used to begin the evacuation automatically.
Claims6
A method of impregnating with a curable resin a quantity of resin-absorbent material included as part of an elongate flexible tube, said flexible tube having a pair of opposite ends and a length and an outer layer including an air-impermeable membrane disposed about said resin-absorbent material, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) closing both of said opposite ends of said flexible tube;
- (b) inserting a plurality of vacuum applicators through said air-impermeable membrane at respective locations spaced apart from each other along substantially all of said length of said flexible tube;
- (c) connecting each of said vacuum applicators to a vacuum source;
- (d) applying a vacuum from said vacuum source through all of said plurality of vacuum applicators simultaneously for a sufficient time to evacuate air from substantially the entire length of said flexible tube;
- (e) thereafter, inserting within said flexible tube at a first one of said ends a predetermined amount of said curable resin;
- and
- (f) beginning at or near said first end, passing said flexible tube between squeezing members and forcing a portion of said resin to flow towards the other of said ends as said flexible tube passes between said squeezing members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.