Conduit liner cutter
OwnerStephen V. Gearhartinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is an improved cutting device and method for cutting openings in rehabilitative sewer pipe liners and other surfaces in confined spaces. The present invention utilizes a stream of ultra-high pressured fluid as a cutting medium to reduce mechanical vibration, reduce the need for the withdrawal of equipment from a confined space for repair or bit replacement, and provide a cleaning medium that allows the cleaning of remote sensing equipment at the remote location without the need for withdrawal of the equipment. The device of the present invention is a generally cylindrical or oblong body and sled having a cutting head extendible therefrom for positioning and aiming a cutting stream of ultra-high pressured fluid towards a surface to be cut.
Claims19
A method for cutting openings in an interior surface comprising the steps of:
- placing in a confined space observation and cutting equipment said cutting equipment being adapted to cut an area on the interior surface;
- locating the area to be cut on the surface within the confined space;
- cutting said surface with said cutting equipment in the presence of the observation equipment;
- cleaning said observation equipment while said observation equipment is in said confined space.
A method for cutting service line openings in a pipe liner comprising the steps of:
- placing in a refined pipe observation and cutting equipment, said cutting equipment being adapted to cut a service line opening on the interior surface of the relined pipe;
- identifying with the observation equipment the location of a desired service line opening;
- cutting with the cutting equipment in the presence of the observation equipment a service line opening in the relined pipe at the location of the desired service line opening;
- cleaning said observation equipment while said observation equipment is in said relined pipe.
A mobile cutting system for cutting lateral openings in rehabilitative sewer pipe liners comprising:
- a first body;
- a cutting head being combined with and moveable about said body, said cutting head having a first opening formed therein,
- said first opening being in hydraulic communication with an ultra-high pressured water source;
- and
- the cutting head has a second opening formed therein, said second opening being in hydraulic communication with a cleaning fluid source, said second opening being larger than said first opening.
A mobile cutting system for cutting lateral openings in rehabilitative pipe liners comprising:
- a sled comprising:
- a body having a front end and a rear end,
- runners extending downwardly from the body,
- an actuatable anchor being combined with and extendable from the sled,
- a retractable arm having a first end and a second end, said first end being longitudinally extendible from the body,
- a cutting head mounted on said retractable arm first end;
- said cutting head comprising:
- a cutting head body having a cutting orifice formed therein and a having a cleaning orifice formed therein, said cutting orifice and cleaning orifice being in hydraulic communication with an ultra-high-pressure water source, and
- said cleaning orifice being larger than said cutting orifice;
- and
- a lens facing said cleaning orifice.
A mobile cutting and observation system for observing a selected area on an interior wall of a pipe liner, cutting an opening in said area, and cleaning away from at least a part of said system at least a part of debris caused by said cutting, said cutting and observation system comprising:
- an ultra-high pressure hose having a first end and a second end;
- a body having an ultra-high pressure hose connection thereon, said
- connection being combined with said ultra-high pressure hose first end;
- a body inflow conduit being in hydraulic communication with said ultra-high pressure hose connection;
- a valve being in hydraulic communication with said body inflow conduit said valve being actuatable in response to a valve control signal;
- a cutting stream conduit being in hydraulic communication with said valve;
- a cleaning stream conduit being in hydraulic communication with said valve;
- a head combined with said body, said head being rotatable and extendible relative to said body in response to a head control signal;
- said head having a cutting orifice formed therein;
- said cutting orifice being in hydraulic communication with a dampening chamber;
- said dampening chamber being in hydraulic communication with said cutting stream conduit;
- said head having a cleaning orifice formed therein;
- said cleaning orifice being in hydraulic communication with said cleaning stream conduit;
- a communication means combined with said valve for receiving valve control signals;
- a communication means combined with said head for receiving head control signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.