US 6,659,133 B2 · Insertable line stopper plug for pipelines

Abstract

This invention contemplates a resettable plug assembly suitable for insertion into a pipeline from a transverse tee connection in order that flow may be stopped and pressure retained by the plug. The stopper plug is inserted in the upstream direction and utilizes a bypass valve to aid installation when there is flow. The seal of the plug is expanded radially to contact the wall of the pipeline for sealing. Once in place the bypass valve is closed to stop the flow in the pipeline.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A line stopper apparatus for preventing flow through pipeline bores comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing reciprocable within a hot-tap fitting having a pocket in a longitudinal first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing;
(b) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug movable in and out of the pocket in the tubular housing along an axis of a bore of a pipeline between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
and
an elastomeric seal, wherein the elastomeric seal is decompressed during insertion into the bore of the pipeline;
(c) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
and
(d) means for compressing said elastomeric seal when emplaced in the bore of the pipeline;
whereby the seal is sealingly biased against a bore of a pipeline to stop fluid flow past the line stopper apparatus.

6 more elements

A line stopper apparatus for preventing flow through pipeline bores comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket having a central axis located on a diameter of said housing, and wherein said housing has a through bore, coaxial with and intersecting the pocket;
(b) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a flow path aligned with the through bore;
a main plug movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
and
a gate housing having a vertical passage, wherein said passage intersects the flow path;
(c) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(d) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(e) a valve gate, said valve gate reciprocable in the vertical passage of the gate housing between an open position where the flow path is open and a closed position wherein the flow path is closed to stop flow through the flow path;
and
(f) means for moving said valve gate between the open position and the closed position.

10 more elements

A line stopper for selectably blocking flow through pipeline bores, said line stopper comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket located on a housing diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
(b) a through bore at an interior end of the pocket aligned with the pocket and penetrating to a second side of the housing opposed to the first side, wherein the through bore has a counterbore on an external end of the through bore, the counterbore having a shoulder on an inner end of the counterbore;
(c) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug reciprocable along a horizontal axis of the pocket between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an annular elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
an aperture constituting a flow passage in the main plug coaxial with the through bore of the housing;
a valve housing attached to an inner end of the main plug, the valve housing having a first flow passage coaxial with the aperture of the main plug and an intersecting transverse passage;
a cylindrical extension having an inner flow passage aligned with the through bore of the housing and the aperture of the sealing plug assembly, the cylindrical extension attached to an inner end of the valve housing and reciprocable within the through bore, said cylindrical extension further having an upset head at an outer end of the cylindrical extension, the upset head spaced apart from the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the retracted position and abutting the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the extended position;
(d) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(e) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(f) a moveable valving member, said valving member movable between
a first position where the valving member permits flow through the flow passage of the valve housing, the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension and the aperture in the main plug;
and
a second position where the valving member interacts with the sealing mechanism of the valve housing to prevent through flow through the aperture, the flow passage of the valve housing and the flow passage of the cylindrical extension;
and
(g) means for moving said valving member into and out of its first flowing position and its second sealing position.

14 more elements

A line stopper for selectably blocking flow through pipeline bores, said line stopper comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket located on a housing diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
(b) a through bore at an interior end of the pocket aligned with the pocket and penetrating to a second side of the housing opposed to the first side, wherein the through bore has a counterbore on an external end of the through bore, the counterbore having a shoulder on an inner end of the counterbore;
(c) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug reciprocable along a horizontal axis of the pocket between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an annular elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
an aperture constituting a flow passage in the main plug coaxial with the through bore of the housing;
a valve housing attached to an inner end of the main plug, the valve housing having a flow passage coaxial with the aperture of the main plug and housing a valving member;
a cylindrical extension having an inner flow passage aligned with the through bore of the housing and the aperture of the sealing plug assembly, the cylindrical extension attached to an inner end of the valve housing and reciprocable within the through bore, said cylindrical extension further having an upset head at an outer end of the cylindrical extension, the upset head spaced apart from the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the retracted position and abutting the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the extended position;
(d) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(e) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(f) a moveable valving member, said valving member movable between
a first position where the valving member permits flow through the flow passage of the valve housing, the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension and the aperture in the main plug;
and
a second position where the valving prevents through flow through the aperture, the flow passage of the valve housing and the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension;
and
(g) means for moving said valving member into and out of its first flowing position and its second sealing position.

14 more elements

A line stopper apparatus for stopping fluid flow in pipeline bores, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having at a first end
a pocket, said pocket having an axis transverse to and intersecting the longitudinal axis of the housing, and
a housing through bore, said housing through bore concentric with and intersecting the pocket;
(b) a sealing plug assembly having
a flow path,
an anterior face,
a cylindrical shank, and
a transition shoulder between said anterior face and said shank,
wherein said plug is reciprocably moveable along an axis of said pocket between an extended position and a retracted position;
(c) an annular elastomeric seal disposed around the cylindrical shank of the plug with a first side of said seal adjacent said transition shoulder;
(d) an annular pusher ring disposed around the cylindrical shank of the plug having an interior side of the pusher ring abutting a second side of the seal opposed to the first side of the seal;
(e) two sets of vertically movable push-pull coacting wedges, each set of wedges consisting essentially of a driving wedge and a reaction wedge, the reaction wedge operably connected to the pusher ring of the sealing plug assembly;
(f) a wedge actuator, the wedge actuator controlling the movement of the wedges in an upward or downward direction, wherein when the wedges are in an upmost upward position an initial movement of the wedges in the downward direction operates on the pusher ring to move the cylindrical plug into the extended position and a subsequent movement of the wedges in the downward direction urges the pusher ring against the elastomeric seal to compress the elastomeric seal and bias the seal against an interior surface of a bore of a pipeline;
(g) a moveable valve gate, said valve gate reciprocable between an up position permitting flow through the flow path and the housing through bore and a closed position preventing flow through the flow path and the housing through bore;
and
(h) a valve gate actuator, the valve gate actuator operates on the gate to move the gate between the up position and the closed position.

13 more elements

A process for stopping fluid flow through pipeline bores, said process comprising:

(a) selecting a sealing plug to insert transversely into the bore of the pipeline through a precut window, said sealing plug including:
(i) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket having a central axis located on a diameter of said housing, and wherein said housing has a through bore, coaxial with and intersecting the pocket
(ii) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
an aperture aligned with the through bore;
a main plug movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
and
a gate housing having a vertical passage, wherein said passage intersects the aperture;
(iii) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(iv) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(v) a moveable valve gate, said gate moving from an up position where the aperture is open to a closed position wherein said gate is positioned in the passage of the gate housing to close the aperture;
and
(vi) means for moving said gate into and out of the passage;
(b) moving the main plug into the retracted position;
(c) inserting the line stopper through a precut window in the pipeline until a bottom end of the line stopper contacts a lower section of an interior surface of the bore of the pipeline;
(d) moving the main plug to the extended position within the bore of the pipeline;
(e) compressing the elastomeric seal to bias against and engage the interior surface of the bore of the pipeline;
and
(f) moving the valve gate within the passage of the gate housing and athwart the aperture in the sealing plug assembly to stop fluid flow through the bore of the pipeline.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/061,760Filed 1 Feb 2002 · us provisional application

Priority

6 Feb 2001

Published

US 2002/0106247 A18 Aug 2002

Granted

9 Dec 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

F16L 55/124
By introducing into the pipe a member expandable in situ: introduced radially into the pipe or hose
Y10T 137/612
With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means: tapping a pipe, keg, or apertured tank under pressure
F16L
Pipes
Y10T
Technical subjects covered by former us classification

Abstract

Claims41

Dependent claims

A line stopper apparatus for preventing flow through pipeline bores comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing reciprocable within a hot-tap fitting having a pocket in a longitudinal first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing;
(b) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug movable in and out of the pocket in the tubular housing along an axis of a bore of a pipeline between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
and
an elastomeric seal, wherein the elastomeric seal is decompressed during insertion into the bore of the pipeline;
(c) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
and
(d) means for compressing said elastomeric seal when emplaced in the bore of the pipeline;
whereby the seal is sealingly biased against a bore of a pipeline to stop fluid flow past the line stopper apparatus.

6 more elements

A line stopper apparatus for preventing flow through pipeline bores comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket having a central axis located on a diameter of said housing, and wherein said housing has a through bore, coaxial with and intersecting the pocket;
(b) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a flow path aligned with the through bore;
a main plug movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
and
a gate housing having a vertical passage, wherein said passage intersects the flow path;
(c) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(d) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(e) a valve gate, said valve gate reciprocable in the vertical passage of the gate housing between an open position where the flow path is open and a closed position wherein the flow path is closed to stop flow through the flow path;
and
(f) means for moving said valve gate between the open position and the closed position.

10 more elements

A line stopper for selectably blocking flow through pipeline bores, said line stopper comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket located on a housing diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
(b) a through bore at an interior end of the pocket aligned with the pocket and penetrating to a second side of the housing opposed to the first side, wherein the through bore has a counterbore on an external end of the through bore, the counterbore having a shoulder on an inner end of the counterbore;
(c) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug reciprocable along a horizontal axis of the pocket between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an annular elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
an aperture constituting a flow passage in the main plug coaxial with the through bore of the housing;
a valve housing attached to an inner end of the main plug, the valve housing having a first flow passage coaxial with the aperture of the main plug and an intersecting transverse passage;
a cylindrical extension having an inner flow passage aligned with the through bore of the housing and the aperture of the sealing plug assembly, the cylindrical extension attached to an inner end of the valve housing and reciprocable within the through bore, said cylindrical extension further having an upset head at an outer end of the cylindrical extension, the upset head spaced apart from the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the retracted position and abutting the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the extended position;
(d) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(e) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(f) a moveable valving member, said valving member movable between
a first position where the valving member permits flow through the flow passage of the valve housing, the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension and the aperture in the main plug;
and
a second position where the valving member interacts with the sealing mechanism of the valve housing to prevent through flow through the aperture, the flow passage of the valve housing and the flow passage of the cylindrical extension;
and
(g) means for moving said valving member into and out of its first flowing position and its second sealing position.

14 more elements

A line stopper for selectably blocking flow through pipeline bores, said line stopper comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket located on a housing diameter transverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
(b) a through bore at an interior end of the pocket aligned with the pocket and penetrating to a second side of the housing opposed to the first side, wherein the through bore has a counterbore on an external end of the through bore, the counterbore having a shoulder on an inner end of the counterbore;
(c) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
a main plug reciprocable along a horizontal axis of the pocket between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an annular elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
an aperture constituting a flow passage in the main plug coaxial with the through bore of the housing;
a valve housing attached to an inner end of the main plug, the valve housing having a flow passage coaxial with the aperture of the main plug and housing a valving member;
a cylindrical extension having an inner flow passage aligned with the through bore of the housing and the aperture of the sealing plug assembly, the cylindrical extension attached to an inner end of the valve housing and reciprocable within the through bore, said cylindrical extension further having an upset head at an outer end of the cylindrical extension, the upset head spaced apart from the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the retracted position and abutting the shoulder of the counterbore when the main plug is in the extended position;
(d) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(e) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(f) a moveable valving member, said valving member movable between
a first position where the valving member permits flow through the flow passage of the valve housing, the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension and the aperture in the main plug;
and
a second position where the valving prevents through flow through the aperture, the flow passage of the valve housing and the inner flow passage of the cylindrical extension;
and
(g) means for moving said valving member into and out of its first flowing position and its second sealing position.

14 more elements

A line stopper apparatus for stopping fluid flow in pipeline bores, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a substantially tubular housing having at a first end
a pocket, said pocket having an axis transverse to and intersecting the longitudinal axis of the housing, and
a housing through bore, said housing through bore concentric with and intersecting the pocket;
(b) a sealing plug assembly having
a flow path,
an anterior face,
a cylindrical shank, and
a transition shoulder between said anterior face and said shank,
wherein said plug is reciprocably moveable along an axis of said pocket between an extended position and a retracted position;
(c) an annular elastomeric seal disposed around the cylindrical shank of the plug with a first side of said seal adjacent said transition shoulder;
(d) an annular pusher ring disposed around the cylindrical shank of the plug having an interior side of the pusher ring abutting a second side of the seal opposed to the first side of the seal;
(e) two sets of vertically movable push-pull coacting wedges, each set of wedges consisting essentially of a driving wedge and a reaction wedge, the reaction wedge operably connected to the pusher ring of the sealing plug assembly;
(f) a wedge actuator, the wedge actuator controlling the movement of the wedges in an upward or downward direction, wherein when the wedges are in an upmost upward position an initial movement of the wedges in the downward direction operates on the pusher ring to move the cylindrical plug into the extended position and a subsequent movement of the wedges in the downward direction urges the pusher ring against the elastomeric seal to compress the elastomeric seal and bias the seal against an interior surface of a bore of a pipeline;
(g) a moveable valve gate, said valve gate reciprocable between an up position permitting flow through the flow path and the housing through bore and a closed position preventing flow through the flow path and the housing through bore;
and
(h) a valve gate actuator, the valve gate actuator operates on the gate to move the gate between the up position and the closed position.

13 more elements

A process for stopping fluid flow through pipeline bores, said process comprising:

(a) selecting a sealing plug to insert transversely into the bore of the pipeline through a precut window, said sealing plug including:
(i) a substantially tubular housing having a pocket in a first side adjacent to a lower end of said housing, said pocket having a central axis located on a diameter of said housing, and wherein said housing has a through bore, coaxial with and intersecting the pocket
(ii) a sealing plug assembly, said sealing plug assembly having
an aperture aligned with the through bore;
a main plug movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when said main plug is in said retracted position the main plug is housed within the pocket of the housing;
an elastomeric seal;
a pusher ring;
and
a gate housing having a vertical passage, wherein said passage intersects the aperture;
(iii) means for moving said main plug between the extended position and the retracted position;
(iv) means for compressing and decompressing said elastomeric seal;
(v) a moveable valve gate, said gate moving from an up position where the aperture is open to a closed position wherein said gate is positioned in the passage of the gate housing to close the aperture;
and
(vi) means for moving said gate into and out of the passage;
(b) moving the main plug into the retracted position;
(c) inserting the line stopper through a precut window in the pipeline until a bottom end of the line stopper contacts a lower section of an interior surface of the bore of the pipeline;
(d) moving the main plug to the extended position within the bore of the pipeline;
(e) compressing the elastomeric seal to bias against and engage the interior surface of the bore of the pipeline;
and
(f) moving the valve gate within the passage of the gate housing and athwart the aperture in the sealing plug assembly to stop fluid flow through the bore of the pipeline.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Insertable line stopper plug for pipelines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41

Insertable line stopper plug for pipelines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41