Snap-on pipe guide
AssigneeSeescan, Inc.
InventorsMark S. Olsson, Eric M. Chapman, Allen W. Tucker, Dawn E. Shaffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipe guide includes a pair of cylindrical shells each having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes and structure for holding the shells together when the shells are axially mated end-to-end. A pair of curved tab arms extend circumferentially about corresponding ones of the cylindrical shells. A pair of slide-locks are configured to slide over corresponding ones of the tab arms to move them into a locking position in which keys on the tab arms extend between adjacent coils of a coil spring surrounded by the shells.
Claims25
A pipe guide, comprising:
- a pair of cylindrical shells, each shell having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes and each shell having a structure for holding the shells together when the shells are axially mated end-to-end;
- a curved tab arms extending circumferentially about each of the cylindrical shells;
- and
- a pair of slide-locks configured to slide over corresponding ones of the tab arms to move the tab arms into a locking position in which keys on the tab arms extend between adjacent coils of a coil spring surrounded by the shells.
A pipe guide, comprising:
- a pair of cylindrical shells each having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes, at least one axially extending lock tongue, and at least one circumferentially extending catch, each of the lock tongues being configured to be received by the corresponding one of the catches as the shells are axially mated end-to-end;
- a pair of curved tab arms that are received in a first set of recesses formed in corresponding ones of the vanes and extend circumferentially relative to the cylindrical shells;
- and
- a pair of slide-locks that are received in a second set of recesses formed in corresponding ones of the vanes wherein the pair of slide-locks are configured to slide over corresponding ones of the tab arms to move the tab arms into a locking position in which keys on the tabs extend between adjacent coils of a coil spring surrounded by the shells.
A guide, comprising:
- a pair of cylindrical shells, each shell having a tongue and a catch to secure a tongue of the other cylindrical shell;
- a plurality of vanes extending radially from each of the shells;
- at least one curved slide arm mounted on each of the shells and having a interior-facing key portion that is movable radially inwardly to a locked position to anchor each of the shells to a coil spring;
- and
- a circumferentially movable slide lock to slide over the curved slide arm in a first direction to position the key portion of the curved slide arm in said locked position and slide over the slide arm in a second direction opposite the first direction to release the shells from the coil spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.