Air inversion and steam cure of cured in place liners apparatus

An air inversion apparatus for installing a resin impregnated cured in place pipe liner, comprising:

• a substantially rigid container dimensioned to allow an impregnated cured in place liner to pass therethrough, the container having an elongate slot opening on a planar surface, such that the elongate slot opening defines an aperture within the one planar surface;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism comprising a plurality of displaceable fingers positioned for forming a seal against a liner passing through the slot opening, the fingers being positioned at different locations along the length of the elongate slot opening, outside the container, and in generally side-by-side relation to one another on one side of the elongate slot opening,
• wherein said seal is configured to seal the elongate slot opening against inversion pressure in the rigid container that inverts the liner and thereby drives the liner through the inversion apparatus without any other driving mechanism.

An air inversion apparatus for installing a resin impregnated cured in place pipe liner, comprising:

• a substantially rigid container dimensioned to allow an impregnated cured in place liner to pass therethrough;
• an impregnated cured in place liner passing through the rigid container;
• the container having an inlet surface, an outlet surface, an elongate slot opening on an inlet surface, an inversion chamber, and an outlet on the outlet surface;
• an air inlet on the inversion chamber for pressurizing the container;
• compressible material portions disposed on opposite sides of the elongate slot opening in generally opposing relationship with each other, the compressible material portions each extending from said inlet surface of the container away from and outside of the container for forming a seal with the liner at a location outside the container, the compressible material portions defining a gap across the elongate slot opening;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism, the compressible material portions being selectively adjustable by the adjustment mechanism from outside the gap toward and away from each other at a location outside the container;
• the adjustment mechanism comprising a plurality of rods positioned at different locations along the length of the elongate slot opening, outside the container, and in generally side-by-side relation to one another on one side of the elongate slot opening;
• the adjustment mechanism further comprising a plurality of air cylinders, each air cylinder being operatively connected to a respective one of the rods to drive the respective one of the rods toward the liner and thereby urge the compressible material portions against the liner passing through the elongate slot.

An air inversion apparatus for installing a resin impregnated cured in place pipe liner, comprising:

• a substantially rigid container having an inlet surface and an outlet surface, the container being dimensioned to allow an impregnated cured in place liner to pass therethrough;
• the container having an elongate inlet slot opening on the inlet surface and an inversion chamber and outlet on the outlet surface;
• an air inlet on the inversion chamber for pressurizing the container;
• compressible material portions disposed on opposite sides of the inlet slot opening in generally opposing relationship with each other, the compressible material portions each extending from said inlet surface of the container away from and outside of the container for forming a seal with the liner at a location outside the container, the compressible material portions defining a gap across the inlet slot opening;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism, the compressible material portions being selectively adjustable by the adjustment mechanism from outside the gap toward and away from each other at a location outside the container to more than two positions for changing a size of the gap therebetween independently of a size and a shape of the liner;
• the adjustment mechanism comprising a plurality of displaceable fingers positioned to urge the compressible material portions against a liner passing through the inlet slot opening, the fingers being positioned at different locations along the length of the inlet slot opening, outside the container, and in generally side-by-side relation to one another on one side of the inlet slot opening.