U.S. patent application number 17/145906 was filed with the patent office on 2021-05-06 for mechanized inverter for pipe liners.
The applicant listed for this patent is SAK CONSTRUCTION LLC. Invention is credited to Scott Campbell, Jeff Hirtz, Steve Hirtz, Jason Laney, Kyle Presley.
Application Number | 20210129419 17/145906 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005329737 |
Filed Date | 2021-05-06 |
![](/patent/app/20210129419/US20210129419A1-20210506\US20210129419A1-2021050)
United States Patent
Application |
20210129419 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hirtz; Steve ; et
al. |
May 6, 2021 |
MECHANIZED INVERTER FOR PIPE LINERS
Abstract
A system and method for efficiently and safely installing a pipe
liner is provided, as well as methods of using the same. The system
and method for efficiently and safely installing, a pipe liner may
provide an inverter configured to invert the pipe liner by
introducing pressure into the pipe liner; provide a top roller;
provide an assist system located between the inverter and the top
roller, the assist system comprising: a main housing having a main
housing top and a main housing bottom, and each of the main housing
top and the main housing bottom having an opening; a first interior
roller; a second interior roller; and a first motor; and feed the
pipe liner onto the tarp roller, wherein the assist system feeds
the pipe liner from the top roller to the inverter in an efficient
and controller manner.
Inventors: |
Hirtz; Steve; (O'Fallon,
MO) ; Campbell; Scott; (Arnold, MO) ; Hirtz;
Jeff; (Wentzville, MO) ; Laney; Jason;
(Wentzville, MO) ; Presley; Kyle; (Troy,
MO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SAK CONSTRUCTION LLC |
O'Fallon |
MO |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005329737 |
Appl. No.: |
17/145906 |
Filed: |
January 11, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16540490 |
Aug 14, 2019 |
10919212 |
|
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17145906 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29L 2023/006 20130101;
F16L 55/1651 20130101; B29C 63/36 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B29C 63/36 20060101
B29C063/36; F16L 55/165 20060101 F16L055/165 |
Claims
1. A system for installing a pipe liner into a host pipe, the
system comprising: an inverter configured to invert said pipe liner
by introducing pressure into said pipe liner; a top roller; and an
assist system located between said inverter and said top roller,
said assist system comprising: a main housing having a main housing
top and a main housing bottom, and each of said main housing top
and said main housing bottom having an opening; a first interior
roller; a second interior roller: and a first motor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said pipe liner is a
cured-in-place pipe liner.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first interior roller has a
round profile.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said second interior roller has a
cam-shaped profile.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first interior roller has a
round profile and said second interior roller has a cam-shaped
profile.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first interior roller
further comprises a plurality of exterior roller wheel
sections.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of exterior roller
wheel sections comprise rubber.
8. The system of claim 5, wherein said second interior roller
further comprises a cam-shaped exterior roller wheel section.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein said cam-shaped exterior roller
wheel section comprises rubber.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein said first motor drives said
first interior roller, wherein a second motor drives said second
interior roller, wherein said first motor is configured to be
driven in a first direction, and said second motor is configured to
be driven in a direction opposite to that of said first
direction.
11. A method for installing a pipe liner into a host pipe, the
method comprising: providing an inverter configured to invert said
pipe liner by introducing pressure into said pipe liner; providing
a top roller; providing an assist system located between said
inverter and said top roller, said assist system comprising: a main
housing having a main housing top and a main housing bottom, and
each of said main housing top and said main housing bottom having
an opening; a first interior roller; a second interior roller; and
a first motor: and feeding said pipe liner onto said top roller,
wherein said assist system feeds said pipe liner from said top
roller to said inverter in an efficient and controller manner.
12. The method of claim 11, w herein said pipe liner is a
cured-in-place pipe liner.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first motor drives said
first interior roller, wherein a second motor drives said second
interior roller, wherein said first motor is configured to be
driven in a first direction, and said second motor is configured to
be driven in a direction opposite to that of said first
direction.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the feeding step is performed
by a human operator.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said human operator lifts
section of said pipe liner onto the top roller.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein said human operator turns said
top roller to feed additional portions of said pipe liner to said
assist system.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein said air pressure is controlled
manually.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a holding
system and adjusting the holding system to alter the drag placed on
said pipe liner.
19. The method of claims 11, wherein said first interior roller has
a round profile and said second interior roller has a cam-shaped
profile.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said cam roller includes a flat
section, and said method further comprises the steps of rotating
said flat section to be parallel to said pipe liner and manually
feeding said inverter with said pipe liner without the assistance
of said assist system.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This Application is a Continuation of U.S. Utility patent
application Ser. No. 16/540,490, filed Aug. 14, 2019. The entire
disclosure of all the above documents is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This disclosure is in the field of pipe rehabilitation
systems, specifically to systems and methods for installing
cured-in-place pipe liners using a mechanized inverter.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] Over time, underground pipelines utilized for the transport
of fluids, gases, or other materials become damaged, worn,
corroded, or any combination thereof from use and environmental
factors. In the past, the methodologies utilized for rehabilitating
underground pipelines were costly, labor intensive, and usually
required the surrounding ground to be excavated to reach the pipe.
The damaged section of pipe would then be patched or replaced, and
the excavated ground refilled. This technique is severely
disruptive to the surrounding environment and communities.
[0004] To avoid these problems, "trenchless" techniques were
developed. One such trenchless technique is cured-in-place pipe, or
CIPP. A CIPP liner is a jointless and seamless pipe liner placed
inside an existing pipe, referred to in the art as the "host pipe."
CIPP can be used to rehabilitate pipes in the water, sewer, gas.
and chemical industries. In a CIPP rehabilitation, a felt tube is
saturated with a resin and then inverted or pulled into the host
pipe. The resin saturation process is known as "resin impregnation"
or "wet-out." The resin-saturated felt tube is typically inverted
into the host pipe from an upstream access point, such as a
manhole. Once in place, the resin-impregnated felt tube is allowed
to cure forming a tight-fitting, jointless liner contained within
the host pipe. The curing process typically uses heat (possibly
ambient) or ultraviolet radiation to cure the resin and harden the
liner.
[0005] An embodiment of this prior art process is depicted in FIG.
1. Underground pipes typically comprise a main service line 101,
also referred to herein as the host pipe. In the depicted figure,
the main line 101 is buried underground and accessible through a
number of vertical tunnels 104. These tunnels 104 are accessible
through an opening 102 at the surface 106. The opening 102 may he.
for example, a manhole 102. Usually, the main 101 is connected to
one or more service laterals 103, which are small service lines 103
that direct flow to/from the main 101 to service points, such as a
building.
[0006] Over time, the main 101 becomes clogged with debris and
natural obstructions, such as roots and pieces of broken pipe.
Typically, pipe rehabilitation begins by cleaning out the main 101.
This may be done using any number of techniques, ranging from
manual removal to use of remote cleaning technology, such as a
high-pressure water jetter. Next, the cleaned pipe 101 interior is
visually inspected, such as by using a remote camera system. This
system is generally a mobile closed circuit camera system providing
illuminated real-time images of the host pipe 101 interior to a
remote operator by wired or wireless connection. In this stage, the
camera inspects the host pipe 101 interior for remaining debris, or
other problems that could inhibit the proper installation of a CIPP
liner.
[0007] Once the host pipe 101 is cleaned and ready to accept a
liner, a liner 109 is impregnated with resin. The liner 109 itself
is generally a felt tube, generally made of a textile, polyester,
fiberglass cloth, hybrid material composite, or another material
suitable for resin impregnation. The resin impregnation process
ranges from simple to sophisticated. In a simple embodiment, a set
of rollers is used to distribute the resin over tire tube. However,
prevailing industry standards recommend that the tube be
vacuum-impregnated, such as by a vacuum pump. This is because an
uneven or incomplete distribution of resin will result in "dry"
areas that do not properly cure, resulting in non-uniform thickness
and weak points subject to structural failure.
[0008] Most resins are cured by the application of heat, and may
begin to cure at room temperature. Thus, the preferred technique is
to cool the liner 109 as it is being impregnated. The liner 109 is
generally stored in a cooled environment during impregnation, such
as an ice bath, and is kept chilled for transportation to the
installation site, such as via a refrigerated truck. The process of
impregnating the liner 109. known in the art as "wet-out," may take
place onsite, such as in a specially designed mobile wet-out
vehicle, but is more commonly performed at a special-purpose
facility and trucked cold to the installation site.
[0009] To install, the resin-saturated liner 109 is connected to an
inverter, which is a specially designed device to increase air
pressure within an inverted liner 109 and allow it to extend or
"crawl" through the pipe to be rehabilitated. The liner 109 is
usually fed into the inverter by hand or by other manual
deployment. This typically involves sealing the liner 109 at one
end, and attaching a pullback line to the sealed end, The liner 109
is then folded into a pile proximate to the inverter. The inverter
comprises a pressurization applicator built into an inverter body,
which body has an egress pipe at one end. Once the saturated liner
109 is folded into its pile, the lead end of the folded liner 109
is fed out through the egress pipe. The lead end is folded back or
cuffed around the egress pipe from the inverter, which allows the
inversion process to begin.
[0010] Pressure is applied within the inverter via water or air
118, forcing the liner 109 to invert progressively into the host
pipe. Because the liner 109 is still in a wet state, it can
negotiate corners and bends, conforming to the interior shape of
the host pipe. The liner 109 is then cured, usually through the
application of hot water, steam, or another source of heat.
Alternately, the liner 109 may automatically cure, depending on the
ambient temperature and temperature of the host pipe. Once the
liner 109 is cured, the ends are cut open and another visual
inspection is conducted to confirm that the installation was
successful.
[0011] One problem with this process is that the liner 109 must be
manually fed into the inverter. In some instances, this manual
feeding process may require an operator to pull or lift sections of
the liner 109 periodically to feed additional material into the
inverter, section-by-section. These manual processes, which are
known in the art, are often inconsistent in the speed that the
liner 109 is fed into the inverter and in the amount offeree
applied to the liner 109 while being fed into the inverter. As a
result, the quality of the finished liner may be compromised. The
inconsistent inversion speeds and or forces may hunch or stretch
the liner 109 as it is being installed, resulting in weak points
along the liner 109. The weak points may include possible wrinkles,
bumps, thin sections, or even tears. Further, these inconsistencies
in the inversion process may lead to inconsistent curing of the
liner 109 once installed. Such an inconsistent curing may cause
weak points to form within the liner 109, degrading the structural
integrity of the liner 109.
[0012] Another problem with the prior art inversion process is the
application of too much pressure to the liner 109. When the liner
109 is manually fed into the inverter, drag is placed on the
inversion process due to the inconsistent nature of manual feeding.
This drag increases the water or air pressure 118 required for
inverting the liner 109. These pressure increases constitute safety
concerns for equipment and persons in the area of the inverter
because higher pressures result in more energy being released in
the case of any failure along the pressurized regions.
Additionally, increased pressure in the liner 109 may cause
increased pressure to build within the host pipe 101, potentially
causing problems for both the liner 109 and the host pipe 101. For
example, increased pressure may compromise the structural integrity
of the host pipe 101, which often is already damaged from use.
Stresses from excessive pressures may subvert the structural
integrity of at least portions of the liner 109. Further, lower
inverting pressures are desirable because such lower pressures
result in a thicker and more uniform finished liner 109.
[0013] Further, in sonic uses, there may a gap between the inverter
and the host pipe 101, which gap may be known in the art, as the
"downtube portion." At the downtube portion, the liner 109
experiences excess pressures because the liner 109 is not
constrained by either the inverter or the host pipe 101. Increased
pressures may cause this area of the liner 109 to bend and stretch,
subverting its structural integrity. This stretching process may
negatively affect the curing process at this area of the liner 109.
Further, as the liner 109 stretches and bends, the reduced
structural integrity may cause the liner 109 to rupture, which may
itself he very dangerous due to rapid depressurization. In other
situations, as the pressure inside the liner 109 builds, the
downtube portion may stiffen, which may at least partially lift the
inverter. This lifting may lead to an inverter that is unstable in
its positioning or even lifted from the ground. This lifting may be
very dangerous to equipment and persons in the area of the inverter
due to the weight of the inverter and the unpredictable nature of
its movement when being lifted.
[0014] Additionally, the inversion process is generally a manual,
human controlled process. For example, the air pressure 118 is
typically controlled by a human who alters the pressure by turning
a valve controlled by a lever. The human operator has a limited
ability to adjust the pressure being applied, to monitor the
current pressure (applied and within the liner 109), and to react
to (sometimes-sudden) changes in pressure, within the liner. The
pressure within the liner, in turn, controls the speed of the
inversion process for the liner 109. Accordingly, there is little
overall control of the speed of the inversion process, On the other
hand, the inversion process works best when the speed of inversion
is consistent and controlled. Variable or incorrect inversion
speeds may lead to improper or early curing of the liner 109.
Further, variable or incorrect inversion speeds may lead to
stretches and bends in the liner 109, resulting in reduced
structural integrity of the liner 109.
SUMMARY
[0015] The following is a summary of the invention order to provide
a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This
summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the
invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The sole
purpose of this section is to present some concepts of the
invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed
description that is presented later.
[0016] Because of these and other problems in the art, described
herein, among other things, is a system for installing a pipe liner
into a host pipe, comprising: an inverter configured to invert the
pipe liner by introducing pressure into the pipe liner; a top
roller; and an assist system located between the inverter and the
top roller, the assist system comprising: a main housing having a
main housing top and a main housing bottom, and each of the main
housing top and the main housing bottom having an opening; a first,
interior roller; a second interior roller; and a first motor.
[0017] In an embodiment of the system, the pipe liner is a
cured-in-place pipe liner.
[0018] In an embodiment of the system, the first interior roller
has a round profile.
[0019] In an embodiment of the system, the second interior roller
has a cam-shaped profile.
[0020] In an embodiment of the system, the first interior roller
has a round profile and the second interior roller has a cam-shaped
profile.
[0021] In an embodiment of the system, the first interior roller
further comprises a plurality of exterior roller wheel
sections.
[0022] In an embodiment of the system, the plurality of exterior
roller wheel sections comprise rubber.
[0023] In an embodiment of the system, the second interior roller
further comprises a cam-shaped exterior roller wheel section.
[0024] In an embodiment of the system, the cam-shaped exterior
roller wheel section comprises rubber.
[0025] In an embodiment of the system, the first motor drives said
first interior roller, a second motor drives the second interior
roller, the first motor is configured to be driven in a first
direction, and the second motor is configured to be driven in a
direction opposite to that of the first direction.
[0026] There is described herein, in an embodiment, a method for
installing a pipe liner into a host pipe that; provides an inverter
configured to invert the pipe liner by introducing pressure into
the pipe liner; provides a top roller; provides an assist system
located between the inverter and the top roller, the assist system
comprising: a main housing having a main housing top and a main
housing bottom, and each of the main housing top and the main
housing bottom having an opening; a first interior roller; a second
interior roller; and a first motor; and feeds the pipe liner onto
the top roller, wherein the assist system feeds the pipe liner from
the top roller to the inverter in an efficient and controller
manner.
[0027] In an embodiment of the method, the pipe liner is a
cured-in-place pipe liner.
[0028] In an embodiment of the method, the first motor drives the
first interior roller, a second motor drives the second interior
roller, the first motor is configured to be driven in a first
direction, and the second motor is configured to be driven a
direction opposite to that of the first direction.
[0029] In an embodiment of the method, the feeding step is
performed by a human operator.
[0030] In an embodiment of the method, the human operator lifts,
section of the pipe liner onto the top roller.
[0031] In an embodiment of the method, the human operator turns the
top roller to feed additional portions of the pipe liner to the
assist system.
[0032] In an embodiment of the method, the air pressure is
controlled manually.
[0033] In an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises
providing a holding system and adjusting the holding system to
alter the drag placed on the pipe liner.
[0034] In an embodiment of the method, the first interior roller
has a round profile and the second interior roller has a cam-shaped
profile.
[0035] In an embodiment of the method, the cam roller includes a
flat section, and the method further comprises the steps of
rotating the flat section to be parallel to the pipe liner and
manually feeding the inverter with the pipe liner without the
assistance of the assist system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of a prior art cured-in-place pipe
("CIPP") liner installation process.
[0037] FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a mechanized inverter system
including an inverter, an assist system, and a top roller according
to the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 3 depicts the inverter and top roller of FIG. 2.
[0039] FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of an embodiment of an
assist system according to the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 5 depicts a perspective, cutaway view of an embodiment
of an assist system in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective, cutaway view of an embodiment
of an assist system in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0042] FIG. 7 depicts a plan view of view of an embodiment of an
assist system in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0043] FIG. 8 depicts a side view of view of the assist system
depicted in FIG. 7.
[0044] FIG. 9 depicts an opposite plan view of the assist system
depicted in FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0045] The following detailed description and disclosure
illustrates by way of example and not by way of limitation. This
description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and
use the disclosed systems and methods, and describes several
embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the
disclosed systems and methods. As various changes could be made in
the above constructions without departing from the scope of the
disclosures, it is intended that all matter contained in the
description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
[0046] Described herein, among other things, are embodiments of a
system for installing a pipe liner 109 (such as a CIPP) including
an inverter 119, which may be of a type known to those of ordinary
skill in the art, an assist system 121, and a top roller 145 for
feeding a pipe liner 109 into an inverter 119 in a more consistent
and regular manner allowing for inverting of the pipe liner 109 in
a more safe and effective manner. In the embodiment depicted in
FIG. 2, the inverter 119, assist system 121, and top roller 145 are
each integrated into a single chassis, wherein the top roller 145
sits on top of the assist system 121, which sits on top of the
inverter 119, which is raised off the ground via a set of supports.
In the depicted embodiment, the supports are legs, but may be any
form of support known in the art. The inverter 119 also includes an
egress pipe 120 on the bottom end of the inverter 119, which
inverter 119 may be used to provide air into the pipe liner 109
that is run through the inverter 119 and out the egress pipe 120.
The inverter 119 may include attachment points 122 for an air
source (such as a compressor, blower, or other device capable of
increasing air pressure above ambient pressure) that is used to
provide the air pressure into the pipe liner 109. The air provision
is generally manually controller by an operator using a handle 124
connected to a valve or similar device. Air pressure values are
typically provided to the operator via a dial pressure gauge. In
some embodiments, the air pressure values may be provided by other
means known in the art.
[0047] FIG. 3 depicts further details of the assist system 121 and
the top roller 145 separated from the inverter 119. The top roller
145 is suspended above the assist system 121 via assister supports
147. In the depicted embodiment, the assister supports 147 are
triangular legs. In other embodiments, the assister supports may be
any shape or construction known in the art.
[0048] An embodiment of an assist system 121 is depicted in FIGS.
4-7. As best seen in FIG. 4, which shows an assist system 121 in an
exploded form to illustrate the different components of the assist
system 121, the assist system 121 includes a main housing 123 for
mounting the other components of the assist system 121. The main
housing 123 has a generally parallelepiped shape, which has a top
151, a bottom 153, a front 155, a back 161, a tint side 157, and a
second side 159. The main housing 123 may be fixed to the inverter
119 and/or to the top roller 145, and/or to any other component or
structure of the inverter system. A round roller 125 and a cam
roller 127 are provided within the main housing 123 during
operation of the assist system 121. The main housing 123 may be
thrilled of any material capable of preventing ingress of unwanted
objects into the main housing 123, in turn preventing exterior
objects from interfering with the round roller 125 and the cam
roller 127.
[0049] For the purposes of this disclosure, directional terms, such
as "top" and "bottom," will be used when referring to portions of
various components, such as the main housing 123. One of ordinary
skill in the art will understand that depending on the arrangement
of the components and how the components are used, the portions of
the components referred to may have different spatial orientations
than those depicted in the figures herein. That is, the "top" may
be above or below the "bottom," or arrange in any spatial
orientation, such as on the same horizontal plane that is parallel
to the ground. For the purposes of this disclosure, the "top" of
the main housing 123 is the side of the main housing 123 into which
the pipe liner 109 is fed. Further, a person of ordinary skill in
the art would understand that a "top" side is opposite to a
"bottom" side. Accordingly, these directional terms are not used
herein to strictly mean relative orientations to ground.
[0050] In the depicted embodiment, the round roller 125 is
comprised of a central shaft 163 and a plurality of exterior roller
wheel sections 167. The plurality of exterior roller wheel sections
167 will be generally round in shape, but in other embodiments, may
be any shape with reliably and consistently feed a pipe liner 109
through the main housing 123. In an embodiment, the shaft 163
comprises a metal material and the plurality of exterior roller
wheel sections 167 comprise rubber. In other embodiments, the shalt
163 and the plurality of exterior roller wheel sections 167 may be
formed from a single material. In other embodiments, the shaft 163
and the plurality of exterior miler wheel sections 167 may be
assembled from two or more pieces, the pieces being the same
material or different materials. In other embodiments, the shaft
163 may be any material that is capable of withstanding the threes
of being rotated in the assist system 121. Further, more or fewer
exterior roller wheel sections 167 may be used, or a continuous
section may be used instead of separated rollers. Moreover, a
material other than rubber that is capable of gripping the pipe
liner 109 while rotating may be used.
[0051] In the depicted embodiment, the cam roller 127 is comprised
of a central shaft 163 and a cam-shaped exterior roller wheel
section 165 that may be a single, continuous piece of material. In
an embodiment, the shaft 163 comprises a metal material and the
cam-shaped exterior roller wheel section 165 comprises rubber. In
other embodiments, the shaft 163 and the cam-shaped exterior roller
wheel section 165 may be formed from a single material. In other
embodiments, the shall 163 and the cam-shaped exterior roller wheel
section 165 may be assembled from two or more pieces, the pieces
being the same material or different materials. In other
embodiments, the shaft 163 may be any material that is capable of
withstanding the forces of being rotated in the assist system 121.
The cam-shaped exterior roller wheel section 165 may be formed by a
plurality of individual sections and/or may include discontinuous
sections, and may be made of rubber. Further, a material other than
rubber that is capable of gripping the pipe liner 109 while
rotating may be used.
[0052] The depicted cam-shape includes two diametrically opposed
rounded sections and two diametrically opposed flat sections. More
or less round or flat sections may be used. In alternate
embodiments, the cam-shaped roller 127 may have any shape capable
of gripping the pipe liner 109. The round roller 125 and the cam
roller 127 are placed within the main housing 123 during operation.
The shafts 163 of the round roller 125 and cam roller 127 typically
extend through either side of the main housing 123. The ends of the
shafts 163 of the round roller 125 and cam roller 127 are then
mounted to brackets 131 on opposite ends of the main housing 123.
In the depicted embodiment, the bracket 131 on the second side 159
of the main housing 123 includes a mounting portion and a cover
portion. On the first side 157 of the main housing 123, the bracket
131 includes a mounting portion, a bridging portion, and a motor
mounting portion.
[0053] On the motor mounting portion is also mounted two motors
129. Each motor 129 is connected to the shaft 163 of either the
round roller 125 or the cam roller 127. In other embodiments, any
bracket 131 known in the art may be used and the shafts 163 may be
covered or exposed. Further, more or less parts may be included in
each bracket 131 and/or multiple parts of the bracket 131 may be
formed integrally. Further, in an embodiment, the two motors 129
are mounted on opposite sides of the main housing 123. In another
alternate embodiment, the shaft 163 of either the round roller 125
or the earn roller 127 may be controlled by more than ono motor
129, or a single motor 129 may control both shafts 163. The motor
129 may be any motor known in the art. Generally, the motor 129 is
an electric motor and includes its own battery or power source.
[0054] During operation, motors 129 may be activated to feed the
pipe liner 109 into the inverter 119. The motors 129 will typically
turn the shafts 163 of the round roller 125 and the cam roller 127
in opposite directions to move the pipe liner 109 downwards towards
the inverter 119. The round roller 125 and the cam roller 127
generally apply a force to the pipe liner 109 and move the pipe
liner 109 using friction created by the forces between the two
rollers. The round sections of the cam roller 127 allow for the cam
roller 127 and the round roller 125 to work together to move a
section of the pipe liner 109 when each is rotating (in opposite
directions). The feeding speed may be held constant by keeping the
movement of the motors 129 constant. Alternatively, the feeding
speed and motor speed(s) may vary during operation. For example,
the motor speed(s) may begin slow and speed up as the inversion
process begins and proceeds. On the other hand, the flat sections
of the cam roller 127 allow the pipe liner 109 to pass by the cam
roller 127 and the round roller 125 to facilitate manual feeding of
the pipe liner 109, if desired. In such an embodiment, the flat
sections of the cam roller 127 will held in an orientation towards
the pipe liner 109, allowing the pipe liner 109 to slip by the
round roller 125 and the cam roller 127. Further, the motors 129
will generally be turned off when manually feeding the pipe liner
109 so that the earn roller 127 and the round roller 125 do not
impede the feeding of the pipe liner 109 through the assist system
121 and inverter 119.
[0055] As best depicted in FIG. 4, the top 151 of the main housing
123 that is parallel to the shafts 163 of the round roller 125 and
the cam roller 127 may include an opening 141. In addition, the
bottom 153 (side opposite the top 151 of the main housing 123) may
also have an opening 141. In the depicted embodiment, one of the
openings 141 may have a generally stadium or racetrack shape, but
each opening 141 may have any shape that will facilitate safe
passage of the pipe liner 109 generally in a flattened form. In an
embodiment, the openings 141 on the top 151 and the bottom 153 of
the main housing 123 may be aligned. In other embodiments, the
openings 141 on the top 151 and the bottom 153 of the main housing
123 may be disposed at any degree of skew. Further, in the depicted
embodiment, the openings 141 are different shapes and different
sizes, with the opening 141 in the bottom 153 being larger than the
opening 141 in the top 151. In another embodiment, the openings 112
are the same shape and size. In other embodiments, the opening may
be any shape and size that will facilitate safe passage of the pipe
liner 109.
[0056] As best depicted in FIG. 4, the assist system 121 may
further comprise a holding system 133, which in turn includes a top
plate 135, a pinch plate 137, and a bottom plate 143. Further, the
holding system 133 includes a feed hole 112 in both the top plate
135 and the bottom plate 143. The top plate 135 and bottom plate
143 may be mounted to each other, and when combined, may provide a
space there between for the pinch plate 137 to slide back and
forth. The holding system 133 may then be mounted on the top 151 of
the main housing 123. The pinch plate 137 may then be moved back
and forth within the holding system 133, adding friction or
removing friction from the pipe liner 109 being fed into the assist
system 131.
[0057] An embodiment of a method of using an assist system 121 will
now be described. First, as described above, the host pipe 101 to
be fitted with a pipe liner 109 is reviewed, cleaned, and otherwise
prepared, as known in the art. The pipe liner 109 is also prepared
in advance, either before being brought to the host pipe 101 or
near to the host pipe 101. As described above, the pipe liner 109
is impregnated with a resin and stored in a manner sufficient to
prevent the resin from curing prematurely. For example, the pipe
liner 109 may be stored in a refrigerated truck car in an ice
bath.
[0058] At some point during the process, the inverter 119, assist
system 121, and top roller 145 are assembled at or near an opening
102 at the surface 106 for accessing the host pipe 101. In the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the inverter 119, assist system 121,
and top roller 145 are formed all on the same chassis. In other
embodiments, the inverter 119, assist system 121, and top roller
145 may be formed on different chassis. In any case, the top roller
145 will be placed generally above the assist system 121. Further,
the assist system 121 will be placed generally above the inverter
119. This arrangement is generally preferable because it allows
gravity to assist with the feeding of the pipe liner 109 into the
assist system 121, from assist system 121 into the inverter 119,
and from the inverter 119 into the opening 102. However, in
alternate embodiments, any other orientation may be used, with or
without intervening steps, processes, or machinery.
[0059] After placement of ale inverter 119, assist system 121, and
top roller 145 system, herein called the mechanized inverter
system, the pipe liner 109 may now be mounted on the top roller 145
and loaded into the assist system 121. In doing so, the pipe liner
109 may be moved from its cooling location to a location proximate
to the mechanized inverter system. In some embodiments, at least
some of the pipe liner 109 may remain in the cooling location. The
mounting of the pipe liner 109 onto the top roller 145 involves
hoisting a first end of the pipe liner 109 over the top roller 145.
The first end of the pipe liner 109 is then fed into the assist
system 121. The first end of the pipe liner 109 is then fed though
the assist system 121 and into the inverter 119. The first end of
the pipe liner 109 is then fed though the inverter 119 and out of
the egress pipe 120, where the first end of the pipe liner 109 is
secured around the exterior of the egress pipe 120. At this point,
the inversion process may proceed.
[0060] The inversion process generally proceeds as it would in
prior art processes, but in the method described herein, the pipe
liner 109 is fed into the inverter 121 from the assist system 121.
Air pressure is introduced into the inverter 121 to pressurize the
pipe liner 109, which pressurization will begin the inversion
process. The air pressure is generally manually controlled by an
operator, who may monitor air pressure by using a dial air pressure
gage, or by fusing any other means of monitoring air pressures
known in the art, such as by visually inspecting the pipe liner
109. The assist system 121 will then begin to feed the inverter 119
additional portions of the pipe liner 109 as the pipe liner 109
inverts. At generally the same time, the assist system 121 will be
fed additional portions of the pipe liner 109 from the top roller
145. The additional portions of the pipe liner 109 may be fed to
the assist system 121 and/or top roller 145 in different ways. For
example, an operator may physically lift subsequent sections of the
pipe liner 109 onto the top roller 145. In alternate embodiments,
the top roller 145 may be turned to pull subsequent sections of the
pipe liner 109 onto the top roller 145. Such turning may be done
manually or by a motor. The assist system 121 feeds the pipe liner
109 to the inverter 121 by turning its round roller 125 and cam
roller 127 in opposite directions. This system of opposite
rotations will allow the round roller 125 and cam roller 127 to
contact the pipe liner 109 and feed the pipe liner 109 towards the
inverter 119 using friction created by pressure between and
movement of the round roller 125 and cam roller 127. The assist
system 121 will generally continue to operate until all of the pipe
liner 109 has been fed into the inverter 109.
[0061] If at any time it is desired that the pipe liner 109 be
manually manipulated, the cam roller 127 may be stopped when one of
its flat surfaces faces the round roller 125 and the pipe liner
109. This may be accomplished by using the motor 129 to rotate the
cam roller 127 until a flat surface is facing the round roller 125.
Alternately, the cam roller may be manually turned with the motor
129 off until a flat surface is facing the round roller 125. At
this point in the cam roller's 127 rotational orientation, the pipe
liner 109 may be free of pressure between the round roller 125 and
the cam roller 127. Thus, the pipe liner 109 may be freely moved in
this orientation because there is no friction between the cam
roller 127, the round roller 125, and the pipe liner 109. This free
movement allows a user to bypass the automatic feeding of the pipe
liner 109, so that the pipe liner 109 may he manually fed into the
inverter 121.
[0062] While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a
description of certain embodiments, including those that are
currently believed to be the preferred embodiments, the detailed
description is intended to be illustrative and should not be
understood to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As would
be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments
other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the
present invention. Modifications and variations of the described
embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention.
[0063] It will further be understood that any of the ranges,
values, properties, or characteristics given for any single
component of the present disclosure can be used interchangeably
with any ranges, values, properties, or characteristics given for
any of the other components of the disclosure, where compatible, to
form an embodiment having defined values for each of the
components, as given herein throughout. Further, ranges provided
for a genus or a category can also be applied to species within the
genus or members of the category unless otherwise noted.
[0064] Finally, the qualifier "generally," and similar qualifiers
as used in the present case, would be understood by one of ordinary
skill in the art to accommodate recognizable attempts to conform a
device to the qualified term, which may nevertheless fall short of
doing so. This is because terms such as "round" are purely
geometric constructs and no real-world component is a true "round"
in the geometric sense, Variations from geometric and mathematical
descriptions are unavoidable due to, among other things,
manufacturing tolerances resulting in shape variations, defects and
imperfections, non-uniform thermal expansion, and natural wear.
Moreover, there exists for every object a level of magnification at
which geometric and mathematical descriptors fail due to the nature
of matter. One of ordinary skill would thus understand the term
"generally" and relationships contemplated herein regardless of the
inclusion of such qualifiers to include a range of variations from
the literal geometric meaning of the term in view of these and
other considerations.
* * * * *