U.S. patent number 3,809,113 [Application Number 05/334,043] was granted by the patent office on 1974-05-07 for sphere handling apparatus and method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to M & J Company. Invention is credited to Ronald G. Dunegan, Marvin H. Grove.
United States Patent |
3,809,113 |
Grove , et al. |
May 7, 1974 |
SPHERE HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Abstract
Sphere handling apparatus for use with pipe lines carrying fluid
under pressure and serving to introduce or remove a sphere or other
clean-out device. It makes use of an inclined hollow body connected
to the line and adapted to contain a sphere. The interior of the
body is divided into two spaces that are separated by a closure
movable by power means between closed and open positions for
enabling the two spaces to be sealed with respect to each other or
to be placed in communication to enable a sphere to move from one
space to the other. The closure is sealed with respect to a sleeve
that forms a part of the body and is disposed intermediate the two
spaces. Preferably bypass means is provided to enable an operator
to connect the two spaces for pressure equalization. Also means is
provided for detecting leakage past the closure. Preferably the
sealing means between the closure and the sleeve is of the double
resilient cup type. One embodiment is used for launching and
another for retrieving spheres.
Inventors: |
Grove; Marvin H. (Houston,
TX), Dunegan; Ronald G. (Houston, TX) |
Assignee: |
M & J Company (Houston,
TX)
|
Family
ID: |
23305330 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/334,043 |
Filed: |
February 20, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/268;
15/104.062 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L
55/46 (20130101); Y10T 137/4891 (20150401); B08B
9/0552 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16L
55/26 (20060101); F16L 55/46 (20060101); F17d
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/268,242,312,554
;15/14.6A ;251/318 ;277/2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Klinksiek; Henry T.
Assistant Examiner: Miller; Robert J.
Claims
1. Sphere handling apparatus for use with a pipe line carrying
fluid under pressure and serving to remove or introduce a sphere or
clean-out device, a generally cylindrical hollow body disposed in
an inclined position, the upper and lower end portions of the body
having openings greater than the diameter of the sphere to be
handled, one of said openings being an access opening that is
aligned with the axis of the body, an access opening closure
removably secured to the corresponding end portion of the body and
serving to close one of said openings, the body between the
openings having an internal diameter greater than that of the
sphere, a cylindrical sleeve fixed in the body between said body
portions, the sleeve being sealed with respect to the body, an
operating rod extending axially into one end of the body, a closure
assembly carried by the inner end of the rod and adapted to have a
sealed fit with the inner surface of the sleeve, power means
exterior of the body for reciprocating the rod and closure assembly
between one operating position in which the closure assembly is
within the sleeve and sealed with respect to the same and a second
position in which the closure assembly is spaced axially from the
sleeve, and valve controlled bypass means providing controlled
pressure equalizing communication between the body spaces and also
surging of fluid to
2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the closure assembly has
resilient
3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the body
has an upwardly extending connection with the line whereby a sphere
in the line may move downwardly out of the line by gravity and into
the upper portion of the body, said access opening closure being
secured to the lower end
4. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the lower portion of the body
has a downwardly extending connection with the line whereby a
sphere from within the body may move downwardly into the line, said
access closure being
5. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the means for sealing the
closure assembly within the sleeve is of the double resilient
sealing cup type and in which means is provided for detecting the
difference between the
6. Apparatus as in claim 1 together with releasable locking means
for the access opening closure, and means responsive to leakage
past the closure assembly for retaining said locking means in
locked condition.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to sphere handling apparatus for
use with pipe lines which convey fluids such as petroleum,
petroleum products, water and fuel gas. Particularly, it enables
spheres to be introduced into or removed from a pipe line.
In the operation of pipe lines for conveying fluids under pressure
as referred to above, it is customary to cause spheres to be
flow-propelled through the line to aid in removing undesirable
accumulations, such as sand, congealed fractions or condensates.
Many spheres used for this purpose are made of synthetic rubber
with a relatively smooth exterior surface. However, other forms of
flow propelled devices are used, including plugs or spheres made of
resilient foam and surfaced with abrasive material. Various sphere
launching and retrieval apparatus have been used for this purpose.
In general, they employ a hollow body adapted to accommodate one or
more spheres and connected to the line through one or more valves,
e.g., a gate or ball valve (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,356). Such
prior apparatuses have a number of disadvantages. Particularly,
they have been expensive to manufacture due largely to the cost of
the valves employed. They have also been subject to operating
difficulties due to the massive character of the valves and the
forces required for their operation. In addition, they have lacked
simple means for detecting a leak past the sealing means employed.
Leaks in such equipment may endanger an operator and may produce
serious spillage of petroleum and like products.
All of the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages are intensified
for the higher operating pressures and line sizes, as for example,
line pressures of the order of 400 to 1,200 p.s.i., and pipe
diameters of from 40 to 48 inches. For such services, the spheres
or other clean-out devices must be relatively large in diameter and
thus difficult to handle and susceptible to injury. Also the fluid
forces involved are relatively high, particularly when the full
differential between the line pressure and atmospheric is applied
to an operating member, such as the gate of a valve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general it is an object of the invention to provide improved
apparatus for the handling of spheres used in connection with pipe
lines, including sphere launching and retrieval operations, and
which is simple in construction and operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide such sphere handling
apparatus with improved means for preventing leakage during sphere
handling operations, and for detecting such leakage if it should
occur.
Another object of the invention is to provide sphere handling
apparatus requiring a minimum of power for its operation.
In general, the present invention consists of a hollow body
disposed in an inclined position, with the upper and lower portions
of the body having openings greater than the diameter of the
sphere. The body includes a cylindrical shaped sleeve disposed
between the openings which cooperates with a reciprocating internal
closure to form a seal between the two body portions. Preferably
the closure makes use of sealing means of the double resilient
sealing cup type, which interfit and establish sealing engagement
with the inner periphery of the sleeve. A reciprocating rod extends
into the body and has its inner end attached to the closure. Power
means is disposed exteriorly of the body for reciprocating the rod.
Maintenance of a seal between the closure and the sleeve is
determined by reference to the difference between the pressure in
the space between the sealing cups and the line pressure.
Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from
the following description in which the preferred embodiments have
been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, illustrating the
invention incorporated in a sphere launching device.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail in section showing the sealing cups
and the engagement with a cooperating sleeve.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating
the invention incorporated in a sphere retrieval apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is an end view of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The sphere launching apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 consists of a
body 10 which may be made by metal fabrication methods and which
has an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the
spheres being handled. The apparatus is mounted adjacent a pipe
line into which the sphere is to be launched. The upper end of the
body 10 is provided with a removable closure 11, preferably one of
the hinged door type provided with a locking pin for locking it in
closed position. The body is shown formed in three portions or
sections 10a, 10b and 10c, which are secured together as by
welding. Portion 10a may be the upper part of a tee as illustrated
in FIG. 1, part 10c is a cylindrical pipe section, and part 10b,
which is intermediate the parts 10 and 10c, is a short section or
sleeve having an inner cylindrical surface 12. In machining the
sleeve 10b to provide the surface 12, it is desirable to provide an
annular shoulder 13 for reasons to be presently explained.
The lower extension 14 of the part 10a is connected to the tee 15
which has aligned inlet and outlet ends 16 and 17. When the
apparatus is installed adjacent a pipe line, it is customary to
provide an upstream connection to inlet 16 and a downstream
connection to outlet 17.
Within the body there is a closure 21 which is carried by the inner
end of the reciprocable rod 22. This rod extends to the exterior
through the closure plate 23 and is connected to a suitable
exterior power operator 24, such as one of the double acting
hydraulic cylinder-piston type. A suitable hydraulic system is
provided for energizing the operator 24, and this may be controlled
manually, or automated, or controlled from a remote station.
The closure 21 has sealing means of the double resilient seal cup
type. Thus as illustrated in FIG. 1, taken together with the
enlarged FIG. 4, cup-like sealing members 26 are provided which
have peripheral and oppositely directed flange portions 27. These
members are made of suitable resilient material, such as a
synthetic rubber or elastomer. They are retained between annular
clamping members 28 and 29, both of which are secured to the rod
22. Member 29 preferably includes a rim portion 31 which is of
larger diameter, the periphery of which can be provided with a rim
cushioning formed of suitable material such as resilient rubber or
elastomer. This arrangement aids in guiding the closure 21 when it
is moved into the sleeve 12. The flange portions 27 provide sealing
engagement with the inner peripheral surface 12 of the sleeve 10b.
When the closure is retracted from the sleeve, the flange portions
27 assume a somewhat larger relaxed diameter, but when moved into
the sleeve 10b, some radial contraction occurs. The space 33
between the flange portions 27, when the closure is within the
sleeve 10b, is in communication with port 34 for a purpose to be
presently described. The inner end of the rod 22 may also be
provided with a member 36 which is in the form of a disk having a
diameter somewhat smaller than the internal diameter of the body
10. This disk may serve as a stop for the retracted position of the
closure, and it may also serve as a guide for movement into the
retracted position. With respect to the projected position of the
closure, shown in FIG. 1, the shoulder 13 serves as a stop.
The apparatus may also include means for conveniently handling
relatively large spheres and for introducing them into the body.
Thus a platform 41 is shown on the supporting frame or skids 42,
and a hoist standard or column 43 is shown with hoist means 44. The
spheres 46 may be engaged by the suction pickup head 47 which in
turn connects with the hoist means 44. With the closure 11 swung
open, a sphere can be lifted and introduced into the body, after
which the head 47 is disengaged, the sphere permitted to move down
by gravity to the position shown in FIG. 1, and then the closure 11
reclosed and locked.
Exterior piping is shown connected to the body as follows. A bypass
pipe 48 has one connection with the body section 10c, and another
connection with the body section 10a. A valve 48a in this bypass
may be opened to permit pressure equalization. Another pipe 49 is
shown connected with the port 34 of the sleeve 10b, and connects
with pressure indicating means, such as the pressure gauge 50.
Also a pressure gauge 51 is shown connected to bypass line 48 to
indicate the pressure within the body section 10a. The upper part
of the body portion 10c is also provided with a valve controlled
atmospheric vent 52. In addition, a pipe 53 is shown connected with
the bypass pipe 48 and is valve controlled to enable draining the
body section 10c.
Operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 - 4 to carry out a
sphere launching cycle is as follows. Initially the positioning of
the parts may be as shown in FIG. 1. The pressure within the body
sections 10a and 10c is equal by virtue of communication through
the equalizing bypass 48. A sphere may be within the body section
10c in readiness for launching. The closure 21 is within and sealed
with respect to the sleeve 10b. To launch the sphere 46, the bypass
48 remains open and power is supplied to the operator 24 to start
movement of the closure 21 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to a
fully retracted position. During the initial part of this movement
the closure 21 is retracted from the sleeve 10b, and this may be
accompanied by some surging of liquid through the bypass 48. As the
closure is being retracted, the sphere 46 follows it by gravity,
and when the closure 21 has reached a position which frees the
sphere for launching, it moves downwardly by gravity into the tee
15 and is propelled into the line by fluid flow. The closure 21 is
then returned to the sealing position shown in FIG. 1.
Assuming now that one wishes to introduce another sphere into the
body section 10c, the bypass valve 48a is closed, vent 52 to the
atmosphere is opened and drain line 53 opened to permit liquid to
flow into a suitable tank or reservoir. During this time the full
line pressure is applied to closure 21, and it is important to
avoid any leakage. At the time closure 21 is moved into the sleeve
10b, its flange portions 27 are flexed in a radial direction,
thereby causing the pressure within the space 33 to be
substantially reduced. This reduced pressure can be visually
noticed by observing gauge 49, and by comparing the reduced
pressure reading with the pressure of the line as indicated by
gauge 51. If any leakage should occur past the closure 21, the
pressure within the space 33 immediately rises to line pressure,
thus indicating a defective seal. After completely draining fluid
from the body section 10c, the vent and drain 52 and 53 are closed,
and the hinged closure 11 opened to accept the sphere. After the
sphere has been hoisted and introduced into the body section 10c,
the hinged closure 11 is locked shut, and thereafter the bypass
valve 48a is opened to permit line fluid to enter the body section
10c. While fluid is being introduced, it is necessary to permit the
vent 52 to remain open until section 10c is completely filled.
Thereafter, vent 52 is closed and some bypassing of liquid
continued to effect complete equalization between the pressure
within body portion 10c and the line pressure. The apparatus is now
in condition for launching another sphere in the manner previously
described.
The apparatus described above has a number of features not
possessed by conventional sphere handling apparatus adapted to
launch spheres. Both the construction and mode of operation are
relatively simple. A seal is established between the two sections
of the body by the relatively simple internal closure 21, which is
moved between open and closed positions by the external operator.
While line pressure is applied to this closure during the operating
cycle, it is not applied while the closure is being retracted or
projected, and therefore the forces and power requirements are
relatively low. The apparatus is realtively compact because of the
small space required for the closure 21 and the sleeve 10b with
which it cooperates. The closure of the double resilient cup type
provides an effective seal, and if any leakage should occur by
virtue of some defect, the operator is apprised of the same before
attempting a launching operation. The apparatus is particularly
adapted for the handling of relatively large spheres, as for
example, spheres ranging in diameter from 30 to 48 inches or
greater.
The apparatus shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is suitable for carrying
out sphere retrieval operations.
The apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 - 7 serves to remove spheres from
pipe lines. It consists of a body 56 which again is made in three
sections 56a, 56b and 56c. The body is annular in cross-section and
of an internal diameter greater than that of the spheres being
handled. The end of the body is provided with a hinged closure 57
which can be unlocked and swung to open position for the removal of
a sphere. The sleeve 56b and the associated closure assembly 58 can
be the same as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 - 4. It
is likewise carried by the operating rod 59 which extends to the
exterior through the plate 61 and is operatively connected with the
power operator 62.
The body section 56c is provided with an upper side opening 63 and
is coupled to a tee 64 which is inserted into the main line 65.
Bars 66 are inserted in the tee 64 to deflect spheres downwardly
into the opening 63. For the position of the parts shown in FIG. 5,
movement of a sphere into body portion 56c is blocked by a member
67 in the form of a bar which extends across the opening 63 and is
carried by the operating rod 59. Thus one end of rod 67 is shown
secured to member 68, which in turn is secured to the rod 59, and
the other end is shown slidably extending through an opening in the
plate 61 and accommodated within the exterior closed tube 69.
Member 68 is substantially the same as the member 36 of FIG. 1.
The body 56 is provided with the valve controlled atmospheric vent
71, and a bypass line 72 connects with the lower portion of the
body portion 56a and with the body portion 56c. A valve controlled
drain pipe 73 may connect with the bypass 72. Line 74 corresponds
with line 49 of FIG. 1 and serves to connect the space between the
sealing cups with the pressure gauge 75. The additional gauge 76
measures the pressure in the upper part of the body.
Operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 - 7 is as follows. When
a sphere arrives at the tee 64 from the upstream line 65a, it
engages the bars 66 which deflects the sphere downwardly through
the opening 63 into the upper body part 56c. With the closure 58
sealed within the sleeve 56b, as illustrated in FIG. 5 the sphere
comes to rest against the bar 67. Before attempting to remove the
sphere the operator makes certain, by reference to gauges 75 and
76, that closure 58 is not leaking, and pressures within body
portions 56a and 56c are equalized by opening the bypass 72. To
remove the sphere from the line, the operator 62 is energized to
move the closure 58 toward the right as viewed in FIG. 5 to its
fully retracted position. During the initial part of this movement,
the closure is withdrawn from the sleeve 56b, thus placing the two
body portions 56a and 56c in direct communication. When movement
toward the retracted position of the closure has proceeded
sufficiently far whereby the sphere is free to move downwardly, it
initially moves into the body portion 56c and then rolls downwardly
by gravity to a position against the hinged closure 57 as shown in
FIG. 5. The operator 62 is now energized to return the closure 58
to the position shown in FIG. 5 in sealing engagement with the
sleeve 56b, and at that time the operator observes the readings of
the gauges 74 and 75 to determine whether or not the differential
pressure is sufficient to indicate proper sealing. Normally, to
indicate proper sealing this differential will be of the order of
something in excess of 10 p.s.i. If gauges 74 and 75 indicate a
proper seal, the operator then commences to drain the lower body
portion 56a by opening the vent 71 and the drain 73. As this
draining of liquid is commenced, the full line pressure is applied
to the internal closure 58, and the operator again makes certain
that no leakage is occurring by observing the pressure differential
indicated by the gauges 74 and 75. When all of the liquid has been
drained from the lower body portion 56a, the closure 57 is opened
and the sphere removed. Thereafter, closure 57 is shut and locked,
and the pressure within the body portions 56a and 56c is equalized
by opening the bypass line 72. The apparatus is now in condition to
receive another sphere. In both the embodiments one portion of the
body (i.e., 10c of FIG. 1 and 56c of FIG. 5) forms a sphere
receiving space, and the other body portion (i.e., 10a of FIG. 1
and 56a of FIG. 5) form a space into which the sphere is
transferred after moving the internal closure to a position which
enables the sphere to gravitate downwardly. After such transfer the
sphere in FIG. 1 is launched into the line while in FIG. 5 it is
removed.
In the operation of both embodiments care should be taken to make
certain that no leakage is occurring past the inner closure at the
time the external hinged closure is opened. In FIG. 5 means is
shown to insure against opening of the hinged closure if leakage is
occurring. Thus a differential pressure responsive device 78 has
fluid connections with bypass line 72 (i.e., the interior of body
portion 56c) and line 75 (i.e., the space between the cup flanges
when inner closure 58 is within sleeve 56b). This device 75 may be
a differential pressure operated switch having two sets of
electrical contacts operated by a movable fluid pressure operated
member which separates two closed fluid chambers. These chambers
are connected to the two fluid pressure sources. In FIG. 5 two
circuits 79 and 80 are controlled by the electrical contacts, and
each circuit may be provided with signal lamps 81 and 82. One lamp
(e.g., 81) can be energized when no differential pressure exists or
when the differential pressure is so low that a leak is indicated.
Lamp 82 is energized when the differential pressure is such that a
good seal is indicated. Circuit 80 is also shown connected to lock
release means incorporated in the locking mechanism of the hinged
closure 57. With this arrangement the operator cannot open closure
57 if the differential pressure (or absence of differential
pressure) is such that circuit 80 is not energized. It will be
evident that the same arrangement can be incorporated with the
apparatus of FIG. 1.
* * * * *