PPAKMTUS FUR DEPOSITING A MEMBRANE kJITnIN A CUl.OUIT

TECHNICAL FIELU Tnis invention relates to apparatus for depositing an object in o conduit.

In one of its more specific aspects, tnis invention relates to apparatus for object insertion witni a conαuit as a metiiυα cf conαuit repair.

BACKGROUND RT Uarr.ϋge of conduits is well known. Such damage can occur in the form of tides, cracks, ana tne like. It frequen l occurs t ct such aaπag _. a s place in concuit not easily accessible Decaus of location. Such a condui τor example, can De located underground as is a s r lin water line or gas line. Tne apparatus of this invention directed to faci l itating cne r pair uf such condui by enabling the deposition of •_ coilec member, or spring, an ..lembrar. ; , i sealing relationship witn the defect of the con uit. ϋlSCLuSUKh UF INVENTIOi. According to tnis invention there is provided apparatus for positioning a coi l witnin a conduit wnicn comprises a rod having a elix Torπieα in its outer periphery, a first member, or bushing, affixed to t e rod ana a seconα fixable member, or bushing, moveable along t rod in tne helix, the members being adapted for the positioning of a coil affixed to each of tne members and extending tnercDetwe n.

_ O fI WIK £ NAT GU4 -

1 In one embodiment of tne invention, the apparatu includes a coiled member mounted on, and extending between trie busnings.

In another embodiment of tne invention, the 5 apparatus includes a flexible membrane encompassing at least a portion of the coiled member.

BRIEF UESCklPTIUh UF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a view of one embodiment of tne carrier apparatus of tn s inve ion; 10 Figure 2 is a cross-sεcti onαi view tnrougn section 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fi ure j is a view of one e.TiDodiment of a coiled πenDer suitable for use as a part of tne apparatus of this invention; 15 Figure 4 is a view of the co led member positioned on tne carrier with a flexiDle sleeve positione over a portion of tr-e coi leα member.

Figure 5 is a cross-sec onal view of the final installation of the coil anc flexible .αembrane install d 20 within a conduit.

BEST rtύDE ϋF CARRYING OUT INVENTIui. Tne apparatus of this invention wil l be describe in terms of employment of tne emboci...εnts αepict≤α in the figures without intending to limit tne invention thereto. 25 Tne apparatus uf tnis inversion is emμ.oyabls in any size conduit employed tor any purpose. It is particularly suitable for use in conduit of from aoout 50. mm to about ^' όb l . ran (2 to about 15 incr.es) in αia eter, wnicn conαuit is i naccess D! , such as a sewer line, but 30 wnicn conduit has an access opening tnereinto.

Referring to Figure 1 mere is sno ti device 10 comprising rod 11 on whicn are mounted fixed bushing 12 an movCD! e busιii ng I L .

Roo 11 nas _ιt its one end any suitaDle attachmen 35 means, for example, a ring 14 affixed thereto. πile

Dusnirg 12 is fix*.d, bushing 1.3 is free to rotate and move longitudinal ly along rod 11 in helix 15. As shown in

O

B/XO OBI©™* ¹ 4^

Figure 2, busning 13 has an internal projection 20 extending down into lix 15 sucn tnat when the busning moves along tne rod, tne internal projection rides itni the he ix and t e DUsuing rotates. Each of busnin s 12 13 have stuos 16 and 17, respectively, positioned th reon dusning 15 is also aaapteo with means, sucn as a set scr 18, for fixedly positioning the moveaD1 e bushing along th length of cite roα as oescriDed Hereinafter. Tne pitcn of the iielix 15 on roα 11 is substanti lly tne same as that cne n=rein_ifter αiscusseα coi l in order to obtain tne correct dynamic Dehavior of the coiled member upon releas as iierei iiafter described.

Any suitable coi led mei.iDer can be employed. On particularly suitable member is made of fiber glass reinforced resin formed with a spiral slice.

Suitable members can be mace from FRP pipe, usi for exam le, H. u . Sπi tn Red Tn read FKP or Green Thread Glass fiber reinforced epoxy i e Sucn coi led members wi ll De of or.y suitaDle lengtπ, i l l have a coi l flat wid of from about 25.4 to about ^' >>-. mm (1 to about 10 i ches and α coi l trnckiiess of from about .z><\ to about 12.7 mm [ u .1oU to bout U .5υ inc ). as snow in Figur ne coil ^e d memb r i s coiipcseo of flat sections 2 making up a member of suitabl continuous lengtn. Tne coi led meriDer will ha e terminals ano 5 in mch are positioned openings ό and 7, respectively. Tne coi leα memDer can ave itner a rignt a left-nanu pitch. Tn flat sections are preferably rectangulαi .

Tne coi led memDer wil l nave a αi um t-.tr in its relaxed position greater tnan tne inter al diam t r of th conαuit into wnicn it is to be insert d. The coi l d me.ιb. is introduced into the conduit in a torsionally loaoec, o twisted ana elongated, condi tion from wnicn it is rele se after insertion to expand outwardly ana to exert a pressu against tn inter l wall of tri cυn-au i t .

BAD O * ⁸¹ *

Tne coileo member can be designed to exert any

3 αesired pressure P according to tne formula: P = Ej _β_

24r°r wherei n

5 E = modulus of elasticity of the material from which the coiled member is fabricated; h = tn ckness of the flat section of the coiled member; r _Q = tlie out=r rauius of tne coiled member in tn 10 unstrained state; r = the outer racius of tne coiled member in tn torsionally loaded state; = (r - r) = tne extent of deformation ^bending) of tne coileα memDer. 15 To illustrate, assume a coiled meπiDer spirally

Cut from F P pipe ano encased in a 2.38125 mm (0.09375 incnj idSiomeric membrane _ss Hereinafter discussed, assume insertion in a Id.If. mm (4 inch) internal diameter conauit. Tne member will n a y- a strained radius of 4t>. l2 20 rηm (i.9ϋb incnes) εnα, assuming a section t'nickness cf the m«__ι..DιT as 2.7 mm (u.llu incn ^' _/ ana a tensile modulus of 2.U7 x lu pαscdls (3X10° psi ), tne pressure whicn will b exerted against tne inner v.al l of the pipe will be 1. 9 x lu ^** pascals (4.-J3 ps g}. 25 Coiled members wnici. clo? about 6.9 x iϋ ^' pascals ( 1U psi) against the internal wall of tne pipe are general ly Sati factory,

Tne coiled member can De inserted into tne conauit on tne carrier, alone, or it can be encompassed 30 .nth a sleeve sucn that, upon placement within tne conauit the sleeve is positioned between the coil and the inner conduit wall, while tne sleeve can De comprised of any suitable material, it will preferably De comprised of a flexible material sucn as vulcanized butyl rubber or any 35 liidterial inert to tπt. material transported in the conduit. Referriny now to Figure 4, tnere is illustrated the coiled member positioned on tne insertion device. The

coi leo member 2 is slipped over the insertion device lu wit tne openings 6 and 7 of t e coi l positioned on studs 16 and 17. The free bushing 13 is then rotated away from the fixed pushing 12 along tne lengtn of the roo 11 producing a simultaneous decrease in diameter and increas in length of the coiled member. when tne coilec meπiDer is sufficiently decrease in diameter as to permit the carrier a o tne coi l combination to be inserted in tne conduit, the free bushi 13 is locked into position in tne twisted state by lock-release mechanism, or set screw lb. If employed, a sleeve 2 i is placed o v e r any portion of the twisted coi l and the entire mech nism is placed in the conduit.

The mecnanism is positioned in tne conduit by a suitciDle inirtnoα, for example, by pulling it oy means dffixed to ring 14. Wh n positioned as oesired as termin d by any suitable means, trie 1 ock-rt i ease mecnanism is released. The tree bus ing tnen moves toward tne fixec busning, tn- coil untwists a d expands out .rc into a position of compression against tne wall of the conouit, at the san time its momentum carrying the slots and 7 oft of studs 1 ό and 17, with trie sleeve 21, if [ιi loyed, Dein.g positioned bet.-. en tne coi l 2 and the inn Λa I 1 of tn pipe 31 as s o n in Figur .

Tne ins rtion d ice is cn ■ ^■ .n wi ~ ndr...,n lea ing the coi led member in outwaru compression and to forcing tn sleeve, if present, in sealing rrangeiicnt against any defect wmch may nave been present in the conduit. it wi l l be evident from the foregoing that various modifications can be made to the apparatus of the invention. Sucn, no ever, are considered witnin tne scope o the invention.

IMJUSTHlhL APPLICABILITY

Tnis invention is useable for the repair of und rground conouits sucn as sewer lines, pipelines and . R 1 ike.

OMP f βAD ORIGINAL