The invention is about improvements in the safety ring and the welding apparatus used - during the joining/welding of multi-layered pipes with fittings - in the joining/welding of multi-layered, pressure- and corrosion-resistant plastic pipes that have minimized oxygen permeability and thermal expansion, with inner and outer layer made of plastic material and the middle layer made of aluminum foil, with fittings without any additional processes such as shaving etc., in order to prevent the fluid, which is transferred through the pipe, entering between the plastic and aluminum layers.

Safety ring: This part is one of the major elements of our invention, that is fitted on the end of the pipe, enabling joining/welding without any additional processes on the aluminum foil layer of the multi-layered pipe, such as shaving, grooving, cavitation, etc. The safety ring is melted with the pipe during the heating of the pipe and fitting, covers the surfaces of the pipe and the aluminum layers as a barrier, thus preventing the fluid transferred through the pipe entering between the aluminum and plastic layers.

The ring holders can be manufactured in various geometric shapes and sizes for various pipe diameters, in order to facilitate easy installation of the safety ring onto the pipe. Joining/welding apparatus: This apparatus is one of the major elements of our invention, with various features enabling fluid-proof isolation of the layers of the joining/bonding surface of the pipe and the fitting, without any additional processes on the aluminum foil layer of the pipe, such as trimming, grooving, cavitation, etc., utilizing the safety ring fitted on the face of the pipe. STATE OF THE ART AND EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS

In the currently used system, thermoplastic pipes and fittings are joined/welded by melting.

Although there are different plastic welding methods based on methods used for melting, in all methods used, certain layers of the plastic are melted by applying heat and these melted parts are joined by pressing onto each other (pressure effect).

Welding adaptors used in the market consist of a male and a female part that are used to melt the pipe and the fitting by heating, as well as a bolt and nut enabling these parts to be concentrically fitted on the body of the welding machine. The heater present on the welding machine heats the welding adaptors. One end (female) heats the part of the pipe to be inserted into the fitting, while the other end (male) heats the part of the fitting that the pipe will be inserted. The pipe and the fitting, of which certain layers melt with the heat, are subsequently pressed onto each other and welded.

There are 2 types of plastic pipes with aluminum foil layers, used in the plumbing of cold water, hot water and heating installations. The first type consists of a plastic (polypropylene) inner layer through which the fluid flows, and then perforated or non-perforated foil sandwiched between two adhesive layers, and a thin, protective outer layer of plastic (polypropylene), covering the foil.

The second type of pipe also features inner and outer layers of plastic raw material (usually polypropylene), but has the perforated or non-perforated aluminum layer located as a mid- layer closer to the center point between the inner and outer plastic layers, rather than being closer to the outer layer.

For welding the pipes of the first type with fittings, the aluminum sheet/layer near the outer surface has to be removed using a sharpening/shaving apparatus. This operation, using the current technique, is realized using a single-knife apparatus that shaves the foil with reference to the outer diameter of the pipe. The part of the pipe to be shaved is inserted into the shaver, and then the shaver is rotated clockwise for the shaving operation to take place. As a result of above mentioned system where pipes cut improperly, a new system has been developed to remove the foil which is located near the outer layer of the pipe.

The shaving apparatus described in the patent Nr.2003/01701 shaves the pipe both on the outer surface and on the face. The mentioned shaving apparatus both aims to remove cutting 5 mistakes by shaving the pipe-end, and reduce the pipe to the welding diameter suitable for the existing heating adaptors.

With the mentioned apparatus; a) Application is difficult and inconvenient because of the high amount of shavings generated,

10 b) Excessive shaving surface increases installation time. c) Insufficient shaving may result in inadequate welding length and a poor joint due to the fact that shaving operation is worker-dependent, d) The operation can only be done manually since it is impossible to mount the apparatus on a motor,

15 Shaving by hand requires excessive amount of force and concentration, therefore takes a lot of time, and increases time and labor loss.

Another system has been developed in order to eliminate these disadvantages.

The Utility Model Certificate Application Nr. TR 2005 05212 Y describes an automated foil shaving apparatus. Foil on the outer surface of the pipe mounted on the motor shaft is 20 shaved by the knife which is mounted above the motor shaft. As this is a complicated device, the labor costs increase. Moreover, since only the inner diameter is taken as reference, the system does not work effectively and the foil would not be shaved as intended, due to the dislocation of the pipe during shaving.

Shaving of the foiled pipes, as described in the utility model certificate application Nr. 25 2006/04129, is done by an apparatus mounted on a drill, with the pipe mounted on the inner surface of the apparatus, and the apparatus rotates when the drill is operated, shaving the plastic on the outer surface of the pipe and the foil near the surface, and dispose of the shavings through the shaving outlet. Negative effects may be caused during application since there is no locking mechanism for the locking of the foiled pipe on the folio apparatus, and since only the inner diameter is taken as reference.

The patent Nr. 2007/00190 resolves this issue by taking both inner and outer diameters of the pipe - from which foil will be removed - as reference, and using a shaving apparatus that prevents the dislocation of the pipe during shaving, thereby increasing effectiveness of the shaving operation.

All abovementioned systems are solutions proposed for the fusion welding of pipes consisting of a plastic (polypropylene) inner pipe layer through which the fluid flows, followed by a perforated or non-perforated foil sandwiched between two adhesive layers, and a thin, protective layer of plastic (polypropylene) covering as the outermost layer, with fittings.

Disadvantages of the abovementioned systems such as waste of material and time, labor faults, and long system layout time due to the long preparation time for welding, brought the manufacturing of the second type of pipes into consideration.

For the second type of pipes, the aluminum layer was proposed to be located between the inner and outer layers in order to eliminate the shaving operation on the outer surface of the pipe, and the manufacturing was done accordingly. In this type of pipes, the outer layer is thicker compared to that of the first type, and also the aluminum layer is of more distance to the outer surface.

However, in the second type of pipes, similar to the first type, in order to weld the pipe and the fitting, the aluminum layer somehow has to be removed or blocked, so that the fluid entrance between layers is prevented, and thus the damaging of the pipe is eliminated. Regarding these drawbacks, in the description of the patent Nr. 2005/01801, the shaving of the aluminum foil layer has been featured by stating as "in multi-layered composite pipes, during the joining/welding of the composite pipe with fittings preferably by welding, with the help of a filling conduit in the form of a canal, that enables the shaving of the aluminum sheeting surface seen on the pipe-end and left recessed within the plastic, and the covering of the shaved volume by filling with plastic material, fixing into the fitting is achieved without shaving the aluminum layer together with the inner pipe".

Welding adaptors with a ventilation hole on the female part, as well as a holder that directs the melted plastic into the conduit during the welding operation, may also be used as an alternative to the existing welding adaptors described in detail in the patent Nr. 2005/01801.

In such foiled multilayer pipes, due to incomplete cavitations of the pipe or improper shaving of the aluminum foil, plastic material may be enable to fill the shaved conduit during welding and as a result of this, failures may be faces such as entering of fluid between the layers. It was also observed that fluid entering between the layers have resulted in bubbles that cause the pipe to burst.

Another drawback of such systems is that the heating operation is done by the pressing of the pipe and the fitting together by human force and the melted pipe and fitting is taken off the welding adaptors by pulling in the opposite direction. This may result in loss of power and time, as well as faults during the operation. PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE JOINING/WELDING SYSTEM THAT NEED TO BE ELIMINATED; a) Shaving standard: Depending on the application of the person using the shaving knife, it is observed that, during the shaving operation the aluminum foil is not shaved off completely or shaved in different depths. This may eventually cause an open or weak point on the end of the welded pipe or fitting, through which fluid may enter. b) Usage of Shaving apparatus: Shaving is done by manual pressing and rotating force applied by the installer after the shaving apparatus is fitted on the pipe end. It has been observed by the pipe bursts that due to the fact that this operation is labor-, time- and power-consuming for the installer required shaving quality is not/cannot be achieved. c) Taking initiative: As in many cases, the installer, who joins the plastic pipe and the fitting, is the person who has the opportunity to take initiatives during the operation. It is known that in many cases, joining/welding is done without the shaving operation, due to exhaustion, lack or waste of time and labor. This creates a great risk for the consumer.

Inventions should be new and convenient, should require as little initiative as possible, and should be user friendly. d) Observation of unsuccessful results: In cases where the inner and outer layers of the pipe are insufficiently adhered to each other during welding, and therefore water has entered between the layers, it was observed that bubbles (balloons) form under pressure and cause the pipe to burst. e) Waste of material and labor: Shaving of the ends of pipes with a foil layer in the middle may cause disadvantages such as wasting of material and time, labor defects, and elongation of the time required for the laying of the system, and also reduce the pipe's resistance against the possibility of fluid entering between pipe and aluminum. f) Diameter reduction: Plastic material melted with the heat, depending on melting temperature and time, may flow into the pipe after the welding process, may reduce the pipe diameter significantly, or it may spill over the pipe and cause poor quality image. g) System control: In the current system, it is impossible to determine after the installation whether the foil has been shaved or not during installation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, AND ITS ADVANTAGES: The scope of the invention is to find the ultimate solution to the known problems of the current technique.

Our invention enables the joining/welding process of the fittings with the products which is known as "the multi-layered pipes," only by fixing our invention, the safety ring (Figure - 14), on the pipe-end and performing the welding operation on a specially-developed welding apparatus (Figure - 15). Safety ring: In the joining/ welding process of the installation products which are known as "multi-layered pipes" with fittings, it provides a problem-free joining of the multi-layered pipe and the fitting, by utilizing the developed welding apparatus, that is fitted on the pipe, .

Joining/Welding apparatus: Improvements have been realized on the welding apparatus used for the joining/welding of the products which are known as multi-layered pipes and fittings. A welding apparatus has been developed to enable the joining/ welding of the pipe and the fitting via a safety ring fitted on the pipe, as well as enabling the user to easily separate them from the welding adaptor to prepare the environment for welding.

It is based on the welding of the pipe directly to the fitting, using the safety ring manufactured, in various colors, from the same material with the pipe, or other materials that are suitable for welding with the pipe after cutting the mid foil layered pipe with a cutter.

During the joining/welding operation, the installer only fits the safety ring on the pipe end and completes the operation using the welding apparatus subject to this invention.

With our invention inconveniences in the current systems, such as seeping of the fluid between layers in time due to the fact that the melted plastic is unable to cover the surface of the aluminum layer completely because of failure of shaving the aluminum layer in desired size and shape, are simplified and eliminated.

The application steps of the joining/welding system using the safety ring and the welding apparatus are given below. Operating Steps:

1 - Pipe: The pipe is cut and prepared for the welding.

2- Safety ring: The safety ring, which is produced from the same raw material with the pipe or a different material that is suitable for being welded with the pipe and which can be produced at different colours according to the needs and at different diameters suitable for the pipe, is produced in the injection machine or in additional process machines. During the welding operation, the safety ring functions as a sealing barrier that completely covers the sectional surface of the pipe that may come into contact with the fluid.

Safety ring claws: The safety ring is fitted to the end of the flat-cut pipe (Figure - 14) using the safety ring claws/holders, which may be of one or multiple geometric shapes and/or sizes, and prepared for the welding operation.

As the safety ring is manufactured in a different color than the pipe and the fitting, after the welding operation, these claws will be seen between the melted pipe and the melted fitting, specifying whether the safety ring has been used on the pipe surface or not. (Figure - 16).

Operation: Welding operation is realized by using the special welding apparatus and welding adaptors subject to invention .

Heating rod with heating plate (Figure - 8) (1):

Pre-heating plate: The safety ring, fitted on the pipe with its claws, undergoes a preheating process by bringing into contact with the pre-heating plate (Figure - 8) (14) before it is inserted into the female welding adaptor with the pipe, as a preparation for welding, to provide bonding to the cross section surface of the pipe.

While the heating rod (1) trial runs, it was observed that when the safety ring (7) that is not bonded to the pipe section surface (17) is inserted into the female welding adaptor (2), it has melted in the female welding adaptor (2) due to the heat applied on the outer surface of the pipe (10), thus separating from the pipe section surface (17). A revision was done during the test runs of the heating rod (1) to eliminate this drawback, where a pre-heating plate (14) has been affixed to the front, and the bonding to the pipe section surface (17) of the safety ring (7) fitted on the pipe (10) prior to being inserted into the female welding adaptor (2) is achieved by the heating rod (1) with pre-heating plate (14). This operation is not a complete welding. The complete welding operation has to be performed on the pipe section surface (17) and on the pipe itself (10) within the female welding adaptor (2).

Heating rod tip is designed conically (Figure - 8) (13). This conicity melts a certain amount of material at the tip of the inner layer of the pipe and causes an accumulation of material towards the aluminum foil. As the safety ring also melts by contacting the pre-heating plate (Figure - 8) (14) and the conic tip of the heating rod (Figure - 8) (13), it enters the fading space (pipe inner layer) and bonding is achieved.

If the tip of the heating rod would be flat, rather than conic, it would have been difficult for the melted safety ring to enter into the inner layer of the melted pipe. The inner-surface pipe material would not have accumulated towards the foil and the safety ring would not have been directed this way.

Melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel): The bevel (Figure - 1, Figure - 2) (11) on the gap of the female welding adaptor where the heating rod enters, which has a specific angle inwards, prevents the leakage and accumulation of (Polypropylene) plastic material into the inner surface of the pipe during the welding process, due to the melting of the holders of the security ring fitted on the cross section of the pipe and the security ring itself, when the pipe with the security ring fixed on its cross section (Figure - 14) reaches the bottom end with the force applied on the heating rod by the steel spring, thereby preventing the narrowing of the inner diameter of the pipe.

Steel Ring: During the extraction of the pipe and the fitting from the male and female welding adaptors they are fitted for the joining/welding operation, the outwards pressure applied by the spring system of the centering pin inside the female welding adaptor provides the following; a. Following the bonding of the safety ring, fitted on the pipe with its holders, on the surface of the pipe under pre-heating process using the heating rod, inserting of the heating rod into the female welding adaptor by the steel spring provides the melting of the outer surface of the pipe and prepares it for welding. b. This enables the user to extract the pipe easily without ripping/separating the bonded safety ring from the pipe cross section surface.

Advantages of the invention; a) No need to use a manual apparatus for the shaving of the pipe. b) No need for the shaving process, which may yield different results depending on human power and skill. c) Since the aluminum layer in the middle part of the pipe is completely sealed with the safety ring, the entrance of fluids would be completely eliminated. d) During the extraction of the pipe and the fitting from the male and female welding adaptors they are fitted for the joining/ welding operation, the outwards pressure applied by the spring system of the centering pin provides the following;

• Following the bonding of the safety ring, fitted on the pipe with its holders, on the surface of the pipe under pre-heating process using the heating rod, inserting of the heating rod into the female welding adaptor by the steel spring provides the melting of the outer surface of the pipe and prepares it for welding.

• This enables the user to extract the pipe easily without ripping/separating the bonded safety ring from the pipe cross section surface. e) In the current system, as the pipe end needs to be peeled during installation is joined with the fitting and the welded section is on the inside, it is impossible to visually detect whether or not the foil has been peeled completely, after the completion of the installation. With an aim to understand whether or not the safety ring, which was produced in a color different from the pipe and fitting we invented accordingly, was used in the system; it was ensured that the safety ring holders protruding on the pipe surface during welding can be visually detected from outside the pipe by the inspecting people. f) Melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel) (Figure - 1) (11), which opens on the exact inlet part on the gap of the female welding adaptor where the heating rod enters, functions to homogenously distribute the melted material of the safety ring on outside of the pipe. Accumulation of the melted material in inner surface of the pipe will be prevented by means of these bevels; and diameter reduction will also be avoided. In known systems, it is seen, from the observed leakages, that homogenous distribution cannot be ensured on the aluminum layer, which is carved after shaving, due to distribution of the melted material predominantly into and outside the pipe.

In our invention, melted material will be homogenously distributed from the melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel) in the female welding adaptor onto the pipe surface by means of bevels; and therefore will prevent significant level of narrowing of the inner diameter of the pipe, and eliminate non-homogenous accumulation of melted material on the outside of the pipe as well as fluid leaks.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The welding machine consisting of the welding adaptor with special safety ring and its parts subject to the invention are presented in the attached figures. These figures are as follows: Figure- 1 : Front view of the female welding adaptor

Figure-2. Lateral section view of the female welding adaptor

Figure-3. Front view of the male welding adaptor

Figure-4. Lateral section view of the male welding adaptor

Figure-5. Lateral section view of the safety ring

Figure-6. Front section view of the safety ring

Figure-7. Front view of the safety ring

Figure 8. Front view of heating rod with heating plate

Figure-9. Lateral section view of heating rod with heating plate

Figure- 10. Front view of resistance plate of welding machine

Figure- 11. Lateral section view of resistance plate of welding machine

Figure- 12. Top section view of the mounted welding machine

Figure-13. Front view of dismantled welding machine

Figure- 14. View of the safety ring fitted on the pipe

Figure-15. View of the pipe mounted on the female welding adaptor with a safety ring The parts and their numbers which comprise the welding machine that contains welding adaptor with special safety ring subject to the invention are as follows;

1. Heating Rod

2. Female welding adaptor

3. Male welding adaptor

4. Fitting screw of the heating system

5. Fixing bolt of the heating rod

6. Steel Spring

7. Safety Ring

8. Resistance Plate of the Welding Machine

9. Fitting

10. Pipe 11. Melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel)

12. Safety ring tabs

13. Tapered tip of the heating rod

14. Pre-heating plate

15. Fitting screw hole of the heating system

16. Fixing bolt hole of the heating rod

17. The pipe section surface

18. Centering rabbet of the female and male welding adaptors Mounting of welding machine: The heating rod (1) is first passed through female welding adaptor (2) and then resistance plate of the welding machine (8), and then through steel spring (6) and male welding adaptor (3), respectively. All these parts are fixed to the heating rod (1) by way of passing the fixing bolt of the heating rod (5) through fixing bolt hole of the heating rod (16) inside the male welding adaptor. Female welding adaptor (2) and male welding adaptor (3) are fixed to the resistance plate (8) with fitting screw of the heating system (4), by passing through centering rabbet of female and male welding adaptor (18) on the resistance plate. In order to mount the female welding adaptor (2) and male welding adaptor (3) to each other, to fix the system, and to ensure heat transfer from resistance plate (8) to welding adaptors; a connection is made to the resistance plate (8) by passing the fitting screw (4) of the heating system through fitting screw holes (15) of the heating system on the resistance plate (8).

Heating and welding operations are initiated by fixing the safety ring (7) to the pipe (10) end during joining/welding.

Pre-heating process is ensured by bringing the safety ring (7), fitted on the pipe (10) with its tabs (12) (Figure-14) into contact with the pre-heating plate (14) on the heating rod (1) before it is inserted into the female welding adaptor (2) with the pipe (10) as a preparation for welding operation; thus, bonding of the safety ring (7) to the pipe section surface (17) is ensured.

Female welding adaptor (2) is specially designed for the safety ring (7) to be positioned. Female welding adaptor (2) is sized to be fitted to the pipe (10), and the male welding adaptor (3) is sized to be fitted to the fitting (9). On the gap of the female welding adaptor (2) where the heating rod (1) enters, in order to prevent the plastic raw material, which has melted during welding, from flowing into the inner surface of the pipe (10) and narrow the inner diameter of the pipe, melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel) (11) was created by providing a specific angle inwards. It ensures that the safety ring (7) whose melt accumulation and distribution space (bevel) (11) diameter is greater than the pipe (10) diameter to grasp the outer surface of the pipe (10) end, by means of heat, i.e. to be directed to bond to the outer surface of the pipe (10) end. Thus, the safety ring (7) makes the initial grasp to the outer surface of the pipe (10). The safety ring (7), then, bonds to the outer surface of the pipe (10) by heating and melting inside the female welding adaptor (2).

The difference of the male welding adaptor (3) from the available welding adaptors is that it has a hole (16) in inner section where the fixing bolt of the heating rod (5) can be inserted. This fixing bolt of the heating rod (5) and the heating rod itself (1) are fastened to the male welding adaptor (3) with steel spring (6), resistance plate of the welding machine (8) and the female welding adaptor (2) which they pass through.

The safety ring (7) bonded to the pipe section surface (17) (Figure - 14) is fixed to the female welding adaptor (2), and the fitting (9) is fixed to the male welding adaptor (3) for the continued welding operation. The user pushes the pipe in his/her hand (10) by means of steel spring (6) until it sits into the female welding adaptor (2) (FIGURE- 15) and the fitting (9) on his/her other hand sits into the male welding adaptor (3). Meanwhile, resistance (8) and heating rod (1) has a temperature to melt the pipe (10) and fitting (9).

Depending on the diameter of the pipe (10) and the temperature level of the resistance (8), the inside of the fitting (9), the outside of the pipe (10) and the safety ring (7) cross section of the pipe (10) melt for bonding. The fitting (9) and the pipe (10) with the safety ring (7) on its tip, which are ready to be bonded, are pulled by the user appropriately in the opposite direction.

The safety ring (7) and the melted plastic material may scatter (as in the previous systems) when the user pulls the fitting (9) and the pipe (10) with the safety ring (7). The desired homogeneous bonding may not be achieved. In order to prevent this, our invention features a steel spring (6) on the heating rod (1), that provides support during the extraction of the fitting (9) and the pipe (10) with the safety ring (7) from the welding adaptors on the welding machine appropriately in the opposite direction. Moreover, the propelling function of the steel spring (6) simultaneously presses the melted safety ring (7) onto the pipe (10), preventing it from separation, and ensures effective bonding.

The joining/welding operation is completed by the user by joining the fitting (9) separated from the male welding adaptor (3) and the pipe (10) separated from the female welding adaptor (2).

In our invention, as described above, the use of a welding machine (similar to others but improved) (Figure - 12), a pipe (10) and a fitting (9) is standard. However, our invention additionally features a safety ring (7) simply attached to the pipe (10).

This eliminates the need for the installer to shave the pipe (10) and apply pressure and rotating power for the shaving process.

The propelling function of the steel spring (6) also eases the extraction of the pipe (10) and the safety ring (7), melted in the welding machine, from the inside of the welding adaptors for welding with the fitting (9).

As the face of the pipe (10) is covered by the safety ring (7) at the front of the female welding adaptor (2), entrance of the fluid between the layers of the pipe (10) is effectively prevented. Since the safety ring (7) melts with the pipe (10), the safety ring (7) does not separate from the pipe (10).