DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BENDING PIPES FOR PIPELINES

• US 20150266075A1
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maats Beheer B.V.
• Original Assignee: Isobend GmbH
• Inventors: Baum, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 10,441,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/20 with mandrels, e.g. expandable
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 9/00 Bending tubes using mandrels or the like B21D11/02 - B21D11/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 9/01 the mandrel being flexible and engaging the entire tube length

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for bending pipes, in particular coated pipes, in a preferred manner insulated pipes and/or pipes that are coated with PU foam/PUR rigid foam, for pipelines, said device having a basic body which can be positioned in the pipe and on which a running gear unit is provided for movement in the pipe and having at least three contact elements for producing a contact with an inside wall of the pipe for introducing a bending force, wherein at least two contact elements are provided on one side of the basic body on the ends of the basic body, and at least one contact element is arranged on the opposite side of the basic body, and wherein at least one of the contact elements is provided so as to be movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element. In addition the invention relates to a method for bending such pipes.

Claims

1. Device for bending pipes, including coated pipes, including insulated pipes and pipes that are coated with at least one of PU foam and PUR rigid foam, for pipelines, said device having a basic body, which can be positioned in the pipe and on which a running gear unit produces movement in the pipe, and having at least three contact elements for producing a contact with an inside wall of the pipe for introducing a bending force, wherein at least two contact elements are provided on one side of the basic body on the ends of the basic body, and at least one contact element is arranged on the opposite side of the basic body, and wherein at least one of the contact elements is provided so as to be movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element, the force-introducing element is arranged substantially horizontally with the force is introduced horizontally, and a path-diverting element is os configured to allow the horizontally introduced force to produce a substantially vertical movement of the contact element toward the inside wall of the pipe.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the running gear unit is arranged in such a manner on the basic body that the basic body is rotatable in relation to the running gear unit and in that the direction of rotation is substantially perpendicular with reference to the direction of travel.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the second contact element is movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element and in that a further contact element is on the basic body on the opposite side to the second contact element, integral with the opposite contact element which extends in a particularly preferred manner up to the end of the basic body on which the second contact element is arranged.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the path-diverting element comprises a wedge-shaped element and an element, which corresponds to the wedge-shaped element on the movable contact element and is movable on the wedge-shaped element.

12. Device according claim 1, wherein the movable contact element is movably connected to the basic body by means of a connecting element which is pivotally and rotatably mounted on the contact element by at least one of a cantilever arm or a steel cable, and the connecting element is pivotally and rotatably mounted on the basic body, with at least one return element, including a spring element, is provided between the movable contact element and the basic body.

13. Device according to claim 1 wherein on one side of the force-introducing element opposite the path-diverting element, on the force-introducing element and on the basic body, a pressing face is configured as an abutment for applying force, wherein the pressing faces come into contact when force is introduced, and the force-introducing element includes a hydraulic cylinder.

14. Device according claim 2, wherein the running gear unit comprises a running gear unit basic body which is rotatable in relation to the basic body, wherein the running gear unit comprises a front and a rear running gear unit and the rotational axes of the running gear unit bodies of the running gear units extend coaxially, wherein the rotational axis is situated above the center of gravity of at least one of the device and of the running gear unit.

15. Device according claim 2 wherein the running gear unit comprises a running body, which comprises wheels for advancing the device in the pipe and which is movable in relation to the running gear unit basic body to the rotational axis of the running gear unit basic body, by means of at least one hydraulic cylinder.

4. Device for bending pipes, including coated pipes, including insulated pipes and pipes that are coated with PU foam, for pipelines, said device having a basic body which can be positioned in the pipe and on which a running gear unit produces movement in the pipe and having at least three contact elements for producing a contact with an inside wall of the pipe for introducing a bending force, wherein at least two contact elements on one side of the basic body on the ends of the basic body, and wherein at least one contact element is on the opposite side of the basic body, and wherein at least one of the contact elements is movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element, and that the running gear unit is on the basic body that is configured for rotation of the basic body in relation to the running gear unit (12) and in that the direction of rotation is in a substantially perpendicular manner with reference to the direction of travel.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the force-introducing element arranged substantially horizontally with the force introduced horizontally, and on one end of the force-introducing element is at least one path-diverting element is configured to produce a horizontal force that brings about a substantially vertical movement of the contact element toward the inside wall of the pipe.

6. Device according to claim 4, wherein the second contact element movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element and a further contact element is on the basic body on the opposite side to the second contact element, mounted integrally with the opposite contact element which extends up to the end of the basic body on which the second contact element is arranged.

7. Device for bending pipes, including coated pipes, including insulated pipes and pipes that are coated with at least one of PU foam and PUR rigid foam, for pipelines, said device having a basic body which is positioned in the pipe on which a running gear unit is configured for movement in the pipe and having at least three contact elements for producing a contact with an inside wall of the pipe for producing a bending force, wherein at least two contact elements are on one side of the basic body on the ends of the basic body, and at least one contact element is on the opposite side of the basic body, and wherein at least one of the contact elements is movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element, the second contact element is movable in relation to the basic body in the direction of the inside wall of the pipe by means of a force-introducing element and a first contact element on the basic body on the opposite side to the second contact element.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the contact element which is located opposite the second movable contact element is integrally with the opposite contact element which extends up to the end of the basic body on which the second contact element is arranged.

9. Device according to claim 7, wherein the force-introducing element is arranged substantially horizontally and force is introduced horizontally, and on one end of the force-introducing element there is at least one path-diverting element and the horizontally introduced force brings about a substantially vertical movement of the contact element toward the inside wall of the pipe.

10. Device according to claim 7, wherein the running gear unit is arranged on the basic body whereby the basic body is rotatable in relation to the running gear unit and the direction of rotation is effected in a substantially perpendicular manner with reference to the direction of travel.

16. Method for bending pipes, including coated pipes including insulated pipes and pipes that are coated with PU foam, for pipelines, said method comprising the steps:

locally fix a first end of the pipe to be bent, movably support an opposite end of the pipe to be bent, move a bending device, into an interior of the pipe to be bent, move the bending device through the pipe, arrange the bending device at the first bending location, raise a running gear unit, record the current bend angle of the pipe, activate a force-introducing element, extend a movable contact element against the inside wall of the pipeline, continue the movement of the contact element against the inside wall of the pipeline up to the bending angle that is necessary at the bending point, retract the contact element, extend the running gear unit, move to the next bending point, repeat the bending.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein once the running gear unit which is situated further in the pipe has been lifted, the downwardly pointing contact element rests on the inside wall of the pipe and the second movably realized contact element is extended against the inside wall of the pipe and the bending device is wedged on one side in the pipe.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein whilst the pipe is being passed through, the path is recorded by at least one of, per angular momentum of the wheels of the running gear unit or by means of a cable sensor as a distance measurement between the bending device and the pipe end on the inlet side, and the lowering of the front running gear unit the distance to the inside wall of the pipe is monitored, and the necessary bending angle is composed of the bending angle to be achieved at the bending location and an angle which is produced from the elasticity of the pipe to be bent.

19. Method according to claim 18 wherein the basic body of the bending device is aligned against the force of gravity at the respective bending location