Coated recoverable articles
First Claim
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1. An assembly for sealing an end of a joint between two insulated pipes from which the insulation has been removed at the ends thereof exposing uninsulated end portions, said assembly comprising:
- (a) a hollow casing arranged to surround the uninsulated portions of pipe, overlapping the pipe insulation at each side of the joint; and
(b) a sleeve comprising a heat-recoverable polymeric sheet having;
(i) a layer of a heat-activatable adhesive at two first regions of a principle surface thereof, arranged so as in use to provide substantially annular bonds between the polymeric sheet and the casing and between the polymeric sheet and the insulation of one of said pipes, so as to interconnect the casing and the pipe insulation, and(ii) a layer of a sealant at a second region of the said principle surface, said second region being between the two said first regions, said sealant being distinct from said heat-activatable adhesive and being arranged in use to overlap the casing and the pipe insulation so as to provide substantially annular, flexible seals between the polymeric sleeve and the casing, and the polymeric sleeve and the insulation, thereby providing a flexible seal between the casing and the insulation which can accommodate relative movement between the casing and the insulation.
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Abstract
A recoverable polymeric material is coated with discrete regions of a sealant, such as a mastic, and of a heat-activatable adhesive, such as a hot-melt adhesive. The coated material forms a sleeve which may be of tubular or wrap-around configuration. The sleeve may be used to cover weld joints in polyethylene coated steel pipes. The sealant ensures a flexible water-proof seal around the weld and the adhesive provides a second seal and prevents any long range movement between the sleeve and the pipe.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An assembly for sealing an end of a joint between two insulated pipes from which the insulation has been removed at the ends thereof exposing uninsulated end portions, said assembly comprising:
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(a) a hollow casing arranged to surround the uninsulated portions of pipe, overlapping the pipe insulation at each side of the joint; and (b) a sleeve comprising a heat-recoverable polymeric sheet having; (i) a layer of a heat-activatable adhesive at two first regions of a principle surface thereof, arranged so as in use to provide substantially annular bonds between the polymeric sheet and the casing and between the polymeric sheet and the insulation of one of said pipes, so as to interconnect the casing and the pipe insulation, and (ii) a layer of a sealant at a second region of the said principle surface, said second region being between the two said first regions, said sealant being distinct from said heat-activatable adhesive and being arranged in use to overlap the casing and the pipe insulation so as to provide substantially annular, flexible seals between the polymeric sleeve and the casing, and the polymeric sleeve and the insulation, thereby providing a flexible seal between the casing and the insulation which can accommodate relative movement between the casing and the insulation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of sealing a joint between two insulated pipes, the insulations of each of which having been removed at the ends thereof exposing uninsulated end portions, which method comprises:
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(a) surrounding the exposed, uninsulated portions of pipe with a hollow casing, overlapping the pipe insulation at each side of the joint; (b) joining an end of the casing to the adjacent pipe insulation by installing around the end of the casing a sleeve comprising a heat-recoverable polymeric sheet having; (i) a layer of a heat-activatable adhesive at two first regions of a principle surface thereof, arranged so as in use to provide substantially annular bonds between the polymeric sheet and the casing and between the polymeric sheet and the insulation of one of said pipes, so as to interconnect the casing and the pipe insulation, and (ii) a layer of a sealant at a second region of the said principle surface, said second region being between the two said first regions, said sealant being distinct from said heat-activatable adhesive and being arranged in use to overlap the casing and the pipe insulation so as to provide substantially annular, flexible seals between the polymeric sleeve and the casing, and the polymeric sleeve and the insulation, thereby providing a flexible seal between the casing and the insulation which can accommodate relative movement between the casing and the insulation; and (c) causing the polymeric material to recover, the sealant to soften and the heat activatable adhesive to be activated. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A joint between insulated pipes, which comprises:
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(a) two transport pipes joined together; (b) insulation on each transport pipe which ends short of the joint exposing uninsulated end portions; (c) a hollow casing surrounding the exposed, uninsulated portion of the pipes overlapping the insulation at each side of the joint; (d) a sleeve which provides a seal between an end of the casing and the adjacent pipe insulation, and which comprises a heat-recoverable polymeric sheet having; (i) a layer of a heat-activatable adhesive at two first regions of a principle surface thereof, arranged so as in use to provide substantially annular bonds between the polymeric sheet and the casing and between the polymeric sheet and the insulation of one of said pipes, so as to interconnect the casing and the pipe insulation, and (ii) a layer of a sealant at a second region of the said principle surface, said second region being between the two said first regions, said sealant being distinct from said heat-activatable adhesive and being arranged in use to overlap the casing and the pipe insulation so as to provide substantially annular, flexible seals between the polymeric sleeve and the casing, and the polymeric sleeve and the insulation, thereby providing a flexible seal between the casing and the insulation which can accommodate relative movement between the casing and the insulation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification