Temporarily blocking the bore of a pipe through which a fluid flows with a foamed plug removed by dissolving
First Claim
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1. A kit for temporarily blocking the bore of a pipe through which a fluid flows, comprising:
- an insertion tube forming a gas tight seal at a hole in the wall of a pipe when an end of the insertion tube is temporarily located in the hole;
a single flexible bag having a mouth securable to an end of a supply conduit and insertable, with the supply conduit secured thereto, into the bore of the pipe through the insertion tube located at the hole;
a quantity of materials which will form a foam when mixed, for injection into the bag via the supply conduit so as to inflate the flexible bag to form a seal of the flexible bag directly blocking the bore of the main;
means for injecting the quantity of materials into the bag via the supply conduit;
a quantity of a substance capable of dissolving the foam to such an extent that the bag may be at least partially deflated and removed from the pipe; and
means for injecting through the insertion tube and into the bag, after inflating the bag with the foam, the quantity of the substance capable of dissolving the foam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A kit is provided for temporarily blocking the bore of a pipe through which a fluid flows, the kit comprising an expansible flexible bag seal which is inserted through a hole provided in the wall of the pipe and an apparatus for injecting into the bag seal a quantity of a material adapted to expand in situ in the bag seal and inflate the bag seal to seal against the inside of the pipe. The pipe may be a gas main and the material may be an expandable synthetic resin foam. The bag seal is removed by injecting thereinto a substance capable of dissolving the foam so that the bag seal can be at least partially deflated.
12 Citations
1 Claim
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1. A kit for temporarily blocking the bore of a pipe through which a fluid flows, comprising:
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an insertion tube forming a gas tight seal at a hole in the wall of a pipe when an end of the insertion tube is temporarily located in the hole; a single flexible bag having a mouth securable to an end of a supply conduit and insertable, with the supply conduit secured thereto, into the bore of the pipe through the insertion tube located at the hole; a quantity of materials which will form a foam when mixed, for injection into the bag via the supply conduit so as to inflate the flexible bag to form a seal of the flexible bag directly blocking the bore of the main; means for injecting the quantity of materials into the bag via the supply conduit; a quantity of a substance capable of dissolving the foam to such an extent that the bag may be at least partially deflated and removed from the pipe; and means for injecting through the insertion tube and into the bag, after inflating the bag with the foam, the quantity of the substance capable of dissolving the foam.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeBritish Gas Trading Limited (Centrica PLC)
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Original AssigneeBritish Gas Trading Limited (Centrica PLC)
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InventorsClough, Peter Spence
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Primary Examiner(s)Scherbel, David
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Assistant Examiner(s)Hook, James F.
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Application NumberUS08/351,130Time in Patent Office1,084 DaysField of Search138/89, 138/93, 138/97, 138/90, 206/219, 206/568US Class Current138/89CPC Class CodesF16L 55/124 introduced radially into th...F16L 55/134 by means of an inflatable p...
