Pipeline rehabilitation systems

• US 7,131,791 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RedZone Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RedZone Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Close, Eric C., Slifko, Adam, Whittaker, William Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US10/713,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 405/154.1, 405/155, 405/183.5, 4051841- 4, 138/97, 138/98, 166 556- 8
• US Class Current: 405/184.2
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 2003/065 Refurbishing of sewer pipes, e.g. by coating, lining
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 3/06 Methods of, or installations for, laying sewer pipes making pipes in situ F16L1/038 ; laying conduits in association with the digging of a trench E02F5/10; laying pipes in general F16L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 7/12 Installations enabling inspection personnel to drive along sewer canals
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/179 specially adapted for bends, branch units, branching pipes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/265 specially adapted for work at or near a junction between a main and a lateral pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/005 using pigs or moles G01M3/246, G01M3/2823 take precedence

Abstract

Devices and methods for streamlining the completion of work functions within a lateral pipe connected to a main pipe. A variety of different lateral devices may be used to aid in the process of relining the main or lateral pipe. A lateral location device is inserted into the lateral pipe prior to relining of the main pipe and is subsequently used to aid in the conventional cutting of the main-lateral interface. A lateral cutting device actually performs the main-lateral cutting process from within the lateral or from within the main. A lateral inspection device crawls up the lateral for inspection via camera. A lateral relining device aids in the placement of a liner used to reline the lateral pipe. Each of these interchangeable work functions may be optional performed by one or more lateral devices, often carried and inserted by a delivery device.

Claims

1. A method for performing untethered work in at least one of a plurality of lateral pipes connected to a main pipe, comprising the steps of:

loading a lateral device into at least one lateral pipe from the main pipe;

anchoring said lateral device to the at least one lateral pipe;

utilizing said lateral device to perform untethered work on or within the at least one lateral pipe, the power necessary to perform said work being supplied from onboard said lateral device anchored within said lateral; and

unloading said lateral device from the at least one lateral pipe to the main pipe.

2. An untethered lateral device, comprising:

an untethered lateral device housing;

an anchor device to secure said housing to an inner wall of a lateral pipe which intersects with a main pipe;

a work tool; and

a local power supply and local control circuitry onboard said lateral device to provide untethered power to said work tool and untethered control of said work tool.

3. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein said work tool is a rotary bit cutting tool.

4. The lateral device of claim 3, wherein a rotating arm supporting said rotary bit cutting tool is spring biased against the inner wall of the first pipe.

5. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein said work tool is a hole saw cutting tool.

6. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein said work tool is a grinding device cutting tool.

7. The lateral device of claim 6, wherein said grinding device includes spring tensioning that automatically adjusts a cutting diameter of the grinding device to the size of the inside wall of the first pipe.

8. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein said work tool is an electrically generated signal source.

9. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein said work tool is an attachment adapted to drag a liner up into said first pipe from the second pipe.

10. The lateral device of claim 2, wherein a state of said work tool is determined based on local decision-making from on board the lateral device.

11. A lateral device for performing untethered work within at least one of a plurality of lateral pipes that intersect with a main pipe in a pipeline network, comprising:

an untethered lateral device housing;

an anchor device to secure said housing to an inner wall of said one of a plurality of lateral pipes; and

a work tool that is powered and controlled from onboard said lateral device by a local untethered power supply and local untethered control circuitry, respectively.

12. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein said work tool is a rotary bit cutting tool.

13. The lateral device of claim 12, wherein a rotating arm supporting said rotary bit cutting tool is spring biased against the inner wall of the first pipe.

14. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein said work tool is a hole saw cutting tool.

15. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein said work tool is a grinding device cutting tool.

16. The lateral device of claim 15, wherein said grinding device includes spring tensioning that automatically adjusts a cutting diameter of the grinding device to the size of the inside wall of the first pipe.

17. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein said work tool is an electrically generated signal source.

18. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein said work tool is an attachment adapted to drag a liner up into said first pipe from the second pipe.

19. The lateral device of claim 11, wherein a state of said work tool is determined based on local decision-making from on board the lateral device.