DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING PIPE

• US 20090056823A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LMK Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: LMK Enterprises
• Inventors: Kiest, Larry W. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/98
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1651 the flexible liner being everted
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1656 materials for flexible liners hoses in general F16L11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/179 specially adapted for bends, branch units, branching pipes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/18 Appliances for use in repairing pipes F16L55/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/265 specially adapted for work at or near a junction between a main and a lateral pipe

Abstract

A liner tube is provided for repairing either a single pipe line or a main pipe line having a lateral pipe line connected thereto. The liner tube assembly includes a liner tube impregnated with a liquid material capable of curing and hardening. The liner tube includes a gasket or band positioned about the juncture of the pipe lines. The gasket or bands form a tight seal between the liner tube and the pipe line.

Claims

1. An apparatus for repairing a main pipe line a lateral pipe line connected thereto and in communication therewith to form a pipe joint, the apparatus comprising:

a bladder assembly comprising a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube;

a liner assembly comprising a main liner member and a lateral liner tube of resin absorbent material in communication with one another through a liner juncture;

the lateral bladder tube and the lateral liner tube being adapted to extend within the lateral pipe line with the lateral bladder tube being inside the lateral liner tube and the lateral liner tube being between the lateral pipe line and the lateral bladder tube;

the main bladder tube and the main liner member being adapted to extend within the main pipe line with the main liner member being between the main pipe line and the main bladder tube; and

a gasket surrounding a portion of the lateral liner tube and the main liner member near the liner juncture, the gasket being made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, thereby forming a seal between the liner assembly and main and lateral pipe lines at the pipe joint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the gasket is connected to the main liner member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main liner member is formed as a tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gasket includes a tubular portion having a first end and a second end and a flange portion extending outwardly from one of the first and second ends of the tubular portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the flange portion of the gasket is connected to the main liner member near the liner juncture.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a launcher device within the main bladder tube.

7. A liner assembly for repairing a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line connected thereto and in communication therewith to form a pipe joint:

a main liner member and a lateral liner tube in communication with one another through a liner juncture, the lateral liner tube being adapted to extend within the lateral pipe line and the main liner member being adapted to extend within the main pipe line at the pipe joint; and

a gasket surrounding a portion of the lateral liner tube and the main liner member near the liner juncture, the gasket being made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, thereby forming a seal between the main and lateral liners and the main and lateral pipe lines at the pipe joint.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the gasket is connected to the main liner member.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the main liner member is formed as a tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the gasket includes a tubular portion having a first end and a second end and a flange portion extending outwardly from one of the first and second ends of the tubular portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the flange portion of the gasket is connected to the main liner member near the liner juncture.

12. An apparatus for repairing the junction of a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line connected thereto, comprising:

a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube;

a main liner member and a lateral liner tube formed of a resin absorbent material, the main liner member having a main liner member opening, the lateral liner tube having a first lateral liner tube end connected to the main liner member about the main liner tube opening;

a launcher device having first and second opposite ends and a launcher device opening there between;

the main bladder tube being outside and surrounding the launcher device and the lateral bladder tube extending through the launcher device opening and into the inside of the launcher device;

the main liner member being outside and at least partially surrounding the main bladder tube and the launcher device, the lateral liner tube extending through the launcher device opening and into the inside of both the launcher device and the lateral bladder tube;

a gasket having a tubular portion with opposite first and second ends and a flange portion extending outwardly away from one of the first and second ends of the tubular portion, the flange of the gasket being outside of the main liner member and the tubular portion of the gasket extending within the lateral liner tube;

the lateral bladder tube, lateral liner tube and tubular portion of the gasket being invertible through the launcher device opening to an inverted position outside the launcher device wherein the lateral liner tube is on the exterior of the lateral bladder tube and the gasket is on the exterior of the main liner member and the lateral liner tube.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the gasket being made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, thereby forming a seal about the junction between the main pipe line and the lateral pipe line.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the main bladder tube and the lateral liner tube are connected to form a T-shaped or Y-shaped bladder.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the gasket being made of an impermeable compressible material.

16. A method of repairing a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line connected thereto and in communication therewith to form a pipe joint;

the method comprising;

taking a bladder assembly including a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube in communication with one another through a bladder tube juncture;

taking a liner assembly including a main liner member and a lateral liner tube in communication with one another through a liner juncture;

impregnating the liner assembly with a material capable of curing and hardening;

surrounding a portion of the lateral liner tube and the main liner member near the liner tube juncture with a hydrophilic gasket, the gasket being made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid;

moving the lateral liner tube and the lateral bladder tube within the lateral pipe line with the lateral bladder tube being within the lateral liner tube and with the hydrophilic gasket being between the pipe joint and the liner assembly; and

exposing the hydrophilic gasket to a liquid that causes the gasket to swell, thereby forming a seal between the liner assembly and the main and lateral pipe lines at the pipe joint.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the main liner member is a tube.

18. A method for repairing a damaged junction between a main pipe line and lateral pipe line, the method comprising:

forming a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube, the main bladder tube having first and second opposite ends and a main bladder tube opening there between, the lateral bladder tube having a first end connected to the main bladder tube about the main bladder tube opening;

forming a main liner member and a lateral liner tube of resin absorbent material, the main liner member having a main liner opening therein, the lateral liner tube having a first lateral liner tube end connected to the main liner member about the main liner opening;

taking a gasket having a tubular portion with opposite first and second ends and a flange portion extending outwardly away from one of the first and second ends of the tubular portion;

positioning the gasket with the flange of the gasket being outside of the main liner member and the tubular portion of the gasket extending within the lateral liner tube;

impregnating the main liner tube and the lateral liner tube with a material capable of curing and hardening;

inserting the lateral liner tube at least partially inside the lateral bladder tube while at the same time keeping the main liner member at least partially outside the main bladder tube;

inserting the lateral liner tube and the lateral bladder tube at least partially into the inside of a launcher device through a launcher device opening in the launcher device while at the same time keeping the main bladder tube, the main liner member, and the flange portion of the gasket at least partially outside of the launcher device;

inserting the launcher device into the main pipe line;

registering the launcher device opening with the junction of the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line; and

inverting the lateral bladder tube and the lateral liner tube out of the launcher tube into the lateral pipe with the lateral liner tube and the tubular portion of the gasket being outside the lateral bladder tube.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the gasket being made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, and the method further comprising the step of exposing the gasket to a liquid that causes the gasket to swell, thereby forming a seal between the main liner tube and the lateral liner tube and the junction of the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the gasket being made of an impermeable compressible material.

21. The method of claim 18 and further comprising the steps of pressing the main liner tube and the lateral liner tube radially outwardly against the main line pipe and the lateral pipe line, permitting the curable resin to cure and harden, and removing the launcher device, the main bladder tube and the lateral bladder tube from the main pipe line.

22. An apparatus for repairing a damaged portion of a pipe line, comprising:

an elongated positioning tube;

a liner tube extending within the positioning tube and having an interior lining surface;

a first hydrophilic band connected to the interior lining surface of the liner tube;

a second hydrophilic band connected to the interior lining surface of the liner tube and spaced apart from the first hydrophilic band;

a launcher device having a launcher device opening;

the positioning tube and the liner tube being at least partially within the launcher device;

the positioning tube and liner tube being invertible through the launcher device opening to an inverted position outside the launcher device wherein the liner tube is on the outside of the positioning tube and the first and second hydrophilic bands are between the pipe line and the liner tube on opposite sides of the damaged portion of the pipe line.

23. A method for repairing a damaged portion of a pipe line, comprising:

taking a elongated bladder tube;

taking an elongated liner tube extending within the bladder tube and having an interior lining surface;

connecting a first hydrophilic band to the interior lining surface of the liner tube;

connecting a second hydrophilic band to the interior lining surface of the liner tube and spaced apart from the first hydrophilic band;

impregnating the liner tube with a material capable of curing and hardening;

taking a launcher device having a launcher device opening;

inserting the positioning tube and the liner tube at least partially within the launcher device;

inserting the launcher device into the pipe line;

inverting the positioning tube and liner tube through the launcher device opening to an inverted position outside the launcher device wherein the liner tube is on the outside of the positioning tube and the first and second hydrophilic bands are between the pipe line and the liner tube on opposite sides of the damaged portion of the pipe line; and

pressing the liner tube and the first and second hydrophilic bands against the pipe line with the first and second hydrophilic bands on opposite sides of the damaged portion of the pipe line until the liner tube cures and hardens.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein one end of the positioning tube is closed.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of exposing the first and second hydrophilic bands to a liquid that causes the bands to swell, thereby forming a seal between the liner tube and the pipe line on opposite sides of the damaged portion of the pipe line.

26. An apparatus for repairing a main pipe line a lateral pipe line connected thereto and in communication therewith to form a pipe joint, the apparatus comprising:

a bladder assembly comprising a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube in communication with one another through a bladder tube juncture;

a liner assembly comprising a main liner member and a lateral liner tube of resin absorbent material in communication with one another through a liner juncture;

the lateral bladder tube and the lateral liner tube being adapted to extend within the lateral pipe line with the lateral bladder tube being inside the lateral liner tube and the lateral liner tube being between the lateral pipe line and the lateral bladder tube;

the main bladder tube and the main liner member being adapted to extend within the main pipe line at the pipe joint with the main liner member being between the main pipe line and the main bladder tube; and

a hydrophilic band on the main liner member and surrounding the liner juncture, the hydrophilic band capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, thereby forming a seal between the liner assembly and main pipe line around the point joint.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the hydrophilic band is connected to the main liner member.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the main liner member is formed as a tube.

29. A method of repairing a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line connected thereto and in communication therewith to form a pipe joint;

the method comprising;

taking a bladder assembly including a main bladder tube and a lateral bladder tube;

taking a liner assembly including a main liner member and a lateral liner tube in communication with one another through a liner juncture;

impregnating the liner assembly with a material capable of curing and hardening;

positioning a hydrophilic band on the main liner member around the liner juncture;

moving the lateral liner tube and the lateral bladder tube within the lateral pipe line with the lateral bladder tube being within the lateral liner tube; and

exposing the hydrophilic band to a liquid that causes the band to swell, thereby forming a seal between the liner assembly and the main and lateral pipe lines at the pipe joint.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the hydrophilic band is attached to the main line member.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the lateral liner tube and the lateral bladder tube are inverted into the lateral pipe line.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the lateral liner tube and the lateral bladder tube are pulled into the lateral pipe line.