Claims
- 1. A method of scarifying an interior surface of a pipe to remove contaminants and corrosion products, comprising the following steps:(a) providing a vehicle carrying an attached principal arm, said principle arm having a nozzle assembly at a distal end thereof, said nozzle assembly having at least one nozzle branch and at least one nozzle, said at least one nozzle attached to said at least one nozzle branch, wherein one of said principal arm and said at least one nozzle branch are extendible such that said at least one nozzle can be placed proximate the interior surface of the pipe, and wherein said principal arm is pivotable in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of said vehicle; (b) positioning said nozzle assembly at a desired position proximate a first selected region of the interior surface of the pipe; (c) applying pressurized fluid to said nozzle assembly so that said nozzle assembly emits a jet of fluid to scarify the interior surface of the pipe; (d) moving said vehicle from a first point to a second point so as to scarify said first selected region; (e) pivoting said principle arm so that said nozzle assembly is adjacent a second selected region of the interior surface of the pipe; (f) moving said vehicle back to said first point; and (g) repeating steps (d) to (f) for subsequent selected regions of the interior surface of the pipe until a desired portion of the interior surface of the pipe is scarified.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said principal arm is pivotable through an angle proximate 0 degrees to the horizontal to an angle proximate 180 degrees.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly is operative to access a circumferentially continuous region including at least a side and top region of the interior surface of the pipe.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said principal arm and said at least one nozzle branch are telescopically extendible.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said vehicle moves longitudinally along an interior of the pipe and substantially parallel to an axis of the pipe.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said principal arm is removable from said vehicle to allow said vehicle to pass through access openings to the pipe.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly is capable of one of rotation and oscillation.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first selected region is substantially larger than a region that would be scarified if said nozzle assembly did not rotate or oscillate.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein a speed of said vehicle, a setting of pressure of the fluid flowing to said nozzles and a rate of rotation or of oscillation of said nozzles is controlled in response to user input, which user input is applied from one of a direct source and a remote source.
- 10. A method of scarifying an interior products, surface of a pipe to remove contaminants and corrosion comprising the following steps:(a) providing a vehicle carrying an attached principal arm, said principle arm having a nozzle assembly at a distal end thereof, said nozzle assembly having a plurality of nozzle branches and a plurality of nozzles, said plurality of nozzles attached to respective ones of said nozzle branches, said nozzle assembly being capable of one of rotation and oscillation, wherein one of said principal arm and said nozzle branches are extendible such that said plurality of nozzles can be placed proximate the interior surface of the pipe, and wherein said principal arm is pivotable in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of said vehicle; (b) positioning said nozzle assembly at a desired position proximate a first selected region of the interior surface of the pipe; (c) rotating or oscillating said nozzle assembly; (d) applying pressurized fluid to said nozzle assembly so that said nozzle assembly emits jets of fluid that scarify the interior surface of the pipe; (e) moving said vehicle from a first point to a second point so as to scarify said first selected region; (f) pivoting said principle arm so that said nozzle assembly is adjacent a second selected region of the interior surface of the pipe; (g) moving said vehicle back to said first point; and (h) repeating steps (e) to (g) for subsequent selected regions of the interior surface of the pipe until a desired portion of the interior surface of the pipe is scarified.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said principal arm is pivotable through an angle proximate 0 degrees to the horizontal to an angle proximate 180 degrees.
- 12. The method of claim 10, wherein said nozzle assembly is operative to access a circumferentially continuous region including at least a side and top region of the interior surface of the pipe.
- 13. The method of claim 10, wherein said principal arm and said nozzle branches are telescopically extendible.
- 14. The method of claim 10, wherein said vehicle moves longitudinally along an interior of the pipe and substantially parallel to an axis of the pipe.
- 15. The method of claim 10, wherein said principal arm is removable from said vehicle to allow said vehicle to pass through access openings to the pipe.
- 16. The method of claim 10, wherein said first selected region is substantially larger than a region that would be scarified if said nozzle assembly did not rotate or oscillate.
- 17. The method of claim 10, wherein a speed of said vehicle, a setting of pressure of the fluid flowing to said nozzles and a rate of rotation or of oscillation of said nozzles is controlled in response to user input, which user input is applied from one of a direct source and a remote source.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,880, filed May 12, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,947, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,113, filed Jul. 30, 1998, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,016 B1, which are herein incorporated by reference.
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Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3833175 |
Pulk et al. |
Sep 1974 |
A |
5113885 |
Ramsey |
May 1992 |
A |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/569880 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
09/917685 |
|
US |