The present invention relates to a device and method for repairing pipe, such as underground sewer pipe and the like.
Prior methods for repairing damaged pipe lines include moving a liner tube impregnated with a liquid material capable of curing and hardening to the position within the pipe where the damaged portion is located. The liner tube is urged in an outward radial direction into contact with the pipe line being repaired and the liquid material impregnating the liner tube is permitted to cure and harden. The liner tube forms an interior liner in the pipe for the pipe line being repaired.
On some occasions lateral pipe lines are connected to main pipe lines. Often damage occurs at the Junction between the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line. T-shaped or Y-shaped liner tubes have been utilized to fit within the junction between the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line. Liner tubes form a T-shaped or Y-shaped liner after hardening to the interior of the junction between the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line,
Ground water outside the lateral pipe line and the main pipe line infiltrates through the damaged portion of the pipe line and migrates between the liner tube and the pipe line to a point where it can enter the pipe line. In order to prevent this infiltration of ground water, attempts have been made to adhere the liner tube to the interior surface of the pipe line being repaired, whether it is a single straight pipe tine or a T-shaped or Y-shaped pipe line. Some existing devices address this problem using a compressible gasket at the main/lateral junction to help create a seal. Elastic bands are used to help secure the gasket to the launcher as it travels through the pipe. One problem with these bands is that they can prevent the gasket from fully expanding against the inside of the pipe.
In some instances, shrinkage of the liner can occur, which creates a gap that allows ground water to flow around the liner (between the liner and the interior wall of the pipe) and eventually infiltrate the pipe line. For example, thermoset resins are used in cured-in-place pipe applications to form the liner to the interior of the pipe line. These thermoset resins tend to shrink during the curing process, thus creating a gap between the liner and the pipe. Even the slightest shrinkage in the liner can be problematic.
A primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved device and method for repairing pipe by using hydrophilic seals or other impermeable compressible materials.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device and method for preventing ground water from infiltrating a pipe line near the juncture between a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device and method for repairing the juncture between a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line which uses a hydrophilic gasket or gasket of similar impermeable compressible material that seals against entry of ground water at the juncture between the pipe lines, wherein the device further comprises two hydrophilic containment bands positioned on either side of the gasket, over a portion of the gasket, and around the main liner.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device and method for repairing the juncture between a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line which uses a hydrophilic junction band or similar article of impermeable compressible material positioned between the main pipe line and the liner around the opening that connects the main pipe line to the lateral pipe line, wherein the device further comprises two hydrophilic containment bands positioned on either side of the junction band, over a portion of the junction band, and around the main liner.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device and method for repairing pipe using hydrophilic seals and the like which is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and reliable in operation.
According to one feature of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for repairing the juncture between a main pipe line and a lateral pipe line. The apparatus includes a main liner member and a lateral liner tube made of resin absorbent material. A hydrophilic gasket or gasket of similar impermeable compressible material surrounds a portion of both the main liner member and the lateral liner tube and is adapted to be positioned between the host pipes and the liner assembly in operation. The hydrophilic gasket includes a tubular portion that extends at least partially within the lateral liner tube and a flange portion that extends outwardly about the periphery of one end of the tubular portion. The hydrophilic gasket is capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, such as water, and forms a seal between the liner assembly and the host pipes at the juncture between the host pipes. A first hydrophilic containment band surrounds the main liner member and is positioned between a first portion of the flange portion of the gasket and the main pipe line on one side of the liner juncture. A second hydrophilic containment band surrounds the main liner member and is positioned between a second portion of the flange portion of the gasket and the main pipe line on another side of the liner juncture. The hydrophilic containment bands are capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, such as water, to form a seal around the entire liner member on different sides of the junction opening, which helps contain water by preventing it from traveling along the pipe in a gap between the outside of the liner and the inside of the pipe. The apparatus can be used in applications where the lateral liner is inverted into the lateral pipe line or in so-called “pull-in-place” applications. In a pull-in-place application, both the main liner and lateral liner are moved through the main pipe line to a position where the lateral liner ultimately extends inside the lateral pipe line and the main liner is positioned in the main pipe line near the junction opening to the lateral pipe line.
According to another feature of the present invention, a single hydrophilic junction band or junction band made of a similar impermeable compressible material is positioned on the main liner portion of a main/lateral liner. The junction band surrounds the opening between the main and lateral liners and is disposed between the main pipe line and the liner around the periphery of the opening between the main and lateral pipes to effectively seal against entry of ground water at the pipe junction. A first containment band surrounds the main liner member and is positioned over a first a first portion of the single junction band so that the first containment band is positioned between the single junction band and the main pipe line on one side of the liner juncture. A second containment band surrounds the main liner member and is positioned over a second portion of the single junction band so that the second containment band is positioned between the second portion of the single junction band and the main pipe line on another side of the liner juncture. The hydrophilic containment bands are capable of swelling in response to being exposed to a liquid, such as water, to form a seal around the entire liner member on different sides of the junction opening, which helps contain water by preventing it &OM traveling along the pipe in a gap between the outside of the liner and the inside of the pipe. Again, this apparatus is suitable for use in both inversion-style applications and pull-in-place applications.
Referring to
Launcher device 12 includes side walls 18, an end cap 20 and an end wall 22, all of which form a launcher device cavity 48. End cap 20 includes a line inlet 24 through which a line 26 extends. Line 26 is attached to a closed bladder tube end 28. Also extending through end cap 20 is an air inlet 30 which is connected to an air hose 32. T-shaped or Y-shaped bladder tube assembly 16 includes a main bladder tube 34 and a lateral bladder tube 36. Similarly, the T-shaped or Y-shaped liner assembly 14 includes a main liner tube 38 and a lateral liner tube 40. The bladder assembly 16 is fitted on the interior of the liner assembly 14.
As can be seen in
In order to help prevent this seepage of ground water, a gasket 56 is positioned about a portion of the liner assembly 14. The gasket 56 includes a tubular portion 60 that extends at least partially within the lateral liner tube 40 and a flange portion 58 that extends outwardly about the periphery of one end of the tubular portion 60. The flange portion 58 of the gasket 56 is preferably attached to the main liner tube 38 around the juncture between the main liner tube 38 and the lateral liner tube 40 so as to help maintain the gasket 56 in proper position as the repair assembly 10 is positioned for operation. The gasket 56 is preferably made of a hydrophilic material capable of swelling in response to being exposed to water or other liquid. However, other materials for the gasket 56 found suitable include neoprene rubber, other similar gasket materials such as urethane or silicone rubber, and like impermeable compressible materials. Although the precise dimensions of the gasket 56 are not necessarily critical to the present invention, a tubular portion 60 having a length of approximately six inches and a flange portion 58 having a diameter of approximately twelve inches has been found suitable for most sewer pipe applications.
As shown in
The containment bands 80 are positioned around the outer portion of the main liner 38 to form a ring around the liner 38. The containment bands 80 are positioned on different sides of the main/lateral junction opening so that after the liner assembly 14 is urged toward the pipe 50, 52 (
As shown best in
As best shown in
The ground water, as designated by the arrows 90 in
While one embodiment of the invention is intended for use with an inversion-type application wherein the lateral bladder tube 36 and the lateral liner tube 40 invert outwardly into the lateral pipe line 52, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the gasket 56 can also be used in pull-in-place applications. In a pull-in-place application, the gasket 56 can be threaded down the lateral liner tube 40 to the juncture between the main liner tube 38 and the lateral liner tube 40. In such a pull-in-place application, it is less important that the gasket 56 be attached to the liner assembly 14, as the gasket 56 will tend to stay in proper position as the lateral bladder tube 36 and lateral liner tube 40 are moved through the main pipe line 50 and ultimately into the lateral pipe line 52 while at the same time the main bladder tube 34 and main liner tube 38 are moved along the main pipe line 50 to a position adjacent the opening to the lateral pipe line 52.
As shown in
The containment bands 80 are positioned around the outer portion of the main liner 38 to form a ring around the liner 38. The containment bands 80 are positioned on different sides of the main/lateral junction opening so that after the liner assembly 14 is urged toward the pipe 50, 52 (
As shown best in
In applications where the lateral liner tube 40 is inverted into the lateral pipe line 52, the junction band 62 may be attached to the main liner tube 38 to secure the band 62 in place. The band 62 can be attached by means of stitching, stapling, or by use of an adhesive or similar attachment means. The junction band 62 may be made from a hydrophilic material such as the one described previously.
In some embodiments a third hydrophilic seal 70, which may be a hydrophilic O-ring, may be placed within the interior of the lateral liner tube 40 as shown in
The invention has been shown and described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is only to be limited by the claims appended hereto.