Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Systems and methods for maintaining pipes
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Application No.: US16751564Application Date: 2020-01-24
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Publication No.: US11585480B2Publication Date: 2023-02-21
- Inventor: Alexander Kyle Duncan , Todd William Danko , Justin Foehner , Yakov Polishchuk , Douglas R. Forman
- Applicant: General Electric Company
- Applicant Address: US NY Schenectady
- Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee: General Electric Company
- Current Assignee Address: US NY Schenectady
- Agency: Armstrong Teasdale LLP
- Main IPC: F16L55/18
- IPC: F16L55/18 ; F16L55/44 ; B08B9/049 ; F16L55/30 ; F16L55/32 ; B08B7/00 ; B08B9/051 ; F16L55/34 ; F16L55/48 ; F16L101/12 ; F16L101/20 ; F16L101/30

Abstract:
A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The system includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the pipe and configured to travel along the pipe through an interior cavity. The motorized apparatus includes a plurality of leg assemblies each including a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a joint rotatably coupling the first leg portion to the second leg portion. A drive mechanism coupled to the joint is configured to interact with the sidewall. The system also includes an actuator assembly configured to independently position each leg assembly relative to a body assembly to adjust a radial position of the joint of the associated leg assembly relative to the body assembly. The system also includes a controller configured to send instructions to the actuator assembly based at least in part on at least one of a dimension of the interior cavity and a desired force on the sidewall.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210025536A1 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAINTAINING PIPES Public/Granted day:2021-01-28
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