摘要:
An apparatus and method for shutting off fluid flow in a pipe main while repairs are being made requires only exposure of the top surface of a buried main and utilizes an anchor system installed in or above the excavation which supports an elongate tubular seal tube against the exposed surface of the main to extend radially therefrom. A jack mechanism compresses the lower end of the seal tube containing a seal member against the exterior surface of the main. A tubular cutting tool installed inside the seal tube is rotated by an air motor to cut a hole in the side wall of the main. A tubular sealant application tool installed inside the seal tube has a nozzle at its bottom end that sprays liquid sealant material onto the interior surface of the main and is then removed. A tubular bladder deployment tool installed inside the seal tube carries a pair of deflated bladders. The bladders are deployed from the deployment tool in opposed direction into the interior of the main along the longitudinal axis of the main and are then inflated to expand and form a seal to shut off fluid flow in the main. After repairs have been made, the bladders are deflated and retracted and the bladder deployment tool is removed. A tubular thread tapping and plugging tool is installed inside the seal tube and rotated to form threads in the cut hole and then removed and then installed again to secure a threaded plug into the hole. After the hole has been plugged, the seal tube is removed.
摘要:
An apparatus and method for supporting pipe main repair tools in an excavation while repairs are being made requires only exposure of the top surface of a buried main and utilizes an anchoring system installed in or above the excavation and an elongate support member that spans the excavation in a generally horizontal position above the pipe main and supports an elongate tubular seal tube against the exposed surface of the pipe main. The elongate support member is secured and supported at opposite ends on the ground surface on opposed sides of the excavation by a pair of parallel laterally spaced shoring members firmly engaged on opposed sides of the excavation, or by a pair of parallel laterally spaced anchor plates firmly engaged on the ground surface on opposed sides of the excavation. The bottom end of the elongate tubular seal tube is engaged on the exterior of the pipe main and an adjustable clamping assembly mounted on the support member supports the seal tube in selective radially extending positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe main. A jack mechanism between the seal tube and the adjustable clamping assembly on the support member forces the seal tube downward to seal against the pipe main. Various tools may be passed through the interior of the seal tube to perform operations on the pipe main.
摘要:
A wireless downhole electromagnetic data transmission system and method utilizes microprocessor controlled frequency synthesis for two-way communication between the surface and a downhole guided boring or drilling apparatus in the range of from 100 Hz to 100 KHz. A non-magnetic downhole probe unit connected between a drill motor or drill bit and the drill string contains data gathering and transmission components including accelerometers which measure the earth's gravity vector and fluxgate magnetometers which read the earth's magnetic field and serve as power line proximity sensors. The drill pipe acts as an electrical lossy, single conductor with the earth forming the electrical return path. Sensory data gathered by the downhole probe is encoded in digital format and impressed upon the drill string using frequency shift keying of the electromagnetic energy waves and is picked off at the surface by a signal receiver-demodulator and message processor unit. The surface unit instructs the downhole probe to transmit multiple frequencies and selects one or more frequencies with the most favorable signal-to-noise ratio(s) in response to local conditions to maximize the transmission distance at a selective frequency band range and given transmitter power level and baud rate. The received signal is filtered, demodulated, processed and displayed at the surface and gravity and magnetic field vectors are combined with the created hole length to calculate x, y, and z hole coordinates and derive hole position vectors.
摘要:
A new and improved air motor operated rotary earth drilling tool for use with a source of high pressure, high volume compressed air has a circulation control housing, a motor housing, a reduction gear housing, and a bearing housing connected longitudinally in series. The circulation control housing is connected to high pressure, high volume, compressed air and has an outlet opening into the motor housing, and an exhaust opening for discharge of compressed air for flushing cuttings and debris from a bore hole which is controlled by longitudinal movement of an inlet tube. The motor housing has a motor chamber and a sliding vane rotor with a rotary shaft extending into the reduction gear housing. A planetary reduction gear receives the rotor shaft and has a low speed, high torque output shaft extending into the bearing housing. A passageway conducts compressed air around the planetary reduction gear for cooling. A radial and thrust bearing pack in the bearing housing is connected to the planetary reduction gear output shaft. A hollow, rotary drill bit sub extends into the bearing housing and is supported on the bearing pack for rotation by the planetary reduction gear. Part of the compressed air operating the motor and cooling the planetary reduction gear is discharged through the drill bit sub and part flows though the bearing pack for cooling and discharge into the bore hole.
摘要:
Apparatus is disclosed for providing one hundred percent inspection of natural gas mains under operating flow conditions. The apparatus includes a scan unit assembly which is inserted into the gas main to collect data for the production of graphic images of the wall of the gas main. The scan unit includes a plurality of scan rollers, each containing an ultrasonic transducer, which traverse the surface of the wall defining the inner diameter of the gas main. The ultrasonic transducers transmit interrogating pulses into the wall of the gas main at a pre-determined spaced apart interval resulting in a helical scan pattern of interrogating pulses. The return pulses from the surfaces defining the inner diameter and outer diameter of the gas main and any imperfections and/or flaws within the wall of the main are received by the transducer and transmitted to a display unit for a visual indication (a tomograph) of the wall of the gas main.
摘要:
A test stand has a base supporting standards on which are mounted a crossbar and an adjustably locatable header. The header supports an actuator for raising and lowering the crossbar which holds V-blocks for engaging the handles of an impact or impact-rotary tool and which applies downward pressure to the tool. The tool chuck is fitted to the top of a guide rod whose lower end passes with a sliding fit through a disc to which it is keyed and bears against a piston in an hydraulically pressurized cylinder. Sensors detect rotation of the disc and movement of the piston to provide information to a computer as to impact energy and rotary speed. A manifold fitted with sensors for temperature, pressure, and flow rate supplies operating air to the tool. The computer includes a database with stored information as to past history of the tool and the manufacturer's recommended operating specifications to which the measured data is compared.
摘要:
A steering system is disclosed for percussion boring tools for boring in the earth at an angle or in a generally horizontal direction. The steering mechanism comprises a slanted-face nose member attached to the anvil of the tool to produce a turning force on the tool and movable tail fins incorporated into the trailing end of the tool which are adapted to be selectively positioned relative to the body of the tool to negate the turning force. The fins are constructed to assume a neutral position relative to the housing of the tool when the tool is allowed to turn and to assume a spin inducing position relative to the housing of the tool to cause it to rotate when the tool is to move in a straight direction. Turning force may also be imparted to the tool by an eccentric hammer which delivers an off-axis impact to the tool anvil. For straight boring, the tail fins are fixed to induce spin of the tool about its longitudinal axis to compensate for the turning effect of the slanted nose member or eccentric hammer. When the fins are in the neutral position, the slanted nose member or the eccentric hammer will deflect the tool in a given direction. The fins also allow the nose piece to be oriented in any given plane for subsequent steering operation.
摘要:
The present invention is directed toward a method for preventing, suppressing or mitigating explosions in a confined subterranean chamber, access opening, or entryway of an underground structure such as the manhole of sewers, service boxes, and mining tunnels. The method utilizes a flexible bladder filled with an inert gas or explosion suppressing agent, wherein the bladder is maintained in the chamber in an inflated condition and the volume of the inflated bladder occupies greater than 70% of the volume of the chamber to significantly reduce the amount of space in which an explosive fuel/air mixture may otherwise accumulate. The bladder is heat critical to disintegrate at a predetermined temperature and release a volume of the explosion suppressing agent or inert gas relative to the volume of the chamber which is sufficient to alter the ratio of the fuel/air mixture in the chamber to prevent, suppress or mitigate the explosive reaction. The inflated bladder also serves as a compressible plenum or pressure accumulator to retard ultimate pressure buildup such that the pressures caused by a limited explosion are not transferred to the chamber cover and interconnecting ducts of the subterranean enclosure.
摘要:
A method of rapid earth excavation without damaging buried pipe, cable or other underground objects utilizes drills and augers having soft cutting edges and/or control of the torque and weight of the boring apparatus. In one embodiment, the bit of a drill, or bottom end of an earth auger is equipped with inserts formed of soft polymeric material. Another embodiment of an earth auger apparatus has soft polymeric material on the leading cutting surface of the flight, or the auger flight may be formed of soft polymeric material. The flexibility and low abrasion of the polymeric material prevents damage to the object contacted. Another embodiment has a dual concentric auger with a small earth-auger rotatably mounted inside the shaft of a larger auger and driven independently such that each is capable of providing and maintaining a torque adequate to create a given hole diameter but sufficiently below that which would damage the object expected to be encountered. Another embodiment has an indicator mounted forward of and below the leading cutting surface of the auger to warn the operator of a buried utility or to automatically stop the auger before the cutting surface contacts the buried utility.
摘要:
A percussion boring tool is disclosed for boring in the earth at an angle or in a generally horizontal direction. The tool has a steering mechanism substantially as shown in a copending patent application and a cylindrical body with overgage sleeves located over a portion of the outer body affixed so that they can rotate but cannot slide axially. The overgage areas at the front and back of the tool, or alternately, an undergage section in the center of the tool body permits a 2-point contact (front and rear) of the outer housing with the soil wall as opposed to the line contact which occurs without the undercut. The 2-point contact allows the tool to deviate in an arc without distorting the round cross-sectional profile of the pierced hole. Thus, for a given steering force at the front and/or back of the tool, a higher rate of turning is possible since a smaller volume of soil needs to be displaced.