GB2286646A - Apparatus for stopping a leak in a pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus (2) for stopping a leak (4) in a pipe (6), which apparatus (2) comprises a tubular member (8) which is made of a hard flexible material, a longitudinal slot (10) which extends the length of the tubular member (8) and which enables the tubular member (8) to be opened and fitted over the pipe (6) at the position of the leak (4), a resilient lining material (12) which is secured to an inner surface (14) of the tubular member (8) and which forms a lining for the tubular member (8), at least a pair of lugs (16, 18) formed as an integral part of the tubular member (8) and positioned one each at opposing edges (20) of the tubular member (8) defining the slot (10), and screw threaded fastener means (22) for passing through apertures in the lugs (16, 18) for clamping the tubular member (8) around the pipe (6) in order to stop the leak (4). <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR STOPPING A LEAK IN A PIPE This invention relates to apparatus for stopping a leak in a pipe.

Leaks in pipes can often have disastrous consequencies. For example, water leaking from a water pipe can cause much damage to premises, whilst gas leaking from a gas pipe can cause explosions. Leaks in water pipes and gas pipes are often caused by persons driving nails through floors or walls and striking a hidden pipe. Frozen water pipes are also another source of leaky pipes. Irrespective of how the leak is formed in the pipe, corrective action to stop the leak has to be taken as a matter of urgency in order to avoid further damage. There is a need for apparatus which can be used immediately by non-skilled persons, for example whilst waiting for a plumber or a gas fitter to arrive to make a permanent repair. It is an aim of the present invention to provide such apparatus.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for stopping a leak in a pipe, which apparatus comprises a tubular member which is made of a hard flexible material, a longitudinal slot which extends the length of the tubular mernber and which enables the tubular member to be opened and fitted over the pipe at the position of the leak, resilient lining material which is secured to an inner surface of the tubular member and which forms a lining for the tubular member, at least a pair of lugs formed as an integral part of the tubular member and positioned one each at opposing edges of the tubular member defining slot, and screw threaded fastener means for passing through apertures in the lugs and for clamping the tubular member around the pipe in order to stop the leak.

The pipe may be a pipe for containing water, gas or any other suitable and appropriate liquid or gas. The pipe can be made of any suitable and appropriate materials including copper, steel and plastics materials. The inherent flexibility in the hard flexible material of the tubular member helps to enable the tubular member to clamp onto the pipe and help stop the leak. The resilient lining material, due to its resilience, is able to sit firmly around the hole in the pipe and be forced by the tubular member into the hole, thereby helping to block the hole in the pipe in an efficient manner.

The tubular member will usually be of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the pipe with the leak. Thus, for example, the tubular member can be made in 0.5 inch (12mm), 0.75 inch (19mm) and 1 inch (25mm) sizes for fitting over similarly sized pipes.

The tubular member may be provided with strengthening ribs. The strengthening ribs may give the tubular member more flexible strength than it would otherwise have, in order to help the tubular member to clamp hard onto the pipe on its own whilst the fastener means are being tightened.

The hard flexible material of the tubular member is preferably a plastics material. Preferably, the plastics material is that plastics material currently used for making plastics pipes. Any suitable and appropriate plastics material may be employed.

The resilient lining material is preferably a rubber material. The rubber material may be a natural rubber material or a synthetic rubber material. Other resilient lining materials may be employed including resilient plastics materials. A presently preferred rubber material is neoprene.

The hard flexible material for the tubular member and the resilient lining material for the lining should preferably be chosen such as to be able to withstand heat likely to be encountered if the apparatus is used to stop leaks in hot water pipes or central heating pipes.

The resilient material is preferably secured to the inrer surface of the tubular merger by an adhesive. If desired, other means for securing the resilient lining material to the inner surface of the tubular member may be employed. The resilient lining material is advantageously secured in position so that it does not bunch up as the tubular member is forced over the pipe with the leak.

If desired, the resilient lining material can be provided with a slippery surface to help the resilient lining material slip over the pipe. The slippery surface can be formed as part of the resilient lining material or it can be provided simply by coating the resilient lining material prior to use with a lubricant.

There may be two or more separate lugs along each side of the tubular member defining the slot.

Alternatively, there may be one continuous lug along each side of the tubular member defining the slot and extending the entire length of the tubular member. The lugs may be reinforced if desired.

The tubular member can be of any suitable and appropriate length. The tubular member will usually be long enough to extend on either side of leaks which might be formed by nails penetrating into pipes, or slits formed by ice expansion in frozen water pipes.

Advantageously the tubular member is constructed to be long enough so that it can easily be gripped by hand, so that the tubular member can then easily be turned for locating the lugs in the most appropriate position for inserting the fastener means. If the tubular member should be too long, then it can easily be cut to the required length, for example using a hacksaw.

The screw threaded fastener means preferably comprises a bolt for each pair of lugs. The screw threaded fastener means may also comprise a nut. The nut may be a loose nut or it may be secured in a hole in one of the lugs.

The bolt may have a smooth reduced-diameter end for ease of locating the bolt in its nut.

The bolt may have a formation such for example as a slot or a cross for receiving a tightening screw driver, or a formation such for example as a head with square sides for receiving a tightening spanner.

Alternatively, the nut may be a wing nut for enabling the nut to be tightened by hand on the bolt. If desired, one of the apertures in the lugs may be internally threaded in which case, the fastener means can just be a bolt for screwing into the screw threaded aperture.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through first apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross section through second apparatus of the invention; Figure 4 is a section through part of third apparatus of the invention; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of fourth apparatus of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown apparatus 2 for stopping a leak 4 in a pipe 6. The apparatus 2 comprises a tubular member 8 which is made of a hard flexible material formed by a rigid plastics material. The tubular member 8 has a longitudinal slot 10 extending the length of the tubular member 8. The slot 10 enables the tubular member 8 to be opened radially and fitted over the pipe 6 at the position of the leak 4.

The apparatus 2 also comprises a resilient lining material 12 which is in the form of a rubber material.

The resilient lining material 12 is secured by an adhesive to an inner surface 14 of the tubular member 8.

The resilient lining material 12 forms a lining for the tubular member 8.

The apparatus 2 still further comprises three pairs of lugs 16, 18 which are formed as an integral part of the tubular member 8. The lugs 16, 18 are positioned as shown so that one lug of each. pair is at opposing edges 20 of the tubular member 8 defining the slot 10. Screw threaded fastener means including a bolt 22 passes through apertures in the lugs 16, 18 and is effective to clamp the tubular member 8 around the pipe 6 in order to stop the leak 4.

The tubular member 8 is constructed to be of substantially the same diameter as the pipe 6. Thus, when the slot 10 is opened in order to fit the tubular member 8 over the pipe 6, the tubular member 8 is flexed and it tends to return to its closed position, which makes the tubular member 8 a tight fit on the pipe 6.

As shown in Figure 1, the screw threaded fastener means also includes a nut 24 which is located in an appropriately shaped recess in the lug 16. The nut 24 is a captive nut in the lug 16 and this may be advantageous in avoiding dropping of the nut 24 during installation of the apparatus 2 on leaking pipes which are in awkward positions.

Figure 2 illustrates how the resilient lining material 12 is secured to the inner surface 14 of the tubular member 8.

Referring now to Figure 3, it will be seen that the tubular member 8 has bee formed with inwardly directed lips 26, 28. The resilient lining material 12 abuts against the lips 26, 28. The lips 26, 28 help to stop the resilient lining material 12 from bunching up as the apparatus 2 is pushed over the pipe 6.

Figure 3 also illustrates how the lug 16 is not formed with a captive nut 24. In Figure 3 the bolt 22 can be tightened into a loose nut (not shown).

It will be noticed from Figures 1 and 3 that the bolt 22 has a reduced diameter portion 30 which is plain. This reduced diameter portion 30 is able to pass easily through the aperture in the nut 24 and thus easily locates the bolt 22 in the nut 24, in order to facilitate tightening of the bolt 22.

The bolt 22 has a head 24 and, as shown in Figure 2, this head 24 can be provided with a cross formation 26 or a square formation 28 for receiving a posidrive screwdriver or a square head screwdriver respectively.

Figure 4 illustrates how the lug 16 is provided with an internally threaded aperture 30. The lug 18 is provided with a plain aperture 32. The bolt 22 can thus pass straight through the aperture 32 and can be screwed into the aperture 30. Thus, with the arrangement shown in Figure 4, a nut is not required.

Figure 5 illustrates how the lugs 16, 18 can be formed as continuous members to extend the length of the tubular member 8. Figure 5 also illustrates how the lugs 16, 18 can each be reinforced with a metal plate 34 or other reinforcing member.

The plastics material chosen for the tubular member 8 and the rubber material chosen for the resilient lining material 12 will be such that they are able to withstand heat from hot water pipes and central heating pipes.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the outside of the tubular member 8 may be provided with strengthening ribs for increasing the flexible strength of the tubular member 8. Also, the heads 4 of the screws 22 may be provided with slotted formations for receiving straight bladed screwdrivers or they may be provided with straight outer sides forming, for example, hexagonal heads for receiving spanners.

Still further, if desired, the nuts 24 could be wing nuts for tightening by hand.

Claims (12)

1. Apparatus for stopping a leak in a pipe, which apparatus comprises a tubular member which is made of a hard flexible material, a longitudinal slot which extends the length of the tubular member and which enables the tubular member to be opened and fitted over the pipe at the position of the leak, a resilient lining material which is secured to an inner surface of the tubular member and which forms a lining for the tubular member, at least a pair of lugs formed as an integral part of the tubular member and positioned one each at opposing edges of the tubular member defining the slot, and screw threaded fastener means for passing through apertures in the lugs and for clamping the tubular member around the pipe in order to stop the leak.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the tubular member has strengthening ribs.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the hard flexible material of the tubular member is a plastics material.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the resilient lining material is a rubber material.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the hard flexible material and the resilient lining material are such as to be able to withstand heat likely to be encountered from the use of the apparatus on hot water pipes and central heating pipes.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the resilient lining material is secured to the inner surface of the tubular member by an adhesive.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two or more of the lugs along each edge of the tubular member defining the slot.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in which there is one continuous lug along each side of the tubular member defining the slot and extending the entire length of the tubular member.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the srw threaded fastener means comprises a bolt for each pair of lugs.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the bolt has a smooth reduced-diameter end for ease of locating the bolt.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the screw threaded fastener means also comprises a nut for the or each bolt.

12. Apparatus for stopping a leak in a pipe, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.