GB2383110A

GB2383110A - A pipe splitter for subterranean operation

Info

Publication number: GB2383110A
Application number: GB0223584A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Cutts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-20
Filing date: 2002-10-11
Publication date: 2003-06-18
Also published as: GB0125278D0; GB0223584D0

Abstract

A pip splitter for the subterranean, longitudinal splitting of pipes and simultaneous laying of replacement pipe comprises a body with a releasably secured pull and/or push linkage wherein guide means are provided in the form of a flexible body head antenna, the body providing an arrangement of pipe splitting blades and the means for releasably secured linkage to a trailing pipe.

Description

A PIPE SPLITTER FOR SUBTERRANEAN TRENCHLESS OPERATION This invention relates to the longtitudinal splitting of pipe-work sited underground without the requirement of a trench whilst simultaneously towing into place a replacement length of pipe work along the same pipe route.

Trenchless pipe splitting incorporating simultaneous replacement pipe laying is a well known area of modern trenchless technology.

In essence this technology embraces the destruction of old pipe work by various pipe splitting devices which are either forced through the bore of a pipe targeted for destruction or which are forced along the outer casing of a pipe and secured to the target pipe by various forms of saddle couplings. These devices have various formulations of pipe splitting blades or pipe cutting wheels, some for splitting the target pipe from the pipe bore outwards and some for splitting the pipe from the outer casing inwards. Of necessity, all these types of pipe splitting devices have one thing in common which is that they must maintain an uninterrupted contact with and along the full length of the target pipe work because failure to do so results in (A) failure to destroy the complete pipe without a trench and (B) the loss of target pipe routing and consequential inability to simultaneously tow a replacement pipe along the target pipe route. Whilst the ability of these types of destroy and replace devices to maintain the required uninterrupted contact with the target pipe work can be expected to be reasonably successful in practice so far as a straight length of pipe work is concerned there regularly prevails a number of pipe work conditions which cause such devices to fail to maintain the vital target pipe uninterrupted contact. Such conditions are bends in the pipe, twists of the pipe, indentations in the pipe and foreign body blockages in the pipe, all common place and any of which possessing the potential cause of premature exiting from the pipe bore for an in-bore device and the shearing off from the outer casing for a saddle style device. The result being the failure to complete the target pipe destruction and the simultaneous replacing of new pipe work along the target pipe route without the need for a trench.

According to the present invention there is provided a pipe splitter for trenchless operation comprising a body in the form of a tubular wedge, the body being adapted to be pulled and or driven through the bore of a length of pipe, means for guiding the body along straight lengths of pipe, around bends in the pipe, along twists of the pipe, over, under and around indentations in the pipe, an arrangement of protruding pipe splitting blades, the body being adapted to split a target pipe as it passes through the bore whilst simultaneously towing a replacement pipe into position along the destroyed pipe route.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :- Figure 1 shows in perspective the pipe splitter in position prior to the commencement of operational function.

Figure 2 illustrates the pipe splitter having destroyed a proportion of pipe work and simultaneously replaced that proportion with replacement pipe work along the same route.

Figure 3 illustrates the guiding of the pipe splitter around a bend in the pipe work Figure 4 illustrates the pipe splitter having completed the destruction of a complete length of pipe work and simultaneously replaced the destroyed pipe work with replacement pipe work along the same pipe work route without the need for a trench.

Referring to the drawing the pipe splitter comprises a body (1) in the form of a tubular wedge containing a longtitudinal bore hole (2) through which is fed a pulling wire (3) releasably secured at the rear end of the body by, for example a nut, screw, clasp or similar means (not shown) (4) which is dually adapted to be releasably secured to a trailing pipe (5) for the purpose of towing. Positioned at the front of the body is a flexible body head antenna (6) for the guiding of the pipe splitter along the complete pipe bore length. Positioned on the body is an arrangement of pipe splitting blades (7) which destroy the pipe as the pipe splitter is pulled and or driven through the pipe bore (8). The rear end of the body being adapted to be driven through the pipe bore by for example an air powered or hydraulically powered device.

In order to cause the pipe splitter to move through and along the bore of a pipe targeted for destruction and simultaneously tow a new replacement pipe into place along the same pipe route the pulling wire (3) is fed down the length of pipe bore targeted for destruction (8) then fed through the flexible body head antenna (6) then fed through the longtitudinal bore (2) in the body (1) then releasably secured at the rear end of the body by the means described above (4) which are releasably secured to the trailing pipe (5) for the simultaneous towing into place along the destroyed pipe route.

Following the destruction of the target pipe and the exiting there from by the pipe splitter with the replacement pipe in tow the pipe splitter is released both from the pulling wire and the trailing replacement pipe.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A pipe splitter for the subterranean, longtitudinal splitting of pipes and simultaneous laying of replacement pipe comprises a body with a releasably secured pull and or push linkage wherein guide means are provided in the form of a flexible body head antenna which is co-operable with all pipe bore directional variations and pipe bore deformaties, the body providing an arrangement of pipe splitting blades and the means for releasably secured linkage to a trailing pipe.
2 A pipe splitter as claimed in CLAIM 1 wherein pipe splitting means are provided to encompass the splitting of repaired lengths of pipe possessing a greater diameter than that of the original pipe.
3 A pipe splitter substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawing.