GB2437535A

GB2437535A - A fexible sealing patch

Info

Publication number: GB2437535A
Application number: GB0608215A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Farrar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-26
Filing date: 2006-04-26
Publication date: 2007-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-26
Also published as: GB2437535B8; GB0608215D0; GB2437535B; GB2437535A8

Abstract

A flexible sealing patch for plugging leaks occurring in damaged drums, kegs, containers, vessels, tanks and pipes, and sealing their contents to prevent spillage. The flexible sealing patch comprises: a backing pad component 1; a soft patch 2, and a tensioning device 4, the tensioning device 4 passing through slots 3 in the backing pad component 1 and the sift patch 2 being bonded to the backing pad component 1. The flexible sealing patch may be made from various polymeric materials including polyurethane, PVC, rubbers, silicones, elastomers, or any deformable polymeric material. The tensioning device 4 may incorporate belt-type strapping, metal or plastic adjustable banding or steel wire rope with tension devices (e.g. buckles, cam buckles, Velcro(RTM) clips or a ratchet mechanism) fitted.

Description

FLEXIBLE SEALING PATCH

This invention relates to a sealing patch for environmental spill control protection.

For the sealing of accidental damaged drums, kegs, IBC's and containers, vessels, tanks and pipes when holed and leaking liquids or powders, granules at low pressures and various temperatures.

The use of the patch seal in figurel allows the drum, kegs, IBC's and containers in metal or plastics to be moved safely allowing contents to be salvaged and preventing further pollution problems.

This eliminates the use of messy inconvenient clay type products for blocking and plugging leaks.

In figure 1. The flexible patch item 2 is made of a soft, sometimes sticky, or adhesive like compound, tacky distortable material which moulds and seal damaged items when sufficient tension is applied to the patch by any type of strapping or bandage, tensioning device, device's item 4.

Suited to many sealing applications, the soft patch 2 may be permanently attached to a backing pad 1 by the way of duel hardness casting or the use of adhesives or tapes, incorporation of textiles may give better adhesion promoting bonding properties.

The soft material patch item 2 can be made with different properties to suit its application.

With this in mind the colour of the patch could be changed for easy identification, e.g. general purpose, water based materials, chemical resistant or suitable for hydrocarbons, inorganic and organic products and solvents.

In figure 1. A backing pad item 1 may be an advantage but not essential, the tension device, device's item 4 could be incorporated into the soft flexible patch item 2. The backing pad item 1 may incorporate slots in the front item 3 with or without fixing lugs or may be dovetailed item 6, as in figure 3, which may or may not include single or multiple internal tubes in full or part for the fixing of the tensioning device item 4. The internal tubes in figure 4, could be round, rectangular item 7, square, convexed or concaved providing a tensioning device, device's item 4 can be incorporated.

The preferred shape of the backing pad item 1 should be rectangular, however many other shapes are possible providing sufficient pressure is exerted to the soft distortable patch by the tensioning device,s. The backing pad item 1 should be of sufficient dimensions and thickness to provide sufficient pressure to seal.

The backing pad item 1 may incorporate single or multiple tension devices item 4 which may vary in width and length providing sufficient pressure is exerted to the soft distortable patch item 2 by the tensioning device, device's item 4.

The tension device, device's item 4 may be fully encapsulated and cast into the backing pad item 1.

The tension device, device's item 4 may incorporate seat belt type strapping, metal or plastic adjustable banding or steel wire rope with tensioning device's fitted, elastic type bands, Velcro or cling film type products.

The tensioning device, device's item 4 may use buckles, cam buckles, Velcro, clips or a ratchet system. The use of metal or plastic boltable bands is also possible.

The soft distortable patch item 2 may take many shapes be it circular, disk, oval, square, angular, rectangular as shown in figure 3 or hexagonal any of which may incorporate flat, convexed or concaved surfaces or multisided with straight or tapered sides.

The soft distortable patch can be made to form a suction cup seal.

A duel seal can be made by pushing the inner seal through a hole and then drawing the inner seal into contact with the hole and outer seal with single or multiple attachment parts of mechanical or vacuum systems for drawing the seals together.

As an alternative method the sealing patches may be made larger along with the backing pad item 1 which would require to be made of a harder material such as Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), wood or metal.

The soft material sealing patch item 2 could be substituted for an inflatable bag, ring or band's which may or may not be attached to a backing pad item 1. Inflatable items should be manufactured from materials to avoid cutting, tears or splitting.

The preferred position of soft distortable patch item 2 should be centrally positioned on the backing pad item 1 as shown in figure 1.

The preferred fixing of the tensioning device's item 4 is be permanently attached to a backing pad item 1 as shown in figures 1,2.

Made from a substance as Polyurethane, Thermoplastic Urethanes (TPU5), Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs), Poly Vinyl Chlorides (PVC), Rubbers natural and synthetic, Ethylene Propylene Diene Modified (EDPM), Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR), Neoprene, Nitrile, Butadiene, Poly Butadiene, Poly Sulphides (for example Thiokol), Poly Isoprene's, Poly Ethylene Terephalate (PET), Butyl, Propylene's, Acrylics, Chlorosuffonated Polyethylene (Hypalon), Silicones, Fluro-Silicones, Floro Carbon Elastomers, Co-polymer of Vinylidene Fluoride and Hexafluoropropylene (Viton), Styrene's, Epoxy's, Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), Aliphatic's, Polythene, Polyethylene, Foam products, Gel forming products, Absorbents, Paper pulp, Leather, Textiles, Fibres, Cloths, Scrims, Worsted, Woollen or Synthetic materials, Arimids, Carbons, Ceramics, Cottons, Glass, Basalt, Nylons, Polyesters, chopped strands or any reinforcements or any Biodegradable or Nanotechnology materials. Any of which may or may not be coated, impregnated or surface treated including elastomeric materials, or a combination or derivative of materials which can deform to produce a seal or backing pad.

The flexible sealing patch can be successfully manufactured by various methods as Injection Moulding, Reaction Injection Moulding (RIM), Casting, Punching and assembling, Spray techniques, Calendared or Pressed, Rotational Moulding, Vacuum Moulding or Blow Moulding techniques, which may or may not incorporate fillers, beads, spheres, minerals or any organic and inorganic reinforcements which may be fully encapsulated or bonded.

Figure 1 shows the flexible drum and pipe seal patch in its flat form.

Figure 2 shows the flexible drum and pipe seal patch in its curved form.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the flexible drum and pipe seal patch showing dovetail item 6 incorporated into the backing pad item 1 Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the flexible drum and pipe seal patch showing an alternate shaped sealing soft patch. Internal tubes item 7 and tension device item 4 which may be encapsulated into backing pad item 1.

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the flexible drum and pipe seal patch when applied leaking tanks item 8.

Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the flexible drum and pipe seal patch when applied to a leaking drum item 9 or pipe item 10.

Claims

Claims I. The use of the patch seal allows the drum, kegs, IBC's and

containers, vessels, tanks in metal, wood or plastics whether round or fiat sided to be moved safely allowing contents to be salvaged and preventing further pollution problems.

2. Protection and sealing of deformed, dented, bulged, split and holed items, for the safe handling of such items allowing the contents to be salvaged.

3. Eliminates the use of messy inconvenient clay type products for blocking and plugging of leaks.

4. A flexible patch item 2 which is made of a soft, sometimes sticky distortable material which moulds and seals damaged items when sufficient tension and pressure is applied to the patch via the backing pad item 1.

The hardness of materials can be formulated to suit Shore 00, Shore A, Shore D or IRI{l) hardness ranges.

6 Materials can be modified to suit application requirements.

7 The size of the flexible sealing patch can be manufactured to suit application requirements.

8 The flexible patch seal can be fitted to external pipes to form a seal.

Figure 1 to accompany abstract.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. The use of the flexible sealing patch for plugging leaks for use as an emergency non permanent attachment when placed and secured over the damaged area. Allows the drums, kegs, IBC's and to be containers, vessels and tanks in metal, wood or plastics whether round or flat sided moved safely allowing contents of liquids, powders or granules to be salvaged and recovered preventing further pollution and spillage problems.

2. Protection and sealing of deformed, dented, bulged, split and holed items, for the safe handling of such items allowing the contents to be salvaged.

3. Eliminates the use of messy inconvenient clay type products for blocking and plugging of leaks.

4. A flexible patch item 2 which is made of a soft, not as a permanent adhesive but as : *** sometimes required as a sticky, tacky distortable material which moulds and seals * S damaged items when sufficient tension and pressure is applied to the patch via the backingpaditem 1.

* . 5 The hardness of materials can be formulated to suit Shore 00, Shore A, Shore D or IRHD hardness ranges.

6 Materials can be modified to suit application requirements. S....

7 The size of the flexible sealing patch can be manufactured to suit application *.: requirements.

8 The flexible patch seal can be fitted to external pipes to form a temporary seal.

Figure 1 to accompany abstract.