GB804790A - Pipe line plugger - Google Patents

Abstract

804,790. Pipe stoppers. WILLIAMSON, Inc. T. D. March 25, 1957, No. 9647/57. Class 99(1). In a pipe-plugging device having a carrier movable through a fluid-tight housing 10 mounted upon a pipe 50 opposite a lateral opening 54 in the pipe, the carrier being provided with a plug 35 for forming a fluid barrier across the pipe, connecting means is provided between the carrier and plug, which means is operable upon a first actuation of the carrier, to move the plug laterally of the carrier to a plugging position laterally of the opening in the pipe, and upon a second actuation of the carrier to retract the plug laterally in a direction toward the carrier so that the latter can move the plug from the pipe into the housing. As shown in Fig. 4, the plug 35 comprises a sealing member 38, having a peripheral lip, disposed between flanges 36, 39, the flange 36 having ears 49 on which are pivoted arms 43, 44 pivoted on a carrier part 14. The latter comprises flanges 16 connected to a circular plate 15 carried by a tubular member 17 provided with keyways 18 engaged by keys 19 mounted on a ring 20 secured to a ring 11a closing the housing 10 and carrying a housing extension 13. The screw-threaded portion 23 of a rotatable shaft 22 engages in a nut 24 carried by the member 17 and endwise movement of the shaft is prevented by disposing a shoulder 22a thereof between bearings 25 housed in a stuffing-box 27 ; an O-ring 33 is situated between the stuffing-box and extension 13. In use, the housing 10 is attached to a tee branch 51, integral with or secured to the pipe 50, and the shaft 22 rotated so that the nut 24 is advanced along the shaft to move the plug 35 into the pipe until the plug contacts the wall of the pipe opposite the opening 54. Continued movement of the carrier 14 causes the arms 43, 44 to urge the plug along the pipe until the plug is seated across the pipe and to one side of the opening, fluid pressure in the pipe then forcing the lips of the seal 38 into engagement with the wall of the pipe. To limit bending of the member 17, the plate 15 is positioned to abut the edge of the opening 54. The member 38 can be replaced by an O-ring. The carrier part 14 may be attached directly to the boring bar of a machine used for cutting the opening in the pipe, the machine then being mounted on the housing 10 and the plug moved into the pipe by operation of the machine ; means may be provided whereby the machine can be disconnected from the carrier part and removed for use elsewhere after the plug has been located in the pipe. In a modification, the expandible and collapsible plug 222, Figs. 12 and 17, comprises wing parts 256 hinged to a body part 249 provided with flanges 250 and connected to a carrier 229 by pivoted links 251, the parts 256 being connected to the carrier by rods 265 and swinging movement of which simultaneously with the swinging of the links causes the parts to move into the plane of the part 249. The latter is provided with rollers 264 to facilitate movement of that part into the pipe, and the carrier has an extension 255 to engage the lower surface of the pipe when the plug has reached the sealing position thereof. In a further modification, the carrier part is formed by a screwed-threaded member moved from the housing 10 into the pipe and mounting nuts on which the arms 43 are pivoted ; rotation of the member causes the nuts to move in unison and, acting through the arms, to move the plug into position. Alternatively, the nuts move towards each other from spaced-apart positions.