IE57486B1

IE57486B1 - An apparatus for testing a pipe

Info

Publication number: IE57486B1
Application number: IE3036/86A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: John Condron
Priority date: 1986-11-17
Filing date: 1986-11-17
Publication date: 1993-03-24
Also published as: IE863036L; GB8726911D0; GB2197490A; GB2197490B

Abstract

A pipe 12 for testing is supported by a base 11 fixed to the ground and its ends are adapted to be sealingly engaged by clamping members 17, 18 carried by a wheeled base 13, 14, 15 mounted on tracks 16 laid on the ground. A coil spring (30) connects the base (13) to a suitable location on the tracks (16). The clamping member (17) is fixed a support bracket (19) of base 13 and the clamping member (18) is mounted by a ball and socket joint on a ram (20) fixed on a support bracket (21) of base 13. The clamping member (17) has a through-bore (23) in fluid communication with a reservoir (23a) and the clamping 18 has a bore (25) in fluid communication with the pipe (26) which is open to the air. With pipe 12 on base 11 ram (20) is actuated to push the clamping member (18) against one end of the pipe (12). Due to the inertia of pipe continued actuation of the ram (20) after contact with the pipe causes the clamping member (18) to remain stationary and the chassis (13) to move along the tracks (16) against bias of spring 30 until the clamping member (17) contacts the other end of the pipe (12) so as to firmly clamp the pipe (12) between the members (17, 18). Water is pumped from the reservoir (23a) so as to overflow the pipe (12), the air and excess water escaping via the bore (25). The pressure of water in the pipe is about 20 psi (1.38 x 10<2>kPa) and maintained for about 30 seconds. Any leaks or porosity in the pipe can be visually determined.

Description

JOHN CONDRON, County Offaly, The present invention relates to testing the porosity and/or leakproofness of pipes.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for testing the porosity and/or leakproofness of a pipe which apparatus comprises a base having wheels and adapted for movement along ground engaging tracks; the base having a first clamping member and second clamping member in spaced apart relationship for receiving said pipe therebetween; means for moving the clamping member relative to the base and into releasable engagement with one end of said pipe; said moving means also being adapted to move the base relative to the first clamping means and the tracks when the clamping means is in 15 engagement with said pipe to enable the second clamping means to releasably engage with the other end of said pipe; inlet means for enabling a fluid to enter the pipe so as to overfill the pipe; outlet means for enabling air and excess fluid in the pipe to exit 20 therefrom; the arrangement being such that, in use, apart from said inlet and outlet means, the pipe is releasably held in liquid tight communication between said clamping members.

The invention will be understood in greater detail 25 from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :et Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention with a pipe in position ready for testing; Figures 2-4 are detailed side elevations of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 of the drawings; Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 of the drawings; and Figure 6 is a detailed plan view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an apparatus 10 according to the invention which apparatus 10 comprises a ground engaging base 11 adapted for supporting a pipe 12 under test; a second base or chassis 13 having wheels 14,15 thereon for engaging with ground engaging tracks 16; and a pair of clamping members 17,18.

A coil spring 30 connects the chassis 13 to a suitable location on one of the tracks 16. The clamping member 17 is fixed fast to a support 19, which in turn is fixed fast to the chassis 13. The clamping member 18 is mounted on a ram 20 which is mounted on a support generally shown as 21. The support 21 is fixed fast to chassis 13. The clamping member 18 is mounted on the ram 20 via a ball and socket arrangement 22 the purpose of which will be , explained below. i.

The clamping member 17 has a centrally located through bore 23 in liquid communication with a reservoir 23a for water via a pipe 24 and a pump 24a. The clamping member 18 has a through bore 25 in fluid commnication with the pipe 26 which is open to the air.

Each clamping member 17,18 is circular in plan the diameter of which is greater that the diameter of the ends of the pipe 12 under test. Apart from the through bores 23,25, each clamping member 17,18 has a respective rubber surface 27,28 adapted for engaging with the respective ends of the pipe 12 and providing a liquid tight seal relative thereto.

In use, the pipe 12 is mounted on the base 11 between the clamping members 17,18. The clamping members 17,18 should be sufficiently apart to enable the pipe 12 to rest on the base 12. The coil spring 30 will be in a collapsed condition. The ram 20 is actuated so as to push the clamping member 18 in the direction of one end of the pipe 12 so as to engage therewith (Figure 3).

Having regard to the fact that the pipe 12 is made of concrete; is about 1 metre long; and has a diameter of about 300 mm, it has a certain inertia. Accordingly, as soon as the clamping member contacts the pipe 12, the effect is to push the chassis 13 along the track 16 to the right (arrow 29) as viewed in Figures 1 - 4 of the drawings thereby moving the clamping member 17 to the right. Ultimately the clamping member 17 will contact the other end of the pipe 12 by virtue of the action of the ram 20. During this time, the pipe 12 is stationery.

Further action by the ram 20 will firmly clamp the pipe 12 between the clamping members 17,18 and a conventional pressure sensitive feed-back mechanism (not shown) operatively associated with the ram 20 will ensure that while the pipe 12 is firmly held between the clamping members 17,18, the pipe will not suffer any damage. The action of the ram 20 is against the bias of the coil spring 30.

J Preferably, the socket end 12a of the pipe is in contact with the clamping member 18. In the case of concrete pipes, it is not unusual for the socket end 12a of the pipe 12 to have an oblique profile. To ensure that the clamping member 18 is in liquid tight communication with the socket end 12a of the pipe 12, the ball and socket arrangement 22 permits movement of the clamping member 18 relative to the ram 20 so as to accommodate the socket end 12a profile of the pipe 12.

With the pipe 12 firmly held between the clamping members 17,18 the pump 24a is actuated so as to rapidly pump water from the reservoir 23a into the pipe 12 via the through-bore 23. As the pipe 12 rapidly fills with water, air and excess water escape to the atmosphere via the through-bore 25. In order to collect the excess water from the pipe 26, the entire apparatus is preferably mounted above a large tank (not shown) which could act as a reservoir for the water in place of the reservoir 23a. Having regard to the volume of water in the pipe 12 and its pressure by virtue of the pump 24a, the porosity and leak proofness of the pipe 12 is easily and quickly tested. In the example shown, the pipe 12 is filled in about 12-15 seconds to a pressure of about 20 psi (1.38 x 10 kPa). This pressure is maintained for about 30 seconds and if the pipe is defective, this can easily be observed by water escaping from a crack or hole therein as the pressure of 20 psi (1.38 x 10 kPa) is in excess of the normal working pressure of the pipe 12 when in use. ι After the completion of the test, the pump 24a is deactuated and the ram 20 is withdrawn so as to release the pipe 12. The coil spring 30 pulls the chassis 13 along the track 16 to the left as viewed in Figures 1-4 on the drawings to enable the chassis 13 to return to the condition as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Water in the pipe 12 spills out into the large tank below the appartus 10 for recycling. The pipe 12 is removed and replaced by other pipes for testing.

It will be appreciated that the same apparatus 10 5 can employ as many as, for example, six pairs of clamping members 17,18 and associated equipment to enable the simultaneous testing of six pipes. The through-put of the apparatus according to the invention having up to six pairs of clamping members 17,18 can be up to a hundred pipes per hour.

The invention is not limited by or to the specific embodiments. described which can undergo considerable variation without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. QLAI!4S_L

1. An apparatus for testing the porosity and/or leakproofness of a pipe which apparatus comprises a base having wheels and adapted for movement along ground engaging tracks; the base having a first clamping member and a second clamping member in spaced apart relationship for receiving said pipe therebetween; means for moving the first clamping member relative to the base and into releasable engagement with one end of said pipe; said moving means also being adapted to move the base relative to the first clamping means and the tracks when the first clamping means is in engagement with said pipe to enable the second clamping means to releasably engage with the other end of said pipe; inlet means for enabling a fluid to enter the pipe so as to overfill the pipe; outlet means for enabling air and excess fluid in the pipe to exit therefrom; the arrangement being such that, in use, apart from said inlet and outlet means, the pipe is releasably held in liquid tight communication between said clamping members.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein biasing means are provided for urging the clamping members out of engagement with the pipe.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein means is provided for supporting the pipe between the clamping members.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the supporting means comprises a ground engaging base.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1-4 wherein j, the moving means comprises an hydraulically operated ram.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1-5 wherein the inlet means comprises a through bore located in one of 5 said clamping members which through bore is in liquid communication with the pipe when said clamping member is in engagement with the pipe; and means for connecting said inlet means to a source of liquid.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1-6 wherein 10 said outlet means comprises a through bore in one of said clamping members which through bore is in liquid communication with the pipe when said clamping member is in engagement with the pipe.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 when dependent on 15 claim 6 wherein the outlet means is located in said first clamping member and the inlet means as located in said ' second clamping member.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5-8 wherein the first clamping member is attached to the ram by means 20 of a ball and socket arrangement to permit angular movement of the first clamping member relative to the ram.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any of claim 1-9 wherein, in use, the liquid in the pipe is at about 20 psi (1.38 x 10 2 kPa). 25

11. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1-10 wherein a tank is locatable below the pipe so that upon release of the clamping members from the pipe, the liquid in the pipe is collected in the tank. )

12. An apparatus as clalned In clain 11 which further conprises a reservoir neans for supplying liquid to the inlet neans; neans for controlling said supply neans; and neans for returning the liquid fron the tank to the 5 reservoir neans.

13. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of testing the porosity and/or leakproofness 10 of a pipe which method conprises clamping the pipe between the clamping members of an apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1-13; overfilling the pipe with water 2 at a pressure of about 20psl (1.38 x 10 kPa) for about 30 seconds; observing the pipe for water escape or seepage

15. Other than water escaping from the outlet means; and releasing the pipe from the clamping member.