JPH0316557B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tube protector having a threaded end.

Pipes, particularly threaded oil field pipes, are often exposed to a variety of weather conditions due to long transportation routes and storage. Therefore, rust is likely to occur especially on the inside. These tubes usually have protective caps at the ends to protect the threads. In addition, to prevent foreign objects or rainwater from entering the interior of the pipe, closed protective caps and protective plugs are often used which close off the pipe from both sides. This also results in the accumulation of dew which can promote rust formation upon humidity changes. Chemicals are known that have the property of absorbing moisture from their surroundings. Such chemicals are commonly referred to as desiccants. It is also known to place such desiccant in bags for tube protection, and to store the bags immediately behind the tube ends. It has been found that these known protection devices are insufficient to protect the pipes from rust. In other words, it has been found that especially in long tubes, moisture is absorbed by the desiccant only from the portion close to the bag, and the inner surface deeper than that is rusted. Furthermore, it is necessary to inspect the tubes from time to time. For this purpose, protective caps and protective plugs have hitherto been screwed off with quite complex, time-consuming and expensive labor. The interior of the tube is then optically inspected.

Therefore, the basic problem of the present invention is to construct a tube protection device as follows. In other words, corrosion of the inner wall of the pipe,
In particular, to reliably prevent rust and further eliminate the need for current complicated, costly, and expensive inspections.

This problem is solved by the features of patent claim 1.

With the configuration of this invention, it is possible to introduce a limited amount of desiccant into the tube as follows. This is to ensure reliable protection from moisture and therefore from rust formation along the entire pipe. The desiccant can be distributed in batches at short, long, uniform or irregular intervals along the interior of the tube. A continuous distribution along the interior of the tube is also possible. Handling and installation of the device of the invention can be carried out without substantial auxiliary means and even without auxiliary personnel.

With the arrangement according to the invention, the protective cap (protective cap and protective plug), once installed, remains in the installed position. Monitoring inside the tube is carried out by monitoring the humidity using a suitable humidity indicator. Measuring devices and alarm devices can be incorporated as well. These devices generate an optical or acoustic alarm signal when a predetermined humidity is reached. The design according to the invention eliminates the need for a complicated and therefore expensive removal of the protective device for inspection inside the tube. Using the built-in humidity display device, it can be immediately determined whether or not there is humidity inside the pipe that would allow rust to form.

Purposeful and advantageous developments of the solution according to the invention are set out in the patent claims 2 et seq.

Purposeful and easily produced containers and supports and their combinations are described in claims 2-5.

The patent claims 6, 7 and 8 show a device according to the invention which can be constructed and used with particular advantage.

Advantageous and advantageous humidity indicating devices are described in patent claims 11 and 12. These display devices are easy to install, inexpensive to manufacture, and provide highly accurate humidity readings.

This will be explained in more detail based on the figures.

In FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 2 denotes a pipe, in which rust preventive devices 4, 6, 8, 10, and 25 are arranged. The anticorrosive device 4 of FIG. 1 consists of two layers of elongated strips 12 forming a cushion 14, between which there is a narrow section 16 in which a desiccant agent is contained.

The anticorrosive device 6 of FIG. 2 consists of a single-layer elongated strip 18 on which cushions 20 are attached at regular intervals, for example by sewing, gluing, or the like. There is a desiccant inside the cushion.

The rust prevention device 8 in FIG. 3 is a bag 22 filled with desiccant.
It consists of The bags are spaced from each other and secured to the straps or ropes 24, for example by means of tight ties or clamping with bolts.

The rust protection device 25 according to FIG. 5 is made of a strip of fur 27. A desiccant in the form of a tablet 29 is sewn into this.

The cushions 14 and 20, the bags 22, and the capsules 29 can be arranged at regular intervals or irregularly. It is also conceivable to provide these elements at longer or shorter intervals (see FIG. 5) from the center to the ends of the tube.

The tube protector 10 of FIG. 4 consists of a hose 26 filled with desiccant. The end of the hose is plugged.

Cloth bags and hoses can be made of materials that allow moisture to pass through, such as fur.

Rust protection devices 4, 6, 8, 10, 25 are fixed in particular to the tube ends (not shown). The fixing is, for example, a protective cap 30 which normally closes the tube end.
Alternatively, this can be done on the protective plug 32, for example by means of a hook 34 located on the cap and a ring 36 (FIG. 5) attached to the anticorrosive device. A suitable tightening device (not shown) may also be used.

In the case of larger diameter pipes, a rust preventive device 4,
6, 8, 10, 25 are conveniently located adjacent to each other within the tube.

FIG. 6 shows tube 40. FIG. The tube has male threads 42 at one end and female threads 44 at the other end. A protective tube 46 is screwed into the male thread, and a protective plug 48 is screwed into the female thread.

The protective cap 46 has a jacket 52 with internal threads 50 and a dish-shaped insert 54 having a bottom 56.
, the bottom of which is connected to the jacket part 52 via a ring-shaped web 58 that covers the edge of the tube. A groove 60 is configured in the web for application of a tool.

The protective plug 48 is constructed in the form of a dish-shaped insert having a jacket 62 and a bottom 64. Jacket 62 has male threads 65. A ring flange 67, in which a groove 66 for applying a tool is configured, covers the tube edge.

Bottom part 56 of the protective cap and bottom part 6 of the protective plug
4 are also provided with one humidity display device 68, 70, respectively. Such a humidity display device is located at the bottom 56.
and 64 is usually sufficient.

The humidity display device is a simple humidity indicator 71 in the figure. This is provided in the monitoring window 72 of the threaded plug 74. The threaded plug is screwed into the bottom of the protective cap or plug. The humidity indicator is especially provided to be replaceable.

The humidity display device may be an electrical humidity measuring device, to which it is also possible to additionally connect an alarm device which makes it possible to indicate audibly and, of course, visually when a certain humidity has been reached.

The protective cup 46 and the protective plug 48 can also have a bottom that lies approximately in the plane of the ring flange 67 or the web 58, in contrast to what is shown.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show various embodiments of the protection device according to the invention and its arrangement in a pipe, and FIG. 6 shows an arrangement according to the invention for indicating the humidity in a pipe. Symbols in the figure: 4, 6, 8, 10, 25... Rust prevention device, 40... Tube end, 46, 48... Thread protection device, 50, 65... Thread thread, 52, 62... Jacket, 56, 64... Bottom, 68, 70... Humidity display device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A pipe protection device having a thread at the pipe end, which can be fitted or inserted onto or into the pipe end 40 for airtight sealing of the pipe end, and which has a bottom part. 56,
64 and jacket portions 52, 6 with threads 50, 65;
2 and a desiccant packaged in a plurality of moisture-permeable containers 14, 20, 22 with uniform spacing and uneven spacing, in particular to protect the inner surface of the tube. Support elements 1 that can be inserted into the pipe one after the other at regular or variable intervals
2, 18, 24 or in said support member and a humidity indicator 68, 70 mounted on the bottom of the thread protector. A tube protection device characterized in that the combination and these supporting members are fixed to both ends of the tube. 2. The tube protection device according to claim 1, wherein the moisture-permeable container is a bag, cushion, or parcel. 3. The tube protection device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is a band, a noose, a string, a long piece, a rod, or the like. 4. The bag 22 or the cushions 14, 20 or the parcel is fixed to a belt, rope, string, strip or rod;
A tube protection device according to claim 1 or 2. 5. The tube protection device according to claim 4, wherein the fixation is performed by tying, tightening, gluing, adhering, sewing, or welding. 6. The tube protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein cushion-like hollow spaces filled with a desiccant are formed at intervals in a two-layer band or a two-layer long piece. . 7. The tube protection device according to claim 1, wherein the container 26 is a hose-like device that also serves as a support member. 8. A tube protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a desiccant agent in the form of a tablet is sewn into the fur strip. 9. Any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the distance between successive containers or tablets increases or decreases from the end of the support member to the center of the support member or from the end of the tube to the center of the tube. The pipe protection device described in (1) above. 10. Claim 1 having a threaded jacket portion and a bottom for mounting or screwing onto or into a threaded tube end.
The pipe thread protection device according to the invention, characterized in that a humidity measuring device and a humidity alarm device readable from the outside are airtightly provided at the bottom of at least one thread protection device 46, 48. Device. 11. The humidity display device is a humidity indicator that displays different humidity ranges in color, and the humidity indicator is arranged in a screw-in plug with a monitoring window, and the screw-in plug is screwed into the bottom of the second thread protector.
A tube protection device according to claim 10. 12. The pipe protection device according to claim 11, wherein the humidity indicator is replaceably disposed within the monitoring window of the screw plug.