RU2474751C2 - Protective device for pipe end - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: protective device for ends of products (16) in the form of a pipe, preferably pipes for oil industry, oil and gas industry pipes, "line pipes" and the like consists of two elements: the first cylindrical element determined as housing (1) of the device, which has an open lower part (3), side walls (4) and upper part (17) formed with circumferential edge (6) and hole (8) forming seat (5), into which product (16) end in the form of a pipe is inserted; and the second element determined as safety booster, or "shock absorber" (2) with external curved or conical surface, which has the possibility of being attached to housing (1) of safety device with its upper part (23) by means of fasteners (9).

EFFECT: enhanced protective reliability.

20 cl, 7 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for protecting the end of products in the form of a pipe. More specifically, it relates to a device for protecting pipe ends that are subjected to shock loads and therefore require protection to prevent damage to the thread (if the pipe has a thread) and / or bevels.

State of the art

Most of the pipe thread fuses on the market do not meet the impact resistance requirements specified in ISO 11960, Appendix I for products with a technical level of PSL-2 and PSL-3, and this requirement is one of the most important. ISO 11960 defines two different impact tests: one is an axial load test using a 1.5-inch steel bar used as a reference, and the other uses a horizontal contact surface on which the load is applied at an angle of 45 ° from pipe direction. Both tests are very complex, and most pipe thread fuses on the market do not satisfactorily meet these tests. Pipes for the oil industry, oil and gas production pipes and “linear pipes” are huge steel masses, and in most cases, when a pipe with such characteristics is in motion, impacts on another object will damage the ends. In most such cases, the facilities are comparable to the 1.5-inch steel rods installed for the above standard tests. Many of these situations would not damage the pipe ends if the pipe were deflected in order to avoid shock loading. Such characteristics were not found in any known pipe thread safety device or other similar products.

Disclosure of invention

One of the most interesting examples of shock resistance and compressive loads in nature is the egg. Based on this idea, the applicant has developed a device to protect the end of the pipe, which rejects (removes) the load at the ends. The specified device is designed on the basis of two elements, taking into account the large sizes that could arise if it were made in the form of a single element, as well as the fact that the usual installation and removal of modern pipe thread guards is carried out taking into account a tool that was not needed to use if they were made in the form of only one element of the "hemispherical" shape.

On the other hand, in many operations that are carried out in production, the device leads to the improvement of conventional fuses for pipe threads, both open and closed, provided that it is made of two elements, one of which acts as an open thread fuse for performing maneuvering, and the other as a reinforcing head, which provides resistance to the final shock load.

The device according to the invention is preferably used for pipe ends for the oil industry in order to avoid damage to threads and / or chamfers. However, it can be applied to any pipes with the same geometry.

The published application US 2007 / 0113910A1, owned by the applicant, describes a thread safety lock with a head, however, it does not contain device characteristics associated with deflection of the shock load.

Thus, the present invention provides a device for protecting the end of products in the form of a pipe, preferably pipes for the oil industry, oil and gas production pipes, "linear pipes" and the like. Distinctive features of the device is that it consists of two elements: the first cylindrical element, defined as a fuse body, which has an open lower part, side walls and an upper part formed by a peripheral edge and a hole forming a socket into which the end of the product is inserted in the form pipes; and a second element, defined as a fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” with an external curved or conical surface, which is configured to be mounted on the fuse body with its upper part using fastening means.

The fuse body can be installed directly in contact with the end of the pipe and screwed onto it, if the specified end is threaded. The fuse amplifier is superimposed on the fuse housing. In other words, the fuse amplifier is superimposed on the pipe after installing the fuse body on the pipe. The fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” can be fixed to the fuse box even without the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” coming into contact with the pipe element.

The main characteristics of the fuse box are as follows:

- ensuring the fixing of the fuse amplifier or "shock absorber",

- ensuring minimum resistance to shock load, useful for manipulating pipes in production;

- providing sealing for thread and pipe chamfers in order to prevent the presence of liquids in contact with thread and chamfers during transportation and / or storage, with the exception of the protective composition that is commonly used and applied at the factory.

The fuse housing is made of plastic having a high recyclability for secondary use, such as HDPE (high density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, HDPE), PET (polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, PET), PP (polypropylene, polypropylene, PP) or similar to them, with oxobiodegradable (biodegradable by the action of microorganisms in the presence of oxygen) fillers such as PLA (polylactic acid, polylactic acid), PHB (hydroxyl-butyrate, hydroxy-butyrate) or the like. In any case, the material should provide sufficient protection for the pipe ends for at least two years, which can be tested during accelerated tests when the ultraviolet radiation is kept for 2,000 hours in accordance with ASTM G154, cycle 7 from table x2 .one; and 750 hours in wet salt medium in a chamber in accordance with ASTM B117. The specified fuse housing should have the smallest possible thickness, especially in the threaded section, in order to avoid forces due to expansion of the material. This should be balanced with impact resistance, which increases with thickness. The fuse housing may further include at least one recess into which an elastomer seal is inserted. In this way, a seal is achieved between the chamfer of the pipe, which comes into contact with the shoulder or the open bottom of the fuse. An elastomer seal is a low-modulus material that will deform in contact with the pipe to provide a seal. In addition, the specified fuse housing may include reinforcing rings of another polymer of the highest module and tensile strength in order to improve impact resistance, while being less than the thickness of the fuse. The fuse body may include a first reinforcing ring located below the circumferential edge and a second reinforcing ring located above the circumferential edge and at the periphery of the circumferential edge. In cases where significant maneuvering with pipes is carried out at the factory, the resistance of the fuse body to the shock load using reinforcing rings can increase to the levels required by ISO 11960. The reinforcing rings can be metal if they are not in contact with the pipe.

On the other hand, the main characteristics of a fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” are as follows:

- providing the shock resistance required for the device in order to comply with ISO 11960, Appendix 1;

- deviation of shock loads to exclude damage to pipe ends and the device itself;

- closing the ends of the pipes to prevent objects from getting inside after the specified device is installed.

The fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” is made of plastic or metal. In the first case, the plastic used must have a high recyclability for recycling, for example, it may be HDPE, PET or PP, which may include fiber or glass bead reinforcement, carbon, natural cellulose mesh or the like; or plastics with high biodegradability can be used, such as HDPE, PP, or a similar type of polyolefins with oxobiodegradable fillers like PLA, PHV. As in the case of the fuse case, the material must provide adequate protection for the pipe ends for at least two years, which can be tested during accelerated tests when the ultraviolet radiation is in the chamber for 2000 hours in accordance with ASTM G154, cycle 7 from table x2.1; and 750 hours in wet salt medium in a chamber in accordance with ASTM B117. The outer surface of the fuse or “shock absorber” amplifier is conical or curved, in which case the shape of an ellipse, parabola or rotation hyperbola or just the shape of a hemisphere is preferred. Any of these geometric shapes will have the properties of shock deflection and the exceptional mechanical strength that is observed in the egg. The fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” is fastened to the fuse body by means of fastening - either by forcing it through a hole in the edge of the perimeter of the fuse body, or by fixing it on the outer surface of the specified fuse body. The fastening means are means of coupling with the outer surface of the fuse body and are the third elements. In this case, fastening means are provided on the upper part of the fuse amplifier for installation under the circumferential edge of the fuse housing. Mounting can be done by landing between the recesses and protrusions in the fuse housing and in the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber”, respectively. Other mounting options are: screwing the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” to the fuse body; blocking the fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" on the specified fuse housing by rotating movement or by means of a lock consisting of third elements such as threads, nails with a bent end, stop bars, screws, slings or stops. Finally, it must be pointed out that the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” can be transparent in order to provide visual inspection of the elements inside the pipe.

Based on the foregoing, the applicant wishes to note that reducing the thickness of the fuse case in order to reduce compressive stresses when it is used at low temperatures is not described, proposed or reported in the prior art, nor is the use of biodegradable polymers for the fuse case or for a fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" in the case of manufacture of plastic.

Thus, the invention not only provides a device for protecting pipe ends that satisfies the requirements for impact resistance established by ISO 11960, but also rejects shock loads from axial impacts with high energy, which should be rejected to avoid damage to the pipe ends and reduce damage to devices.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a device for protecting the end of products in the form of a pipe, preferably pipes for the oil industry, oil and gas production pipes, “linear pipes” and the like, consisting of two elements: a first cylindrical element, defined as a fuse body, which has the open lower part, the side walls and the upper part formed by the circumferential edge and the hole forming the socket into which the end of the product is inserted in the form of a pipe; and a second element, defined as a fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” with an external curved or conical surface, which is configured to be mounted on the fuse body with its upper part using fastening means.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described in detail using the drawings below.

1 and 2 depict elements that form a protective device according to the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 show a protective device including a fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" with a conical geometry.

Figure 5 shows the fuse housing, which includes o-rings of elastomer in the region of the peripheral edge and in the region of the lower part of the fuse housing.

Figures 6 and 7 show a fuse housing that includes reinforcing rings.

The implementation of the invention

Figures 1 and 2 show a protective device for terminating a pipe 16 according to the invention, consisting of two elements: one first element 1, a fuse housing, and a second element 2, a fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" with a curved outer surface. The specified fuse housing 1 has an open lower part 3, side walls 4 and an upper part 17 formed by a circumferential edge or shoulder 6, which may have a thickness greater than the side walls 4, and an opening 8 defining the boundaries of the socket 5 of the inner walls 7, tapering from the lower part 3 in the direction of the upper part 17 of the fuse housing 1 with or without a thread into which the end of the pipe 16 is inserted, with the fuse fixed on the housing 1 using pressure and / or screwing. In the case of screwing, the thread of the tapered inner walls 7 of the socket 5 corresponds to the thread of the end of the pipe 16.

The internal diameter of the fuse body 1 varies depending on the different diameters of the pipe 16. As already mentioned, in order to avoid stresses due to expansion of the material, usually plastic with a high recyclability for recycling and high degradability under the action of microorganisms, the thickness of the casing 1 the fuse between the side walls 4 and the inner walls 7 should be as small as possible. As already mentioned, the upper part 17 of the fuse housing 1 includes a circumferential edge or “shoulder” 6 and an opening 8 through which fastening means 9 can be passed that attach the fuse amplifier 2 to the fuse housing 1. Mounting means 9 are provided on the upper part 23 of the fuse amplifier 2 for installation under a circumferential edge 6 of the fuse body 1. Thus, the fastening means 9 are means of engagement with the outer surface of the fuse body 1. The fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” 2 can be attached to the fuse body 1 on the outer surface 18 of the fuse case 1, which enters the cavity 13 formed by the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4); or using fasteners 9, which are made in the form of third elements, such as rivets, cotter pins, screws, bolts or the like.

The fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" 2 has a conical or curved surface 11 (see figure 4), i.e. in the latter case, it takes the form of a parabola or a rotation hyperbola (not illustrated) or a hemisphere (see Fig. 2), so that, due to some of these geometric shapes, the shock load is deflected. In addition, it provides high resistance to compressive loading, and higher than that which is provided by the currently available cylindrical fuse in conventional thread guards.

Figures 3 and 4 show a device according to the invention with an external conical surface. Therefore, the thickness between the side walls 4 and the tapering inner walls 7 of the fuse body 1 is constant. A conical fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” made of metal is superimposed on the side walls 4 of the fuse case 1. The fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” 2 is superimposed under pressure and fixed on the fuse body 1 when it reaches its final position with the first conical cavity 13 through its interaction with the fuse body 1. The first conical cavity 13 has the same taper as the side walls 4 of the fuse housing 1. The first conical cavity 13 extends into the second conical cavity 11 having a taper greater than that of the first conical cavity 13 in order to deflect the applied loads.

Figure 5 shows the first and second o-rings 14, 19, respectively placed under the specified circumferential edge 6 and in the first recess 20 and inside the lower open part 3 of the fuse housing 1 in the second recess 21.

Figure 6 shows the first internal reinforcing ring 15, placed under the circumferential edge 6 of the fuse housing 1.

Figure 7 shows the second outer reinforcing ring 22, placed above and at the periphery of the circumferential edge 6 of the fuse housing 1.

The fuse housing 1 includes a first inner reinforcing ring 15 located below the circumferential edge 6, and a second outer reinforcing ring 22 located above the circumferential edge 6 and at the periphery of the circumferential edge 6.

Claims (20)

1. A device for protecting the end of products (16) in the form of a pipe, preferably pipes for the oil industry, oil and gas production pipes, “linear pipes” and the like, characterized in that it consists of two elements: the first cylindrical element, defined as a housing (1) fuse, which has an open lower part (3), side walls (4) and an upper part (17), formed by a circumferential edge (6) and a hole (8) forming a socket (5) into which the end of the product (16) is inserted into pipe shape; and a second element, defined as a fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” (2) with an external curved or conical surface, which is configured to be mounted on the fuse body (1) with its upper part (23) using fastening means (9). 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner walls (7) are tapering from the lower part (3) in the direction of the upper part (17) of the fuse housing (1). 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means (9) are provided on the upper part (23) of the fuse amplifier (2) for installation under the circumferential edge (6) of the fuse body. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means (9) are means of coupling with the outer surface of the fuse body (1). 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means (9) are the third elements. 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the third elements are threads, nails with a bent end, rivets, screws, slings and stoppers. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the open lower part (3) of the fuse housing (1) includes at least one first recess (20) into which the first low-modulus O-ring (14) is inserted the place where the beveled ends of the product (16) in the form of a pipe come into contact with the fuse body (1). 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circumferential edge (6) of the fuse housing (1) includes at least a second recess (21) into which a second low-modulus O-ring (19) is inserted in that place where the end of the product (16) in the form of a pipe comes into contact with the fuse body (1). 9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tapering inner walls (7) of the socket (5) are threaded. 10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the thread of the tapered inner walls (7) of the socket (5) corresponds to the thread of the end of the product (16) in the form of a pipe. 11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuse housing (1) is made of plastic having a high recyclability for recycling, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), which may include reinforcement from fibers or glass beads, carbon, natural cellulose mesh or the like, or from highly biodegradable plastic such as HDPE, PP or similar polyolefin-type plastics with oxobiodegradable fill s-type polylactic acid (PLA) or a hydroxy-butyrate (PHB). 12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to avoid stresses due to expansion of the material, the thickness of the fuse case (1) between the side walls (4) and the tapering inner walls (7) of the fuse case is the minimum possible. 13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuse housing (1) includes at least one reinforcing ring (15, 22) of another polymer of the highest module and tensile strength in order to improve the shock resistance load, while having a smaller thickness of the fuse. 14. The device according to p. 13, characterized in that the at least one reinforcing ring (15, 22) contains metal if it is not in contact with the product (16) in the form of a pipe. 15. The device according to item 13, wherein said at least one reinforcing ring (15, 22) is located below or above said circumferential edge (6) and on the periphery of said circumferential edge (6). 16. The device according to item 13, wherein the fuse housing (1) includes a first reinforcing ring (15) located below the circumferential edge (6), and a second reinforcing ring (22) located above the circumferential edge (6) and at the periphery of the circumferential edge (6). 17. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" (2) is made of plastic or metal. 18. The device according to 17, characterized in that the plastic has a high recyclability for recycling and is a plastic HDPE, PET or PP, which may include reinforcement of fibers or glass beads, carbon, natural cellulose mesh or similar, or plastic with high biodegradability, such as HDPE, PP or similar plastics of the polyolefin type with oxobiodegradable fillers like PLA, PHB. 19. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the curved outer surface of the fuse amplifier or “shock absorber” (2) has the shape of an ellipse, parabola or rotation hyperbola or hemisphere (10). 20. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuse amplifier or "shock absorber" (2) is made transparent to provide visual control of the elements inside the product (16) in the form of a pipe.

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