US1715592A - Apparatus for sealing crevices in rock formations or the like - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1929.

G. W. CHRISTIANS APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVICES IN ROCK FORMATIONS 0R THE LIKE Filed Sept. 11 1926 I 2 Sl'leets-Sheekl 3mm/Wo@ n 516km? June 4, 1929, G. w. CHRISTIANS 1.715.592

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVICES IN ROCK FRMTIONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sep- 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 55 1 screen 4. The pipe 3 has its outletconneeted Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES GEORGE W. CHRISTIANS, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

y .APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVIGES IN ROCK FORMATIONS OR THE'LIKE.

Application led September 11, 1926.

' This invention relates to the sealing of subterraneous crevices. In my Patents 1,327,268 and 1,327,269, dated J an. 6, 1920, a method and apparatus are disclosed for use 1n seahng crevices in rock formations and the like. In my system, a pipe is inserted in a hole which extends to the crevice,'and hot asphalt or the like is pumped through this pipe. For theV purpose of maintaining the sealing material in heated condition whileit is travelling through the pipe, a heating wire arranged within the pipe. This heating wire is held 1n the middle of the pipe by spacers of insulating material, as the pipe itself forms part of the electric circuit which includes the heating wire. I have found, in practice, that it is very difficult to preventl short cirouiting within the pipe at the points where the spacers are' located, as conducting particles carried by the asphalt are liable to lodge on the spacers and eventually bridge the gap between the heating wire and the inner surface of the pipe. Therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to providenovelmeans for holding the heating wire at the axis of the pipe and for preventing short circuiting while permitting free flow of the hot asphalt through the pipe.`

Another object of the invention is to pro,- vide the pipe with a special form of insulated stuffing box adapted to permit the' passage of the heating wire through theY upperV end of the pipe without allowing any asphalt to escape at this point. Y v The invention is illustrated in the a'eco panying drawings, in which, Y y. Fig. 1 is a side view partly in' section ofthe 'complete apparatus. i Y Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the feeding pipe, taken through one lof the joints and on line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view takenon line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the spacers.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the stufli'ing box arranged at the top of the feeding p1 e. Y

1Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views of elements of the stuling box.

In the drawings, 1 designates akettle heated by burners or the like 2'. Asphalt or similar thermo-plastic material is fed into this kettle and as it is heated, it runs olf through the gravity feed pipe 3, being strained by a within the pipe. tached in F ig.'` 4, and it consists of a short bar, Vformed of lava, porcelain kor other insulatrial 21, such as plaster of Paris.

Serial No. 134,921.

to the intake of a pump 5, which forces the hot as shown at 11, and at the commencement of operations, a canvas wrapping is placed around the perforated portion 'of the pipe. When suilicient resistance is encountered, the pump 5 will cause the asphalt in the pipe 7 to puncture theoanvas, so that the asphalt will flow into the crevices to be sealed. This canvas wrapping forms no part of the present invention and is therefore not illustrated.

The thermo-plastic material will be maintained in heated condition while it flows through the pipe 7 bymeans of an electric heating wire 12. This wire has its lower end Vconnectedv at 13 to almetal yplug 14 which Vis -in electrical connection with the lower end of thel pipe. The wire, however, is held out of contact with the remainder of the pipe, so that the pipe maybe used as a part of the circuit for the electric currentflowing through the i heating wire l2. Theelectric current may be metallic couplings 17, and at each point where the coupling is located Va spacer 18 is arranged This spacer is shown deing material, provided with a central aperture 1'9 and curved'ends 20. The length of the spacer 18'i's ,aboutthe same as the internal diameter of the coupling 17, and it is preferably tion by some suitable plastic insulating mate- As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and3 of the drawings, this plastic insulating materiall is arranged as a coating to form an internal ring within the ,coupling 17, which ring covers the portions *of the threads of the coupling which are notl 'engaged with the threads of the pipe sections.

Immediately above the spacer 18, the plastic Vinsulating material 21 is extended inwardly as shown at 22 to cover portions of the upper face of the spacer between the hole 19 and the ends 20. These projections 22 have inverted V-shaped upper surfaces so as to guide the asphalt as it flows downwardly and to presecured in the coupling in a horizontal posivent it from lodging on the upper side of the spacer. My idea is to permit ready flow of the asphalt, but at the same time, shape the parts in such manner that no conducting particles will lodge on the insulator, which would be liable .toca-use a short circuit.

The heating wire 12 extends through the holes 19 of the spacers and is more or less` freely arranged in the holes, so that the Wire maybe kept taut by `springs 23 which have their upper ends secured at 24 to some fixed point, and have their lower ends connected to the wire by an iiisulator25. Due to this construction, the wire will be maintained at the center of the pipe and there will be no liability of short circuiting.

' 'Iheimproved stuffingv box, which I will -now describe, also functions to keep the wire at the center of the pipe, and to permit the wiretoexit fromA the pipe-'without leakage of asphalt. As the pump forces the asphalt into the pipe 7 under considerable pressure,

` it is obvious that the asphalt will tend to leak at the upper part of the pipe. Furthermore, as the wire 12 must extend through the upper end of the pipe in such a way that itmay be maintained taut by the springs 23, itis apparent that ,a special form of stufing box is necessary. The stuffing box which I have devised for this purpose comprises a cup26 having threads at its lower portion .to engage internal threads at the upper end of the pipe, as shown at 27 in Fig. 5. The bottom of the cup is aperture-d at 28 to receive an insulating-bushing 29 formed of any suitable material; The bushing has an annular flange 30 which rests onV the bottom of the cup, and also engages the inner ysurface of -thecup to preventleakage of asphalt at these points; Y

Within the cup I'place on,A topvof the bushing, an asbestos or r other suitable packing 31, and' above the packing,*I arrange an insulat- Ving bushing 324 which is similar to the bushing A29, but is inverted so lthat its flange bears against the under side of an adjusting sleeve 33. YThis sleeve has external threads 34; which engage internal threads 35 inthev upper por'- tion of the cup, and the upper end of the sleeve Vhas a hexagonal surface 36 to receive 'a Wrench, used to adjust the sleeve. A third bushing 87 similar to the bushing '29 is' arranged at thek upper end of the sleeve, and the heating wireY 12 extends' through the bushings and packing with a vsnug sliding fit, so that the wire may be maintained taut and the asphalt prevented from leaking out through the stuilingv box.

I ain aware that changesV may be made in the details which I have disclosed without sacrificing anyV of the advantages of the invention, and I claim. all modifications falling within the scope of the following claims.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is material arranged jin'the pipe'jat the place where the'bar is located.' n *Y 3. A spacer as claimed in claim 1 including ridges'of insulating material arranged on the upper face of the bar at opposite sides of the middle ofthe same.

y 4. In astructure of' thecharacter de'- scribed, a pipe formed of a plurality of sec'- tions,'a coupling 'connecting adjacent ends 'of' the sections, said sections fand coupling being `of"e lectricity`conducting material, a 'ring of insulating material lining the pipe and located between'the adjacent ends ofthe pipe sections, and a cross bar of insulating Y material located in the'coupling between the endsof the ring and having a centrally disi posed aperture', adapted to receive a cu-rrent conducting wire.

5. Incombin'ation, 'a pipeof electricity lconducting material, a ring of'insulating material arranged within theV pipe, a cross lbar of vinsulating material arranged 'between the ends of the ring and Yhaving'an aperture ladapted to receive a current conducting wire,

said cross' bar having its sides spaced.' fr om the innersurface'ofopposite sides; of the ring to provide aplurality of relatively rlargie openings capable of permitting the ready flowV offluid' through thel pipe.

I 6. combination as claimed in claim 5, in i which ridges of insulating material are arranged on the upper face of the cross/bar to facilitate the passage of fluid' through the pipe..

7. A combination as claimed in'claim', in

which the ring is formedf'of'plastic material,

and the cross bar has curved end' surfaces. 8; 'In combination, a sectional' pipe having threaded couplings connecting the sections,

the sections and couplings being formed of lining rings arranged in the couplings be'- Vtween the ends of the sections, and barsI of jelectricity conducting i material, insulating ing their ends connected to saidrings, said bars having abutment surfaces adapted vto hold a current conducting wire away from ythe inner surface of the pipe.4

9. A combination as claimed, in claim 8', in Y j which ridges of insulating material integral with the rings are arranged.4 on the upper surfaces ofthe cross bars to facilitate the passage 'the pipe across the interior of the latter to of fluid through the pipe. the inner surface of the same, the spaces be l0. Means for spacing an electric heating tween the sides of the arms and the innei` 10 wire from the Wall of a metal pipe through surface of the pipe being unobstructed, and 5 which the Wire extends, said means comprisabutment surfaces at the inner ends of the 1 ing a spacer including insulating arms eX- arms to bear against said heating element.

tending radially from the central portion of GEORGE W. CHRISTIANS.

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