US2044456A

US2044456A - Process and apparatus for applying shields to pipes

Info

Publication number: US2044456A
Application number: US708584A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank W Yeager
Original assignee: Barrett Co Inc
Current assignee: Barrett Co Inc
Priority date: 1934-01-27
Filing date: 1934-01-27
Publication date: 1936-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-16

Description

June 16, 1936. F. w. YEAGER PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SHIELDS TO PIPES Filed Jan. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l P R Y WV R W m ilk A Z June 16, 1936. E E 2,044,456

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SHIELDS TO PIPES Filed Jan. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Frank VI! Yeager BY I W ATTO R N EY Patented June 16, 1936 @NHTE STATES PATENT Paocass m APPARATUS roa'arravme smms 'ro rrrns Application January 27, 1934, Serial No. 708,584, 13 Claims. (01'. 154-2) 5 tective material, such as bitumen-pr resin-satthe abrasive or other action of materials with urated felt, paper, or cloth or other types of satwhich the pipe comes in contact. Even a small urated or unsaturated flexible shields, around a abrasion in the protective film will permit the in- P P gress of injurious substances to the walls of 'the One object of the invention is to provide an impipe with consequent deterioration thereof. In

proved method and apparatus for placing a layer order to prevent such localized corrosion, it is es-- of protective sheet material around a pipe while sential that the continuity of the protective film employing a minimum quantity of said protective or coating be preserved. With buried pipes this sheet material. is especially dlfiicult, since although the pipes Another object of the invention is to provide may be laid with the greatest possible care, suban improved pipe-shield applying apparatus sequent soil stresses or movements may deform adapted to be moved longitudinally along the top and abrade the protective coating with resultant of a horizontal non-rotating pipe. This appaexposure of portions of the pipe. By soil stresses, ratus requires very little clearance around the we mean those agencies of motion in a soil which pipe, thus eliminating the necessity of jacking up exert mechanical forces, almost entirely of a disthe pipe to any considerable height. advantageous nature, against anything placed- Another object of the invention is to provide a or buried in the soil. -In such a category would machine for applying a flexible shield around a be classedpipe so that the edges of the sheet overlap in a 1. Destructive effects of back ,fill striking single continuous joint extending longitudinally against material being buried;

5 along the bottom of the pipe. 2. Settling of soil;

Other objects and advantages will appear from 3. Expansion and shrinkage efiect produced the following detailed description of the invenin soil by tion. (a) Wetting and drying Owing to the corrosive action of various sub- (b) Freezing and thawing;

stances present in the atmosphere or in the soil, 4. Earth vibrations and slides;

pipe lines, especially those of iron or steel, are 5. Motion of heavy substances, as rock, etc., subject to rapid deterioration. The life of unthr wn' n son; protected pipes varies, depending upon the par- 6. The suction of quicksands, colloidal clays, ticular conditions to which they are subjected. mud, e. g. gumbo mu Numerous factors may take part in the corrosive In order to prevent the rapid deterioration of or erosive action and the rate of deterioration pipe lines such lines have been coated with bimay be the resultant of a number of these factors tuminous enamel or other protective coating and acting together. Thus, with underground pipe the coated pipe wrapped by means of a rotating 40 lines the efiect of alkaline or acid substances in appar tus which winds a strip of saturated porous This invention relates to the protection against deterioration of pipes or other tubular articles hereinafter referred to as pipes and especially relates to a machine and method for applying prothe water which reaches the pipe by seepage, and the efiect of electrolysis and ground currents or other agencies may be such that a pipe will have a relatively short usefullifef If the pipes are coated with protective coatings such as bituminous enamel or the like, the effect of soil stresses or movements frequently is-such as to remove or damage the enamel at one or more points and expose the pipe to the destructive actions mentioned. If the pipe is exposed'to the atmosphere, the composition of the gases, water, etc., contacting with it may be such that the pipe rapidly deteriorates and must be replaced long before replacement would ordinarily 'be necessary.

Pipes (whether of iron, steel, or other metal, concrete, wood, or other material) which are to be used under such unfavorable conditions are frequently provided with a protective film of bituminous or other enamel, paint, or varnish, but such films are more or less readily removed by material, such as tar-or asphalt-saturated rag or asbestos felt, spirally therearound. Such spiral wrappings, it will be appreciated, involve a considerable waste of material due to the lap pro-' vided between the large number of contiguous windings necessary to cover the pipe. 5

In employing such rotating apparatus, it was" necessary to jack up the pipe off the ground, or in the case of fixed lines, 1. e., lines, already in place in the field, above the top of the trench to a considerable height in order to allow ample clearance for the wrapping machine to pass under the pipe during its rotation. The jacking of the pipe to provide the necessary clearance overthe trench or ground involved arduous and time-consuming labor.

According to my invention, a shield or sheet of flexible wrapping material is bent or folded around the top of the pipe and lapped and joined together in a single straight line extending along the bottom of the pipe. The lapping and joining is done by a simple machine which travels longitudinally along the top of the stationary pipe and does not rotate therearound. The width of the shield or wrapper employed is usually about two or four inches greater than the circumference of the pipe so that a 2" or 4" lap is produced.

Since the lap formed with my apparatus follows a single straight line extending longitudinally of the pipe, a minimum of pipe-shield material is required per unit length of pipe covered. When using a rotating apparatus and wrapping the pipe with aspiral joint, as has heretofore been done, a considerably greater quantity of material had to be employed due to the increased length of the lap per unit length of pipe covered.

As a shield I prefer to use a sheet of fibrous material, such as paper, felt, woven or knitted cloth, or the like, impregnated. with a bituminous saturant, such as coal tar pitch, or a resin, such, for example, as a condensation product of formaldehyde and a phenol, such as phenol, cresol, xylenol, or mixturesthereof. Any material imparting tothe base sheet imperviousness, hardness, and resistance to' tearing or puncture while yielding a sheet suitable for bending around the pipe may be employed as the impregnating agent.

If desired, the shield may be built up of a number of laminations of impregnated materials, either similar or dissimilar materials being used for different laminations, but the thickness of the shield should not be increased to such an extent that its flexibility will be materially impaired. In some cases it may be desirable to use a shield comprising an impregnated base sheet having a reinforcing sheet such as paper or felt, applied thereto.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be made to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shield-applying apparatus embodying this invention showing it in working position on a section of pipe, wrapping a shield around the pipe;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the driving mechanism for propelling the apparatus along the pipe;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the forward end of the cone shaped lapping device bending the edges of shield into lapped position around the pipe;

Fig.5 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing the funnel for applying cementing material between the lapped edges of the shield;

Fig. 6 is anenlarged sectional elevation taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 showing the rear end of the lapping device and the spring for holding the two sections of the device together aroundthe pipeand shield;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the carriage for holding the rollof shield and showing the carriage in place on the pipe;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified shieldapplying apparatus embodying this invention showing the apparatus in working position on a section of pipe, wrapping a shield around the p pe;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation taken along the line Ill-I0 of Fig. 8 showing the arrangement of the carriage for holding the roll of shield.

Referring to the drawings with special reference to Figs. 1 and 7, numeral l indicates a section of pipe held a short distance above the ground by any suitable means, such as skids or jacks (not shown). Numeral 3 denotes a stand or carriage mounted on the pipe and carrying a roll 5 of pipe wrapping material 1.

Carriage 3 comprises a flat horizontal base 9 having vertical triangular-shaped side pieces I I welded or otherwise secured thereto. Each of these side pieces is provided at its top or apex with a bearing I3 supporting a removable spindle l5 carrying the roll 5 of pipe shield or pipe wrapping material. The bearings may be U- shaped, as shown in the drawings, although any other type permitting the ready removal of the spindle and the placement of the roll of shield thereon may be employed. Guide discs I1, having set screws l9 passing through their hubs, permit the roll of shield or wrapping material to be readily and securely positioned on the spindle. Tautness or tension on the shield leaving the roll can be regulated by adjusting the pressure of the discs against the ends of the roll.

As shown in Fig '7 the base 9 and spindle [5 should be of width sufficient to carry a roll of shield having a width 2 to 4 inches greater than 1 the circumference of the pipe. One size of carriage is generally used at various times for supplying wrapping material to several sizes of pipe, the size of the pipe on which any one machine can be used being limited by the length of the spindle, i. e., by the size of the roll which it can carry.

Brackets 2| are attached to the under side of the base by bolts 22 or by other suitable means such as rivets or welding. As shown in Fig. 7 two of these brackets are provided, each extending longitudinally of the base 9 on either side of the center line thereof. Each bracket is provided at each end with a wheel support 23 carrying an idler wheel 24 adapted to rest on the top of the passing through the longitudinal center lineof the pipe.

Grips or handles 26 are attached to both sides of base 9 and provide a ready means by whicn workmen may hold the carriage on the pipe and push it therealong when in use. A strut 21 is pivotally and removably connected to a bracket 28 on base 9 by means of a bolt and nut 29 or other suitable attaching means. By resting the lower end (not shown) of the strut 21 on the ground the carriage 3 may be supported in opezating position on the pipe. The strut is preferably made of variable length so that it may be adjusted to conform with the height of the carriage above the ground. For example, the strut may be made in two

sections

30 and 30. movable longitudinally with respect to each other and held together in the desired relationship by a clamp 3|.

.Numeral 32 designates in general the apparatus for folding and wrapping the sheet of flexible wrapping material unreeled from carriage 3 around the pipe. This device has a housing or body portion 33 adapted to encircle the pipe and having the general shape of a truncated cone. The forward end of the housing is flared outward to permit the sheet of flexible wrapping material to pass between the interior surface of the cone and the circumference of the pipe as the housing is moved along the pipe.

The housing is composed of two side walls or

side pieces

35 and 36 of generally semi-cylindrical cross-section swingably connected together at the top by a hinge 31.

Side walls

35 and 35 are preferably made of sheet steel or other durable and more or less flexible material. The side walls are held together at the bottom by tension springs 39 stretching between pins GI and 32 attached to

side walls

35 and 36 respectively at the middleportions and rear ends thereof. Each spring can be disconnected from one or both pins thus permitting the cone-shaped housing to be swung open on the hinge and placed around or taken off a pipe. These springs hold the rear end of the housing or body portion more or less firmly in place around the pipe and produce s" ient pressure to bend the flexible shield are id the pipe. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the edges of the side pieces overlap to a certain extent. This permits the sides of the housing to move toward or away from one another as the apparatus passes over welds or other uneven portions of the pipe and at the same time insures that the bottom of the housing will always be closed.

Side pieces

35 and 36 are each provided with a slot, designated respectively by numerals 43 and 4d, the purposes of which are discussed below. As shown in Fig. 2, slot 43 is preferably made somewhat longer and wider than slot 84.

A clamp or bracket 65, riveted or otherwise secured to the side piece 35 at a point ne r its longitudinal mid-portion, supp rts a tube 46, one end of which extends into the interior of the coneshaped housing through a hole 41 in side'piece 35 near its lower end. A cylindrical shaped funnel 48, provided with a valve 39, has its discharge spout l fitting into the other end of tube 46.

Numeral 53 indicates in general a driving mechanism for moving the cone-shaped housing or body portion of the apparatus longitudinally along the pipe around which it extends. This driving mechanism has a triangular shaped frame 55, base 58 of which is rigidly attached to the top of side piece 35 adjacent the hinge 31. Rotatably mounted in the forward portion of the triangular frame near the base thereof is a shaft 51 having wheels 59 mounted thereon in such position that the lower portions of the wheels pass through

slots

49 and 44 in the housing. These wheels are preferably rubber tired in order to prevent possible injury to the shield, resting on the upper surface of the pipe, with which they contct through

slots

43 and 44 and over which they pass. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, one end of this shaft has a sprocket wheel Glkeyed thereon. The top or apex of the triangular frame supports a rotatable shaft 63 having a crank 65 fixed to one end and a sprocket wheel 61 to the other. A sprocket chain 69 passes around sprocket wheels BI and 61. As the crank 65 is turned, sprocket wheel 6'! is rotated and chain 89 moved driving sprocket wheel 6|. Movement of the sprocket wheel causes shaft 51 to rotate revoiving wheels 59 attached thereto. Rotation of wheels 59 causes the entire apparatus to move longitudinally along the pipe.

A bar Ill, extending horizontally from near the apex of triangular frames 55, provides a handle or grip by means of which the driving mechanism 53 and the entire folding apparatus 32 may be held in the desired position on the pipe. Numeral l2 designates a. strut swingably and removably connected to an arm 13 extending from base 56 of frame 55. This strut may have a construction similar to strut 27 on the pipe shield carriage 3, and provides a means whereby the folding apparatus may be supported on the pipe without manual aid when the apparatus is not in use or being repaired or adjusted.

The operation of the apparatus in applyin' a shield to a pipe is as follows:

A roll of suitable pipe shield material of a width 2 to 3 inches greater than the circumference of the pipe to be wrapped is inserted on the spindle E5 of carriage 3 and the, guide discs 47 adjusted to allow the shield to be unwound from the roll with the proper amount of tension. The carriage is then placed on the top of the pipe and the wheel supports 23 adjusted relative to brackets 2| by means of bolts 25 so that the idler wheels on each side of the carriage lie in planes passing through the center line of the pipe. The carriage is then moved longitudinally along the top of the pipe by workmen so that some of the wrapping material or shield is unreeled along the top of the pipe as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A portion of the flexible shield lying on the top of the pipe is then bent around the circumference of the pipe by hand so that the marginal portions of the shield overlap along the-bottom of the pipe. The cone-shaped housing 33 of the shield-applying apparatus 32 is then opened up on its hinge and fitted around the overlapped shield and pipe. Slot 63 in sidewall 35 is of such size as to provide clearance space permitting swinging of the side wall 35 on hinge 31. The springs 39 are then attached to pins ll and 32 thus causing the lower ends of the sides of the housing to be held together around the pipe and shield as shown in Figs. 4 to 6. Since the forward end of the cone-shaped housing is flared away from the pipe, the shield is not held tightly against the pipe at this point (Fig. 4). At the rear end of the apparatus, however, the springs hold the sides of the housing firmly against the shield and cause it to fit snugly against the pipe (Fig. 6).

When the apparatus is in place, crank 65 of the driving mechanism is turned by a workman thus causing wheels 59 to rotate and the entire device to move along the pipe and shield thereon at a suitable. rate. Simultaneously, the carriage carrying the roll of shield is moved by workmen along the pipe in front of the folding apparatus at substantially the same rate thereby unreeling the shield or wrapper along the top of. the pipe in front of the folding apparatus. As the folding apparatus is moved continuously and progressively along the stationary pipe, the cone-shaped housing bears against the flexible shield and causes it to be continuously and progressively bent downward around the pipe and overlapped by the conver'ging'interior surface of the cone in a. substantially straight line along the bottom of the pipe.

effected by traction pulleys similar to those shown on unit 32 and operated similarly, but mounted on unit 3, or in other ways.

A supply of hot fluid cementing material, such as coal-tar pitch or asphalt, is introduced into funnel 48. Valve 49 in the discharge spout of the funnel is opened so that a continuous stream of the cementing material flows through tube 46 into the interior of the housing. As shown in Fig. 5, the tube 46 is so situated that the cementing is applied between the loosely overlapped marginal portions of the shield. As the apparatus continues to move, the rear end of the cone or housing bears firmly against the shield and pipe and causes the cemented lapped portions of the shield to become securely joined together. There is thus produced a strong and effective shield around the pipe having a single joint therein extending longitudinally along the bottom of the pipe.

Instead of applying cementing material to hold the overlapped portions of the shield together, the lap may be joined by other means, such as mechanical fasteners or clamps. In this case the fasteners or clamps are applied to the shield at a point immediately following the rear end of the housing.

When using larger apparatus suitable for applying shields to larger pipes, it is sometimes desirable to equip the apparatus with a small power unit for moving the apparatus along the pipe.

It should also be understood that the roll of shield may be carried on a frame supported from the front of the folding frame thus eliminating the separate carriage. An apparatus having such construction is shown in Figs. 8 to 10. This modified device is in general similar to the folding apparatus 32 described above, with the exception that the driving mechanism 53 is placed further toward the rear of the housing to provide room for the shield carriage, denoted by reference character 15.

A saddle-shaped member 16 fits over and is attached to the upper portion of housing 33 in any suitable manner. Braces 11 extend upward from both sides of this saddle member and hold base 9 of the carriage securely in place. Vertical side pieces I l secured to base 9 are provided with bearings I3 supporting spindle l5 carrying the roll 5 of pipe shield I. A triangular shaped frame 18 extends forward from each side piece I l. The extremities of these frames are provided with bearings 80 supporting an idler roll 8| over which the sheet of wrapping material I is adapted to pass from roll 5 before being folded around the pipe.

Instead of having just one hinge extending movement.

*greatest .possible protection from subsequent damage due to handling and soil stress. Furthermore, the apparatus of this invention requires much less clearance above the ground or trench for satisfactory operation than was required by apparatus rotating around the pipe and applying a spiral wrapping.

Since certain changes in carrying out the process and in the construction set forth may be made without departing from the scope of this invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to fltaround the pipe and fold the shield therearound, and

, means for moving said housing along the pipe.

2. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to encircle the pipe and fold the shield therearound, and a driving mechanism connected to the housing, said driving mechanism being adapted to move longitudinally along the top of the pipe.

3. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to fit around the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having two curved side walls, means joining the tops of said side walls, and a driving mechanism for moving the housing along the pipe.

4. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a. housing adapted to fit around the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having curved side walls, means joining said side walls, removable means connecting said side walls and holding the walls together around the pipe, and means for moving the housing along the pipe.

5. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted tofit around the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having two side walls of substantially semi-circular cross-section swingably joined by a hinge and held together at the bottom by a spring, and means for moving said housing along the pipe.-

6. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a cone-shaped housing adapted to encircle the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having side walls swingably joined and held together at the bottom by a removable means, a tube passing through one side wall of the housing for introducing cementing material into the interior thereof, and means for moving the housing along the pipe.

'7. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to encircle the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having two side walls of substantially semi-circular cross-section, a hinge connecting the tops of said side walls, a removable spring joining the bottoms of said side walls, a funnel attached to one of said side walls, a tube leading from said funnel and passing through a hole near the bottom of the side wall for introducing cementing material into the housing, and means for moving said housing along the pipe.

.8. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a cone-shaped housing adapted to fltaround the pipe and bend the shield therearound so that the marginal portions of the shield overlap along the bottom of the pipe, said housing having two side walls of substantially semicircular cross-section, a hinge connecting the tops of said side walls, a spring adapted to hold the bottoms of said side walls in place around the pipe and shield, a funnel attached to one of said side walls, a tube leading from said funnel and passing through a hole near the bottom of said side wall for introducing cementing material into the interior of the housing, and a hand-operated mechanism attached to one end of the housing for moving the housing along the pipe.

9. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to encircle the pipe and fold the shield therearound, a driving mechanism connected to the housing adapted to move said housing longitudinally along the pipe, means on said housing for supporting a roll of flexible shield, and means for feeding the shield onto the pipe in front of the housing as the housing moves along the pipe.

10. Apparatus for applying a flexible shield to a pipe comprising a housing adapted to encircle the pipe and fold the shield therearound, said housing having flexible side walls, a hinge swingably connecting said side walls, removable means adapted to hold said side walls together around the pipe, a tube passing through one side wall for introducing cementing material into the interior of the housing, means on said housing for moving the housing along the pipe, and means on said housing for supporting a roll of flexible shield.

11. The process of shielding a stationary pipe which comprises placing a shield longitudinally along the top of the pipe, resiliently forcing the sides of the shield around the circumference of the pipe so that the edges of the shield form a lap along the bottom of the pipe, applying cementing material between the lap, and pressing the lap together.

12. The process of shielding a pipe which comprises continuously and progressively unwinding a roll of shield along the top of a pipe, continuously, progressively and resiliently forcing the shield around a pipe, continuously and progressively overlapping the edges of the shield in a straight line extending along the bottom of the pipe, continuously and progressively applying cementing material between the lapped edges of the shield, and continuously and progressively pressing the lapped edges of the shield together.

13. In a device for applying shielding material to pipe, a housing adapted to fit around and to be moved along the pipe, said housing having one side extending substantially parallel 2- to the longitudinal direction of the pipe and a side remote from said first mentioned side flaring away from the pipe at one end of the housing.

FRANK W. YEAGER.