WO1995016556A1

WO1995016556A1 - Apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member into a pipeline or passageway and methods therefor

Info

Publication number: WO1995016556A1
Application number: PCT/GB1994/000456
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Wood
Original assignee: Ina Acquisition Corporation; Insituform (Netherlands) Bv; Insituform Licensees Bv/Sa; BULL, Miranda, Jane
Priority date: 1993-12-16
Filing date: 1994-03-09
Publication date: 1995-06-22
Also published as: GB9325730D0; IL109969A0; AU6149194A

Abstract

The invention provides that a pumping unit can arrange to evert tubular members (26) into and along underground passageways (12). The pump unit is located at ground level and comprises a first section defining a sphincter valve (33), and a second section defining a pressure chamber (16). The sphincter valve is used to control the infeed of the tube and also to provide a seal of a pressure chamber. The pressure chamber is partially filled with water and is pressurised above the water with air from a supply (92) which also supplies the sphincter valve section. The two sections can readily be uncoupled by collapsing of the sphincter valve and the sphincter valve serves to seal the lower section in use. The upper side of the sphincter valve section is open to atmosphere and forms the infeed aperture for the tube.

Description

APPARATUS FOR EVERTING A FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEMBER INTO A PIPELINE OR PASSAGEWAY AND METHODS THEREFOR

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus, and consequent improvements in the methods, employed for everting a flexible tubular member such as is employed in the lining of pipelines and passageways, into and along such pipelines and passageways.

There are many instances when one wishes to insert a flexible tubular member into a passageway such as a sewer pipe or other conduit. One way of doing so is to force the liner into the passageway by everting it in response to fluid pressure exerted on the inside of the lining, as disclosed, for example, in Wood U.S. patent 4,064,211 of December 20, 1977 entitled "Lining of Passageways". However, lining or other tube eversion is used in other processes as well. The internal pressure which must be exerted on the lining tube in order to evert it varies with the application involved, and in particular in connection with the thickness and weight of the tube and its diameter. Purely by way of example, the eversion of a tube of resin-impregnated felt to line a passageway having a 200 mm diameter when carrying out the general procedure disclosed in the aforementioned patent 4,064,211 calls for the exertion of a pressure of approximately 8 pounds per square inch gauge. When water is used as the eversion medium, as is common, this calls for a 23-foot head of water. Hence in carrying out the method of the '211 patent it is customary to erect a scaffolding at the point of use which is 23 feet high in order to physically produce the 23-foot water head that is required for eversion. Some disadvantages of having to erect such a structure at each point of use are obvious — it is costly, time- consuming, and requires space. The latter disadvantage may not be particularly significant when working out of doors, as when lining sewer pipes passing underground, but it does greatly restrict the applicability of the eversion process where access to the passageway to be lined is at a location with a limited ceiling, such as inside a building. In addition, because the eversion pressure is developed by a physically constituted head of fluid, that pressure cannot be rapidly varied during the eversion operation, yet such a rapid variation is often desirable, as when the everting tube meets an obstruction through which it must be pushed.

There have been proposals, such as that in Wood U.S. patent 4,385,885 of May 31, 1983 entitled "Lining of Passageways", to try to seal off the chamber where the everting fluid pressure is developed and provide that everting pressure from a pump or the like, from which that pressure may be developed without having to create a physical fluid head of appropriate height. However, since the tube to be everted is usually so bulky that it must be stored outside that chamber and pass through the chamber in order to be everted, providing an effective seal through which the everting tube can slide without destroying the effectiveness of that seal in containing the everting pressure has eluded the art.

One further attempt at providing a suitable device for the eversion of flexible tubular liners into pipelines and passageways is proposed in U.S. patent 5,154,936 which utilizes a sphincter-type valve in conjunction with an outlet chamber, and a water tank located in opposite sides of the sphincter valve. A head of water above the sphincter valve is allowed to flow therethrough in order to provide water for the eversion of the tube which is connected to an outlet of the outlet chamber.

This construction presents a number of disadvantages in that the provision of the water tank adds to the height of the equipment, and requires valving arrangements for controlling the supply of water to and from the tank. The outlet chamber furthermore is permanently fixed to the apparatus, and therefore the scope of application of the apparatus is limited. It is therefore bulky and requires a substantial set up type. To change the apparatus for utilization with tubes of different diameter is also furthermore difficult.

The present invention has a number of objectives which are met by the preferred embodiment of the invention and these objectives include the following:-

An objective to provide an apparatus for the eversion of flexible tubular members into and along pipelines and passageways which involves a sphincter-type valve for controlling the feed of the tubular member through the apparatus and for providing a pressurisable chamber to effect the tubular member eversion, but wherein the apparatus is capable of ready disassembly improving its portability and utility.

Further objective is to provide an apparatus wherein the tubular member is fed directly from the atmosphere into the sphincter valve whereby an overhead water tank is not necessary.

A further objective is to arrange for control of the water level inside the apparatus so that it is maintained at a fixed head ensuring even insertion of the flexible tubular member.

With the above objectives in mind, and with a view to obtaining additional technical advantage, according to the present invention there is provided in one aspect an apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway said apparatus comprising a body having an interior;

means adapted to pressurise said interior;

an inlet to said interior through which the flexible tubular member can be fed; and

an outlet from said interior defined by a pipe and over which the leading end of the tubular member can be turned and fastened to enable the flexible tubular member to be everted out of said outlet when the said interior is pressurised, the apparatus further comprising

A control head at said inlet which comprises a flexible, inflatable collar adapted to be pressurised against the inwardly travelling tubular member to form a seal therewith and maintain the pressure in said interior.

Characterised in that said head is detachably connected to the body and the body has an end which is a push fit in said inflatable collar whereby when the collar is inflated it seals against the body end and said end can be removed when the collar is deflated.

When the tubular member is of a type which contains an absorbent layer impregnated with a curable synthetic resin, and having a skin which is to the outside before the tube is everted is used, the provision of a sphincter valve enables the formation of a seal against the tube as it is fed through the valve in such a manner so as to prevent the resin from being squeezed and displaced along the length of the tube so that there will be no resin starvation in the tube which is eventually placed in the pipeline or passageway. The invention applies however to the eversion of other flexible tubular members which may be used for example as expansion hoses for expanding an impregnated tubular member previously pulled into the pipeline or passageway.

By making the sphincter valve furthermore act as the means of connecting the body to the valve, the body can readily be removed and for example replaced by a body of a different dimension for the eversion or tube of different diameter, quite readily.

Furthermore, the apparatus can be made relatively simple and light so much so that it can be carried by a frame mounted on a vehicle and when it is used for underground pipelining, the frame may be simply pivoted over the manhole by being adjusted on the vehicle. Particularly useful apparatus is therefore provided in another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway said apparatus comprising

a control head comprising an inflatable collar,

a feed body to which the control head is connected,

an interior in the body

an inlet to said interior through which the flexible tubular member can be passed,

an outlet from the interior from which the tubular member can be everted,

means for pressurising the said interior to perform the eversion of the tubular member. characterised in that said control head is arranged so that the inflatable collar surrounds the said inlet and is adapted to be pressurised around the tubular member to seal thereagainst, or that the collar operates as a sphincter valve the upper end of which is presented to atmosphere so that the tube can be fed directly thereunto.

The provision of pressure air over water to perform the eversion provides a particularly suitable arrangement, and the water can be supplied through a pipe which also passes through the sphincter-type valve. By providing that the level of the water is detected using a psyched glass gauge, provides a means whereby the water can be kept at a constant head as the tubular member progressively is everted into and along the pipeline or passageway.

Additionally, in accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway comprising the steps of feeding the leading end of the tubular member into an upper inlet end out of a lower outlet of a chamber,

turning back said leading end and connecting said turned back end to said outlet,

pressurising said chamber with air to force the tubular member to be pulled into the chamber and everted out of the said outlet and into and along the pipeline or passageway,

pressurising an inflatable collar forming a sphincter valve at said inlet and through which said tubular member is passed,

charging the lower end of the chamber with liquid to a predetermined level so that the liquid performs the eversion.

With the present invention a structure only about 1.8 metres to 2.70 metres high takes the place of the earlier 6 metres scaffolding when eversion of an 200 mm liner is involved. Not only does this enable the apparatus to be used indoors as well as out, but it is charcterized by much less initial cost, both with respect to materials and setup time, and it is much safer for the working crew — working on a 6 metre high scaffolding often placed the crew members in close proximity to overhead power lines. Eversion goes faster because the optimum eversion pressure can be provided, and, indeed, can even be varied during eversion to take care of insertion problems that may arise. For example, if the tube being everted meets an obstruction and gets stuck, the eversion pressure can be raised until the obstruction is overcome and then returned to its optimum value. Moreover, by being able to control the pressure exerted by the sphincter-type valve on the tube as the latter slides through the valve one has an additional control over the eversion process, with the sphincter valve functioning as an adjustable brake as well as a pressure-containing valve.

The advantages also apply to the apparatus of U.S. patent 5,514,936 but even further advantages are obtained with the present invention including that the apparatus is even more compact and easy to use in so far as the sphincter-type valve forms the top of the apparatus into which the tubular member is directly introduced which makes operation of the apparatus and monitoring of the apparatus much easier. The sphincter- type valve can be cured by a portable gantry and the remainder of the apparatus can be detached readily and stored in an associated vehicle until it is ready for use.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the structure in mode of use of an apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member, and an embodiment of the apparatus and method are disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein;-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of the apparatus according to the embodiment;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the sphincter-type valve of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views showing details of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a manhole 10 leading to an underground pipeline or passageway 12 of which the portion to the left hand side of the manhole 10 is to be lined with a tubular lining. The tubular lining may take the form of a resin impregnated member which is flexible when inserted, but which when placed in position on the passageway surface is cured for example by the application of heat and the cured resin forms a hard lining on the passageway surface, such as disclosed more particularly in U.S. patent 4,064,211.

The lining tube may be directly everted into the pipeline or passageway 12 using the apparatus of Fig. 1, or alternatively the lining may initially be pulled into position whilst in the flexible and flattened condition, and subsequently an inflation tube is everted from the apparatus of Fig. 1 into the liner which has been placed in the pipeline or passageway in order to expand same up to the passageway surface. The present invention is concerned with the eversion of a tubular flexible member into and along a pipeline or passageway, and reference is made here to the fact that the tubular member may be any of a range of such members and the nature of the tubular member is not of importance unless hot water is used for the eversion, in which case the tubular member would be unlikely to be a resin impregnated tubular member. For the purposes of this description therefore it is assumed that the tubular member which is everted into and along the passageway by the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is not of the impregnated type, but rather is of the flexible plastics material type such as a fabric tube reinforced with silicone to render it impermeable and capable of withstanding high pressures and high temperature.

The apparatus according to the embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 1 generally by the reference numeral 14, and it will be seen to comprise an elongated body 16 which is made up of a tubular head casing 18 which is rigid and of metallic material, an elbow pipe base casing 20, and a flexible conduit sleeve 22 having its end respectively anchored to the lower end of casing 18 and the upper end of casing 20. The body 16 therefore forms in essence a tube with a hollow interior 24 which in use is pressurised in order to cause eversion of the tubular member, which is indicated by reference 26 out of an outlet 28 of the lower casing 20. The body has at the upper end of the casing 18 an inlet 30 into which the tubular member 26 is fed.

The leading end of the tubular member 26 is cuffed or turned back on itself as shown at 32, and is anchored to the outlet 28 of casing 20 so as to define an everting face 34 which in fact faces in the direction of the entry of the section of pipeline or passageway 12 into which the tubular member is to be everted. It can be explained that when the interior of the body 16 is pressurised, so the tubular member unless it is otherwise restrained will gradually evert into and along the passageway 12 as indicated in dotted lines and by reference numeral 36.

A means for sealing the top end of the body 16 in order that pressurisation of the interior 24 can be maintained is in the form of a sphincter-type valve assembly 38 which comprises, as best shown in Fig. 2, a cylindrical casing or sleeve 40 of rigid construction and suitably of metal, to the inside of which is a sleeve 42 of flexible material such as siliconized rubber or the like. The ends 44 and 46 of the sleeve are cuffed over the lower and upper ends of the sleeve 40 and are anchored thereto in order to define a sphincter chamber or collar 48 which is adapted to be pressurised with air under pressure through an inlet pipe 50 and fitting 52.

As also shown in Fig.2 the tubular member 26 in fact slips through the valve assembly 38 by making contact with the inner surface of the sleeve 42 when it is inflated, and in this connection the material used for the sleeve 42 should be selected to provide suitable slippage characteristics. Because of the pressurisation of the interior of the valve however a frictional restraint is placed upon the tube 26 so that its movement into and along the passageway by eversion as previously described is under frictional control and therefore it will not "run away" could cause problems on installation.

Fig. 2 also shows how the sphincter valve is used for coupling the top end of the casing 18 to the valve insofar as casing 18 is of smaller diameter than sleeve 40, and is provided with a flared upper extremity 54 which is gripped by the flexible sleeve 42 when it is inflated thereby holding the body 16 in position.

Fig. 1 shows how support for the weight of the body is also provided by a pair of arms 58 and 60 which extend from the sleeve 40 and are fastened therewith, and such arms support pivotable legs 62 and 64 which have upwardly inclined support plates 66 and 68 whose inner edges engage under an integral conical skirt 70 on the casing 18. Because the plates 66 and 68 are upwardly inclined, and the conical skirt 70 is downwardly inclined, the weight of the body is taken by the arms 58 and 60 through the legs 62 and 64.

The entire weight of the apparatus is taken by a gantry frame or pair of ladders 72, 74 which rest upon the ground 76 through suitable feet 78 and 80. The entire apparatus has excellent portability and the capability of disconnecting the body from the sphincter assembly provides a particular advantage.

As shown in Fig. 2, a pressure gauge 56 is coupled to indicate the pressure inside the sphincter valve, and a similar gauge 82 is connected to the casing 18 in order to indicate the pressure inside the body 16.

Finally, a coupling 84 from the elbow 20 is connected to a gauge pipe 86 the upper end of which couples to the interior of casing 18, engage pipe 86 contains therein a gauge member which is in the form of a detection pellet or bullet 88 which is a buoyant member, and at a particular position is located a sensor 90 whose purpose is to detect the position of the pellet 88 which rises and falls in the pipe 86 as the level of water inside the body 16 rises and falls as will be explained.

The gantry frame 72, 74 can be of a size which is capable of being carried by one man, or alternatively it can be attached to the rear end of a vehicle so as to be tippable in relation thereto, so that the vehicle can travel with the equipment in a horizontal position, the body 16 being attached and being carried in the vehicle, and when the vehicle arrives on site, the gantry frame 72 and 74 are simply tipped to the in-use position shown, and the body is coupled by inserting the end of casing 18 into the sphincter valve assembly 38 followed by pressurising of the valve and swinging of the legs 62 and 64 into a position to take the weight of the body 16.

The top of the sphincter valve 38 provides the means whereby the tube is introduced directly into the apparatus, which clearly distinguishes this apparatus from that disclosed in U.S. patent 5,154,936, which requires the use of a super structure defining a water tank.

As regards the operation of the apparatus, pressurising and feed equipment is required. Thus, a compressor 92 is adapted to provide here under pressure to the interior of body 16, and to the interior of the sphincter-type valve. The output line 94 from the compressor is split into two supply lines 96 and 98. Supply line 96 includes a valve 98 by which the supply of air under pressure to the interior of body 16 can be shut off or regulated, and supply line 98 includes a regulator valve 100, and a shut off valve 102, which can also act as a dump valve to relieve the pressure of the air through a dump connection 104.

The apparatus is designed for use with the supply of a liquid in particular water to perform the eversion portion of the operation, and in this connection a water pump 106 is connected to a supply 108 of water and is arranged to discharge into a pipe 110 which as shown in Fig. 1 passes through the sphincter valve whereby water can be supplied to the interior of the body 16. A control line from the sensing device 90 and indicated by reference 112 is coupled between the sensor 90 and the water pump 106 in order to switch the water pump on and off in response to detection of the level of the water inside the chamber 16 as will be explained. Fig. 4 in fact shows in enlarged view the pipe 86 and the floating pellet 88 with the sensor 90 also being shown. The sensor 90 may be suspended from the gantry 74 by means of a support leg 114.

In the use of the apparatus, it is assumed that no air under pressure or no water is supplied to the apparatus, and the tube 26 has not yet been fitted. The sphincter valve will be unpressurised, and therefore there will no sealing coupling between the top of the body 16 and the sphincter valve assembly. The tube 26 to be everted into the pipeline or passageway is firstly positioned into the body through the sphincter valve 38 through inlet 30 and out of outlet 28 of body 16. The leading end is cuffed as indicated at 32, and then the apparatus is positioned in the manhole with the everting face 34 facing the pipeline or passageway section to be lined. The water line 10 is also placed inside the sphincter valve as shown.

In the next stage of operation, the sphincter valve is pressurised so that it exercises a grip on the tubular member 26, and the pressure inside the valve is regulated by the regulator 100. The interior of body 16 is not pressurised at this time.

Next, water is introduced into the interior of body 16 until it reaches the level L as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. At this level the float 88 will be opposite the sensor 90, and the sensor will detect that the water level is at the required height. A signal from the sensor causes pump 106 to stop and the supply of water is stopped. The apparatus is now ready to perform the eversion, and the valve 98 is opened allowing full pressure into the inside of body 16. This pressure is greater than that introduced into the sphincter valve assembly 38, and the pressurisation of the interior of body 16 causes the eversion to commence as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As eversion proceeds, the water level L falls, and this is detected by the sensor 90 which causes the pump again to switch on whereby there will be a supply of water in synchronism with the eversion process to ensure that the water remains at a fixed level (which can be varied by varying the position of the sensor 90).

Should the pressure inside body 16 become excessive, escape will take place at the sphincter valve 38 and the operation will continue. The sphincter valve can be "pulsed" at pressure in order to assist the eversion process should it be that the everting tube meets an obstruction or becomes jammed or stuck. The process continues until the lining tube has been placed in the desired position, following which it is held in this position until such times as for example an impregnated lining tube as the resin thereof changed to the cured condition.

Fig. 3 shows a modified construction for the lower end of the casing 18. In this modified construction, a skirt 18A is provided on the lower end of casing 18, and it is to this skirt that the flexible conduit 16 is connected. By using this arrangement, casings 18 of the same base diameter, but having skirts of different diameters provides a means whereby different sized tubular linings can be accommodated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway said apparatus comprising

a body having an interior;

means adapted to pressurise said interior;

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that said head comprises a rigid tubular casing and the collar is formed by a flexible sleeve lying inside the casing and having its ends sealed to the respective ends of the casing.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 2, characterised in that said body end is defined by a rigid tubular casing which is intowardly flared.

4. An apparatus characterised in that according to Claim 3, said rigid tubular casing of the control head has support arms from which are suspended support brackets adapted to engage under the edge of a conical skirt on the rigid tubular casing of the body to support same when the collar is deflated.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, characterised in that the apparatus is for use in everting tubular members into and along underground pipelines and passageways and wherein said body is elongated and is adapted to extend from ground level and down manholes to the underground pipeline or passageway, the apparatus further including a support frame by which the body upper end and control head can be supported on the ground, said inlet being at the upper end of the body and the said outlet being at the lower end of the body.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, characterised in that the said outlet is formed by one end of an elbow pipe at the lower end of the body.

7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that the said elbow is connected to the rigid tubular casing of the body by means of a flexible sock.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the elbow has a gauge outlet therefrom which is connected to a gauge pipe and the other end of the gauge pipe is connected to the body interior at a higher level, said gauge pipe including a detectable float, and the apparatus further including a float detector for detecting the float position in the event that the apparatus is used by filling the lower end of the said interior with water and pressurising the upper region of said interior with air.

9. An apparatus for everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway said apparatus comprising

a control head comprising an inflatable collar,

a feed body to which the control head is connected,

an interior in the body

an outlet from the interior from which the tubular member can be everted,

means for pressurising the said interior to perform the eversion of the tubular member,

characterised in that said control head is arranged so that the inflatable collar surrounds the said inlet and is adapted to be pressurised around the tubular member to seal thereagainst, or that the collar operates as a sphincter valve the upper end of which is presented to atmosphere so that the tube can be fed directly thereunto.

10. A method of everting a flexible tubular member into and along a pipeline or passageway comprising the steps of feeding the leading end of the tubular member into an upper inlet end out of a lower outlet of a chamber,

turning back said leading end and connecting said turned back end to said outlet. pressurising said chamber with air to force the tubular member to be pulled into the chamber and everted out of the said outlet and into and along the pipeline or passageway,

11. A method according to Claim 11, including the step of controlling the level of liquid in the chamber to a fixed valve.

12. A method according to Claim 11, wherein the liquid is charged into the chamber through a feed pipe which is passed through the sphincter valve.