WO2019147911A1

WO2019147911A1 - Application of fluid to carrier sheets

Info

Publication number: WO2019147911A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/015108
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roger Walker; Masoud ALLAHKARAMI; Mahdi Kiani
Original assignee: Cowboy Acquisition, Llc.
Priority date: 2018-01-26
Filing date: 2019-01-25
Publication date: 2019-08-01

Abstract

A transportable system for applying a fluid to a carrier sheet is disclosed. The system includes a basin for holding a fluid to impregnate a carrier sheet, a feed roller to feed the carrier sheet into the fluid in the basin, and a take-up roller to take up the carrier sheet after impregnation with the fluid. The system also includes a collapsible support frame having beam members to support the feed roller and the take-up roller. The support frame further includes foldable legs coupled to the beam members and configured to support the support frame above the basin, foldable tower arms coupled to the beam members and configured to support the take-up roller above the beam members. When the transportable system is being used to apply fluid to the carrier sheet, the carrier sheet is fed from the feed roller into the fluid in the basin and then out of the basin and between pressure rollers that squeeze excess fluid from the carrier sheet prior to the take-up roller taking up the carrier sheet. When the transportable system is not in operation, the support legs and the tower arms are folded so that the support frame can be transported in a completely collapsed state.

Description

APPLICATION OF FLUID TO CARRIER SHEETS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/622,372, entitled“Application of Fluids to Carrier Sheets,” filed on January 26, 2018, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the application of fluid to carrier sheets. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to a technique and transportable apparatus for applying fluid to carrier sheets that are used for repairing various structures, such as pipelines or other conduits.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Conduit assemblies, such as pipelines, are used to transport an assortment of fluids, such as water, oil, various natural and synthetic gases, sewage, slurry, hazardous materials, and the like. Similar structures are utilized for transmitting electrical and fiber-optic cabling across vast expanses of land in establishing telecommunication networks. Modern day pipelines are formed from a variety of materials, including concrete, plastic and various metallic materials.

[0004] Conduit assemblies may require repair over their operational lifetime. For example, due to structural degradation, corrosion, inadvertent damage, etc., conduit assemblies can develop leaks or damaged areas that are prone to leaks. In addition to the cost associated with fluid loss or damaged cables, unrepaired leaks can increase health and environmental risks for employees and the public population. There are various systems available for repairing pipe leaks. One known repair system utilizes a deformable leak sealant that covers the leak site, and a pressure sealant that surrounds and compresses the leak sealant. An encapsulator can be wrapped around the leak sealant and pressure sealant to providing a rock-hard shield to the repair assembly. [0005] In the foregoing exemplary repair system, the outer wrap may comprise a fiberglass cloth that is impregnated with a resinous pliable-plastic chemical composite. These repair and sealant assemblies may require mixing the various resin or epoxy chemicals together in a container while out in the field. The carrier sheet is then impregnated with the resin/epoxy, for example, by manually submerging the carrier sheet in the chemical container. Once the carrier sheet is properly saturated, it is then withdrawn from the container and applied to the sealing region or repair site of the pipe. Alternatively, the carrier sheet is stretched out on a plastic sheet or a work surface, and the resin/epoxy is applied with a roller or other appropriate instrumentality. Less than optimal working conditions, such as windy weather or uneven working surfaces, make it difficult or impossible to properly impregnate the cloth and can cause contamination from soil and debris. In addition, it can be very difficult to achieve an ideal carrier-to-resin ratio while out in the field when manually impregnating the cloth in the foregoing manners.

SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments described herein are directed to a transportable system for applying a fluid to a carrier sheet. The system includes a basin for holding a fluid to impregnate a carrier sheet, a feed roller to feed the carrier sheet into the fluid in the basin, and a take-up roller to take up the carrier sheet after impregnation with the fluid. The system also includes a support frame having beam members to support the feed roller and the take-up roller. The support frame further includes foldable legs coupled to the beam members and configured to support the support frame above the basin, foldable tower arms coupled to the beam members and configured to support the take- up roller above the beam members, and two or more pressure rollers removably coupled to the beam members. When the transportable system is being used to apply fluid to the carrier sheet, the carrier sheet is fed from the feed roller into the fluid in the basin and then out of the basin and between the pressure rollers so that the pressure rollers squeeze excess fluid from the carrier sheet prior to the take-up roller taking up the carrier sheet. When the transportable system is not being used to apply fluid to the carrier sheet, the support legs and the tower arms are folded relative to the beam members so that the support frame can be transported in a completely collapsed state. [0007] Embodiments described herein further are directed to a collapsible support frame for applying a fluid to a carrier sheet. The support frame includes beam members to support a feed roller for a carrier sheet and a take-up roller to take up the carrier sheet after application of an impregnating fluid to the carrier sheet. A plurality of legs are foldably coupled to the beam members and configured to support the support frame above a basin containing the impregnating fluid when joints between the legs and the beam members are locked. Tower arms are foldably coupled to the beam members and configured to support the take-up roller above the beam members when joints between the tower arms and the beam members are locked. The frame further includes latch assemblies to lock the joints between the legs and the beam members and between the tower arms and the beam members. Each latching assembly includes a catch member adjustably coupled to a corresponding one of the beam members and a latch member connected to a corresponding one of the legs and the tower arms. Each latch member engages a corresponding catch member to lock the joint. The position at which each catch member is coupled to a beam member can be adjusted to adjust the position of the leg or arm relative to the corresponding beam member. When the joints between the legs and the beam members and the joints between the tower arms and the beam members are unlocked, the support legs and the tower arms fold relative to the beam members so that the support frame is in a completely collapsed state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Certain embodiments will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein. The drawings are as follows:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system for impregnating a carrier sheet with a fluid in accordance with an embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a close-up exploded view of a foldable connection joint of the system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment. [0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1 in a collapsed or folded state.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the system of FIG. 1 when operated to impregnate a carrier sheet with a fluid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Embodiments of the system are as described in this written disclosure, and as can be seen and are in accordance with FIGS. 1-4. Referring now to the drawings, an apparatus 100 is illustrated for administering fluid onto a carrier sheet 102, such as a cloth tape. While the apparatus 100 can have other uses, the apparatus 100 is particularly useful in the construction and repair of pipeline assemblies in the field. For example, resin-impregnated cloth tapes produced by the apparatus 100 can be employed for repairing cracks, holes, and dents in the hulls and bodies of boats and land vehicles, leaks in gas and liquid conduits, such as sewage pipes and water pipes, and leaks in gas and liquid tanks and other containers; repairing fractured poles, booms, spars, antennas, and the like, and strengthening similar structures that are not otherwise damaged or in need of repair; patching roofs, gutters, and drainpipes; sealing leaking containers, such as air-conditioning systems, swimming pools, and hydraulic hoses; and electrically insulating all manner of articles. In addition, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and are provided purely for descriptive purposes; thus, the individual and relative dimensions of the drawings presented herein are not to be considered limiting.

[0014] An embodiment of the apparatus 100 for applying fluids to a carrier sheet 102 is shown in FIGS. 1-4. In the embodiment illustrated, and as will be described in further detail below, the apparatus 100 includes a support frame 104 with foldable leg support members 106 and foldable tower members 108 that are hingedly coupled to support beams 1 10, 1 12 so that the frame 104 can be compactly folded and readily transported for use to implement repairs in the field. The frame 104 further includes cross beams 1 14, 1 16 that span between support beams 1 10, 1 12 and generally stabilize the frame 104. Cross beam 1 14 also serves to support a pair of hangers 1 15 that support a carrier sheet guide roller 1 18 that operates in conjunction with two or more pressure rollers 120, 122 to guide the carrier sheet 102 from a feed roller 124, through a basin 126 that holds a fluid for impregnating the sheet 102 and to a take-up roller 128. The pressure rollers 120, 122 are arranged to apply pressure to or squeeze the sheet 102 to assist with removing excess fluid from the sheet 102 prior to being taken up on the take-up roller 128.

[0015] In the embodiment shown, the foldable leg and tower members 106, 108 are coupled to beams 1 10, 1 12 via hinged connectors 130 or other movable or foldable connectors that permit for folding of the members 106, 108 relative to the support beams 1 10, 1 12. In embodiments, members 106 and/or 108 and/or cross beams 1 14, 1 16 can be removably and/or adjustably coupled to support beams 1 10, 1 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, foldable joints between members 106 and/or 108 to the support beams 1 10, 1 12 can be formed using removable fasteners 134 (e.g., threaded bolts) that attach hinge plates 133 and hook plates 135 to support beams 1 10, 1 12. The hook plates 135 can include a hook 136 or other catch member that cooperates with a latch assembly 138 (FIG. 1 ) to lock the leg and/or tower members 106, 108 to the beams 1 10, 1 12 when the frame 104 is assembled. For example, the latch assembly 138 can include an eyelet 140 coupled to a moveable locking lever 142. The eyelet 140 can be engaged with the catch or hook 136 and then the locking lever 142 can be moved to pull on the eyelet 140 to tighten the joint and thereby securely couple the leg and/or tower members 106, 108 to the beams 1 10, 1 12.

[0016] In embodiments, and as shown in the detailed exploded view of FIG. 2, to also allow for adjustment of the leg and tower members 106, 108, the fasteners 134 can couple with nut plates 137 that are received in slots or channels 144 formed in the support beams 1 10, 1 12 so that their positions can be slidably adjusted from one position to another. Once the leg and tower members 106, 108 are located in the desired position, the fasteners 134 can be hand-tightened (using either a hand tool or hand-adjustable knobs or levers) to prevent further movement of members 106, 108 when the apparatus 100 is in use. In addition, cross beams 1 14, 1 16 can be removably fastened to support beams 1 10, 1 12. The adjustable joints and connections make it possible to adjust the dimensions of frame 104 for different feeding rolls of fabrics based on the project conditions. Moreover, replacing any defective or broken parts, or upgrading various components of frame 104 is easily accomplished.

[0017] While the material of construction for the various components of the support frame 104 can be any suitable material, the material of construction for the support frame 104’s pieces and parts generally can be selected from one or more of plastic, aluminum and other lightweight metals so as to enhance portability, and ease of assembly and use. In embodiments, the carrier sheet feed roller 124 and take up roller 128 can comprise wire frame painting-type rollers made of plastic and metal. In embodiments, tubes, such as cardboard tubes, can be used on a wire frame portion 150 of the rollers 124 and 128 to provide a center core for the rolled carrier sheet 102. The rollers 1 18, 120 and 122 that guide and remove excess fluid from the sheet 102 can be soft plastic painting-type rollers or rods made of PVC, as examples. The basin 126 can be a plastic paint tray or bin. The use of lightweight and disposable components provides for an easy-to-clean system with readily transportable and replaceable disposable parts.

[0018] In embodiments, the rollers 124 and 128 are mounted on rods 152 and 154 and can easily accommodate different roller lengths so as to better handle different widths of carrier sheets. For example, the system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 can accommodate roller lengths from 1 inch to 18 inches. In embodiments, the rods 152 and 154 can be mounted in angled slots 156 (e.g., at an angle of about 45 degrees) that are formed in the support beams 1 10, 1 12 and in the tower members 108.

[0019] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 3 and 4, at least one of the pressure rollers 120, 122 is adjustable so as to be movable to adjust the contact angle and force between the pressure rollers 120, 122. For example, roller 120 can be coupled to beams 1 10, 1 12 via a central rod 158 that engages on both ends to mounting brackets 160. Brackets 160 include an adjustment slot 162 that accepts an end of rod 158. The position of roller 120 can be adjusted relative to roller 122 by hand-loosening a knob 164 that secures roller 120 to the bracket 160 and then translating rod 158 within the slot 162 until a desired angle between rollers 120 and 122 is attained. The knob 164 (or other hand-adjustable fastener) can then be hand-tightened to maintain the angle between rollers 120 and 122 to achieve a desired pressure to apply to the carrier sheet 102. In the embodiment shown, the roller 122 is fixed in position on frame 104 by central rod 166 and mounting brackets 168. However, roller 122 can be adjustable in the same manner as described for roller 120. Further, rollers 120 and 122 can be easily removed from frame 104 by hand loosening and removing knobs 164 and 170 (or other hand-adjustable fasteners).

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the hinged connections between the leg and tower members 106, 108 and support beams 1 10, 1 12 allows the frame 104 to be collapsed down into a smaller, easy to pack and transportable system 100. The frame 104 is completely foldable. When expanded for use, the various pieces of frame 104 can be locked from movement by locking latches (e.g., latch assemblies 138) or other locking fasteners, such as pins, screw latches, etc.

[0021] In operation, a feed roll of carrier sheet 102 is mounted on the feed sheet roller 124. A leading segment or edge of the carrier sheet 102 is passed down into the basin 126, under guide roller 1 18 and is subsequently fed over roller 120 and then through rollers 120 and 122 and onto the take-up roller 128. Thus, the carrier sheet 102 extends from the roller 124, down into the basin 126, up over and through the rollers 120 and 122 and onto the take-up roller 128, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0022] A fluid, such as a resin, is supplied to the fluid basin 126, which is generally placed under the guide and pressure rollers 1 18, 120 and 122. The fluid can be poured into the basin 126 prior to the carrier sheet 102 being mounted and extended between the feed roller 124 and take-up roller 128 or after the sheet 102 has been extended between the rollers 124 and 128. In embodiments, supplying fluid to the basin 126 comprises pouring the constituent parts of a resin into the basin 126 and mixing the parts together. In other embodiments, a premixed resin can be poured into the basin 126.

[0023] Once the carrier sheet 102 is in place and the resin has been added to the basin 126, the take-up roller 128 is turned, thus pulling the carrier sheet 102 through the resin in the basin 126 and then under and through the guide and pressure rollers

1 18, 120 and 122 where excess fluid is removed. Generally, turning the take-up roller 128 is performed by a hand-crank arm 172; however, the roller 128 could be turned by a motor.

[0024] The system 100 is intended for applying fluids and fluid composites, such as resins, epoxies, and adhesives, to a carrier sheet. Fluid composites can take on various forms, including, for example, an ether resin or an epoxy resin. By way of example, and not limitation, the fluid composite may comprise, for example, polyol, diisocyanate, titanium dioxide, tinivun, and phosphoric acid. Alternatively, the fluid composite may comprise a resin that is light-cured (e.g., via UV or LED spot curing), heat-cured (i.e. , thermoset), or set by mixing one part of the resin with another compound, or any combination thereof. For example, epoxy copolymers may be hardened as a result of mixing an epoxide resin with a polyamine monomer“hardener”. Other alternative compositions, such as expanding compounds and resins, are also envisioned as being within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0025] The carrier sheet 102 can be any sheet suitable for impregnation by the fluid. For example, the carrier sheet 102 can be a cloth tape. By way of non-limiting example, the width of the carrier sheet 102 can range anywhere from 1 inch to 18 inches for the system illustrated. The carrier sheet 102 can be fabricated from a variety of cloth and non-cloth materials. For instance, the carrier sheet 102 can be fabricated from a fiberglass composite material, such as, for example, a continuous-filament ora woven- filament fiberglass cloth, which may be provided with warp yarns and filling yarns. A leading edge of the carrier sheet 102 can be provided with an adhesive take-up tape, which can be used for packaging purposes, such as attaching the leading edge of the carrier sheet to the take-up roller.

[0026] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, no limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by this specific language, and the invention should be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments unless stated otherwise. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0027] The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g.,“such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in this art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not confined by the detailed description of the invention but is defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A transportable system for applying a fluid to a carrier sheet, comprising: a basin for holding a fluid to impregnate a carrier sheet;

a feed roller to feed the carrier sheet into the fluid in the basin;

a take-up roller to take up the carrier sheet after impregnation with the fluid; and a support frame comprising beam members to support the feed roller and the take-up roller, the support frame comprising:

a plurality of foldable legs coupled to the beam members and configured to support the support frame above the basin;

a plurality of foldable tower arms coupled to the beam members and configured to support the take-up roller above the beam members; and

two or more pressure rollers removably coupled to the beam members, wherein, when the transportable system is being used to apply fluid to the carrier sheet, the carrier sheet is fed from the feed roller into the fluid in the basin and then out of the basin and between the pressure rollers so that the pressure rollers squeeze excess fluid from the carrier sheet prior to the take-up roller taking up the carrier sheet, and wherein, when the transportable system is not being used to apply fluid to the carrier sheet, the support legs and the tower arms are folded relative to the beam members so that the support frame can be transported in a completely collapsed state.

2. The transportable system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a guide roller supported by hangers removably coupled to the support frame, the guide roller configured to guide the carrier sheet from the feed roller and into the fluid contained in the basin.

3. The transportable system as recited in claim 1 , wherein a joint between each of the foldable support legs and the beam members and between each of the foldable tower arms and the beam members is a hinged joint.

3. The transportable system as recited in claim 2, wherein the hinged joint comprises a hinge plate that is removably fastened to a beam member.

4. The transportable system as recited in claim 3, wherein the beam member includes a channel, and wherein the hinge plate is fastened to the beam memberwithin the channel so that a position of the hinge plate can be adjusted along the channel.

5. The transportable system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a latching assembly to lock the foldable support legs and the foldable tower arms to the support frame when the system is not in a collapsed state.

6. The transportable system as recited in claim 5, wherein the latching assembly includes a hook plate that is removably connected to a beam member.

7. The transportable system as recited in claim 6, wherein the beam member includes a channel, and wherein the hinge plate is coupled to the beam memberwithin the channel so that a position of the hook plate can be adjusted along the channel.

8. The transportable system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the position of the pressure rollers relative to each other can be adjusted to adjust an amount of pressure applied to the carrier sheet by the pressure rollers.

9. A collapsible support frame for applying a fluid to a carrier sheet, the collapsible support frame comprising:

beam members to support a feed roller for a carrier sheet and a take-up roller to take up the carrier sheet after application of an impregnating fluid to the carrier sheet;

a plurality of legs foldably coupled to the beam members and configured to support the support frame above a basin containing the impregnating fluid when joints between the legs and the beam members are locked; a plurality of tower arms foldably coupled to the beam members and configured to support the take-up roller above the beam members when joints between the tower arms and the beam members are locked; and latch assemblies to lock the joints between the legs and the beam members and between the tower arms and the beam members, each latching assembly including a catch member adjustably coupled to a corresponding one of the beam members and a latch member connected to a corresponding one of the legs and the tower arms, wherein the latch member engages the catch member to lock the joint, wherein the position at which the catch member is coupled to the beam member can be adjusted to adjust the position of the leg or arm relative to the corresponding beam member, and

wherein, when the joints between the legs and the beam members and the joints between the tower arms and the beam members are unlocked, the support legs and the tower arms fold relative to the beam members so that the support frame is in a completely collapsed state.

10. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 9, wherein each beam member includes a channel and wherein the respective catch members are slidably connected to the corresponding beam member within the channel so that a position of the catch member relative to the corresponding beam member is adjustable.

1 1. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 10, wherein the joints between the support legs and the beam members and between the tower arms and the beam members are hinged joints.

12. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 1 1 , wherein each of the hinged joint comprises a hinge plate that is adjustably fastened to a beam member.

13. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 12, wherein the beam member includes a channel, and wherein the hinge plate is fastened to the beam member within the channel so that a position of the hinge plate can be adjusted along the channel.

14. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 13, wherein the hinge plate is slidable within the channel.

15. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 10, wherein a first beam member and a second opposing beam member each include a slot to receive a central rod of the feed roller for the carrier sheet.

16. The collapsible support frame as recited in claim 15, wherein the slot is formed in the beam member at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.