WO2023194424A1

WO2023194424A1 - Kit and method for at least partially constructing or repairing pipelines of an installation for transporting solids and fluids

Info

Publication number: WO2023194424A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/058916
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael RÜTTINGER; Peter Wagner
Original assignee: Moritz Technologies GmbH
Priority date: 2022-04-08
Filing date: 2023-04-05
Publication date: 2023-10-12

Abstract

A kit (20') for repairing or producing pipelines of an installation for transporting solids and fluids, wherein the kit (20') comprises at least two channel-shaped half shells (21', 22') for attaching to form a pipe segment, wherein the half shells each have a connecting region, along which they can be joined together to form a closed pipe segment.

Description

Set and method for at least partially constructing or repairing pipelines of a system for transporting solids and fluids

The invention relates to a set and a method for at least partially constructing or repairing pipelines of a system for transporting solids and fluids, in particular pipelines of a feed plant.

Feed systems are used to automatically feed animals with solid and liquid feed. Particularly in factory farming, there is a great need to rationalize the multiple daily feeding of animals and to be able to transport the feed directly to the animal. To distribute the feed, many feed systems include pipeline systems that transport and distribute the feed directly to the usually several feeding stations. The feed can be moved in the pipelines either by a fluid stream, such as an air stream, or by a mechanical transport device, such as a pipe chain conveyor or a screw conveyor, for example a (shaftless) spiral screw.

The pipelines are subject to an abrasive mechanical load, which can be caused both by the feed, in particular dry feed in the form of pellets, itself, and by the mechanical transport device. Particularly when the direction of the pipes changes, i.e. when a pipe section is curved in the form of an arc, the load can become particularly large, which can lead to damage to the deflections.

In the prior art, a damaged pipe section is usually repaired by replacing the damaged pipe section. For repairs, the pipe section must be removed and replaced with a new pipe section, whereby the pipe often has to be at least partially dismantled. This can happen particularly when using a mechanical transport device It may be necessary to remove them at least partially from the pipe system for repairs. Rebuilding such a pipeline can also be laborious, as it will regularly require complex threading, for example of a screw conveyor.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art described above. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for creating at least sections of a pipeline or for repairing a pipe section of a pipeline in a feed plant.

This task is solved by a device and a method with the features of the independent claims. The subclaims relate to advantageous developments and variants of the invention.

A set according to the invention for at least partially constructing or repairing pipelines of a system for transporting solids and fluids is characterized in that the set comprises at least two trough-shaped half-shells for attachment to a pipe section. The set can be designed in such a way that it either replaces a damaged pipe section of the pipeline or that the set encloses a damaged pipe section of the pipeline. In this case the set is used as a repair kit. The set can also be used to build a new pipeline in sections or completely. A channel-shaped half-shell is to be understood in particular as a half-shell which results from a longitudinal division of a tube with a substantially circular cross-section along the longitudinal axis. The half-shells each have a connection area along which they can be joined together to form a closed pipe section. The use of two half-shells makes it considerably easier to produce a pipeline or repair a defective pipe section, as will be explained in detail below. The half-shells can in principle be made from a wide variety of materials, such as PVC or fiber-reinforced plastics. Depending on the application, it is also conceivable to produce the half-shells from a metallic or other composite material.

In particular, the half-shells can have a curvature or an arc. This means that not only straight pipe sections of the pipeline can be repaired or rebuilt, but also the curved pipe sections of the pipeline deflection that are often affected by damage. The curvature can be designed in such a way that the half-shells of the set extend over an angle which, in combination with one, two or three tube sections of the set formed from the half-shells, results in a 90° angle, such as 30° or 45° Degree. Likewise, the curvature angles of the individual half-shells can be in the range between 10° and 20°, in particular in the range of 15°, so that arcs of different angles can be realized in comparatively fine gradations to join several pairs of half-shells one behind the other. In principle, depending on the application, angles outside the ranges specified above are of course also conceivable.

Advantageously, the connecting areas of the two half-shells can be designed to be form-fitting. The positive connection allows the two half-shells to be easily joined together to form a closed pipe section.

In particular, the positive connection areas can be designed as a tongue and groove. The contact surfaces of a first, upper half-shell can have a tongue and the contact surface of a second, lower half-shell can have a groove. The two half-shells can therefore be plugged together and the connection between the tongue and groove can be connected to one another using a connecting means applied from the outside, such as a clip or a clamp. Alternatively, a flexible nose and a recess can be formed in the contact surfaces or in the area of the tongue and/or the groove, so that the two half-shells pass over the nose and the recess when they are inserted into one another can also be connected to each other in a form-fitting manner perpendicular to the contact surface.

In a further embodiment, the connection can be designed to be non-positive. The contact surfaces can be designed in such a way that the adhesion is greater than all the forces that occur during operation.

In particular, the set can include at least one connecting element, which is designed to at least partially enclose the two half-shells and in this way to create the non-positive connection. As explained above, this can be designed as a clip or as a clamp, but cable ties or similar connecting means can also be used additionally or alternatively.

Furthermore, at least one of the connection areas can comprise a sealing element. The insertion of a sealing element can be advantageous, particularly in the case where fluids are transported via the pipelines, but also in the case of solid feedstuffs, which can sometimes produce very fine dust. The sealing element can be arranged either in the area of the tongue and the groove or between the flat contact surfaces of the non-positive embodiment of the half-shells. In the case of a connection with a tongue and groove, the sealing element can be arranged either between the end face of the tongue and the bottom of the groove, or between one of the shoulders caused by the formation of the tongue and the end faces of the groove.

A flexible and particularly easy-to-handle set can be created by having the lengths of the individual half-shells in the range between 30cm and 60cm, in particular in the range of approx. 40cm.

Improved stability can be achieved in particular in that the half-shells each have mutually corresponding catches and tabs which are designed to engage with one another when the half-shells are joined together. The stability of the assembled half-shells can also be increased if they have circumferential grooves to accommodate hose clamps.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the half-shells can have a sleeve section on at least one of their corresponding ends, in particular on both ends. This can be advantageous if the pipe sections assembled to form the pipes are relatively long and only a shorter section of such a pipe section is to be replaced. By assembling the half-shells, a sleeve can then be formed at both ends of the new pipe bar section thus formed, which is designed in such a way that the inner diameter of the sleeve is designed to correspond to the outer diameter of the surrounding, already existing pipe section. A damaged section of this pipe section can then be removed and the two half-shells can replace the removed section of the pipe section with the sleeves formed in this way.

Furthermore, the half-shells can have a nipple section on at least one of their corresponding ends. This can always be an advantage if a pipe section of the pipeline, which usually has a sleeve on one side and a nipple on the other side, is to be completely replaced. In particular, the curved pipe sections can often be completely exchanged or replaced due to their relatively short length.

The aforementioned features in particular open up the possibility of creating a pipeline in sections or completely for the first time using a set according to the invention. The set can be pre-assembled based on the planned pipeline and, due to its modular properties, can be easily and space-savingly packaged and taken to an assembly site.

In particular, the set can be designed to repair or produce pipelines for conveying feed. A method according to the invention for at least partial production of feed systems is characterized in that a new pipe section is formed in the relevant area from at least two half-shells.

For example, in a pipeline with a pipe chain conveyor and/or screw conveyor, for example a (shaftless) spiral screw, the pipe chain conveyor and/or the screw conveyor can remain in the pipe when the pipe is repaired, or the pipeline can be built around the existing screw or the pipe chain conveyor. This has the advantage that the repair or construction can be carried out many times faster and, in addition to the pipe chain conveyor and/or the usually flexible screw conveyor, the feed can also remain in the pipeline in the event of a repair.

A damaged pipe section or a damaged section of a pipe section of the pipeline can be removed and replaced by the assembled half-shells.

Alternatively, a damaged pipe section or a damaged section of a pipe section of the pipeline can be encased by the half-shells. In this case, the inside diameter of the half-shells is designed to correspond to the outside diameter of the section of the pipeline and encloses it. This makes it possible, for example, to stabilize cracks in the pipeline, which can advantageously prevent further tearing of the pipeline.

Exemplary embodiments and variants of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it

Figure 1 shows a feed plant,

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of a set according to the invention,

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a set according to the invention,

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the invention, and Figure 5 in subfigures 5a to 5c shows an advantageous embodiment of the invention with a standardized set.

Figure 1 shows a feed plant 1 with a feed silo 2 and a pipeline 3, in which the invention can be used. The pipeline 3 includes, for example, straight pipe sections 7 and curved pipe sections 8. A pipe section 7, 8 is used in the sense of the invention to build the pipe 3 and is designed in such a way that it can be connected to further pipe sections 7, 8 to form a pipe 3. The bent pipe sections 8 are designed as 90° arcs in the embodiment shown in FIG. Alternatively, the arcs can also have other angles, although it is expedient to choose angles which, in combination, result in a 90° arc, such as a 30° or 45° angle. The feed system 1 further comprises a pipe chain conveyor 4, which has a chain 5 and plates 6.

The feed is transported in the pipe 3 through the plates 6, which have an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the pipe 3, and brought to the feeding points in the stable to distributors (not shown in FIG. 1). The plates 6 are connected to the chain 5, which is designed as a revolving endless chain. Alternatively, the feed can be transported by a screw conveyor, in particular a flexible spiral screw, or by an air stream in the pipeline 3. In the example shown, the pipeline 3 has two damaged pipe sections 10, with a straight pipe section 7 and a curved pipe section 8 having damage 9. Both damaged pipe sections 10 are repaired with a repair set 20 according to the invention, which is explained in detail in Figures 2 to 4. The damaged pipe section 10 can be covered in a first process; ie the damaged pipe section 10 remains as part of the pipeline 3. In an alternative method, the damaged pipe section 10 can first be removed and subsequently replaced. In both cases, the pipe chain conveyor 4 and the feed can remain in the pipeline 3, whereby the effort required to repair the pipeline 3 can be advantageously shortened. Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of the set 20 according to the invention, which in the example shown is designed as a repair set 20 for repairing a straight pipe section 7. The repair set 20 has a lower 21 and an upper half-shell 22, which are connected to one another at their respective connection areas 36 via a tongue 25 and groove 26, the type of connection being explained in more detail in FIG. The half-shells 21 and 22 each have a sleeve section 23 at both ends. This embodiment enables the repair of a straight pipe section 7 by replacing a section of the straight pipe section 7. The damaged section of the pipe section 10 is separated from the pipe 3 by two cuts along the circumference. Subsequently, the pipe section 10 can be separated in the longitudinal direction on two opposite sides and the resulting half-shells can be removed without dismantling the pipe chain conveyor 4. The two half-shells 21, 22 are joined together via the tongue 25 and the groove 26, with the sleeve sections 23 enclosing the two ends of the remaining pipeline 3. The spring 25 formed in the longitudinal direction on the upper half-shell 21 and the groove 26 formed in the lower half-shell 22 form a positive connection, which prevent the two half-shells 21, 22 from moving perpendicular to the pipe direction along the joining plane 35 indicated by dashed lines in the figure. The two half-shells 21, 22 are connected to one another perpendicular to the joining plane 35 by two clamps 27. Alternatively, cable ties or other connecting means that at least partially enclose the circumference of the pipe section 34 formed by the two half-shells 21, 22, such as clamps, can also be connected. A connection via screwing a flange (not shown) formed on the outside of the pipe section 34 is also possible. Furthermore, the connection can be created by a nose formed on a side of the spring 25 facing away from the pipeline 3, which snaps into a recess in the groove 26 that also faces outwards when the two half-shells 21, 22 are joined.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a repair kit according to the invention

20, which is designed to repair bent pipe sections 8. The The structure is identical to the repair set 20 for straight pipe sections 7 described in Figure 2, with the difference that the half-shells 21, 22 are curved or curved along the pipe direction. Furthermore, the half-shells shown in Figure 3 show a nipple section 24 on the left side and a sleeve section 23 on the right side. The repair set 20 shown in Figure 3 is designed to completely replace a bent pipe section 8. The angle of the repair set 20 can alternatively also span 30°, 45°, 90° or any other angle, whereby a pipe section 34 of the repair set 20 or the combination of several pipe sections 34 in pipes 3 of feed systems 1 should represent the usual angle.

It goes without saying that the two sets shown in Figures 2 and 3 can also be used as sets for completely or partially rebuilding or expanding a pipeline by appropriately adapting the number of parts and design.

Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the invention in the form of a sectional view through the connecting areas 36 of the two half-shells 21, 22 with spring 25 and groove 26. The spring 25 formed on the upper half-shell 21 in the embodiment shown dips into that formed in the lower half-shell 22 Slot 26. As a result of the form-fitting connection formed in this way, in addition to moving the half-shells 21, 22 along their joining plane 35, a flat and smooth inner surface without a gap is also formed. This has the advantage that the pipe section 34 of the set 20 has the same properties as the original section or pipe section 7, 8 of the pipeline 3. The connecting areas 36 also have a sealing element 28, which is between the end face 29 of the spring 25 and the Bottom 30 of the groove 26 is arranged and is pressed by joining the two half-shells 21, 22. Alternatively, a sealing element 31 can be arranged in the interface formed in the joining plane 35 between an end face 32 of the lower half-shell 21 formed on the edge of the groove 26 and a shoulder 33 of the upper half-shell 22 adjacent to the spring 25. 5 shows in subfigures 5a to 5c an advantageous embodiment of the invention, in which a particularly flexible and simple repair of damaged line sections can be carried out using a standardized repair set 20 '. For this purpose, a repair set 20', comprising the two half-shells 2T and 22', is first provided. The half-shells 2T and 22' are dimensioned in such a way that they can be easily handled by a single person; lengths of the individual half-shells in the range between 30cm and 60cm, in particular in the range of approx. 40cm, are particularly suitable here. Furthermore, the half-shells 2T and 22' are designed as arches, which only have a small bending angle, in particular in the range between 10° and 20°, advantageously in the range of 15°. The half-shells 2T and 22' shown in Figure 5a are provided at their respective ends with sleeve sections 23' and nipple sections 24'; They also have grooves 26' and tongues 25'. Furthermore, the half-shells 2T, 22' comprise elements provided for a positive connection; In the example shown, the upper half-shell 22' has four tabs 37, two of which are visible. The lower half-shell 2T includes four catches 38 which are intended to engage in the tabs 37 and only two of which are also visible. Furthermore, the half-shells 21 'and 22' are provided with circumferential grooves 40, which (see Figure 5b) are suitable for receiving hose clamps 39 with which the two half-shells 2T and 22' can be reliably connected to one another.

In Figure 5b, the repair set 20 'according to the invention is shown in the assembled state and connected to an unidentified pipe section that is already present.

Figure 5c shows the situation in which a 45 degree bend in an existing pipeline was replaced using three 2T repair sets. What is particularly advantageous about this approach is, on the one hand, that limiting the length of the repair kits to a size that can be handled by a single person offers significant advantages during assembly. Furthermore, it can be easily seen from Figure 5c that in the event of damage to the 45 degree bend created in this way in the existing pipeline, the entire bend does not necessarily have to be replaced, but only the affected segment, which can be done comparatively easily by a single person.

As already stated above, the sets shown in Figures 3 to 5 are not limited to the use of a pure repair set. With appropriate adjustments, the sets shown can also be used to rebuild or expand existing pipelines.

Reference symbol list

1 feed plant

2 feed silos

3 pipeline

4 pipe chain conveyors

5 chain

6 plates

7 straight pipe section

8 curved pipe section

9 damage

10 damaged pipe section

20 sets

21 upper half shell

22 lower half shell

23 sleeve section

24 nipple section

25 feather

26 groove

27 clamp

28 sealing element

29 end face

30 floor

31 sealing element

32 end face

33 paragraph

34 pipe section repair kit

35 joining level

36 connection area

37 tab

38 rest 39 hose clamp

40 groove

Claims

Patent claims

1 . Set (20,20') for at least partially constructing or repairing pipelines (3) of a system (1) for the transport of solids and fluids, characterized in that the set (20,20') has at least two trough-shaped half-shells (21, 21 ', 22, 22') for attachment to a pipe section (7, 8, 10), the half-shells (21, 22) each having a connection area (36) along which they can be joined together to form a closed pipe section.

2. Set (20, 20 ') according to claim 1, characterized in that the half-shells (21, 2V, 22, 22') have a curvature or an arc.

3. Set (20, 20') according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting areas (36) of the two half-shells (21, 2V, 22, 22') are designed to be form-fitting.

4. Set (20, 20 ') according to claim 3, characterized in that the positive connection areas (36) are designed as a tongue (25) and groove (26).

5. Set (20, 20 ') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection areas (36) are designed for a non-positive connection.

6. Set (20, 20 ') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one connecting element (27), which is designed to at least partially enclose the two half-shells (21, 21 ', 22, 22').

7. Set (20, 20 ') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the connecting areas (36) comprises a sealing element (28, 31).

8. Set (20, 20') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lengths of the individual half-shells (21, 21', 22, 22') are in the range between 30cm and 60cm, in particular in the range of approximately 40cm, lay.

9. Set (20, 20') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angle of curvature of the individual half-shells (21, 21', 22, 22') is in the range between 10° and 20°, in particular in the range of 15° , lay.

10. Set (20') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-shells (21', 22') each have mutually corresponding catches (38) and tabs (37) which are designed to be used when the half-shells ( 21 ', 22') to engage with each other.

11 .Set (20 ') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-shells (21 ', 22') have circumferential grooves (40) for receiving hose clamps (39).

12. Set (20, 20 ') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-shells (21, 22) have a sleeve section (23, 23') on at least one of their corresponding ends. 3. Set (20,20') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-shells (21,22) have a nipple section (24') on at least one of their corresponding ends. 4. Pipe (3) of a system (1) for the transport of solids and fluids, characterized in that the pipe at least partially comprises a closed pipe section made of at least two joined trough-shaped half-shells (21, 2V, 22, 22'), which half-shells ( 21, 2V, 22, 22') from a set (20, 20') according to one of the preceding claims. 5. Pipe (3) according to claim 14, characterized in that the pipe (3) is formed entirely from joined trough-shaped half-shells (21, 2V, 22, 22'), which half-shells (21, 2V, 22, 22'). correspond to a set (20, 20 ') according to one of the preceding claims. 6. A method for at least partially producing or repairing feed systems (1) with a pipeline (3), characterized in that at least one pipe section (10) is repaired or created in that in the relevant area from at least two half-shells

(21,21',22,22') a new pipe section is formed. /.Method according to claim 16, characterized in that a pipe chain conveyor (4) arranged in the pipeline (3) and / or a screw conveyor also arranged in the pipeline during production or repair of the pipeline (3) remains in it. experienced according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that a damaged pipe section (10) or a damaged section of a

Pipe section (7,8) of the pipeline (3) is removed and replaced by the half-shells (21, 21 ', 22, 22'). experienced according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that a damaged pipe section (10) or a damaged section of a pipe section (7,8) of the pipeline (3) is encased by the half-shells (21, 2V, 22,22').