Patents Assigned to American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.
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Publication number: 20030038403Abstract: A machine and method for providing a folded liner for insertion into a pipe, comprises an upper section and a lower section. A flattened heated thermoplastic liner is fed downwardly through the upper section to the lower section, where it is redirected and fed substantially horizontally from the lower section. The flattened liner introduced to the upper section is broadly indented at one side of the liner and is then folded to provide loops disposed side-by-side in a substantially horizontal direction. A stabilizing assembly constrains the loops to maintain a desired orientation of the folded liner. The lower section redirects the liner so that the loops are stacked side-by-side in a substantially vertical direction. The liner is cooled as its leaves the lower section to maintain its cross-sectional configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2002Publication date: February 27, 2003Applicant: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Thompson
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Publication number: 20020163102Abstract: A machine and method for providing a folded liner for insertion into a pipe, comprises an upper section and a lower section. A flattened heated thermoplastic liner is fed downwardly through the upper section to the lower section, where it is redirected and fed substantially horizontally from the lower section. The flattened liner introduced to the upper section is broadly indented at one side of the liner and is then more acutely indented to provide loops disposed side-by-side in a substantially horizontal direction. The lower section reorients the loops so that they are stacked side-by-side in a substantially vertical direction. The liner is cooled as its leaves the lower section to maintain its cross-sectional configuration. The upper section is separable from the lower section, and portions of the upper and lower sections are displaceable and removable to facilitate insertion of the liner into the machine and removal of the machine from the liner.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2002Publication date: November 7, 2002Applicant: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Mark Thompson
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Patent number: 6423258Abstract: A machine and method for providing a folded liner for insertion into a pipe, comprises an upper section and a lower section. A flattened heated thermoplastic liner is fed downwardly through the upper section to the lower section, where it is redirected and fed substantially horizontally from the lower section. The flattened liner introduced to the upper section is broadly indented at one side of the liner and is then more acutely indented to provide loops disposed side-by-side in a substantially horizontal direction. The lower section reorients the loops so that they are stacked side-by-side in a substantially vertical direction. The liner is cooled as its leaves the lower section to maintain its cross-sectional configuration. The upper section is separable from the lower section, and portions of the upper and lower sections are displaceable and removable to facilitate insertion of the liner into the machine and removal of the machine from the liner.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2000Date of Patent: July 23, 2002Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Mark Thompson
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Patent number: 5999683Abstract: A clip device for holding together a plurality of spaced plastic conduits containing optical fibers wherein one-piece first and second cover members are assembled about the conduits with integral male connectors fitted within female slots in the respective cover members to hold them snugly together.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1998Date of Patent: December 7, 1999Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, IncInventor: Kjell-Ake Leif Gustafsson
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Patent number: 5385173Abstract: A polymeric pipe lining composition consisting of 100 parts by weight of polyvinyl chloride, 0.5 to 3.5 parts of stabilizer, 5 to 30 parts of plasticizer, 0.4 to 2.0 parts of internal lubricant or wax, and 0.4 to 2.0 parts of external lubricant or wax. The composition is especially useful for in situ lining of sewers.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1993Date of Patent: January 31, 1995Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Joseph L. Gargiulo
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Patent number: 5372388Abstract: An integral conduit section of a multiple conduit system includes an outer housing having a straight coupling portion at one end and a belled coupling portion at the other end, a plurality of innerducts disposed in a parallel manner within the outer housing, one or more spacers for parallely positioning said innerducts in the outer housing, and a three-piece innerduct coupler disposed within the belled portion of the outer housing and engaged with the trailing ends of a plurality of innerducts, being linearly interconnectable with like conduit sections. The innerduct coupler includes a guide for facilitating entry of the plurality of innerducts of an adjacent conduit section into a like section; a seal that creates an air and water tight seal between the adjacent innerducts when like sections are interconnected, without the need for cement or sealing lubricants; and a seating component that terminally positions the innerducts in the innerduct coupler upon the interconnection of like integral conduit sections.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 1993Date of Patent: December 13, 1994Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Joseph L. Gargiulo
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Patent number: 5346658Abstract: A method for installing a pipe liner in a pipe includes the steps of reducing the diameter of the liner, so that it can be positioned within the pipe, installing the liner in the pipe, enlarging an upstream end of the liner, disposing a liner expander within the upstream end of the liner, pressurizing the upstream end of the liner with a heated fluid, the temperature of the heated fluid being sufficient to soften the liner, and the pressure of the heated fluid being sufficient to propel the liner expander from the upstream end of the liner to a downstream end, allowing a portion of the heated fluid to bypass the liner expander for heating and softening the liner ahead of the expander, and reducing the temperature of the pressurizing fluid to cool the liner below the softening temperature, to allow it to stiffen and form a liner within the pipe.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1993Date of Patent: September 13, 1994Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Joseph L. Gargiulo
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Patent number: 5273414Abstract: A process for installing a liner in a generally horizontal pipe section includes the steps of: providing a hollow generally cylindrical folded pipe liner having a reduced cross section sized to allow the liner to be slidably drawn into the pipe section from an upstream end to a downstream end; pulling the folded liner through the pipe section leaving end sections of the liner extending from the upstream end and the downstream end of the pipe; snaking a pull wire through the liner; pulling an air hose and a steam hose through the folded liner from the downstream end to the upstream end; providing a floating plug assembly including at least two disk shaped expanders; attaching the steam hose to the floating plug assembly downstream of the disk shaped expanders; attaching the air hose to the floating plug assembly upstream of the disk shaped expanders; inserting the floating plug assembly into the liner at the upstream end; and providing steam to the steam hose and cooling air to the air hose, while pulling theType: GrantFiled: January 22, 1993Date of Patent: December 28, 1993Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Joseph L. Gargiulo
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Patent number: 5213727Abstract: A process for installing a liner in a generally horizontal pipe section includes the steps of: providing a hollow generally cylindrical folded pipe liner; pulling the folded liner through the pipe section leaving end sections of the liner extending from the upstream end and the downstream end of the pipe; pulling an air hose and a steam hose through the folded liner from the downstream end to the upstream end; providing a floating plug assembly including at least two disk shaped expanders; attaching the steam hose to the floating plug assembly downstream of the disk shaped expanders; attaching the air hose to the floating plug assembly upstream of the disk shaped expanders; inserting the floating plug assembly into the liner at the upstream end; and providing steam to the steam hose and cooling air to the air hose, while pulling the floating plug assembly through the liner to progressively heat the liner to a softening point downstream of the disk shaped expanders, and expand the liner to fill the pipe and coType: GrantFiled: June 3, 1991Date of Patent: May 25, 1993Assignee: American Pipe & Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Joseph L. Gargiulo