Patents by Inventor Neil Birchler

Neil Birchler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080072982
    Abstract: Installation of a flexible cured in place liner by inverting the liner utilizing an inversion sleeve assembly with an installation apparatus having at least one selectively operable rigid gland. The sleeve assembly includes a sleeve portion of an absorbable material secured in an apparatus with an inversion boot fitted at the distal end with an inlet port for inversion and/or curing fluid. The sleeve assembly and apparatus are particularly well suited for inverting with air and curing the liner with steam introduced through a perforated lay flat hose using an apparatus with two glands. The installation sleeve is the same dimension as the liner to be installed and is reusable thereby substantially reducing the set up time to install using the dual gland apparatus. Preferably, the flexible sleeve is a length of dry cured in place liner inverted on to itself to expose two impregnable surfaces. The sleeve may have a built in fluid inlet port for use with a dual gland apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Franklin Driver, Neil Birchler, Kyle Costa, Richard Polivka, Weiping Wang
  • Publication number: 20070114689
    Abstract: Installation of a flexible cured in place liner by inverting the liner with air and curing the liner with steam introduced through a perforated lay flat hose without deflating the liner between the inversion and cure. The installation is performed with an apparatus having two independently operable glands with at least one fluid inlet port installed on the line downstream of the second gland liner. As the liner reaches the distal end of the conduit to be lined, it enters a sample and porting pipe with an exhaust pipe gland and exhaust pipe and it is pierced by a rigid porting tool. Steam is then introduced into the lay flat hose to cure the resin and is exhausted through an exhaust hose connected to a controllable exhaust pipe. After curing steam is replaced with air to cool the liner, the ends are cut to restore service through the host pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Franklin Driver, Steve Hirtz, Richard Polivka, James Blasczyk, Neil Birchler, Kyle Costa