Patents Assigned to Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.
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Patent number: 6103046Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming sealed and reinforced holes through the end of a flexible, resin-impregnable, tubular pipe liner for securing a cable thereto and for sealing the end of the liner. The liner is installed into an existing conduit either by pulling a cable secured to holes at the front end of the liner or by eversion of the liner while securing a hold-back cable to holes at the trailing end of the everting liner. Holes are cut through the liner, and resin is impregnated into the region about each hole and hardened to form an integral grommet or reinforcement. A mold for impregnating the region about the hole includes a lower mold body with a projecting spigot and a groove thereabout. An upper mold body has a central opening with a groove thereabout, the upper mold body fitting over the spigot.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1997Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Edward Peter Smith
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Patent number: 6093363Abstract: A flow-through device for use during the installation of an inverted resin impregnated flexible tubular liner in a passageway permitting the flow of fluids through the liner during the curing portion of the installation process is provided. A cylindrical body has an expandable bladder interior sealingly attached to the interior of the tubular body to form a pressure chamber is attached to the trailing end of the liner. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the chamber to inflate the bladder to close the end of the liner. The bladder allows flow through the passageway during curing of the liner, when the effluent pressure exceeds the pressure in the bladder.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1997Date of Patent: July 25, 2000Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Richard Carl Polivka
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Patent number: 6068725Abstract: A method for installing and curing a cured in place lateral seal at the connection between a main pipeline and a lateral connection is provided. The method includes placing a resin impregnated lateral seal in the form of a top hat with a brim portion and short tubular portion onto a cylindrical flexible bladder cartridge having a tubular recess for receiving the tubular portion of the seal with the brim portion along the outer portion of the bladder, placing an assembly carrying the bladder to the location of the lateral and pressing the brim portion of the seal against the interior of the main pipeline and everting the tubular portion out of the tubular recess into a portion of the lateral to form the seal. Radiant energy, preferably, light is then applied to the resin to initiate the cure, the bladder is cooled and then deflated.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1997Date of Patent: May 30, 2000Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: John Tweedie, Philip M. Smith, Jeff P. Wells, Kerry D. Severs, Kevin P. Murray
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Patent number: 6029726Abstract: An apparatus for installing a cured in place lateral seal in an existing main pipeline wherein the lateral seal includes a brim portion bonded to a short tubular portion is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible bladder mounted on a cylindrical housing with the bladder having a recess with an inflatable arm which can be tucked within the housing for receiving the tubular portion of the seal with the brim portion along the outer portion of the bladder. The cartridge is removably mountable on a sled or robot device with positioning motors for positioning the seal at the opening of the lateral pipeline. The use of replaceable bladder cartridges allows an operator to load a second new seal on a cartridge a first seal on a bladder cartridge mounted on the sled is being cured in place.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1997Date of Patent: February 29, 2000Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: John Tweedie, Philip M. Smith, Jeff P. Wells, Kerry D. Severs, Kevin P. Murray
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Patent number: 6001212Abstract: An apparatus for the installation of an inverted resin impregnated flexible tubular liner in a lateral passageway from a main passageway while permitting the flow of fluids through the main passageway during the installation process is provided. A cylindrical body with an opening to coincide with and interact with the lateral passageway has an expandable bladder on its outside with an opening coincident with the body opening and an elbow portion on the inside which is firmly attached at the opening. An air supply inflates the bladder. A tubular elbow is attached to a flexible hose at its proximal end, the hose having a gland for injecting fluid into the hose for inverting and curing the liner.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1996Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Richard Carl Polivka, David K. York
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Patent number: 5975878Abstract: A liner for a lateral pipe which leads into a main pipe having at one end a collar for installation at the location where the lateral liner meets the main, the collar extending along the interior of the main seating against the opening of the lateral. The liner mounted in a launching device which includes an adjustable sealing arrangement is installed by everting the liner through an opening in the collar by means of fluid under pressure supplied through a pressure pipe in the launching device, the launcher held in position by the inflatable bladder and against the collar for sealing the lateral/main pipe junction.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1996Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Eric Wood, deceased, Miranda Jane Bull, executor
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Patent number: 5960882Abstract: A motor with a single driven shaft and double-ended collet is attached to a movable work unit for cutting laterals in a lined pipeline. The motor is preferably operated by an operator at a remote location. The motor attaches to the front arm of the extension ram of a typical remote work unit, which can index at least 180.degree. relative to the unit. The work unit is positioned in an existing conduit lined with a synthetic liner at the location of a lateral and a cutter bit at one end of the shaft is used to cut an aperture through the liner. The cutter bit is retracted radially without displacing the work unit, and the motor is indexed circumferentially 180.degree. relative to the extension ram. This positions the finishing bit at the other end of the shaft to trim the edges of the aperture, and the finishing bit is then retracted radially. The underground work unit can then be withdrawn from the pipe.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 1997Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Richard Carl Polivka
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Patent number: 5942183Abstract: A compact apparatus for everting a liner utilizing fluid pressure after the liner has been aligned with the conduit to be lined is provided. The apparatus includes a sphincter valve with its axis aligned with the conduit to be lined and an eversion pressure chamber overlapping a portion of the sphincter valve for reducing the length of the apparatus and allowing positioning in a sewer manhole. A downtube is positioned at the input side of the sphincter valve which can extend to the top of the manhole. To install a liner, the apparatus is placed in the entrance manhole with the sphincter valve aligned with the axis of the sewer pipe, the liner is inserted into the downtube, turned to align with the sphincter valve and conduit and fluid pressure is applied to the valve to engage the flattened liner which after passing through the valve is everted by fluid pressure as it enters the sewer pipe.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1997Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Joseph A. Alexander, Jr.
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Patent number: 5927341Abstract: The invention provides a tailored assembly of a flexible resin absorbent material (22, 24, 26). It is in the form of a "T" and is of tubular cross section. The arms of the T are intended to lie on the surface of a main underground pipe which the leg of the T extends into a lateral pipe which connects with the main pipe. The whole assembly is soaked in curable synthetic resin and it is placed in position and held there whilst resin cures by means of an inflatable bag (28) which is located inside the assembly and is also tailored to T configuration.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1996Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Kevan Charles Taylor
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Patent number: 5919327Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming sealed and reinforced holes through the end of a flexible, resin-impregnable, tubular pipe liner for securing a cable thereto and for sealing the end of the liner. The liner is installed into an existing conduit either by pulling a cable secured to holes at the front end of the liner or by eversion of the liner while securing a hold-back cable to holes at the trailing end of the everting liner. Holes are cut through the liner, and resin is impregnated into the region about each hole and hardened to form an integral grommet or reinforcement. A mold for impregnating the region about the hole includes a lower mold body with a projecting spigot and a groove thereabout. An upper mold body has a central opening with a groove thereabout, the upper mold body fitting over the spigot.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1995Date of Patent: July 6, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Edward Peter Smith
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Patent number: 5915419Abstract: A cured in place lateral seal impregnated with a curable resin in the form of a "floppy top hat" for sealing the connection between an existing main conduit and a lateral connection is provided. The seal includes a brim portion bonded to a relatively short tubular section with the resin impregnable surfaces facing each other. The seal is formed by placing an annular ring about an opening in a template in the form of a pipe having a dimension and opening corresponding to the existing conduit and lateral, placing a tubular section of cured in place lining through the ring and the opening and bonding the tubular portion to the brim portion. The seal is impregnated with a resin by sealing the end of the tubular portion and then by placing the seal into a container with resin and drawing a vacuum to wet out the impregnable layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1997Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: John Tweedie, Philip M. Smith, Jeff Wells, Kevin P. Murray
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Patent number: 5778938Abstract: A dual containment pipe system suitable for installation into an existing conduit includes an impervious containment pipe adapted to be installed as a primary containment pipe and a crush-resistant and flexible spacer element disposed about the entire external circumference of the primary containment pipe. The annular spacer is formed of a plurality of spaced apart and parallel substantially crush-resistant longitudinal members with a plurality of spaced apart parallel flexible connecting ribs bonded thereto. The longitudinal members form a uniform space when the containment pipe suitable for installation of leak detection systems including cables or based on measuring pressure differentials. The new impervious primary containment pipe may be cured in place, folded and formed, diameter reduced pipe, or any other pipe suitable for pipeline rehabilitation.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1996Date of Patent: July 14, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Douglas K. Chick, F. Thomas Driver
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Patent number: 5743299Abstract: A dual containment pipe system suitable for installation into an existing conduit includes an impervious containment pipe adapted to be installed as a primary containment pipe and a crush-resistant and flexible spacer element disposed about the entire external circumference of the primary containment pipe. The spacer is formed of a plurality of spaced apart and parallel substantially crush-resistant longitudinal members with a plurality of spaced apart parallel flexible connecting ribs bonded thereto. The longitudinal members form a uniform space when the containment pipe suitable for installation of leak detection systems including cables or based on measuring pressure differentials. The new impervious primary containment pipe may be cured in place, folded and formed, diameter reduced pipe, or any other pipe suitable for pipeline rehabilitation.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: April 28, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherland) B.V.Inventors: Douglas K. Chick, F. Thomas Driver
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Patent number: 5737822Abstract: A corporation stop for use with standard tapping equipment includes a threaded stem with an enlarged, conical head for forming a blind side seal. A resilient sleeve member coaxially surrounds a narrow portion of the stem, and a flat compression ring rests coaxially above the sleeve member and has a notch formed radially in its outer edge. A standard saddle having a radially-inward tab is placed on the external sidewall of the conduit about the opening and receives the compression ring, the tab engaging the notch in the compression ring. A clamp nut is engaged with the threaded stem, forcing the compression ring against the resilient sleeve member to forcibly move the upper end of the sleeve member towards the compression ring to form an external seal between the compression ring and the external sidewall of the conduit and force the sleeve member over the enlarged, conical head of the threaded stem to form an internal seal within the lined conduit.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 1995Date of Patent: April 14, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Franklin T. Driver, Joseph D. Carroll
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Patent number: 5736166Abstract: A flow-through device for use during the installation of an inverted resin impregnated flexible tubular liner in a passageway permitting the flow of fluids through the liner during the curing portion of the installation process is provided. A cylindrical body has an expandable bladder interior sealingly attached to the interior of the tubular body to form a pressure chamber is attached to the trailing end of the liner. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the chamber to inflate the bladder to close the end of the liner. The bladder allows flow through the passageway during curing of the liner, when the effluent pressure exceeds the pressure in the bladder.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1996Date of Patent: April 7, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Richard Carl Polivka
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Patent number: 5706861Abstract: An assembly which can be inserted into a pipeline or passageway on which a curable resin impregnated flexible lining is placed about an inflatable bladder is provided. The bladder is mounted to one end of a core pipe and folded over on itself. Medium flowing in the pipeliner passageway can pass through the core pipe during a lining operation. The core pipe is of sufficiently rigid nature to withstand inflation pressure to move the lining tube into the pipeliner passageway surface by inflation of the bladder, but yet is sufficiently flexible and bendable so as to bend enabling it follow curbs and falls in the pipeliner passageway into which it is inserted. Temporary holding means restrain the liner during insertion.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1994Date of Patent: January 13, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Eric Wood, deceased, Miranda J. Bull, administrator
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Patent number: 5692543Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for lining a lateral pipe branching off of a main pipe with a flexible resin absorbent tubular lining portion having an integral sealing end which includes a flexible resin absorbent end collar portion and a preformed sealing collar having a body portion with an aperture and a rim. The body portion being located against a portion of the main pipe with the resin absorbent collar portion therebetween and the rim being located in a portion of the lateral pipe wherein the preformed sealing collar seals the region where the lateral pipe meets the main pipe.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1995Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventor: Eric Wood, deceased
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Patent number: 5655283Abstract: A corporation stop has a threaded stem with an enlarged, conical head portion and a neck portion of reduced size coaxially surrounded by a resilient sleeve member. A flat, annular compression ring rests above the sleeve member and has at least one notch formed radially in its outer edge and has on its lower side a sleeve receiving recess of a diameter greater than that of the annular opening to receive the upper end of the sleeve member. A clamp nut is engageable with the neck portion of the threaded stem. A saddle member having at least one tab projecting radially engages the notch in the compression ring.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1995Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Franklin T. Driver, Joseph D. Carroll
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Patent number: 5656117Abstract: A method of lining passageways, or pipelines, employs a pre-liner sleeve formed of a thin plastic material, which is applied to the inside surface of the passageway to be lined. During application of the pre-liner sleeve, it is held in a concertina-like folded condition in a magazine which is moved along the passageway by operation of air pressure which is applied from within the pre-liner sleeve, and which simultaneously inflates the pre-liner sleeve so that it communicates with the inside surface of the passageway. A spray head follows the magazine from within the inflated pre-liner sleeve and applies a hardenable composition, such as mortar, to the inside of the inflated pre-liner sleeve. The spray head is followed, in some embodiments, by a tube which is everted to communicate with the applied hardenable composition under air pressure. The tube holds the applied layer in position while it cures.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 1994Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: Eric Wood, deceased, Miranda J. Bull, administratrix
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Patent number: RE35944Abstract: In a tube eversion apparatus a first chamber in which the eversion pressure in developed is controllably sealed by a sphincter-type valve, the valve being in turn actuated by pressure developed in a preferably separately controllable and adjustable second chamber, another chamber preferably being provided above the sphincter-type valve for containing a supply of liquid and limiting turbulence from any escape of fluid past the sphincter-type valve, the other chamber also providing apparatus for supplying heated fluid to a lay-flat hose adapted to be pulled through the sphincter-type valve by the tube being .?.exerted.!. .Iadd.everted.Iaddend.. Use of the improved apparatus involves appropriate modifications of the usual eversion process involving applying and controlling the everting pressure and the pressure exerted against the sphincter-type valve by the fluid in the second chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1994Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Insituform (Netherlands) B.V.Inventors: F. Thomas Driver, Joseph A. Alexander, Lloyd G. Buchanan