Patents by Inventor Thomas D. O'Rourke

Thomas D. O'Rourke 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).

  • Patent number: 5713392
    Abstract: A low friction slip-sleeve wrap for buried structures such as pipelines, pilings or the like. The pipe is coated in a polymer coating such as HDPE or FBE, then wrapped in a polymer mesh such as geonet or geogrid without any friction-increasing means such as friction coatings or fillings or bonding of layers. Finally, a layer of geotextile is wrapped over the polymer mesh layer. In addition to the reduction of friction and shear transfer from the ground to the pipe or foundation element, which acts to protect the structure from damage due to earthquakes or land slippage, the low friction slip-sleeve wrap of the invention has several other advantages. The porosity of the geotextile allows for cathodic protection. The geogrids, geonets, and geotextiles used in the wrap are relatively inexpensive and readily available. Moreover, the wrap can be applied in the field easily, with minimal time delay, and located as required along all or selected lengths of the pipeline or foundation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas D. O'Rourke