Apparatus for installation of pipes.

the present invention relates generally to the improvement provides the large ducts, or other similar objects, and more particularly relates to the improvement in the method and apparatus for the expansion and curing of pipes and their provides continuously.

The use of rigid pipes of large diameter is current for draining sewage, irrigation, delivery of water c... the conventional method to produce, laying and burying such pipe has numerous drawbacks.

The conduits are generally rigid form of precast relatively short lengths and are transported to the desired location, laid and joined end to end in the trenches and are then covered. It is evident that the above method is costly, lengthy and leaves much to desire.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for shaping and handling of pipes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the continuous laying long lengths of pipes and large diameters.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus as above characterized by smoothness of operation, its strength and its adaptability.

The above objects of the invention shall become apparent from the reading of the description below and by reference to the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention.

The present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus for laying pipes comprising a vehicle, a storage dureissables flat pipes or other objects long, mounted on said vehicle, systems for draw them up to growing, means for advancing them together with said vehicle and discharging them at the end of said vehicle, and the means for solidifying said pipes during their advance along said vehicle.

The apparatus in its preferred form comprises one or more trolleys connected to each other and at least one of which is self-propelled. The conduits are made of flat polymeric resin curable synthetic or other material having for example a catalyst in string controlled by heat and are wound in their flat shapes on a reel placed on the wagon head. The wagon next carries a heat exchanger, a circulation pump, a propulsion engine such as a diesel engine, as the wagon carries a pair of spaced apart spheres by a toroîde external between the spheres. The expanded tube, held in its expanded form in advance in successive chambers or it is sprayed with a hot liquid, or other fluid, which is recirculated by a heater and then the tube treated and cured passes through guiding rollers into a shape or it takes its rigid state end.

Figure 1 is an elevation view of an apparatus according to the invention; and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing another form of the invention.

By referring to Figure 1 which illustrates a preferred form of the invention the equipment for shaping and curing is placed on a trolley with wheels on which is placed a reel 3 a feed system, an expansion system 5 and a mechanism for shaping and curing 9.

The reel 3 is provided with flanges on both sides of the winding shaft, and a flexible tubular body curable after treatment wound thereinto advance under the Ba flat shape. The power system is operable to provide the tube in its flat shape and has a magnetic force to secure the expansion system 5. The expansion system 5 is used for the expansion of the flat tubular body and flexible and is magnetic. The expansion system 5 is provided with a shaft 7 the rearwardly extending between systems shaping 8 and 8' immediately behind the expansion system and to the outlet of the mechanism for shaping and curing later described, thereby maintaining the tubular body in its desired shape. After the expansion system is the curing mechanism 9 to cure the flexible tubular body, which contains the spray system 9' and the container 9" contains the spraying material, either oil, water, or hot air curing the flexible tubular body of potentially curable by the pulverized product using the pipeline 10 the fluid transfer system 11 and container 12. The fluid transfer system 11 serves for the return of the product after the hardening process and has a pressure sufficient to render effective the product to be sprayed. The container 12 has a port arrival of the product and a temperature control system therefor according to the need.

The flexible body is potentially curable cured following the change of the plasticizer quantitative or qualitative, and curing by reducing a quantity of plasticizer by oil, or other, is easier. In other cases it is possible that the plasticizer is contained and curable curing is effected by heating.

The tubular body member properly treated, after full cure, is laid in the trench behind the wagon 1 by means of the rollers 15 that are placed to facilitate sliding. It should be noted that said mechanism may naturally be drawn otherwise without the object of the invention is transgressed and such modifications are included in the table of the invention.

When a solid pipe is laid underground using the equipment of the present invention as described above, a trench is dug by an excavator and then the flexible body wound is unwound from the reel 3 and expanded by the expander, and then passed into the curing mechanism 9 and finally laid in the trench after passage over the roller 15 and is covered with earth. The temperature of the spray by the curing mechanism depends on the composition and the desired hardness of the flexible body to be formed and cured, but, it is usually in the range from 160 to 200 °c.

The feeding speed of the flexible body is dependent on the time spent in the curing mechanism 9 to obtain the desired hardness.

It is good that 1' a-coating operation is made simultaneously when the covering mechanism is placed at a rear part of the undercarriage 1.

The present invention is applicable not only to the laying of a tubular body but also for laying a trough cured in the trench.

The flexible body wound on the reel in the present invention contains a portion of thermo-curable plasticizer or plasticizer may be removed by oil c... and thus is allowed to cure. The flexible body may be wound on the reel at the beginning under the usual conditions in the flattening due to having the flexibility of conventional flexible body. The flexible body is very long and can reach 70 to 300 meters about length.

According to the present invention a long flexible tubular object is spooled onto a reel in its flexible shape, loaded onto a wagon for shaping and curing, unwound from the reel by the power system 4 while it is gradually cured and then laid underground in the form of a solid tubular body. Accordingly there is none of the drawbacks encountered in conventional laying the pipes. Unlike the conventional method in which conveyance is limited to short pipes of predetermined length, the present invention allows transportation of tubular objects very long, thereby eliminating such drawbacks and provide more ease. In addition the labor and time for joining the pipes is spared when laying earthen therefore in making it more efficient. the hardening treatment is effected by the excavating work and laying of the pipe in the ground immediately after the trench is opened is made possible by the present invention, thereby greatly reducing the working time and not only in increasing the work efficiency but also largely contributes to the streamlining of laying work since the open trench is not left as it is dug. Another advantage is that the hardening equipment according to the present invention is mounted on a wagon independent which can operate rapidly where needed. A great advantage is that the labor of work is reduced and the work saved.

Referring now to fig. 2 which illustrates another form of the invention the reference 54 designates generally a feed wagon wheel drive which carries a pair of transversely spaced vertical supports having an axis 52. the winding on the axis 52 forms a compact coil 51 of the conduit relatively soft in its flat shape. The conduit 51 is of the type which is cured to a rigid state after being heated, and is preferably made from a synthetic organic polymeric resin having a thermosetting agent or catalyst as described in detail in Patent n° corresponding 181,146 deposited the 16 no. 205,278 filed September 1971 and 6 december 1971, or may be of other flexible material curable.

A second wagon 65 is coupled to the trolley 54 and carries a prime mover, such as a diesel engine which is coupled by means of a variable speed transmission 67 to the traction wheels 66 65 of the undercarriage. On the cart 65 is also mounted a heat exchanger or other heating means 63 powered by the pump 62.

An expansion apparatus of the pipe 71 is mounted on the wagon as 72 which is coupled with the cart 65 and comprises a chamber having inlet holes and outlet aligned longitudinally, the flat pipe entering through the inlet port and being guided by a pair of spaced rollers vertically and out through the outlet port. A pair of toroîdes or spheres 74 for the expansion of the pipe are spaced to the path of the pipe toward the guide rollers and are interconnected by a longitudinal bar. the spheres 74 are maintained in position by the toroîde 73 properly placed, surrounding the expanded pipe between the spheres 74 and having an inside diameter slightly less than the outer diameter spheres 74.

On both cars following 84 and 84' which are intercoupled and 72 are coupled to the wagon the vessels 81 and 81' respectively having openings 87 and 87' by which the tube expanded advance. With the tanks 81 and 81' there are perforated bearings 85 and 85'which are connected by pipes 61 and 61' at the output of the heating device 63.

The base of the tanks 81 and 81'are connected by pipes 88 and 88' to the inlet port of the pump 62 where the liquid or water effluent tanks 81 and 81' is recirculated by the heating system 63 to the bearings perforated 85 and 85'. A rod 82 extends from the sphere 74 coaxially through the conduit expanded 61 in tanks 81 and 81' and is provided with devices for shaping 83 longitudinally spaced.

Extending downwardly and behind the lower edge of the opening of the tank 87' is a guide piece provided with guide rollers 92 to rotate freely. The side wall of the, pipe 91 cured and processed as it passes by the guide 92 is engaged by a sensitive element 93 which detects the hardness, temperature or other parameter of the pipe 91 and control through an array of reaction against the advancement speed of the apparatus by the motor assembly 64 and 67 or the temperature of the processing liquid emitted from the heater 63, or the speed of the pump 62.

During normal operation of the apparatus described above the flexible hose 51 is unwound from the reel while advancing the apparatus by the power 64 and 67 and when the hose through the expansion device 71 is brought into its full expansion by internal spheres 74.