Coating apparatus – Projection or spray type – Work-supported and guided carriage
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-19
2004-03-02
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Projection or spray type
Work-supported and guided carriage
C118S317000, C118S323000, C427S421100, C427S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699324
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a method for coating the inside of pipes and similar longitudinally stretched hollow objects according to the generic terms of claim 1. The invention also concerns a coating system for the coating of the inside of pipes and similar longitudinally stretched hollow objects according to the generic terms of claim 2.
The pipe line network for the gas supply as well as water and sewer lines of towns and municipalities usually consist of steel pipes that are welded together. While pipes in newer pipe networks have been given an interior coating of e.g. Polyurethane by the manufacturer to protect against corrosion, older pipes do not feature such an interior protective coating and are therefore subject to corrosion which in the course of their operation can lead to leaks. Often, such pipelines are being replaced by a new pipeline after a long operation period. To lay new pipes however is time consuming and expensive, especially when it requires work in the ground or on streets. For this reason, it is aspired that pipes and similar longitudinally stretched hollow objects can be restored from within by giving the inner surface a suitable coating. If the pipes are sufficiently large enough in diameter, suitable machines with spray devices can be inserted and with their help the inner wall can be coated with the necessary Polyurethane or with another coating.
It is also known too first of all test underground pipe lines for eventual damage with a device that rests on the pipe walls. With a post-ceding device the damaged areas are re-coated and repaired. Such a device is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,728. Similar procedures are known from the PCT WO 96/06298 and PCT WO 96/06299. A process that works on concrete is subject of the DE-OS 14 50 384. In addition, from the DE 196 41 887 A1 a device is known for the thermal coating of the interior of positioned pipes. A motor driven pipe vehicle features a flexible work head at its end which holds a sand blaster jet or a welding torch. The vehicle is driven into the interior of the pipe which first of all will be blasted with the help of the sand blaster jet and then coated with a metal by the means of the welding torch whereas welding material and other coating substances will be added. A coating system that can be driven inside the pipe is described in the DE 198 41 891 A1, where the vehicle features a distributor, which more or less exactly applies the coating to the inner wall. A defined coating of the pipe is therefore not mentioned especially since the vehicle can only be moved towards one direction via a rope. A vehicle pulled by a section of piping is known from the EP-A-O 145 266. The vehicle consists of two parts and runs on fixed, non-adjustable skids, features a camera that precedes the vehicle in the main travel direction and which can only extend the rotor sprayer by a minimal degree against the travel direction to correct eventual mistakes immediately. The section of piping is being rolled onto or off a power driven spool without guidance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has the task to create a method and a coating device with which an interior coating of pipes and similar longitudinally stretched hollow objects can be achieved that can be defined and adapted to the individual conditions of the interior wall of the pipe.
The task is solved according to the invention by the characteristics of the typifying parts of claim 1.
With such a method, it is first of all possible that a defined inner coating can be applied because the process can continuously be monitored and corrected. The fact that the vehicle is moved through the pipe via the section of piping and exclusively via the section of piping, it is ensure that the section of piping into which the various components are pumped from the storage containers to the deployment location is always tight so that operational disruption through a bend or similar circumstances cannot take place. The vehicle and therefore also the distributor are always positioned in the middle of the pipe or the duct so that it is guaranteed that the mixed components from the distributor or the corresponding material always travel the same distance and settle evenly on the inner wall. The vehicle is being pulled forward via the section of piping, however, with a suitable device it can also be pulled in opposite direction so that flaws detected through monitoring can be corrected immediately, meaning without traveling long distances. Thus, a continuously even coating or securing of the inner wall of the pipe is guaranteed. The section of piping is safe from any bends or other disruptions and can foremost ensure a smooth movement of the vehicle which is additionally supported by the tensile design. The section of piping which carries the different components as well as compressed air and electricity remains undisturbed during the rolling on and off process because the section of piping in the tensile design also has an appropriate stability. Moreover it is intended in addition that the section of piping that moves the vehicle is guided onto and off the spool which also serves as a drive and thus it always remains connected with the coating agent storage containers. This special method ensures that even with a short noticed stop of the distributor or standstill of the vehicle the coating process can immediately continue after the vehicle continues to move. The necessary coating material but of course also the additional components are always readily available.
To complete the procedure, a coating system to coat the inside of pipes and similar longitudinally stretched hollow objects is intended which is equipped with a vehicle that is guided along the inner wall of the pipe by a drive and which features a distributor for the coating agent. The vehicle is connected with at least one coating agent storage container via a flexible section of piping whereas the section of piping is connected with a spool positioned outside the pipe whereas according to the invention the spool which serves as a tensile drive via the section of piping and which features a drive and a central, pipe-shaped spool axis whose at least one free end is equipped with a sealed pivotal connector at whose solid part at least one feed line from a coating agent storage container comes in and whose part that is connected with the pivotal part of the spool is connected to one of the product lines in the section of piping which in turn forms the tensile section of piping together with if necessary additional for the operation of the vehicle required supply lines. The section of piping can be rolled off the spool. The vehicle then also features a camera car and a rope on the side where the rotating distributor is located. Thus a coating system has been created which first of all can be pulled in one direction through the pipe or the underground duct evenly and without disruptions via the spool featuring the drive and the section of piping. Since the spool is positioned on the ground, special safety measures which otherwise would have to be considered do not have to be followed. Therefore the drive can be very simple in its design. A direct and constant connection of the vehicle and the distributor with the coating agent storage container is possible via the pivotal connector. The same is true of course with multiple storage containers. The section of piping itself is tensile so that there are no relaxed portions within the piping and thus no irregular operation of the vehicle. On one side the vehicle is connected with the section of piping and on the opposite side with a rope where also a camera cart can be attached which can monitor the coating process continuously and can ensure that when mistakes occur, for example irregular coating or missing sections of coating, the vehicle can immediately be stopped and pulled in the opposite direction in order to correct the mistake immediately while the process is being monitored.
In order to ensure an even rolling up and rolling off of the sec
Berdin Klaus
Deggerich Eckehard
Mathmann Klaus
Creighton Wray James
Crispino Richard
Lazor Michelle Aewedo
Narasimhan Meera P.
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