Pipes and tubular conduits – End protectors – Threaded
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-29
2001-12-25
Brinson, Patrick (Department: 3752)
Pipes and tubular conduits
End protectors
Threaded
C138S109000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to power plant construction and, specifically, to a unique and reusable pipe flange cover that protects pipe flanges from damage and prevents debris from entering the pipe openings, primarily during storage and shipment and prior to installation in the plant.
Construction of a power plant involves the manufacture and assembly of many and various styles and sizes of flanged pipe assemblies. A major requirement in the manufacture and installation of these flanged pipe assemblies is that they are clean and free of foreign debris between the time they are manufactured and the time they are installed. Existing flange cover designs fall into two categories:
a. Metal flange covers with rubber gaskets held in place by the use of nuts and bolts. These covers protect the flange face, seal the pipe opening, and make use of the bolt holes in the flange to secure the cover in place. This configuration, however, requires tools to install and involves a cumbersome procedure. Due to the weight of the flange and the requirement to use nuts and bolts to secure the cover to the flange, it is often either not properly installed, or not properly re-installed when taken off for any reason.
b. Plastic covers of various configurations. The plastic covers do an adequate job of protecting the flange face but do not adequately seal the pipe opening. The plastic tends to warp when exposed to sunlight or extreme temperature variations. The majority of this type of flange cover do not have positive retention methods, and therefore they tend to come off during use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a molded but flexible cover that completely encompasses the pipe flange and is secured by tightening a drawstring on the backside of the flange. The flange cover may include a rubber core covered on both sides with a wear cover. The cover may include high impact fabric such as Kevlar®, a thin layer of rubber and a wear resistant fabric, the latter on the outside. In addition, at the interface of the flat cover and depending skirt, a stainless insert may be added. A surrounding or depending skirt portion includes tapered tabs that are loosely connected by a drawstring can be tightened to thereby pull the tabs together about the back side of the flange. Tying the drawstring ends keeps the cover securely in place.
The cover protects the flange from damage, and also prevents foreign objects from entering the pipe opening. Significantly, the cover is reusable and no tooling is required for installation or removal.
Thus, in its broader aspects, the invention relates to a pipe flange cover for temporarily covering a pipe flange and pipe opening, the cover comprising a substantially round center portion having a peripheral skirt portion depending from the center portion, the center portion adapted to engage a front side of the pipe flange and to seal the pipe opening, the peripheral skirt portion formed to include a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs, wherein free ends of the tabs are formed with respective through passages adapted to receive a drawstring for pulling said tabs together on a back side of the pipe flange.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a pipe flange cover for temporarily covering a pipe flange and pipe opening, the cover comprising a substantially round center portion having a peripheral skirt portion depending from the center portion, the center portion adapted to engage a front side of the pipe flange and to seal the pipe opening, the peripheral skirt portion formed to include a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs, wherein free ends of the tabs are formed with respective through passages adapted to receive a drawstring for pulling the tabs together on a back side of the pipe flange, wherein the cover is comprised of a rubber core sandwiched about a high impact fabric, and further wherein the rubber core is covered on inner and outer surfaces, respectively, by at least one layer of wear resistant fabric.
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Holden James Elliott
Perez Julieta
Brinson Patrick
General Electric Company
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
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