Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 20S7341
METHOD AND APPARATUS EOR REPAIRING PIPELINES
m e invention relates to a methcd and an apparatus for repairing or
rehabilitatig pipelines, part;oll~rly for the tight internal lining of
pipes laid in the ground.
In the case of old or damaged pipelines, part;~llarly those for gases or
liquids, as a result of the escape of the latter dangerous situations and
econcmic damage can occur. m e replacement of pipes by digging out is ve~y
costly and in many cases not possible as a result of damage and obstructions.
m erefore methcds for the repairing or rPh~h;l;tating of pipelines have been
proposed, by means of which the existing pipes are given an internal lining.
m us, Ge~man patent 39 06 057 discloses a methcd for lining a pipe laid in
the ground using a lining tube or hose, whose non-woven fabric layer is
impregnated with a curable synthetic resin. m e lining hose is inserted in
the pipe and pressed by a pressure me~;l~ onto the inner face of the pipe
to be repaired until the synthetic resin has cured. However, it is disad-
vantageous in this solution that the lining hose has to be intrcduced by
means of a cable and winch in a ccmplicated manner and the widening of the
l;ning hose is brought about by a c~l;hr~ting hose, which is reversed by an
inversion tube in the interior of the lining hose.
GR~man patent 36 90 695 proposes a method for prcducing protective cc,verings
on a pipeline inner surface, in which a fl~x;hle hose is inverted during
its movement and is pressed by an overpressure onto the pipeline inner
surface to be cc~ered. Hc,wever, it is disadvantageous in this method that
the adhesive is located between the inverting flexible hose and a plunger,
because deposits and unevennesses on the pipeline inner surface make it more
difficult to bring about a gocd sealing action by the plunger.
DE-OS 19 12 478 describes a method for bonding in plastic hoses in pipes or
pipelines, a plastic hose provided with a special adhesive being reversed
and bonded in with the aid of a reversing head and a pressure medium.
m e known solutions suffer frcm the common disadvantage, that they require
complicated equipment on site and are subject to high safety requirements.
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The present invention provides a method and an apparatus
for repairing pipelines, which avoid the aforementioned
disadvantages, allow high mobility and ensure rapid,
simple and reliable repairs to take place.
This problem is solved by using a method for repairing
pipelines, particularly the sealed inner timing of pi-
pes using a film hose provided with an adhesive, which,
via a transport hose, is pressed in inverting manner by
means of a pressure medium into the pipe and is held in
dimensionally stable manner until the adhesive cures,
whereby the film hose is fixed in a reversal head by
means of outer clamp pieces and inner clamp pieces, the
reversal head is connected to a coupling piece fixed to
the pipe to be repaired, the film hose is pressed in
inverting manner into the pipe to be repaired by means
of a pressure medium, and at the end of the pressing in
process clamping is carried out outside the pipe to be
repaired and an auxiliary pressure medium is supplied
to the side of the clamping point facing the pipe as
from the clamping point for the purpose of compensating
pressure losses, characterized in that at the end of
the pressing in process a clamp hose, which is firmly
connected to the reversal head and through which the
film hose is inserted into the reversal head, is
clamped by means of a hose clamp and the hose clamp is
closed in sealed manner behind the hose clamp, when
considered from the pipe to be repaired, by means of a
blind flange, after clamping has taken place.
Further to solve this problem, an apparatus is provided
for repairing pipelines, particularly the sealed inner
lining of pipes using a film hose provided with an ad-
hesive, with a reversal head having outer clamp pieces
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and inner clamp pieces for fixing the film hose having
a hold-back band and connected to a coupling piece fixed
to the pipe to be repaired, and with a connecting piece
for supplying an auxiliary pressure medium to the film
hose, characterized in that a clamp hose, through which
the film hose can be inserted into the reversal head,
is firmly connected to the reversal head and a hose
clamp is provided for clamping the clamp hose and there
is a blind flange for the sealing closure of the clamp
hose behind the hose clamp, when considered from the pipe
to be repaired.
In conjunction with the inventive apparatus, the inven-
tive method has the advantage that at the end of the
pressing in process of the prefabricated film tube or
hose coated with thé adhesive, the clamp or clip hose
is pinched off or clamped by means of a hose or tube
clip or clamp and subsequently closed by a blind flan-
ge. This terminates the introduction phase of the film
tube in the particular pipe section to be repaired. No
further equipment or personnel are required for the
curing phase of the adhesive-coated film tube. Instead
the work team can immediately start to repair a new
pipeline section. Through the use of a clamp hose and a
hose clamp it is possible to bring about the clipping
or clamping even when a hold-back band is passed through
the clamping point. Pressure losses which
occur are compensated by an auxiliary pressure medium.
The use of a movable pressure vessel, which contains
the film tube coated on its inside with adhesive wound
onto a drum, permits economic and effective working
even in a confinded space, because the repair vehicles
need not be directly located at the installation point.
In order to speed up the adhesive curing process, hot
water can be used as the pressure medium. In place of
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the hold-back band, use is then made of a hose for ob-
taining a hot water circuit and the blind flange has a
water inflow and outflow.
The invention is described in greater detail hereinaf-
ter relative to non-limitative embodiments and the
attached drawings, wherein show:
Fig. 1 The arrangement of the individual components
for performing the inventive method.
Fig. 2 The phase of transporting the film tube to
the installation point.
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Fig. 3 The start of the film tube pressing in pr~cess.
Fig. 4 The end of the pressing in process with the traversed film tube
and hold-back band.
Fig. 5 The unclamped clamp hose provided with the blind flange and the
supply of the ~lx;li~ry pressure me~
As can be gathered fr~m fig. 1, a movable pressure vessel 1 is in the immed-
iate vicinity of the installation point of the pipe 8 to be repaired. m e
movable pressure vessel 1 contains a drum laJ onto which is wcund the pre-
fabricated film hose 3 provided on its inside with a cold-curing two-
component adhesive. The film tube 3 is fabric-reinforced. A transport hose
15 supplies the film hose 3 to the install~tion point.
As can be seen in fig. 2, the transport hose 15 is connected by a flange
oonnection to the clamp hose 4, which is firmly connected at its end facing
the installation point to a reversal head 5. The reversal head 5 is used
for firmly clamping the film hose 3 and for coupling to the coupling piece
9 arranged in tension-resistant manner on the pype 8 to be repaired. m e
clamping of the film hose 3 takes place in such a way that it is inserted
and tightly clamped between the outer clamp pieces 6 and the inner cl2mp
pieces 7. The reversal head 5 is hung in tension-resistant manner on the
coupling piece 9. m e end of the pipe to be repaired is closed by an end
cap 14, which has venting means. As a result the film hose 3 cannot be
pressed out of the pipe 8 to be repaired. This cn~c~ the preparatory
phase for pressing in the film hose 3.
Fig. 3 shows the start of the pressing in process of the film hose 3. By
means of the pressure vessel the film tube 3 is supplied with compressed air,
so that it is inverted on the reversal head 5 and pressed into the pipe 8
to be repaired. m e pressing in process is continued until the film tube 3
has reached the end of the pipe 8 to be repaired.
m e pressing in pr~cess is regulated and oontrolled by means of the hold-
back band 10 fixed to the film hose 3 and shown in fig. 4. m e hold-back
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band 10 preferably has the same width as the folded up film
hose 3. As a result the joint winding of the film hose 3 and
the hold-back band 10 onto the drum la in preparation for the
repairs is facilitated. By regulating the pressing in process
by means of the hold-back band 10, it is ensured that the film
hose 3, particularly in the final phase of the pressing in
process, is not pressed in too rapidly and ensures that the
adhesive is uniformly distributed and the film hose 3 is always
reliably pressed onto the inner wall of the pipe 8 to be
repaired.
At the end of the pressing in process and as shown in Fig. 5,
the film hose 4 is clamped by means of a hose clamp 11.
Simultaneously the side of the clamp hose 4 facing the pipe 8
to be repaired as from the clamping point is supplied in
regulated manner by means of a connecting piece 13 with an
auxiliary pressure medium in the form of compressed air for
compensating pressure losses. The pressure losses can result
from leaks at the clamping point, particularly through the also
clamped in hold-back band 10.
After clamping the transport hose 15 is separated from the
clamp hose 4 by releasing the flange, the hold-back band 10 is
separated and the clamp hose 4 is tightly closed by means of
a blind flange 12 behind the hose clamp 11, seen from the pipe
8 to be repaired. When the connections are completely tight
the auxiliary pressure medium can be stopped. However, to
provide security against any possible leaks, it can remain
connected to the end of the curing process. The closure of the
clamp hose 4 by the blind flange 12 terminates the introduction
phase of the film hose 3 into the pipe 8 to be repaired.
Neither personnel, nor further equipment are required for the
following curing phase.
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ln order to speed up the adhesive curing process, it is
possible to replace the compressed air as the pressure medium
by hot water at the end of the pressing in process, it being
advantageous to ensure a hot water circuit. For this purpose
the hold-back band 10 is constructed as a hose connected by
means of openings to the interior of the pressed in film hose
3. The blind flange 12 has water supply and discharge means.
The hose clamp 11 on the clamp hose 4 is opened again for
replacing the compressed air by the hot water as the pressure
medium and is kept open for obtaining the water circuit.
The inventive apparatus comprises a reversal head 5 fixed to
the clamp hose 4. The reversal head 5 has outer clamp pieces
6 and inner clamp pieces 7, by means of which the film hose 3
is fixed. A coupling piece 9, connected to the reversal head
5, is fixed to the pipe 8 to be repaired. For clamping the
clamp hose 4, a hose clamp 11 is provided and there is a
connecting piece 13 for supplying an auxiliary pressure medium.
A blind flange 12 is used for sealing closure of the clamp hose
4. The pipe 8 to be repaired is provided at the end opposite
to that for the introduction of the film hose 3, with an end
cap 4, which has venting means. The hold-back band 10 has
approximately the same width as the folded film hose 3 and is
constructed in the present embodiment as a hose for bringing
about a water circuit. The blind flange 12 is provided with
a water inflow and outflow.
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