Pipe loosening device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293579-B2
Application number	US-202016952966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A pipe loosening device and methods are shown. In one example, the pipe loosening device enables a method wherein a pipe to be replaced is deformed but not burst, and a portion of a sidewall of the pipe is forced outward into the surrounding soil to compact a local region of the surrounding soil and loosen the existing pipe. The pipe may then pulled from the ground along an axis of the pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipe loosening device, comprising:
a deforming die, including:
a body portion sized to fit closely within an inner diameter of a pipe to be replaced, the body portion having a longitudinal axis; and
one or more protrusions on a side of the body portion, wherein the one or more protrusions extend from the body portion by a distance, wherein the one or more protrusions include two protrusions on a same side of the body portion, the two protrusions spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis, and a central protrusion on a side of the body portion opposite the two protrusions, and located longitudinally between the two protrusions.

2. The pipe loosening device of claim 1 , wherein the distance is between 5 and 10 percent of a body portion diameter.

3. The pipe loosening device of claim 2 , wherein the distance is approximately 7 percent of the body portion diameter.

4. The pipe loosening device of claim 1 , further including a threaded connection on the body portion that is adapted to couple to a directional drill rod section.

5. The pipe loosening device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions are formed from tungsten carbide.

6. The pipe loosening device of claim 1 , wherein a protrusion direction of each of the one or more protrusions all protrude in a common plane.

7. The pipe loosening device of claim 6 , further including reduced width sides of the deforming die along all of the longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the common plane.

8. A pipe loosening device, comprising:
a deforming die, including:
a body portion sized to fit closely within an inner diameter of a pipe to be replaced, the body portion having a longitudinal axis;
one or more protrusions coupled to a side of the body portion, wherein the one or more protrusions extend from the body portion by a distance, wherein the one or more protrusions include two protrusions on a same side of the body portion, the two protrusions spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis, and a central protrusion on a side of the body portion opposite the two protrusions, and located longitudinally between the two protrusions; and
a threaded connection on the body portion that is adapted to couple to a directional drill rod section.

9. The pipe loosening device of claim 8 , wherein the threaded connection is a female threaded connection.

10. The pipe loosening device of claim 8 , wherein the threaded connection is a male threaded connection.

11. The pipe loosening device of claim 8 , wherein a protrusion direction of each of the one or more protrusions all protrude in a common plane.

12. The pipe loosening device of claim 11 , further including reduced width sides of the deforming die along all of the longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the common plane.

13. A pipe loosening system, comprising:
a directional drill;
one or more drill stem sections coupled to the directional drill;
a deforming die coupled to a distal end of the one or more drill stem sections, including:
a body portion sized to fit closely within an inner diameter of a pipe to be replaced, the body portion having a longitudinal axis; and
one or more protrusions coupled to a side of the body portion, wherein the one or more protrusions extend from the body portion by a distance, wherein the one or more protrusions include two protrusions on a same side of the body portion, the two protrusions spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis, and a central protrusion on a side of the body portion opposite the two protrusions, and located longitudinally between the two protrusions.

14. The pipe loosening device of claim 13 , wherein the distance is between 5 and 10 percent of a body portion diameter.

15. The pipe loosening device of claim 14 , wherein the distance is approximately 7 percent of the body portion diameter.

16. The pipe loosening device of claim 13 , further including a threaded connection on the body portion that is adapted to couple to a directional drill rod section.

17. The pipe loosening device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more protrusions are formed from tungsten carbide.

18. The pipe loosening device of claim 13 , wherein a protrusion direction of each of the one or more protrusions all protrude in a common plane.

19. The pipe loosening device of claim 18 , further including reduced width sides of the deforming die along all of the longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the common plane.

Assignees

• Tt Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Olander John A

Classifications

• F16L55/1658

  the old pipe being ruptured prior to insertion of a new pipe · CPC title

• F16L1/028

  in the ground (F16L1/026 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L55/18 Primary

  Appliances for use in repairing pipes (F16L55/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B19/16 Primary

  Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints (E21B19/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L1/06

  Accessories therefor, e.g. anchors · CPC title