Lead pipe spudding prior to extraction or remediation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092257-B2
Application number	US-202117193977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2021
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A method for enlarging a crushed section of a ductile pipe. A wire rope having a bead or plurality of beads attached to the rope is placed in a ductile pipe. When a series of beads is used, each of the beads is sequentially larger. The wire rope is pulled through the crushed section, and the ductile pipe conforms to the larger diameter of the beads. The crushed section of pipe may be expanded so that a larger wire rope suitable for pipe extraction may be passed through. Alternatively, the pipe may be reformed and expanded to near or greater than its original size. The pipe may then be coated or a smaller slip-lined pipe may be placed within the original pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an underground pipe having a crushed section;
a system comprising:
a cable puller;
a first wire rope, in which the cable puller is attached to the first wire rope;
a first bead disposed on the wire rope, wherein the first bead extends outwardly from the wire rope a first distance;
a second bead disposed on the wire rope, wherein the second bead extends outwardly from the wire rope a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance; and
a third bead disposed on the wire rope, wherein the third bead extends outwardly from the wire rope a third distance, the third distance being greater than the second distance;
wherein the second bead is disposed between the first bead and the third bead; and
wherein the wire rope is configured for attachment to the cable puller at a location nearer the first bead than the third bead;

in which the wire rope is disposed through at least a portion of the underground pipe; and
wherein the first bead, second bead, and third bead are disposed on a first side of the crushed section and the cable puller is disposed on a second side of the crushed section.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the cable puller comprises a reel.

3. The system of claim 1 in which:
the wire rope is characterized as a first wire rope; and
further comprising:
a second wire rope attached to the first wire rope at a location nearer the third bead than the first bead;
wherein the second wire rope has a greater diameter than the first wire rope.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the second wire rope has a greater diameter than the crushed section of the underground pipe.

5. The system of claim 1 in which at least one of the first bead, second bead and third bead has a conical shape.

6. The system of claim 1 in which a distance between the first bead and the second bead is at least six inches.

7. The system of claim 1 in which:
the wire rope is characterized as a first wire rope; and
the first wire rope is configured for attachment to a second wire rope at a location nearer the third bead than the first bead.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising a second wire rope attached to the first wire rope, the second wire rope having a greater effective diameter than the first wire rope.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fourth bead, wherein the fourth bead extends outwardly from the wire rope a fourth distance, the fourth distance being greater than the third distance.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:
the wire rope is characterized as a first wire rope; and
further comprising:
a second wire rope attached to the first wire rope at a location nearer the third bead than the first bead;
wherein the third bead has a diameter greater than or equal to the second wire rope.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the cable puller comprises a pair of jaws.

12. A method of using an apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a first wire rope having a first end and a second end;
a series of beads disposed on the wire rope, each of the series of beads having a unique diameter;
in which each of the series of beads has a sequentially larger diameter progressing from the nearest of the series of beads to the first end to the nearest of the series of beads to the second end;
wherein the first wire rope is configured for attachment to a cable puller at its first end; and
wherein each of the series of beads is configured to expand an inner diameter of a crushed section of an underground lead pipe;
the method comprising:
disposing the first wire rope within an underground lead pipe having a crushed section;
attaching the first end of the first wire rope to a cable puller; and
with the cable puller, pulling the series of beads through the crushed section of pipe;
attaching a second wire rope to the second end of the first wire rope, wherein the second wire rope has a diameter of less than the diameter of the largest of the series of beads;
after the step of pulling the series of beads through the crushed section of pipe, pulling the second wire rope to the cable puller; and
thereafter, pulling the second wire rope with the cable puller to extract the underground lead pipe from the ground.

13. The method of claim 12 in which each of the series of beads comprises a surface which is at least partially frustoconical.

14. The method of claim 12 in which each of the series of beads is separated by at least six inches.

15. The method of claim 12 in which the series of beads comprises at least four beads.

Assignees

• Charles Machine Works

Inventors

• Crane Robert F
• Wentworth Steven W
• Randa Mark D

Classifications

• F16L1/06

  Accessories therefor, e.g. anchors · CPC title

• F16L55/165

  a pipe {or flexible liner} being inserted in the damaged section · CPC title

• E21B29/10

  Reconditioning of well casings, e.g. straightening · 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