|Publication number||US7426941 B2|
|Application number||US 11/831,646|
|Publication date||Sep 23, 2008|
|Filing date||Jul 31, 2007|
|Priority date||Apr 4, 2005|
|Also published as||CA2603434A1, CA2603434C, DE602006006300D1, EP1866893A2, EP1866893B1, US7306011, US7588054, US20060219311, US20080016952, US20090041545, WO2006107461A2, WO2006107461A3|
|Publication number||11831646, 831646, US 7426941 B2, US 7426941B2, US-B2-7426941, US7426941 B2, US7426941B2|
|Inventors||Larry W. Kiest, Jr.|
|Original Assignee||Lmk Enterprises, Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (10), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (1), Classifications (16), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/098,075 filed Apr. 4, 2005, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for lateral pipe identification.
In the repair of pipe lines, a TV camera is moved through the main line pipe to the place to be repaired. Often these repairs are needed at junctions between the main line pipe and the lateral pipes coming from each house.
Identification from the inside of the main line pipe is very difficult. Many laterals have multiple bends, and it is difficult to identify which lateral junction relates to which house or lateral pipe.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for lateral pipe identification.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for lateral pipe identification which permits a camera within the main line pipe to photograph the identification indicia for each lateral pipe.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for lateral pipe identification which can be easily visible from the interior of the main line pipe.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for lateral pipe identification which is simple, economical, and easy to install.
The foregoing objects may be achieved by an apparatus and a method for identifying a plurality of lateral pipes, each of which form a junction with a main pipe. The method comprises taking a main and lateral liner assembly having an interior surface and an exterior surface and being comprised of material that can be impregnated with a liquid that is capable of curing and hardening. The interior surface of the liner assembly is marked with identifying indicia corresponding to one of the junctions of one of the lateral sewer pipes with the main sewer pipe. The liner assembly is then moved within the main sewer pipe with the exterior surface of the liner assembly facing the main sewer pipe. The liner assembly is positioned within the main sewer pipe so that the identifying indicia corresponding to the one junction of the lateral sewer pipe with the main sewer pipe is adjacent the one junction.
According to another feature of the present invention, a camera is moved within the main sewer pipe adjacent the identifying indicia and is used to view the identifying indicia and transmit the identifying indicia to a position above ground where the identifying indicia can be read.
According to another feature of the present invention, the interior surface of the line assembly is marked with a plurality of spaced apart indicia. Each of the plurality of indicia correspond to a different one of the plurality of junctions. The liner assembly is moved within the main sewer pipe to a position wherein each of the plurality of spaced apart indicia is positioned adjacent one of the plurality of junctions corresponding thereto.
According to another feature of the present invention, the liner assembly includes a main liner and the method comprises moving the main liner within the main sewer pipe to a position adjacent the junction of the lateral sewer pipe to the main sewer pipe.
According to another feature of the present invention, the method comprises inverting the main liner during the moving step or pulling the main liner in place.
According to another feature of the present invention, the liner assembly is T or Y shaped, and includes a main liner and a lateral liner. The method comprises moving the lateral liner within one of the later sewer pipes and moving the main liner within the main sewer pipe.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a liner assembly within the main sewer pipe. The liner assembly includes an exterior surface that faces the main sewer pipe and an interior surface that faces in an inner radial direction. The liner assembly is impregnated with a cured hardened material that imparts rigidity to the liner assembly. The interior surface of the liner assembly forms a hollow bore within the main pipe line. Identifying indicia are on the interior surface of the liner assembly corresponding to the lateral sewer pipe. The identifying indicia are visible from inside the hollow bore of the liner assembly.
According to another feature of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a liner assembly having a lateral liner within the lateral sewer pipe and a main liner within the main sewer pipe.
The numeral 18 refers to a T-shaped or Y-shaped liner assembly comprising a main liner 20 and a lateral liner 22. As can be seen in
Identifying indicia 24 are printed on the interior surface of the main liner 20. While it is preferably that these identifying indicia 24 be placed in the main liner, it is also possible that they could be placed within the interior surface of the lateral liner 22, but preferably they should be visible from the main line 10. The identifying indicia 24 may be the address of the house from which the lateral line 12 extends, or could be other identifying indicia.
The numeral 26 refers to a mobile camera 26 having wheels 28 which engage the interior walls of main pipe line 10. Camera 26 includes a lens 30 which may be rotated so as to view the identifying indicia 24. A cable 32 is connected to the camera 26. Robotic cameras 26 are commonly used in the repair of pipe lines. Thus it is possible to by virtue of the lens 30 to view the identifying indicia 24 and determine which lateral liner 12 is being repaired. This is an important ability in the repair of lateral pipe lines because it is difficult from the interior of the main pipe 10 to ascertain which particular lateral liner 12 is joined with the main liner 10. Use of the identifying indicia 24 facilitates this identification.
After the resin or other fluid material cures and hardens, the bladders 34, 36 are removed and the canister 38 is also removed to leave the liner assembly 18 in the position shown in
Shown schematically on the interior surface of the liner assembly 65 are a first identifying indicia 82 and a second identifying indicia 84. These identifying indicia 82, 84 invert outwardly so as to be on the interior surface of the liner assembly 65 after they are inverted. Identifying indicia are positioned so as to be aligned with and correspond to the first lateral sewer pipe 62 and the second lateral sewer pipe 64 respectively.
It is usually necessary to cut openings in the main liner assembly 65 adjacent the entry points of first lateral liner 62 and second lateral liner 64. However, the identifying indicia 82, 84 are positioned so as to continue to identify the locations of the first lateral liner 62 and the second lateral liner 64 respectively. Thus it is possibly by means of a camera such as shown in
The present invention contemplates numerous variations, options, and alternatives. For example, a main liner with markings can be installed and then a lateral liner can later be installed. Alternatively, there need not be a main liner, but only a lateral liner with markings where the markings in the lateral liner can be viewed from the main or from the lateral. The present invention provides for either inverting a main liner or pulling-in-place. The present invention provides for using a deformed plastic pipe and reforming it, using a stainless steel pipe, or using another alternative to a liner assembly being impregnated with a cured hardened material to impart rigidity. These and other variations, options, and alternatives are well within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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|1||LMK Enterprises, Inc., International Search Report, PCT/US2006/006864 filed Feb. 27, 2006.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US20120006440 *||Jul 8, 2010||Jan 12, 2012||Lmk Enterprises, Inc.||Apparatus and method for lining a pipe junction|
|U.S. Classification||138/98, 405/150.1, 138/104, 138/97, 264/267, 264/516, 405/184.2, 156/287|
|Cooperative Classification||F16L55/1651, G09F3/0295, F16L2201/60, F16L55/179|
|European Classification||F16L55/179, F16L55/165B, G09F3/02E|
|Mar 14, 2012||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jul 17, 2012||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: LMK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LMK ENTERPRISES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:028571/0118
Effective date: 20120713
|Nov 6, 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8