Foster-miller, Inc.

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Gas Research Institute

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation

Allan T Fisk

David I Freed

Michael T Johnson

Hans A Hug

Thomas H Mann

Thomas A Mann

Nathan R Desmeule

Philip R Lichtman

Lance Lynn Andrus

David Hoadley

Scott Robert Albin

Stephen B Douglas

Charles Edwin Dean

Edward E Fischer

Linda T Ystueta

Gerald A Avarbock

John E Allen

Theodore J Kliszczewicz

Andrew J Kudarauskas

Joseph P Moore

Mark Snyder

Jonathan Hastie

Ross Olander

Thomas Tallone

Joseph Spector

Thomas P Brunsing

Michael L Robert

An end effector for a mobile, remotely controlled robot includes first and second fingers; each finger fixed to a gear segment for rotation therewith; and a drive subsystem driving the gear segments and the associated fingers between open and closed positions.

End effector for mobile remotely controlled robot

A weapon mount including a housing through which the weapon translates when fired, a conversion subsystem configured to convert translation of the weapon when fired into rotational motion, and a braking subsystem for resisting rotation of the conversion subsystem.

Weapon mount

A robot arm assembly a base unit with a shoulder assembly rotatably disposed on the base unit. A lower robot arm is pivotably attached to the shoulder assembly. An upper robot arm is pivotably attached to the lower robot arm. The base unit includes a first motor which rotates a main shaft fixed to the shoulder assembly to rotate the shoulder. A second motor in the base unit rotates a second shaft in the shoulder assembly extending through the main shaft to pivot the lower robot arm with respect to the shoulder.

Robot arm assembly

A mobile remotely controlled robot includes a robot platform and a robot arm maneuverable with respect to the robot platform. A housing is configured to be removably mounted to the robot arm. A sleeve is translatable with respect to the housing for receiving a weapon therein. There is a gear rack on the sleeve and a pinion gear, rotatably disposed in the housing, is engaged with the gear rack. A braking subsystem resists rotation of the pinion gear when the gear rack translates upon firing of the weapon.

A trailer and hitch system for a mobile robot. The trailer includes a front Ackerman steering linkage, a releasable locking mechanism for releasably positioning the Ackerman steering linkage in a turned position to arrest the trailer, a tow bar extending upwardly from the Ackerman steering linkage and terminating in a lunette ring, and spaced skid members extending downwardly and rearwardly. The mobile robot includes a hitch assembly for the lunette ring. The hitch assembly has a frame including a slot for the lunette ring and a guide portion for guiding the lunette ring into the slot, a latch pivotable with respect to the frame and biased to close the slot, and a decoupling mechanism configured to move the latch to release the lunette ring from the slot. A robot arm is maneuverable to engage the decoupling mechanism.

Trailer and hitch mechanism for a robot

Moling apparatus for forming a generally horizontal underground passage in soil for a utility conduit or the like includes tool head structure with a base portion and a nose portion mounted on the base portion such that an interface region is formed between nose portion and base portion surfaces. The base portion is movable along that interface relative to the nose portion between a first position in which nose portion surfaces are symmetrical with respect to the tool axis so that the tool will tend to move along a straight line path and a second position in which nose portion surfaces are in asymmetrical position with respect to the tool axis so that the tool will tend to move along a curved path. The apparatus includes structure for creating positive pressure during system operation in the interface region between the base portion and nose portion such that relative movement of the nose and base portions between the first and second positions is not significantly impaired.

Guided mole

An apparatus and method for sealing joints and leaks in pipes is provided. The apparatus is particularly useful for sealing leaking at joints in underground gas mains. A sealant applicator in the form of a push snake is provided which may be inserted into the pipe through a standard tap fitting. Thick or viscous sealant is pumped down through the snake and is thereafter applied radially outward to the inside surfaces of the pipe by a spinning applicator tip. Flaps may be attached to the spinning applicator tip so that the thick sealant is trowelled into place. The applicator tip may be rotated with compressed gas which may be compressed methane gas drawn from the gas main. A centralizer is preferably employed to centralize the applicator head in place during application of the sealant. The flaps may also be used to clean the pipe prior to the application of the sealant.

Apparatus and method for internally sealing pipes

A long range internal pipe inspection/maintenance system comprising an elongated, flexible push snake including an outer protective sleeve for insertion in the pipe and for carrying pipe inspection equipment, and a driven mechanism for applying tension to the snake to facilitate movement of the snake through the pipe to increase the snake inspection range.

Long range internal pipe inspection maintenance system

Boring apparatus for forming a generally horizontal underground passage in soil for a utility conduit or the like that includes a tool head with a base portion and a nose portion mounted on the base portion. The base portion is rotatable relative to the nose portion between a first position in which nose portion surfaces are symmetrical with respect to the tool axis so that the tool will move along a straight path and a second position in which nose portion surfaces are in asymmetrical position with respect to the tool axis so that said tool will move along a curved path. By application of torque to the base portion, the base portion is shifted relative to the nose portion to shift the tool head from between an asymmetrical configuration and symmetrical configuration. Torque generating surface structure interacts with the soil and generates clockwise torque in one tool head position and counter clockwise torque in the other tool head position.

Boring apparatus for forming a generally horizontal underground passage in soil for a utility conduit or the like that includes a tool head with a base portion and a nose portion mounted on the base portion. The nose portion is rotatable relative to the base portion between a first position in which nose portion surfaces are symmetrical with respect to the tool axis so that the tool will move along a straight path and a second position in which nose portion surfaces are in asymmetrical position with respect to the tool axis so that said tool will move along a curved path. By application of torque to the base portion, the base portion is shifted relative to the nose portion to shift the tool head from between an asymmetrical configuration and a symmetrical configuration.

Internal pipe inspection apparatus and an in-line pipe head are disclosed. The inspection apparatus is insertable into either a four inch or six inch pipeline through a standard service size opening. The apparatus includes a compact pipe head having a viewing assembly for imaging the interior of the pipe. The head is sized to pass through the standard lateral service opening, the opening being substantially less in size than the diameter of the pipe. A flexible steel snake is connected to the head for manually moving and rotating the head within the pipe once the head is positioned therein. The apparatus is intrinsically safe for inspection of a live natural gas main. Various centralizing member embodiments are disclosed for positioning the pipe head viewing assembly substantially concentric with the axis of the pipe.

Internal pipe inspection system

This invention is a new device for installing press fit couplings to join steel pipelines. This apparatus is a joining press which fits inside the pipes to be joined and grabs them on their inside surfaces. It then pulls the pipes together, forcing the pipe ends into the coupling. The invention is comprised of two hydraulically operated grippers to grip the pipe and a hydraulically operated cylinder to pull the pipes together. The entire press is controlled using only two hydraulic lines. The grippers can be retracted and the apparatus moved within the pipeline from one joint to the next.

Process of press fitting pipe sections together to form a pipeline

Positive seal coupling internal joining press

Tool for slitting and laterally expanding underground steel gas mains and inserting replacement plastic piping into the spread apart pipeline has a forward end cylindrical portion mounting a single, rearwardly angled blade to make only one line of cut, and a conical pipe spreader portion at its rearward end. The conical spreader portion is eccentrically disposed with respect to the forward end cylindrical portion. A single roller type pipe slitter aligned with the fixed blade may be mounted on a removable extension of the forward end cylindrical portion, to initially groove and weaken the pipe along the intended line of cut. A pneumatically operated impact ram is attached to the rearward end of the tool, as is the leading end of the replacement piping. A wire cable pulls the tool through the underground pipe, thereby grooving, slitting and laterally expanding the pipe. The spacing of the roller slitter in advance of the fixed knife blade is dimensionally related to the length of any coupling or clamp as may be anticipated along the line of cut, and the spacing distance of the fixed knife blade forwardly of the conical spreader portion is related to the cone angle of the latter to increase hoop tension immediately in front of the fixed blade as the cutting proceeds.

Pipe bursting and replacement method

Boring apparatus for forming a generally horizontal underground passage for a utility conduit or the like that includes a tool head with elongated body structure and a cutting face of ellipto-conical form at one end of the elongated body structure. The cutting face has a major axis and a minor axis and cutting bit structure is fixed to and projects forwardly from the cutting face and extends substantially the full width of the cutting face generally along the major axis. The tool head also includes coupling structure for attaching the tool head to a drill string such that the cutting tool face is offset from the drill string axis. Structure in the cutting face defines a cutting fluid orifice adjacent the cutting bit structure for directing a high velocity jet of cutting fluid forwardly of the cutting tool face. The tool body is adapted to be advanced and concurrently driven in rotation to move the cutting face in orbital boring action about the drill string axis to bore an underground passage and to be advanced without rotation to produce a change in direction of the underground passage in the direction of offset from the drill string axis.

Growing community of inventors

Needham, MA, United States of America

Allan T Fisk