British Gas Plc

Bg Corporation

Dudley Trevor Dickson

Mohammed Yunis Aziz

Colin Cochrane

Installing a pipe in an existing pipeline

A corrugated plastic service pipe 20 is inserted together with a flexible guide assembly 22 through an accessible end 11 of a steel service pipe 14, 10, which extends from the end 11 to a main 18. The flexible guide assembly 22 comprises a flexible guide element 24 and a flexible spring guide 26. The element 24 extends through a nose-piece 32 having an outer part secured to the pipe 20 and an inner part 36. The spring guide 26 carries a sensor 60 at its tip which emits a signal when the sensor enters the main 18. When the pipe 20 is correctly positioned fluid sealant 70 is injected into the space between the pipe 20 and the pipe 14, 10. When the sealant has solidified sufficiently, the guide assembly 22 is withdrawn through the pipe 20, the inner part 36 being separated from the outer part 34 to allow withdrawal of the spring guide 26.

Apparatus for assisting in the insertion of an elongate plastic pipe

A sensor for use in installing a plastic service pipe inside a steel service pipe connected to a main includes a flexible element which is fed through the steel pipe and through the plastic pipe. The element has at its remote end two light-emitting diodes and two photoconductive cells. The flexible element and the pipe are fed together into the steel pipe. The sensor indicates when the cells have entered the main because the intensity of the light reflected to the cells falls to a low value and gives an audible or visual signal. This also indicates that the end of the plastic pipe which carries a seal is positioned correctly and that sealant can be injected into the space between the steel pipe and the plastic pipe. After the sealant has set the sensor can be recovered by withdrawal through the noise-piece and through the pipe.

Flexible guide assembly for facilitating placement of an elongate

Sensor apparatus 18 for use in a plastic service pipe 16 inside a steel service pipe 10 connected to a main consists of a flexible element 42 which is fed through the steel pipe 10 and through the plastic pipe 16. The element 42 has at its remote end two light-emitting diodes 80 and two photoconductive cells 82 The flexible element 42 and the pipe 16 are fed together into the steel pipe 10. The sensor apparatus 18 indicates when the cells 82 have entered the main 14 because the intensity of the light reflected to the cells 82 falls to a low value and gives an audible or visual signal. This also indicates that the end of the plastic pipe 16 which carries a seal 38 is positioned correctly and that sealant 30 can be injected into the space between the steel pipe 10 and the plastic pipe 16 and is detected by a second light sensor arrangement 154/156. After the sealant 30 has been injected the sensor apparatus 18 can be recovered by withdrawal through the nose-piece 32 and through the pipe 10.

Growing community of inventors

Whitley Bay, United Kingdom

Dudley Trevor Dickson