Vanderlans & Sons, Inc.

Other

Eric G VanderLans

Nicholas A Bettencourt

Gerald J Vanderlans

Stephen L Thomas

Victor F Schuh

Latruce Amos

A sleeve is provided with an upstream end a downstream end each fitted with inflatable bladders. Rigid rings are provided inboard of these inflatable bladders to keep the sleeve open when the bladders are expanded against a surface of a fluid transport line. The ends of the sleeve preferably include cuffs thereon with the rings residing within these cuffs. Spreader bars can be provided between the rings at the upstream and downstream ends of the sleeves, to keep the sleeve in an elongated form. Sleeve support trolleys can be provided for supporting the sleeve and resisting sagging thereof at points between ends of the sleeve. Portions of the rings and sleeve support trolley can be collapsible to facilitate placement through limited size entry ports into the fluid transport line. Flow thus continues through the sleeve while maintenance is done on portions of the fluid line adjacent to the sleeve.

Bypass bridge for fluid lines

The plug includes a rigid tapering frustum with an upstream end having a larger diameter than a downstream end. A bladder is located outboard of the frustum and preferably fastened to the frustum. The bladder preferably has a toroidal form. A fluid fill system extends into an interior of the bladder to provide fluid for inflating or deflating the bladder. When the bladder is inflated with fluid passing into the interior, an outer wall of the bladder is expanded against a wall of a pipe where the plug is located, to hold the plug in place. As pipeline fluid forces act downstream on the frustum of the plug, the frustum moves slightly downstream, exerting a radial force through the bladder and against the wall of the pipe, so that pressure within the pipe and upstream of the plug enhances radial force with which the bladder engages the pipe wall.

Frustum plugs for pipelines

A lateral packer and felt combination are disclosed for use in efficiently inhibiting infiltration into or out of a pipeline. The lateral packer is inflated and expands radially to secure the felt at the source of infiltration. Once the felt is secured, the lateral packer is removed and the felt left in place as a barrier to infiltration.

Growing community of inventors

Lodi, CA, United States of America

Eric G VanderLans