Brooklyn Union Gas

Brooklyn Union Gas Co.

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Gerald Rockower

Joseph J Marazzo

John H Cohen

Gerard T Pittard

Curtis E Leitko, Jr

Terry P Clifton

Ronald P Brigando

An apparatus and method for supporting pipe main repair tools in an excavation while repairs are being made requires only exposure of the top surface of a buried main and utilizes an anchoring system installed in or above the excavation and an elongate support member that spans the excavation in a generally horizontal position above the pipe main and supports an elongate tubular seal tube against the exposed surface of the pipe main. The elongate support member is secured and supported at opposite ends on the ground surface on opposed sides of the excavation by a pair of parallel laterally spaced shoring members firmly engaged on opposed sides of the excavation, or by a pair of parallel laterally spaced anchor plates firmly engaged on the ground surface on opposed sides of the excavation. The bottom end of the elongate tubular seal tube is engaged on the exterior of the pipe main and an adjustable clamping assembly mounted on the support member supports the seal tube in selective radially extending positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe main. A jack mechanism between the seal tube and the adjustable clamping assembly on the support member forces the seal tube downward to seal against the pipe main. Various tools may be passed through the interior of the seal tube to perform operations on the pipe main.

Apparatus and method for supporting pipe main repair tools in an

An apparatus and method for shutting off fluid flow in a pipe main while repairs are being made requires only exposure of the top surface of a buried main and utilizes an anchor system installed in or above the excavation which supports an elongate tubular seal tube against the exposed surface of the main to extend radially therefrom. A jack mechanism compresses the lower end of the seal tube containing a seal member against the exterior surface of the main. A tubular cutting tool installed inside the seal tube is rotated by an air motor to cut a hole in the side wall of the main. A tubular sealant application tool installed inside the seal tube has a nozzle at its bottom end that sprays liquid sealant material onto the interior surface of the main and is then removed. A tubular bladder deployment tool installed inside the seal tube carries a pair of deflated bladders. The bladders are deployed from the deployment tool in opposed direction into the interior of the main along the longitudinal axis of the main and are then inflated to expand and form a seal to shut off fluid flow in the main. After repairs have been made, the bladders are deflated and retracted and the bladder deployment tool is removed. A tubular thread tapping and plugging tool is installed inside the seal tube and rotated to form threads in the cut hole and then removed and then installed again to secure a threaded plug into the hole. After the hole has been plugged, the seal tube is removed.

Apparatus and method for shutting off fluid flow in a pipe main

A cutting/expanding tool includes a cylindrical support body having a guide side and a cutting side, a pair of guide rollers mounted in tandem along the longitudinal axis of the support body on the guide side, a cutting wheel mounted between the tandem guide rollers on the cutting side of the support body, and an expander connected rearwardly of the support body. A plurality of cutting wheels may also be provided, each of progressively increasing diameter. A scoring wheel may be mounted forwardly of the cutting wheels to prescore the surface to be cut, so as to facilitate the cutting action, and a deburrer may be mounted rearwardly of all the cutting wheels so as to smooth the cut edge. A method of using the cutting/expanding tool is also described, whereby after the tool has been propelled through a buried main to cut and to expand it, a replacement main is drawn back through the existing main. A conical, wedge or pie shaped expander may be used.

Cutting/expanding tool

A cutting/expanding tool includes a cylindrical support body having a guide side and a cutting side, a pair of guide rollers mounted in tandem along the longitudinal axis of the support body on the guide side, a cutting wheel mounted between the tandem guide rollers on the cutting side of the support body, and an expander connected rearwardly of the support body. A plurality of cutting wheels may also be provided, each of progressively increasing diameter. A scoring wheel may be mounted forwardly of the cutting wheels to prescore the surface to be cut, so as to facilitate the cutting action, and a deburrer may be mounted rearwardly of all the cutting wheels so as to smooth the cut edge. A method of using the cutting/expanding tool is also described, whereby after the tool has been propelled through a buried main to cut and to expand it, a replacement main is drawn back through the existing main. A conical or wedge shaped expander may be used.

A cutting/expanding tool includes a cylindrical support body having a guide side and a cutting side, a pair of guide rollers mounted in tandem along the longitudinal axis of the support body on the guide side, a cutting wheel mounted between the tandem guide rollers on the cutting side of the support body, and an expander connected rearwardly of the support body. A plurality of cutting wheels may also be provided, each of progressively increasing diameter. A scoring wheel may be mounted forwardly of the cutting wheels to prescore the surface to be cut, so as to facilitate the cutting action, and a deburrer may be mounted rearwardly of all the cutting wheels so as to smooth the cut edge. A method of using the cutting/expanding tool is also described, whereby after the tool has been propelled through a buried main to cut and to expand it, a replacement main is drawn back through the existing main.

A liquid removal system particularly adapted to remove water from a gas main. The system includes the combination of highly flexible, low-friction tube fitted with an internal stainless steel stiffener, this assembly having a weighted nose guide to ensure that the assembly remains at the bottom of the gas main. The assembly is inserted into the gas main through a tap hole using an insertion guide to ensure that the assembly is inserted at a proper angle into the gas main.

Liquid removal system

Process and apparatus for plugging or plugging and servering gas service lines may be deployed from a building without requiring access to either the utility service main or main tee connections. The processes are intended to be undertaken while gas is being supplied to the service. The apparatus also allows service lines to be relined under these conditions without requiring direct access to either the utility service main or main tee connections.

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Brooklyn, NY, United States of America

Gerald Rockower