Mueller International, LLC

James Webber

Mohammad Unnus Qasim

A pipe stopper includes an expandable stopper body defining a stopper cavity and configurable in an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration; a pressure assembly comprising a pressure housing and a piston, the piston slidably engaged with a housing cavity of the pressure housing, the piston operatively connected to the expandable stopper body; and a locking assembly comprising a locking ring movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, wherein the locking ring is configured to engage the expandable stopper body in the locked configuration to prohibit contraction of the expandable stopper body and to secure the pipe stopper in the expanded configuration.

Expandable pipe stopper

A method of using a pipe stopper to stop fluid flow through a pipeline includes providing the pipe stopper, the pipe stopper comprising an expandable stopper body and a pressure assembly, the expandable stopper body configurable in an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration, the pressure assembly configurable in an open configuration and a closed configuration and comprising a housing cavity; lowering the expandable stopper body of the pipe stopper into a pipe channel of the pipeline in the contracted configuration; orienting the pressure assembly in the open configuration, wherein an upper portion of the housing cavity is in fluid communication with an atmosphere external to the pipeline and a lower portion of the housing cavity is in fluid communication with the pipe channel; and biasing the expandable stopper body to the expanded configuration to block fluid flow through the pipe channel.

Method of using a pipe stopper

A pipe stopper includes an expandable stopper body defining a stopper cavity and configurable in an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration; a pressure assembly comprising a pressure housing and a piston, the piston slidably engaged with a housing cavity of the pressure housing, the piston operatively connected to the expandable stopper body; and a locking assembly comprising a locking rod and a locking device, a lower end of the locking rod disposed within the housing cavity, the locking rod further comprising a rod engagement mechanism, the locking device comprising a locking engagement mechanism; wherein the locking device is configurable in a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, and wherein, in the locked configuration, the locking engagement mechanism engages the rod engagement mechanism to lock the expandable stopper body in the expanded configuration.

Pipe stopper

A pipe stopper assembly includes a stopper fitting defining a fitting channel, the stopper fitting configured to be mounted to a pipeline; and a pipe stopper positioned in the fitting channel and comprising an expandable stopper body and a pressure assembly, the expandable stopper body configurable in an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration, the pressure assembly configurable in an open configuration and a closed configuration; wherein, in the open configuration, the expandable stopper body is biased to the expanded configuration, and in the closed configuration, the expandable stopper body is biased to the contracted configuration; and wherein, in the expanded configuration, fluid is prohibited from flowing through the fitting channel, and in the contracted configuration, fluid is permitted to flow through the fitting channel.

Pipe stopper assembly

A pipe stopper includes an expandable stopper body defining a stopper cavity and configurable in an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration; a pressure assembly comprising a pressure housing and a piston, the piston slidably engaged with a housing cavity of the pressure housing, the piston operatively connected to the expandable stopper body; and a valve stem define a stem fluid pathway, the valve stem movable between an open position and a closed position; wherein, in the open position, the stem fluid pathway is in fluid communication with the housing cavity and the expandable stopper body is movable to the expanded configuration, and in the closed configuration, the stem fluid pathway is not in fluid communication with the housing cavity and the expandable stopper body is movable to the contracted configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Decatur, IL, United States of America

James Webber