The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Lawrence Irwin

John C Matthews

Paul T Anderson

Charles E Paugh

A vacuum sealing device includes a plug which is thrust into the port of an insulated steam injection tubing for closing an annular space of the tubing which confines a vacuum. The plug is mounted for movement within a first mounting element and for movement within a bellows having an end connected to the first mounting element. A second mounting element is connected to the opposite end of the bellows and carries a rod which is fixed to the plug. By moving the two mounting elements together, the bellows is compressed and the plug is thrust by movement of the rod. The first mounting element is connected to an upper clamping section which cooperates with a lower clamping section to engage around a tubular to be plugged. The upper section can be correctly centered with its plug over the port of the tubular by momentarily compressing the bellows to extend the plug. The plug is provided with a shank portion and a breakable tab for breaking the plug away from the shank portion. The shank portion is connected to the rod so that after the plug is seated in the port the rod, its mounting elements and the clamp section can be removed from the insulated steam injection tubing.

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, OH, United States of America

Lawrence Irwin