Mcelroy Manufacturing, Inc.

Other

Timothy Michael Thoman

James R Perrault

David W Porter

Bobby Lee Murray

Arthur H McElroy, Ii

Jason A Lawrence

Brian M O'Connell

Paul John Donaldson

William Barton Draeger

Brandon William Jackman

Seth P Ahrens

David Warren Porter

Arthur H Mcelroy

A fusion machine which can be top-loaded on very large polyolefin pipes and pipelines has jaws which consist of an upper half jaw and lower left and right complemental jaws which pivot on the half jaw. Left and right actuators connected between the complemental jaws and the half jaw operate in one direction to cause the complemental jaws to rotate to an opened condition in which the upper half jaw can be lowered onto and lifted from the pipes to be fused and in the other direction to cause the complemental jaws to rotate to a closed condition in which the pipes to be fused are gripped so substantially around their circumferences as to resist their deformation from round during manipulation by the machine. The top-loading machine minimizes the need for heavy equipment to load and unload pipe to and from the fusion machine.

Top-loading straddle-mounted pipe fusion machine

A facer facing the ends of polyolefin pipes for butt fusion is modular in the sense that it employs three types of modules, a drive unit, two blade holders and a motor assembly, that are separable from one another and each independently light enough to be hand-lifted along walls and up to ceilings. The drive unit module is adjustable to accommodate different guide rail spacings. The blade holder modules are interchangeable to accommodate different diameters of pipe. The motor assembly module has multispeed capability to accommodate the total area of material to be faced. Each module can be exchanged or modified without use of tools to change the geometry of the assembled facer to accommodate different fusion machines and/or diameters of pipe within working spaces dictated by the diameter of the pipe and not by a fixed geometry of a facer.

Facer for end fusion of polyolefin pipes

A seal obstructs the migration of particulates and precipitation into a pipe fusion chamber through its pipe stick entry and pipeline exit passages. Sheets of cloth serially overlap the anticipated center axis of a pipe stick/pipeline which will pass through the machine. The outer edge of each sheet is pleated and fixed to a frame contiguous with the perimeter of the passage and the inner edge of each sheet is gathered on an elastic band. When a face of a pipe stick/pipeline pushes the sheets away from the frame, the pleats and bands cooperate to allow the inner edges of the sheets to slide over the face and hug substantially the entire outer circumference of the pipe stick/pipeline.

Seal girding a stick of pipe or a pipeline in the entry or exit ports of a pipe fusion chamber

For use in loading heavy sticks of plastic pipe into a pipe fusion machine, a pipe storage rack with hydraulically powered pipe stick dispensers and stands allows sticks of pipe stored on the rack to roll gravitationally onto a rocking V-shaped dispenser cam disposed between the rack and the fusion machine loading path for one-stick-at-a-time loading onto powered track and roller stands which enable Cartesian manipulation of the stick into the fusion machine. The cam is adjustable to suit pipe stick diameters ranging from 20&#x2033; to 48&#x2033;. Many sticks can be stored at one time, releasing heavy lifting equipment and operators to work elsewhere. The process requires only one operator using a pendant controller and the pipe sticks are handled by heavy equipment only when being loaded onto the racks.

Rack type pipe feeder for a pipe fusion machine

Multiple embodiments of a manual tool, for ergonomic, controlled and variable application of rotary motion, torque, and or axial force to an object. One embodiment is comprised of three elongated members connected at their ends in a chain by two pivoted joints. The two outboard members each have an outboard end shaped for connecting to an object to be rotated and a rotatable handle. One way to use the tool is to grasp each handle with a hand; one hand holds the tool in axial alignment and engaged with the object to be rotated and the other hand orbits about the other handle. The three members can be fluidly positioned in a nearly straight Z, crank, L or in-line shape, so as to vary and control the speed, torque, and force. Either end of the tool may be used to rotate an object by swapping the tool end for end.

Manual dual end rotary driver of Z configuration

A heater for use in fusing the end of a branch polyolefin pipe to the side wall of a main polyolefin pipe of specified radius has a first plate with a convex outer surface definable as a surface generated by rotating a first straight line about a first parallel line of origin at a radius equal to the specified radius of the main pipe and a concave inner surface, a second plate with a concave outer surface definable as a surface generated by rotating a second straight line about a second parallel line of origin at a radius equal to the specified radius of the main pipe and a convex inner surface and a heating element of substantially constant thickness disposed in laminar relationship between the first and second plates, the inner surfaces of the plates being contoured so that, with the heating element in laminar relationship therebetween, the lines of origin of the outer surfaces of the plates lie a common plane. A linkage pivotally connected at one end to the fixed base of the machine and pivotally connected at another end to the moving carriage of the machine is cooperable with heater to disengage the heater from the molten branch or main pipe from which the heater does not first disengage as the molten branch pipe is moved away from the molten main pipe.

Growing community of inventors

Tulsa, OK, United States of America

Timothy Michael Thoman