The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 27, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 05, 2017
Vanderlans & Sons, Inc., Lodi, CA (US);
Eric G. VanderLans, Lodi, CA (US);
Nicholas A. Bettencourt, Lodi, CA (US);
Latruce Amos, Stockton, CA (US);
Vanderlans & Sons, Inc., Lodi, CA (US);
Abstract
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.