Apparatus for corrugating and compressing a tubular material

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CORRUGATING AND COMPRESSING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF FLEXIBLE TUBING, WHICH COMPRISES: A HOUSING OF NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL DEFINING A CENTRAL ELONGATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR INJECTING A GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID GAS BEING INJECTED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CHAMBER AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH; A PISTON SLIDABLY DISPOSED WITHIN A SECTION OF SAID CHAMBER ANTERIOR TO SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS; MEANS TO MAGNETICALLY SUSPEND SAID PISTION CENCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SO AS TO FORM A ANNULAR OPENING BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID PISTON SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF THE TUBING AROUND SAID PISTON; AND MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID PISTON WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FROM AN ADVANCED POSITION PROXIMATE SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS TO A WITHDRAWN POSITION REARWARD THEREOF; WHEREBY, WITH THE PISTON IN THE REARWARD POSITION, THE TUBING PASSING THROUGH SAID CHAMBER IS INWARDLY DISTENDED BY THE EXTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE GAS ENTERING INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND WHEREIN THE PISTON IN MOVING FROM A REARWARD TO AN ADVANCED POSITION SIMULTANEOUSLY (1) LONGITUDINALLY COMPRESSES THE INWARDLY DISTENDED SECTION OF THE TUBING TO FORM A RADICAL CORRUGATION IN THE TUBING, (2) FORCES THE COMPRESSED CORRUGATED TUBING INTO THE SECTION OF THE CHAMBER POSTERIOR TO SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS, AND (3) ADVANCES THE TUBING INTO SAID CHAMBER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CORRUGATING AND COMPRESSING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF FLEXIBLE TUBING, WHICH COMPRISES: A HOUSING OF NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL DEFINING A CENTRAL ELONGATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR INJECTING A GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID GAS BEING INJECTED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CHAMBER AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH; A PISTON SLIDABLY DISPOSED WITHIN A SECTION OF SAID CHAMBER ANTERIOR TO SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS; MEANS TO MAGNETICALLY SUSPEND SAID PISTION CENCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SO AS TO FORM A ANNULAR OPENING BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID PISTON SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF THE TUBING AROUND SAID PISTON; AND MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID PISTON WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FROM AN ADVANCED POSITION PROXIMATE SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS TO A WITHDRAWN POSITION REARWARD THEREOF; WHEREBY, WITH THE PISTON IN THE REARWARD POSITION, THE TUBING PASSING THROUGH SAID CHAMBER IS INWARDLY DISTENDED BY THE EXTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE GAS ENTERING INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND WHEREIN THE PISTON IN MOVING FROM A REARWARD TO AN ADVANCED POSITION SIMULTANEOUSLY (1) LONGITUDINALLY COMPRESSES THE INWARDLY DISTENDED SECTION OF THE TUBING TO FORM A RADICAL CORRUGATION IN THE TUBING, (2) FORCES THE COMPRESSED CORRUGATED TUBING INTO THE SECTION OF THE CHAMBER POSTERIOR TO SAID GAS INJECTION MEANS, AND (3) ADVANCES THE TUBING INTO SAID CHAMBER.