Method of joining pipes in a hostile environment

Claim 2

In a method for joining the ends of two work pipes in a generally hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: loosely mounting work couplings on each of said pipe ends; constructing a model positionally representative of said pipe ends and couplings; manipulating said model couplings to the mating position for joining said model pipe ends; manipulating said work pipe ends and work couplings in said hostile environment to the same mating position as said model pipe ends and couplings; and, joining said pipe ends in said hostile environment by securing said work couplings together and to said pipe ends.

Claim 3

The invention as claimed in claim 1 including: measuring the maximum and minimum gap intervals between said work pipe ends; and, locating the relative position of said gap intervals with respect to the vertical.

Claim 4

The invention as claimed in claim 1 including: aligning said work pipe ends and couplings whereby the central axes of said work pipes intersect; and, rotating at least one of said work couplings about the axis of the pipe on which said coupling is mounted.

Claim 5

The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein said joining step includes: rigidly affixing said work couplings together; and, rigidly affixing each of said work couplings to the pipe on which said coupling is mounted.

Claim 6

In a method for joining the ends of two pipes located in a generally hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: loosely mounting mating work couplings on each of said pipe ends, each of said work couplings having bias flange means thereabout and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced indicia thereabout; orienting said pipe ends to a position wherein the centerline axes thereof intersect; measuring the maximum and minimum gap intervals between said pipe ends; determining the relative position of one of said gap intervals relative to the vertical; constructing a model representative of the positional relationship of said work pipe ends at a remote location, said model including a pair of spaced apart model pipe ends, with each of said model pipe ends having a model coupling mounted thereon and with each of said model couplings having indicia and bias flange means thereon representative of the indicia and bias flange means on said work couplings; moving said model couplings to the mating position on said model ends; reading the positional relationship of said indicia on said model couplings in said mating position relative to each other and to the vertical; moving said work couplings to the position wherein the indicia thereon assume the same relative positional relationship as the indicia on said model couplings in said mating position, to thereby mate said work couplings; and, rigidly attaching said work bias flange means together and said work couplings to said pipe ends to complete the joining of said pipe ends.

Claim 7

In a method for joining the ends of two pipes located in a generally hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: loosely mounting mating work couplings on each of said pipe ends, each of said work couplings having bias flange means thereabout and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced indicia thereabout; orienting said pipe ends to a position wherein the centerline axes thereof intersect; measuring the maximum and minimum gap intervals between said pipe ends; determining the relative position of one of said gap intervals relative to the vertical; constructing a model representative of the positional relationship of said work pipe ends at a remote location, said model including a pair of spaced apart model pipe ends, with each of said model pipe ends having a model coupling mounted thereon and with each of said model couplings having indicia and bias flange means thereon representative of the indicia and bias flange means on said work couplings; moving said model couplings to the mating position on said model ends; reading the positional relationship of said indicia on said model couplings in said mating position relative to each other and to the vertical; moving said work couplings to the position wherein the indicia thereon assume the same relative positional relationship as the indicia on said model couplings in said mating position, to thereby mate said work couplings; and, rigidly attaching said work bias flange means together and said work couplings to said pipe ends to complete the joining of said pipe ends.

Claim 8

The invention as claimed in claim 5 wherein: said step of determining said vertical relationship includes placing a round object inside one of said pipe ends, whereby gravity causes said object to roll to the bottom position, to thereby indicate said vertical relationship.

Claim 9

The invention as claimed in claim 5 wherein said moving step includes: rotating at least one of said work couplings about the axis of the pipe on which said coupling is mounted and moving said work couplings axially together.

Claim 10

The invention as claimed in claim 5 including: communicating data concerning said minimum and maximum gap intervals of said work pipe ends and the relationship thereof to the vertical to said remote location; and, communicating data concerning said positional relationship of said indicia on said mated model couplings from said remote location to said hostile environment.

Claim 11

In a method for coupling the ends of two work pipes in a hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: engaging work coupling means with each of said pipes, each of said coupling means having a body portion for mounting over the end of one of said pipes and a flange portion lying in a plane which is intersected by the central axis of said body portion such that the minor angle of said intersection is less than 90*; aligning said work pipe ends whereby the central axes of said pipes intersect; constructing a positional model of said two pipes and associated coupling means at a remote location; measuring the lowest vertical point on the circumference of one of said work pipe ends; measuring the distance between the maximum and minimum proximate points of said circumferences of said work pipe ends; communicating data concerning the relative positions of said pipe ends to said remote location; manipulating said model pipe ends and coupling means to a position representative of said work pipe ends and associated work coupling means; rotating said coupling means of said model whereby the planes of said flange portions of said model coupling means are parallel; communicating information of the relative positions of said model coupling means in mating position to said hostile environment location; rotating said coupling means in said hostile environment in accordance with the information received in said communication step, whereby said flanges of said work coupling means occupy a mating position; joining said mating flanges; and, rigidly affixing said coupling means to said pipe ends, whereby said pipe ends are rigidly coupled to each other.

Claim 12

In a method for coupling the ends of two work pipes in a hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: engaging work coupling means with each of said pipes, each of said coupling means having a body portion for mounting over the end of one of said pipes and a flange portion lying in a plane which is intersected by the central axis of said body portion such that the minor angle of said intersection is less than 90*; aligning said work pipe ends whereby the central axes of said pipes intersect; constructing a positional model of said two pipes and associated coupling means at a remote location; measuring the lowest vertical point on the circumference of one of said work pipe ends; measuring the distance between the maximum and minimum proximate points of said circumferences of said work pipe ends; communicating data concerning the relative positions of said pipe ends to said remote location; manipulating said model pipe ends and coupling means to a position representative of said work pipe ends and associated work coupling means; rotating said coupling means of said model whereby the planes of said flange portions of said model coupling means are parallel; communicating information of the relative positions of said model coupling means in mating position to said hostile environment location; rotating said coupling means in said hostile environment in accordance with the information received in said communication step, whereby said flanges of said work coupling means occupy a mating position; joining said mating flanges; and, rigidly affixing said coupling means to said pipe ends, whereby said pipe ends are rigidly coupled to each other.

Claim 13

In a method of joining the ends of two work pipes in a generally hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: loosely mounting work coupling means on each of said pipe ends; temporarily attaching to each of said pipe ends an apparatus providing a physical representation of the center lines of said pipes; manipulating said pipes until said representation apparatus indicates that the axes of said pipes intersect; removing said representation apparatus; manipulating said work coupling means to mating positions; and, joining said pipe ends by securing said work coupling means together and to said pipe ends.

Claim 14

In a method of joining the ends of two work pipes in a generally hostile environment, the combination of steps comprising: loosely mounting work coupling means on each of said pipe ends; temporarily attaching to each of said pipe ends an apparatus providing a physical representation of the center lines of said pipes; manipulating said pipes until said representation apparatus indicates that the axes of said pipes intersect; removing said representation apparatus; manipulating said work coupling means to mating positions; and, joining said pipe ends by securing said work coupling means together and to said pipe ends.

Claim 15

In a pipe coupling simulator for use in joining two work pipes the center lines of which may not be coincidental, but which may be arranged to intersect, the combination comprising: a support base; a pair of longitudinally spaced apart pipe supports mounted on said base; a model pipe articulatedly connected to and supported by each of said supports, with said connections being arranged to permit movement of said model pipes to positions of having intersecting center lines throughout a range of angles; and a model coupling slidably mounted over each of said model pipes, with each of said couplings having a tilted flange connected thereto and a series of individually discrete symbols provided circumferentially thereabout, whereby said model couplings can be rotated and slidably moved together to mating positions throughout a plurality of said centerline angles and whereby the relative positions of said series of symbols with respect to each other may be monitored for use in connecting said work pipes.

Claim 16

In a pipe coupling simulator for use in joining two work pipes the center lines of which may not be coincidental, but which may be arranged to intersect, the combination comprising: a support base; a pair of longitudinally spaced apart pipe supports mounted on said base; a model pipe articulatedly connected to and supported by each of said supports, with said connections being arranged to permit movement of said model pipes to positions of having intersecting center lines throughout a range of angles; and a model coupling slidably mounted over each of said model pipes, with each of said couplings having a tilted flange connected thereto and a series of individually discrete symbols provided circumferentially thereabout, whereby said model couplings can be rotated and slidably moved together to mating positions throughout a plurality of said centerline angles and whereby the relative positions of said series of symbols with respect to each other may be monitored for use in connecting said work pipes.