Pipe thread protector

Claim 2

A pneumatically actuated pipe thread protector comprising, in combination: a relatively rigid annular boot made of a rubberlike resilient material, said boot including two spaced apart abutment means for supporting and aligning said thread protector with a relatively loose fit about a portion of a pipe to be protected and forming an annular groove in the interior of said protector, one of said abutment means including an annular lip disposed to abut the end of a pipe being protected and limit the movement of said thread protector along the axis of said pipe, said annular lip extending inwardly toward the center of the pipe substantially no further than the thickness of the end wall of the pipe and the inwardly facing edge of said lip forming a circular opening substantially no smaller than the openings in the end of the pipe to be protected so that said opening in the end of said pipe is left substantially unobstructed when the protector is mounted on the pipe; said boot further including at least two openings each extending through the outer wall of said protector; an inflatable tube mounted in said annular groove, said tube adapted to surround said protected portion and inflatable to and deflatable from a position wherein said tube frictionally engages said portion with a relatively tight fit; a first valve means extending from the interior of said tube and into one of said openings and being substantially recessed within said opening for permitting introduction of air into said inflatable tube; a second valve means extending from the interior of said tube and into another of said openings for permitting removal of air from said inflatable tube whereby said protector may be rapidly placed about said portion to be protected, inflated to frictionally grip said portion, and rapidly deflated to release said grip for removal from said portion; and a band of pliable reinforcing material disposed in said boot between said annular groove and the outside wall of said boot for restraining substantial movement of said boot away from said protected portion when air is introduced into said inflatable tube.

Claim 3

The thread protector of claim 1 wherein said second valve means is a valve stem that is externally threaded and includes a cap screwed onto said valve stem and a release button mounted in said cap.

Claim 4

The thread protector of claim 1 wherein said boot is formed so that all externally exposed corners and edges are rounded.

Claim 5

The pipe thread protector of claim 1 wherein said inflatable tube is a circular donut shaped member and includes an air chamber between a relatively thick inner wall and a relatively thin outer wall, said relatively thick inner wall being disposed to frictionally grip the threads to be protected when the protector is mounted on the end of a pipe and having a substantially larger cross-sectional area tHan said air chamber, and the relatively thick inner wall being substantially thicker than twice the thickness of said relatively thin outer wall.

Claim 6

A pneumatically actuated pipe thread protector comprising, in combination: an annular boot made of a rubber-like moldable material and having its outer edges rounded, said boot including an inward facing wall tapered along at least a substantial portion of its length and defining a central opening through the protector into which the portion of the pipe to be protected can be passed with a relatively loose fit, the taper of such wall being such that the diameter of the central opening is largest at the end of said protector into which the end of the pipe to be protected is passed; an annular lip formed on the end of said protector opposite the end into which the pipe to be protected is passed, said annular lip disposed to abut the end of the pipe to be protected and prevent the passage of such pipe entirely through said protector, said annular lip extending inwardly toward the center of said pipe substantially no further than the thickness of the end wall of the pipe and the inwardly facing edge of said lip forming a circular opening substantially no smaller than the opening in the end of the pipe to be protected so that said opening in the end of the pipe is left substantially unobstructed when the protector is mounted on the pipe; an annular air cavity formed in the boot for receiving air to permit the movement of at least a portion of said inward facing wall towards the pipe to be protected so that said movable portion frictionally engages said threads with a relatively tight fit, said boot further including at least two valve passageways each extending from said air cavity through an outward facing wall of said boot; a first valve means for introducing air into said cavity, said first valve means extending from the interior of said cavity and through one of said passageways; a second valve means for exhausting air from said cavity, said second valve means extending from the interior of said cavity and through another of said passageways, the outer ends of said valve means being substantially recessed within said passageways, whereby said protector may be rapidly placed about said portion to be protected, be inflated to frictionally grip said portion, and be rapidly deflated to release said grip for removal from said portion; and a band of pliable reinforcing material disposed in said boot between said cavity and the outside wall of said boot, to restrain substantial movement of said boot away from said portion to be protected when air is introduced into said cavity.

Claim 7

A pneumatically actuated pipe thread protector comprising, in combination: an annular boot made of a rubber-like moldable material and having its outer edges rounded, said boot including an inward facing wall tapered along at least a substantial portion of its length and defining a central opening through the protector into which the portion of the pipe to be protected can be passed with a relatively loose fit, the taper of such wall being such that the diameter of the central opening is largest at the end of said protector into which the end of the pipe to be protected is passed; an annular lip formed on the end of said protector opposite the end into which the pipe to be protected is passed, said annular lip disposed to abut the end of the pipe to be protected and prevent the passage of such pipe entirely through said protector, said annular lip extending inwardly toward the center of said pipe substantially no further than the thickness of the end wall of the pipe and the inwardly facing edge of said lip forming a circular opening substantially no smaller than the opening in the end of the pipe to be protected so that said opening in the end of the pipe is left substantially unobstructed when the protector is mounted on the pipe; an annular air cavity formed in the boot for receiving air to permit the movement of at least a portion of said inward facing wall towards the pipe to be protected so that said movable portion frictionally engages said threads with a relatively tight fit, said boot further including at least two valve passageways each extending from said air cavity through an outward facing wall of said boot; a first valve means for introducing air into said cavity, said first valve means extending from the interior of said cavity and through one of said passageways; a second valve means for exhausting air from said cavity, said second valve means extending from the interior of said cavity and through another of said passageways, the outer ends of said valve means being substantially recessed within said passageways, whereby said protector may be rapidly placed about said portion to be protected, be inflated to frictionally grip said portion, and be rapidly deflated to release said grip for removal from said portion; and a band of pliable reinforcing material disposed in said boot between said cavity and the outside wall of said boot, to restrain substantial movement of said boot away from said portion to be protected when air is introduced into said cavity.

Claim 8

The pipe thread protector of claim 5 where each of said passageways terminates at a recessed opening located in the outer surface of the wall through which the passageway extends with said recessed openings having a substantially greater width than said passageways, and wherein each of said first and second valve means comprise elongated valve stems the ends of which extend from one of said passageways into the respective recessed opening, and wherein the valve stem comprising said second valve means includes a release button mounted on its end extending into the respective recessed opening for selectively releasing air from said cavity.