Inside pipe cutter apparatus

Claim 2

Pipe cutter apparatus for cutting pipe from the inside thereof and adapted to be operated remotely from the point at which the pipe is cut, comprising: a frame assembly having means therewith for lowering same into the inside of a pipe; wall anchoring means mounted on said frame assembly at longitudinally spaced apart locations for engaging the inside wall of the pipe to be cut; anchor actuating means mounted on said frame and operably connected with said wall anchoring means for moving said anchoring means from a retracted position out of contact with the inside wall of the pipe to an anchoring position in engagement with the inside wall of the pipe; a rotatable cutting head mounted on said frame assembly for rotation relative thereto; gauge means mounted on said cutting head for engaging the inside wall of the pipe at at least two circumferentially spaced points for substantially centering the cutting assembly in the pipe; and cutter means mounted on at least one of said gauge means for movement towards the inside wall of the pipe and relative to said gauge means after said gauge means engages the wall of the pipe for cutting through the wall of the pipe upon a rotation of said cutting head and said gauge means and said cutter means therewith.

Claim 3

The structure set forth in claim 1, including: said gauge means being laterally movable relative to said frame assembly; and gauge actuating means mounted on said rotatable cutting head and operably connected with said gauge means for moving same outwardly from a first position out of contact with the pipe to a second position in engagement with the inside wall of the pipe.

Claim 4

The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said gaUge actuating means includes: compensating means connected with said gauge actuating means for urging all of said gauge means outwardly into engagement with the pipe wall substantially simultaneously.

Claim 5

The structure set forth in claim 1, including: cutter actuating means mounted on said rotatable cutting head and operably connected to said cutter means for moving same relative to said gauge means and towards the pipe wall for cutting therethrough.

Claim 6

The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said cutting head is a ring having internal gear teeth and an external annular guide projection; and support rollers mounted on said frame assembly for receiving said annular guide projection on said ring for supporting said ring for rotation relative to said frame assembly.

Claim 7

The structure set forth in claim 5, including: power means mounted on said frame assembly and having a drive gear operably engaged with said internal gear teeth on said ring for rotating same.

Claim 8

Pipe cutter apparatus for cutting pipe from the inside thereof and adapted to be operated remotely from the point at which the pipe is cut, comprising: a frame assembly having means therewith for lowering same into the inside of a pipe; wall anchoring means mounted on said frame assembly at longitudinally spaced apart locations for engaging the inside wall of the pipe to be cut wherein said wall anchoring means includes: a plurality of circumferentially spaced wall contact anchoring shoes disposed at each longitudinally spaced location relative to said frame assembly; a lever arm for each of said shoes; and pivot means disposed intermediate the length of said lever arm for pivotally connecting each of said lever arms to said frame assembly about said pivot means; anchor actuating means mounted on said frame and operably connected with said wall anchoring means for moving said anchoring means from a retracted position out of contact with the inside wall of the pipe to an anchoring position in engagement with the inside wall of the pipe; connector means connecting each of said lever arms to said anchor actuating means for pivoting said lever arms to force said shoes to pivot and move outwardly for binding anchoring engagement with the inside wall of the pipe; a rotatable cutting head mounted on said frame assembly for rotation relative thereto; gauge means mounted on said cutting head for engaging the inside wall of the pipe at least two circumferentially spaced points for substantially centering the cutting assembly in the pipe; and cutter means mounted on at least one of said gauge means for movement towards the inside wall of the pipe and relative to said gauge means after said gauge means engages the wall of the pipe for cutting through the wall of the pipe upon a rotation of said cutting means and said gauge means and said cutter means therewith.

Claim 9

Pipe cutter apparatus for cutting pipe from the inside thereof and adapted to be operated remotely from the point at which the pipe is cut, comprising: a frame assembly having means therewith for lowering same into the inside of a pipe; wall anchoring means mounted on said frame assembly at longitudinally spaced apart locations for engaging the inside wall of the pipe to be cut wherein said wall anchoring means includes: a plurality of circumferentially spaced wall contact anchoring shoes disposed at each longitudinally spaced location relative to said frame assembly; a lever arm for each of said shoes; and pivot means disposed intermediate the length of said lever arm for pivotally connecting each of said lever arms to said frame assembly about said pivot means; anchor actuating means mounted on said frame and operably connected with said wall anchoring means for moving said anchoring means from a retracted position out of contact with the inside wall of the pipe to an anchoring position in engagement with the inside wall of the pipe; connector means connecting each of said lever arms to said anchor actuating means for pivoting said lever arms to force said shoes to pivot and move outwardly for binding anchoring engagement with the inside wall of the pipe; a rotatable cutting head mounted on said frame assembly for rotation relative thereto; gauge means mounted on said cutting head for engaging the inside wall of the pipe at least two circumferentially spaced points for substantially centering the cutting assembly in the pipe; and cutter means mounted on at least one of said gauge means for movement towards the inside wall of the pipe and relative to said gauge means after said gauge means engages the wall of the pipe for cutting through the wall of the pipe upon a rotation of said cutting means and said gauge means and said cutter means therewith.

Claim 10

The structure set forth in claim 7, wherein said connector means for said lever arms includes: a pair of links pivotally mounted on said frame assembly and disposed between and slidably connected with a pair of said lever arms which are diametrically disposed with respect to each other for pivoting such pair of lever arms into anchoring contact with the pipe wall substantially simultaneously.

Claim 11

The structure set forth in claim 7, wherein: each of said lever arms is pivotally mounted so as to extend downwardly when running into the pipe with the anchoring means in the retracted position and to remain in a downwardly inclined position but at a lesser angle with respect to the diameter of the pipe when the anchoring means is moved to the anchoring position.