Pipeline assembly

Claim 2

A pipeline assembly comprising: a. a pipe for conveying fluid material; b. a pipeline safety casing for receiving the pipe including: i. an elongated, tubular, corrugated casing body, and ii. A channel located adjacent the periphery of the casing body, the channel of the safety casing extending longitudinally along the casing body and communicating with the interior of the casing body to collect fluid material from within the casing body and to conduct the fluid material to a collection point; and c. carriers for supporting the pipe generally concentrically in the casing body, each carrier including: i. a generally semicircular seat part formed to fit closely an interior circumference of the casing body, and ii. A cradle part having an arcuate portion formed to fit closely an exterior circumference of the pipe, the seat parts of the carriers conforming to the corrugations of the casing body so as to restrain movement of the carriers longitudinally along the casing body.

Claim 3

A pipeline assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carriers are adapted to rotate around the interior circumference of the casing body.

Claim 4

A pipeline assembly according to claim 1, wherein the casing body is constructed of semicircular casing sections, each casing section having a channel that extends longitudinally along the casing section and is located centrally relative to an outer arcuate periphery of the casing section.

Claim 5

A pipeline assembly according to claim 3, wherein each casing section has a flange arranged along a peripheral edge of the casing section, the flange being formed to engage flanges of adjacent casing sections to join the casing sections together, and further being adapted to receive a seal member.

Claim 6

A pipeline assembly according to claim 1, further comprising supporting towers longitudinally spaced apart along the casing body, each supporting tower including a lower tower portion adapted to rest on a supporting surface, an upper tower portion adapted to be secured to the casing body, and spring means interposed between the upper and lower tower portions for resiliently supporting the upper tower portion.

Claim 7

A pipeline assembly according to claim 5, wherein each of the upper and lower tower portions has at least two legs and legs of one of the upper and lower tower portions of each supporting tower slidably receive legs of the other of the upper and lower tower portions of the supporting tower.

Claim 8

A pipeline assembly according to claim 6, wherein the spring means includes springs slidably received within legs of said one of the upper and lower tower portions of each supporting tower.

Claim 9

A pipeline assembly according to claim 5, wherein bearing members secure the casing body to the upper tower portion of each supporting tower for pivotal and longitudinal movement of the casing body relative to the supporting tower.

Claim 10

A pipeline assembly according to claim 8, wherein each bearing member includes a bifurcated first member fastened to the casing body, a second member fastened to an upper tower portion of a supporting tower, and an axle coupling the first member to the second member, the second member having spaced-apart seating surfaces to receive and support the bifurcations of the first member for pivotal movement about the axle and a lug located between the seating surfaces, the lug projecting between the bifurcations of the first member and being spaced from each bifurcation for limited relative movement of the bifurcations and the lug, the axle passing through the bifurcations of the first member and the lug of the second member.

Claim 11

A pipeline assembly according to claim 1, wherein the collection point includes a sump chamber that communicates with the channel to receive the fluid material from the channel anD to return the fluid material to the pipe.

Claim 12

A pipeline assembly according to claim 10, wherein the sump chamber includes means for detecting and monitoring a flow of fluid material from the channel into the sump chamber.

Claim 13

A pipeline assembly according to claim 11, wherein the sump chamber further includes means responsive to the detecting and monitoring means for controlling a flow of fluid material in the pipe.

Claim 14

A pipeline assembly comprising: a. a pipe for conveying fluid material; b. a pipeline safety casing for receiving the pipe including: i. an elongated casing body, and ii. a channel located adjacent the periphery of the casing body, the channel extending longitudinally along the casing body and communicating with the interior of the casing body to collect fluid material from within the casing body and to conduct the fluid material to a collection point; c. supporting towers longitudinally spaced apart along the casing body, each supporting tower including: i. a lower tower portion adapted to rest on a supporting surface, ii. an upper tower portion adapted to be secured to the casing body, and iii. spring means interposed between the upper and lower tower portions for resiliently supporting the upper tower portion; and d. bearing members securing the casing body to the upper tower portion of each supporting tower for pivotal and longitudinal movement of the casing body relative to the supporting tower, each bearing member including: i. a bifurcated first member fastened to the casing body, ii. a second member fastened to an upper tower portion of a supporting tower, and iii. an axle coupling the first member to the second member, the second member having spaced-apart seating surfaces to receive and support the bifurcations of the first member for seating surfaces, the lug projecting between the bifurcations of the first member and being spaced from each bifurcation for limited relative movement of the bifurcations and the lug, the axle passing through the bifurcations of the first member and the lug of the second member.

Claim 15

A pipeline assembly comprising: a. a pipe for conveying fluid material; b. a pipeline safety casing for receiving the pipe including: i. an elongated casing body, and ii. a channel located adjacent the periphery of the casing body, the channel extending longitudinally along the casing body and communicating with the interior of the casing body to collect fluid material from within the casing body and to conduct the fluid material to a collection point; c. supporting towers longitudinally spaced apart along the casing body, each supporting tower including: i. a lower tower portion adapted to rest on a supporting surface, ii. an upper tower portion adapted to be secured to the casing body, and iii. spring means interposed between the upper and lower tower portions for resiliently supporting the upper tower portion; and d. bearing members securing the casing body to the upper tower portion of each supporting tower for pivotal and longitudinal movement of the casing body relative to the supporting tower, each bearing member including: i. a bifurcated first member fastened to the casing body, ii. a second member fastened to an upper tower portion of a supporting tower, and iii. an axle coupling the first member to the second member, the second member having spaced-apart seating surfaces to receive and support the bifurcations of the first member for seating surfaces, the lug projecting between the bifurcations of the first member and being spaced from each bifurcation for limited relative movement of the bifurcations and the lug, the axle passing through the bifurcations of the first member and the lug of the second member.