Apparatus for plugging pipe

Claim 2

Apparatus for altering fluid flow in a conduit comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, cutter means within said housing, actuator means operable externally of said housing for moving said cutter means from a first position external of said conduit radially through a wall of said conduit to a second position external of said conduit and diametrically opposite said first position, conduit plugging means, said cutter means carrying said plugging means into said conduit when said cutter means moves from said first position to said second position, said plugging means including an annular sealing ring having inside and outside diameters substantially equal in size to the inside and outside diameters respectively of the conduit wall, hydraulic means for moving said annular sealing ring, independently of a force developed by pressure in a section of conduit being sealed by said ring on an area defined by the interior of the ring, axially into engagement with a severed end face of said conduit wall formed by said cutter means as it is moved from said first position to said second position.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutter means comprises a carrier block.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said carrier block includes an axially oriented annular recess, the inner and outer diameters of said recess being substantially equal to the inner and outer diameters respectively of said annular sealing ring, said annular sealing ring being slidably disposed in said recess.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said recess and said ring cooperate to form an expansible chamber, and said hydraulic means includes means to introduce fluid pressure into said chamber to extend said ring from said recess into a sealing position against said severed conduit face.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including biasing means to return said ring from said extended sealing position into said recess upon venting of the expansible chamber.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said return means includes spring means biasing said ring into said recess.

Claim 8

In apparatus for altering fluid flow in a pipeline, a fluid tight housing adapted to be sealingly secured to the exterior of the pipeline, a shear and plugging assembly mounted in the housing for radial movement into the pipeline, said assembly including a shear having a pair of cutting edges on one of its faces, each of said edges lying in parallel planes substantially transverse to the axis of the pipeline, a carrier block having a cylindrical recess therein in axial alignment with the pipeline, and plugging means axially movable within said cylindrical recess, an actuator operable externally of the housing for forcing the shear radially through the pipeline to sever the pipeline across spaced planes, means to extend said pipe plugging means into sealing engagement with an end face formed on said pipeline by one of said cutting edges, the improvement wherein said pipe plugging means comprises a cylindrical ring having inside and outside diameters substantially equal to the inside and outside diameters, respectively, of said pipeline, said cylindrical recess having an annular configuration complementary to said ring, said ring being movable in said cylindrical annular recess by said extending means whereby axial pressure forces on the plug are minimized.

Claim 9

In apparatus for altering fluid flow in a pipeline, a fluid tight housing adapted to be sealingly secured to the exterior of the pipeline, a shear and plugging assembly mounted in the housing for radial movement into the pipeline, said assembly including a shear having a pair of cutting edges on one of its faces, each of said edges lying in parallel planes substantially transverse to the axis of the pipeline, a carrier block having a cylindrical recess therein in axial alignment with the pipeline, and plugging means axially movable within said cylindrical recess, an actuator operable externally of the housing for forcing the shear radially through the pipeline to sever the pipeline across spaced planes, means to extend said pipe plugging means into sealing engagement with an end face formed on said pipeline by one of said cutting edges, the improvement wherein said pipe plugging means comprises a cylindrical ring having inside and outside diameters substantially equal to the inside and outside diameters, respectively, of said pipeline, said cylindrical recess having an annular configuration complementary to said ring, said ring being movable in said cylindrical annular recess by said extending means whereby axial pressure forces on the plug are minimized.

Claim 10

Apparatus for altering fluid flow in a conduit in service comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, combined cutter and sealing ring means in the housing, said combined cutter and sealing ring means including a carrier block for carrying said ring radially from a position lateral of the conduit into radial registration with an end face of the conduit wall in the housing, said ring having inside and outside diameters substantially equal in size to the inside and outside diameters of an end face of the conduit wall, and means for causing said ring to move axially on said carrier block independently of a force developed by pressure in a section of conduit being sealed by said ring on an area defined by the interior of the ring into sealing engagement with said end face when said ring is in radial registration with said conduit.

Claim 11

Apparatus for altering fluid flow in a conduit in service comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, combined cutter and sealing ring means in the housing, said combined cutter and sealing ring means including a carrier block for carrying said ring radially from a position lateral of the conduit into radial registration with an end face of the conduit wall in the housing, said ring having inside and outside diameters substantially equal in size to the inside and outside diameters of an end face of the conduit wall, and means for causing said ring to move axially on said carrier block independently of a force developed by pressure in a section of conduit being sealed by said ring on an area defined by the interior of the ring into sealing engagement with said end face when said ring is in radial registration with said conduit.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said carrier block includes an annular recess having an axis parallel to the axis of the conduit, said annular recess having inner and outer diameters being substantially equal to the inner and outer diameters, respectively, of said ring, said ring being slidable in said recess, and said movement causing means comprising an expansible fluid pressure chamber formed by said annular recess and said ring.

Claim 13

Apparatus for altering the flow of fluid in a conduit comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, means in the housing for cutting through the conduit wall to divide the conduit into two sections, said cutting means carrying selectively movable seal means to seal one section of the conduit from fluid communication with the interior of the housing, and flow passage means in said cutting means defining a flow path from the other conduit section into the interior of the housing while said one section is sealed by said sealing means.

Claim 14

Apparatus for altering the flow of fluid in a conduit comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, means in the housing for cutting through the conduit wall to divide the conduit into two sections, said cutting means carrying selectively movable seal means to seal one section of the conduit from fluid communication with the interior of the housing, and flow passage means in said cutting means defining a flow path from the other conduit section into the interior of the housing while said one section is sealed by said sealing means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sealing means includes a plug movable radially between said conduit sections and axially into sealing engagement with said one conduit section.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said plug is mounted in a carrier block movable radially between said conduit sections, said carrier block providing said flow path means.

Claim 17

Apparatus for altering fluid flow in a conduit comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, a shear and plug assembly mounted in the housing for movement in a plane transverse to the axis of the conduit, said assembly including a shear having a pair of axially spaced cutting edges each in a plane transverse to the conduit, actuator means operable externally of the housing for forcing the shear through the wall of the conduit to sever the conduit into two sections, said assembly including a plug, carried on said shear, movable into radial alignment with the conduit and selectively axially movable into sealing engagement with an end face of the conduit formed by one of said cutting edges to seal one section of the conduit, and flow passage means in said shear defining a flow path providing fluid communication between the other section of the conduit and the interior of the housing.

Claim 18

Apparatus for altering fluid flow in a conduit comprising a fluid tight housing adapted to be secured to the exterior of the conduit, a shear and plug assembly mounted in the housing for movement in a plane transverse to the axis of the conduit, said assembly including a shear having a pair of axially spaced cutting edges each in a plane transverse to the conduit, actuator means operable externally of the housing for forcing the shear through the wall of the conduit to sever the conduit into two sections, said assembly including a plug, carried on said shear, movable into radial alignment with the conduit and selectively axially movable into sealing engagement with an end face of the conduit formed by one of said cutting edges to seal one section of the conduit, and flow passage means in said shear defining a flow path providing fluid communication between the other section of the conduit and the interior of the housing.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said flow passage means includes a port between said cutting edges.