Secondary confinement pipe having segments with interlocking rib and groove joints and coextruded sealant layers #4

Claim 2

A secondary confinement pipe adapted to surround a primary conduit, comprising a plurality of identical elongated pipe segments assemblage to form a containment pipe around a primary conduit, each of said segments having a pair of longitudinal edges, one of the longitudinal edges of each segment being formed unitarily with a tenon rib receivable in a groove formed in the other longitudinal edge of a contiguously adjoining segment, and a layer of a flexible material surrounding each of said ribs and filling the respective groove around the respective rib, said segments each being composed of extruded rigid polyvinylchloride coextruded with and bonded to the respective one of said layers.

Claim 3

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 1 wherein each of said ribs has a head extending along a free edge of the rib and enclosed in the respective layer, and each of said layers is coextruded with and bonded to the respective rib.

Claim 4

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 2 wherein each of said layers has an outer configuration of a circular-section bead and each of said grooves has a configuration complementary to that of said bead.

Claim 5

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 2 wherein each of said heads is of arrow-shaped cross section.

Claim 6

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 2 wherein each of said layers extends all around the respective rib onto shoulders of the respective one of said edges flanking the respective rib.

Claim 7

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 2 wherein said layers are composed of flexible polyvinylchloride.

Claim 8

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 1 wherein the pipe is composed of two of said segments, each of said segments being substantially semicylindrical.

Claim 9

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 7 wherein each of said ribs has a head extending along a free edge of the rib and enclosed in the respective layer, and each of said layers is coextruded with and bonded to the respective rib.

Claim 10

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 8 wherein each of said layers has an outer configuration of a circular-section bead and each of said grooves has a configuration complementary to that of said bead.

Claim 11

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 9 wherein each of said heads is of arrow-shaped cross section.

Claim 12

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 10 wherein each of said layers extends all around the respective rib onto shoulders of the respective one of said edges flanking the respective rib.

Claim 13

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 11 wherein said layers are composed of flexible polyvinylchloride.

Claim 14

A secondary confinement pipe adapted to surround a primary conduit, comprising a plurality of identical elongated pipe segments assemblage to form a containment pipe around a primary conduit, each of said segments having a pair of longitudinal edges adapted to confront edges of at least one other of said pipe segments, one of the longitudinal edges of each pair being formed unitarily with a tenon rib, receivable in a groove formed in the other longitudinal edge of the pair of a contiguously adjoining segment, and respective layers of flexible material flanking each of said ribs and received between edges of contiguously adjoining segments to seal a joint formed by engagement of the respective rib in the respective groove, said segments each being composed of extruded rigid polyvinylchloride, said layers being coextruded with and bonded to the extruded rigid polyvinylchloride of at least one of the segments at each of said joints.

Claim 15

A secondary confinement pipe adapted to surround a primary conduit, comprising a plurality of identical elongated pipe segments assemblage to form a containment pipe around a primary conduit, each of said segments having a pair of longitudinal edges adapted to confront edges of at least one other of said pipe segments, one of the longitudinal edges of each pair being formed unitarily with a tenon rib, receivable in a groove formed in the other longitudinal edge of the pair of a contiguously adjoining segment, and respective layers of flexible material flanking each of said ribs and received between edges of contiguously adjoining segments to seal a joint formed by engagement of the respective rib in the respective groove, said segments each being composed of extruded rigid polyvinylchloride, said layers being coextruded with and bonded to the extruded rigid polyvinylchloride of at least one of the segments at each of said joints.

Claim 16

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 13 Wherein said edges of said segments are enlarged to provide a pair of surfaces flanking the respective rib and the respective groove at each of said joints, said layers being received between the said surfaces of contiguously adjoining segments.

Claim 17

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 14, further comprising additional beads of said flexible material coextruded with and bonded to opposite flanks of said ribs.

Claim 18

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 13 wherein said layers are coextruded with and formed on opposite flanks of said ribs.

Claim 19

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 14 wherein said layers are received in grooves formed in the said surfaces of one of the segments at each of said joints.

Claim 20

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 17 wherein the last-mentioned grooves are of dovetail cross section.

Claim 21

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 13 wherein said layers are composed of flexible polyvinylchloride.

Claim 22

The secondary confinement pipe defined in claim 13 wherein said ribs have an arrowhead cross section.