Title of Invention: Method and apparatus for removal of fluid conduit test baffle
Abstract: Method and apparatus for dislodging a test baffle in a fluid conduit following pressure testing without permitting fluid to escape. The invention provides a device for dislodging or unseating a test baffle, for releasing a pressure within the conduit contained by the baffle, and for removing the baffle without leakage or other fluid escape. A preferred apparatus according to the invention comprises a rigid plug adapted for sealing engagement of an end of a fluid conduit such as a pipe, and a removal device adapted to pass through an aperture in said plug and to engage and dislodge a test baffle disposed within an interior of the conduit. Preferred removal devices comprises flexible lines attached to the test baffle and tools adapted to pass through the aperture and engage the test baffle. A method aspect of the invention comprises the steps of substantially blocking or sealing an end of a fluid conduit with a plug, passing a removal device through an aperture in the plug, and using the removal device to unseat or dislodge a test baffle in the interior of the conduit.
Detailed Description: Part PAC: BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Part PAR: For purposes of this disclosure, fluid includes any aggregation of matter in which the molecules are able to flow past each other without limit and without the formation of fracture planes, or which is capable of flowing and which changes shape steadily when acted upon by a force tending to change its shape, and includes, without limitation, any liquid or gas.
Part PAR_2: Fluid line means any pipe, tube, conduit, duct, or other fixed vehicle for the transportation or guided transfer of a fluid.
Part PAR_3: Test baffles suitable for use with the invention include but are not limited to those described in my patent provisional patent applications Ser. No. 60/093,682, entitled Test System for Fluid Tight Integrity of Installed Pipeline and filed Jul. 22, 1998; Ser. No. 60/093,682, entitled Test System for Fluid Tight Integrity of Installed Pipeline, filed Jul. 22, 1998; Ser. No. 60/102,372, filed Sep. 29, 1998, and entitled Test Assembly for Fluid Tight Integrity of Pipeline Joint; and Ser. No. 60/120,523, filed Feb. 17, 1999, and entitled Test Assembly for Fluid Tight Integrity of Pipeline Joint; and in my utility patent applications Ser. No. 09/350,786, filed Jul. 9, 1999 and entitled Test System for Fluid Tight Integrity of Installed Pipeline; and Ser. No. 09/357,667, filed Jul. 20, 1999 and entitled Test Assembly for Fluid Tight Integrity of Pipeline Joint; the specifications of each of where are hereby incorporated as if set out in full. Other suitable baffles are also known in the art. Any baffle suitable for the uses described herein will serve.
Part PAR_4: Turning now to the drawings, the invention will be described in a preferred embodiment by reference to the numerals of the drawing figures wherein like numbers indicate like parts.
Part PAR_5: FIG. 1a is a cutaway schematic view of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for unseating a test baffle according to the invention, with the test baffle in place for a conduit test. Apparatus 10 comprises plug 100 and removal device 150. Plug 100 is in sealing engagement with one end 11 of fluid conduit 12, while removal device 150 passes through aperture 101 in plug 100 to engage test baffle 170, which is disposed within interior 13 of fluid conduit 12 so as to block of a portion of the conduit for pressure or leakage testing. Aperture 101 communicates between outer surface 102 of plug 100 and interior 13 of conduit 12, so as to allow insertion and manipulation of removal device 150. Sealing engagement of conduit 12 by plug 100 is accomplished by use of threads 103, which comprise two thread sets 104 and 105 adapted for engagement of conduits of different sizes. In the embodiment shown, removal device 150 comprises flexible line 151, fabricated from string, cord, or threads of natural or synthetic fibers., attached to attachment portion 171 on test baffle 170.
Part PAR_6: Test baffle 170, and optionally (as in the embodiment depicted) test plug 100 seal a portion of conduit 12 in which leakage or pressure testing is to be performed. Sealing around aperture 101 is aided by provision of optional skirt 190. Skirt 190 is generally comprised of flexible fabric, either synthetic or natural, and is adapted to complete or improve the seal provided by plug 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a, skirt 190 is attached to outer surface 102 of plug 100, and gathered together about removal device 150, which is comprised of flexible line 151.
Part PAR_7: Test baffle 170 comprises perimeter 401, web 402, and attachment portion 171. Baffle 170 is adapted for sealing engagement of interior 13 of conduit 12, thereby to facilitate testing of the fluid-tight integrity of portion 14 of the conduit on the sealed side of the baffle. Attachment portion 171 is adapted for engagement of removal device 150. In preferred embodiments sealing engagement between baffle 170 and conduit 12 is provided by perimeter 401, while web 402 of the baffle is concave to facilitate operation as described herein.
Part PAR_8: Operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 1a is shown in FIG. 1b. In FIG. 1a, test portion 14 of interior 13 of fluid conduit 12 contains fluid retained by baffle 170 and plug 100. In FIG. 1b removal device 150 has been manipulated to dislodge baffle 170 from its seat 15 within fluid conduit 12 by disengaging perimeter 401 of the baffle from conduit 12. In the embodiment shown, this is accomplished by pulling flexible line 151 in the direction of arrow until the tension in line 151 is sufficient to dislodge the test baffle (that is, to disengage perimeter 401 or otherwise unseat the baffle), permitting the fluid in test portion 14 to bleed off in the direction of arrows 16. In FIG. 1b, the test fluid is allowed to bleed off into continuing portions of conduit 12; as an alternative the test fluid may be allowed to vent or drain to the exterior of the conduit. After pressure has been bled off or the test portion has been allowed to drain, plug 100 may be removed from end 11 of conduit 12 so that the baffle may be removed without undesired escape of fluids from the conduit.
Part PAR_9: FIG. 2 is a cutaway schematic view of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for unseating a test baffle according to the invention, with a removal tool positioned outside the plug aperture. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, removal device 150 comprises a removal tool 153 having first end 154 and second end 155. The tool is adapted to pass through aperture 101 by appropriate shaping of the tool, and in particular the first end of the tool. In the embodiment shown tool 153 comprises body 156 and hook 157, which is attached to the body, giving the removal tool what might generally be described as a "key shape". By shaping aperture 101 as shown in FIG. 7, first end may be readily accommodated. Removal tool 153 is configured so that the second end may be used for manipulation of the first end when the tool is disposed within the aperture, whereby the first end may be manipulated into engagement with the test baffle, so as to dislodge it. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the test baffle comprises loop 192, which is attached to attachment portion 171, shown in the form of a lug, on test baffle 170 and is comprised of string or cord. Thus one method of dislodging test baffle 170 is to insert removal tool 153 through aperture 101 (FIG. 2), manipulate first end 154 of the tool into engagement with the baffle by means of loop 192, as for example engaging the loop with hook 157 (FIG. 3), and to rotate tool 153 about tool longitudinal axis 158 (as for example in the direction of arrow 159 in FIG. 4) until all slack has been removed from the loop (FIG. 4), and then to pivot the tool about an edge of aperture 101, in the direction of arrows 160 in FIG. 4, to unseat the baffle and to allow test fluids to bleed out of the test portion of the conduit. Again, after the test pressure has bled offplug 100 may be removed, and with it the test baffle. A permanent cap or conduit extension may then be installed in place of the test plug.
Part PAR_10: In the configuration depicted in FIGS. 2-4, test portion 14 of conduit 12 is in a portion of the conduit separated from plug 101 by baffle 170. Thus during the fluid test no test fluid is retained by plug 100. However, when baffle 170 has been dislodged or unseated following pressure testing, plug 100 provides protection against unwanted fluid escape while fluids bleed out of the test portion. In configurations of this type the addition of an optional skirt 190 may be of great advantage.
Part PAR_11: A particularly effective way of preventing fluid leakage following removal of the test baffle has been found to include the provision of the baffle with an attachment portion, most preferably in the form of a lug, adapted to sealingly engage and therefore plug, substantially or completely, the aperture in the test plug, so as to entirely or substantially reduce leakage through the aperture as the test section drains. Such an arrangement is shown in FIGS. 2-6. Test baffle 170 comprises attachment portion 171, to which is attached cord loop 192 for removal by tool 150. After conduit 11, 12 has been tested, the baffle is unseated and the lug or attachment portion 171 pulled into aperture 101 until it has sealed the aperture to prevent or reduce fluid leakage, as shown in FIG. 6. A preferred configuration is to place the attachment portion or lug 171 on a concave side of the test baffle, so that as the baffle is removed by pulling on the removal line the baffle dome is collapsed, as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the attachment portion could be placed at one side of the test baffle, so that a partial unseating of the baffle would result in a more gradual bleeding of pressure from the test portion of the conduit.
Part PAR_12: The operation of engaging conduits of various sizes by way of a test plug according to the invention may be seen by comparison of FIGS. 1a and 1b to FIGS. 2-4. In FIGS. 1a and 1b, test plug 100 engages conduit 12 by means of threaded portion 105, which is of greater diameter than threaded portion 104. In FIGS. 2-4, engagement is by relatively smaller threaded portion 104. Any number and combination of various thread and plug diameters may be used, according to the needs of the tester. For example, in the plumbing industry a single plug adapted for engagement of threaded pipes having inner diameters of 31/2 and 41/2 inches may be used to great advantage for the testing of building drain pipes. Alternative devices for providing a single plug with threaded portions of varying size are depicted in FIGS. 8a-8c. By appropriate rotation of test plug 100 a number of different conduit sizes may be accommodated. In FIG. 8a a triple-threaded, single axis configuration is shown; in the other Figures distinct threaded portions are attached to a single carriage. In each case aperture or apertures 101 pass entirely through the plug structure and thus communicate between an outer surface of the plug and the interior of the conduit to which the plug is attached. An alternative means of adapting test plug 100 for sealing engagement of conduits of different sizes is shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9 plug 100 is provided with frusto-conical exterior surface 106 sized to engage the substantially circular ends of a variety of sizes of conduits. By fabricating the plug from an appropriately flexible material, sealing engagement of any of a wide variety of sized conduits may very easily be achieved. For example, making such a plug of natural or synthetic rubber would permit the plug to be inserted in a conduit in the manner of a cork, providing a very effective, easily dismantled seal for the conduit. Many other ways of adapting the plug for the engagement of a variety of conduit sizes will occur readily to those of ordinary skill in the design of such systems.
Part PAC_2: EXAMPLE 1
Part PAR_13: A test plug is sealably engaged in a plumbing drain system in a building in the manner shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. A test plug is threaded into a 3.5 inch diameter end of a Y-connection following installation of a test baffle and attachment of a removal line, which is passed through an aperture in the test plug and an attached leakage skirt. The test portion of the fluid conduit is filled with water and checked for leaks. After the fluid tight integrity of the light has been assured, the removal line attached to the test baffle is pulled until the perimeter of the test baffle is unseated from the interior of the conduit. Water in the test portion of the conduit is allowed to drain, whereupon the test plug is removed, the test baffle is removed, and a permanent cap is placed on the Y-connection.
Part PAC_3: EXAMPLE 2
Part PAR_14: A test plug is sealably engaged in a plumbing drain system in a building in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 through 6. A test plug is threaded into a 4.5 inch diameter end of a Y-connection following installation of a test baffle and its attached removal loop. The test portion of the fluid conduit is filled with water and checked for leaks. After the fluid tight integrity of the light has been assured, a removal tool is passed through an aperture in the test plug and manipulated into engagement of the removal loop. The tool is rotated about its longitudinal axis until all slack has been removed from the removal loop, whereupon the tool is pivoted about an edge or rim of the aperture, with the first end of the removal tool being rotated in a direction substantially directly away from the test baffle, so that the test baffle is collapsed and unseated. As water begins to drain from the test section, the attachment portion to which the removal loop is attached is pulled into the aperture until the aperture is substantially sealed, thus reducing leakage through the aperture, and water is allowed to drain from the test section. The test plug is removed, the test baffle is removed, and a permanent cap is placed on the Y-connection in place of the test plug.
Part PAR_15: The various components of the invention may be made from any material having qualities suitable for meeting the purposes suggested herein. It has been found particularly both economically and functionally advantageous, however, in building plumbing lines intended for draining wastewater, to fabricate conduit sections and baffle carriages from injection molded styrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and other common building plumbing materials. Test baffles and sleeves, including sleeves adapted to perform the function of the baffle carriage, are advantageously constructed of suitably strong but flexible materials such as natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable polymer.
Part PAR_16: With regard to systems and components above referred to, but not otherwise specified or described in detail herein, the workings and specifications of such systems and components and the manner in which they may be made or assembled or used, both cooperatively with each other and with the other elements of the invention described herein to effect the purposes herein disclosed, are all believed to be well within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. No concerted attempt to repeat here what is generally known to the artisan has therefore been made.
Part PAC_4: INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
Part PAR_17: The invention finds applicability in the isolation and interconnection of fluid transfer lines such as vent and wastewater systems where pressure testing of portions of the fluid line is required or useful.
Part PAR_18: In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.


{'bibliographic_information': "{'Patent Number': '062095846', 'Series Code': '9', 'Application Number': '4326482', 'Application Type': '1', 'Art unit': '372', 'Application Filing Date': '19991102', 'Title of Invention': 'Method and apparatus for removal of fluid conduit test baffle', 'Issue Date': '20010403', 'Number of Claims': '21', 'Exemplary Claim Number(s)': '1', 'Primary Examiner': 'Brinson; Patrick', 'Number of Drawing Sheets': '8', 'Number of figures': '12'}", 'source_file': './grant/2001/pftaps20010403_wk14.txt', 'source_data': 'USPTO-Grant'}