Pipe piercing device

Abstract

To provide a duct boring device in which an indented valve seat part formed on an inner surface of a neck portion can be brought into contact with a work valve body in a clean state without causing any trouble due to entry of swarf generated as a result of boring, and which thereby is capable of maintaining a high degree of sealing performance.SOLUTION: A duct boring device at least comprises: a housing 105 in which a fluid pipe 101 is fitted in a sealed state and which has a divided structure; a work valve 103 equipped with a work valve body 131 that is brought into contact with and is separated from an indented valve seat part 105i provided inside a neck portion 105d of the housing 105, the work valve 103 configured to be detachably attached to the neck portion 105d; and a boring machine 107 equipped with a cutter 172 that is inserted in the housing 105 and has a cutting blade for boring the fluid duct 101 in a state where fluid flow is not interrupted, and a movement mechanism 173 which moves the cutter 172 forward or rearward. The neck portion 105d is provided with a suction pipe 280 which discharges swarf with a fluid in the housing 105.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 30

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe drilling device having a housing with a divided structure that hermetically fits around a fluid pipe, an operating valve equipped with an operating valve body that opens and closes the inside of the housing, and a drilling machine that drills, cuts or cuts the fluid pipe within the housing in an uninterrupted flow state. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional pipe drilling devices involve fitting a split-structure housing (split T-pipe) onto an existing fluid pipe in a sealed manner, connecting a drilling machine to the open end of the neck that constitutes the housing, drilling the fluid pipe inside the housing using the drilling machine, and then temporarily sealingly closing the neck of the housing using an operating valve provided on the housing, and then connecting a pipe connecting member to the open end of the housing in place of the drilling machine after drilling (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-28058 A (page 3, Figure 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, chips generated when the drilling machine drills the wall of the fluid pipe enter the neck of the housing and accumulate in the valve seat on the inner surface of the neck that contacts the working valve for opening and closing the neck, causing problems such as the working valve being unable to maintain its sealing ability due to the chips interfering with the contact area between the working valve and the valve seat. In particular, in order to achieve high adhesion with the working valve, a concave-shaped valve seat is sometimes formed on the inner surface of the neck into which the peripheral edge of the working valve can be inserted, and chips are likely to accumulate in such a concave-shaped valve seat, increasing the risk of impairing sealing ability.

[0005] The present invention has been made in response to these problems, and aims to provide a pipe drilling device in which the concave valve seat formed on the inner surface of the neck can contact the working valve body in a clean state without causing problems due to the intrusion of chips generated by drilling, thereby maintaining high sealing performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the tube perforation device of the present invention comprises: A pipe piercing device comprising at least a housing with a split structure that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, an operating valve having an operating valve body that moves toward and away from a recessed valve seat provided in a neck portion of the housing, and a piercing machine having a cutter that is inserted into the housing and pierces the fluid pipe in an uninterrupted flow state, The valve is characterized by including a cylindrical portion that moves to open and close the opening of the recessed valve seat portion in the neck portion. According to this feature, by blocking the opening of the concave valve seat portion in the neck portion of the housing with the cylindrical portion, chips generated by drilling the fluid pipe inside the housing can be prevented from entering the concave valve seat portion, and the working valve body can be brought into contact with the clean concave valve seat portion with the cylindrical portion opened, thereby sealing the housing.

[0007] The cylindrical portion is characterized in that it is disposed slidably along the inner surface of the neck portion. According to this feature, by sliding the cylindrical portion along the inner surface of the neck portion, the accuracy of movement of the cylindrical portion is improved, and the concave valve seat portion can be opened and closed reliably.

[0008] A sealing material is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion on the side opposite to the fluid pipe side of the concave valve seat portion, to seal between the cylindrical portion and the inner surface of the neck portion. According to this feature, by sealing the gap between the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion and the inner surface of the neck portion with a sealant, drilling can be performed in an uninterrupted flow state.

[0009] The cylindrical portion has a protrusion formed on its inner periphery near the open end thereof, the protrusion protruding in the radially inward direction. According to this feature, chips that have accumulated on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion can be retained by the protruding portion without falling.

[0010] The punching machine has a housing cylinder that houses the cutter and is detachably attached to the neck portion of the housing, and the tip of the housing cylinder is the cylindrical portion. According to this feature, when the containing cylinder is attached to or detached from the neck portion, the opening of the recessed valve seat portion can be opened and closed by the cylindrical portion at the tip of the containing cylinder.

[0011] The nozzle is characterized in that a discharge port for discharging chips together with the fluid in the housing is formed in the neck portion closer to the fluid pipe than the cylindrical portion. According to this feature, chips generated during drilling do not approach the concave valve seat portion, and can be discharged to the outside through a discharge port formed on the base end side, upstream of the concave valve seat portion.

[0012] The cylindrical portion is characterized in that a communication port is formed in the cylindrical portion, which communicates with a discharge port that discharges chips together with the fluid in the housing. According to this feature, chips that have entered the cylindrical portion can be smoothly discharged to the outside through the communication port and the discharge port.

[0013] The cylindrical portion is characterized by being provided with an engagement portion that enables connection to or disconnection from the cutter. According to this feature, the cutter and the cylindrical portion can be easily connected or disconnected by simply moving the cutter.

[0014] The cylindrical portion is characterized by being provided with a sweep portion that moves in and out of the recessed valve seat portion as the cylindrical portion moves. According to this feature, even if foreign matter such as chips enters the interior of the concave valve seat portion, the foreign matter can be expelled to the outside of the concave valve seat portion.

[0015] The cylindrical portion is a hole saw that constitutes the cutter. According to this feature, by using a hole saw that is part of the cutter, the structure of the cylindrical portion can be simplified.

[0016] The cylindrical portion is a suction tube that opens and closes to communicate between the inside and outside of the housing. According to this feature, foreign matter such as chips inside the housing can be discharged to the outside by the suction pipe that connects the inside and outside of the housing.

[0017] The inner surface of the recessed valve seat is characterized in that it is formed as a tapered surface that opens toward the opening of the recessed valve seat. According to this feature, the fluid flow rate within the concave valve seat portion can be increased, so that chips within the concave valve seat portion can flow out of the concave valve seat portion along the tapered surface without remaining inside the concave valve seat portion.

[0018] The inner surface constituting the recessed valve seat portion is characterized in that it is formed to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. According to this feature, the fluid flow rate within the concave valve seat portion can be increased, so that chips can flow out of the concave valve seat portion along the inclined inner surface without remaining inside the concave valve seat portion.

[0019] The operating valve is characterized by including an operating valve housing that extends substantially vertically downward and is capable of accommodating the operating valve element. According to this feature, chips can be introduced into the working valve housing by descending therethrough without being retained in the recessed valve seat portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a housing constituting the tube punching device in Example 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the housing, similar to FIG. [Figure 3] 1(a) is a side cross-sectional view showing a housing member of the operating valve, and FIG. 1(b) is a side cross-sectional view showing a mounting member of the operating valve. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the drilling machine assembled in the housing. [Figure 5] 5 is a partial cross-sectional front view similar to FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state after drilling by the drilling machine. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view showing a mounting flange tube of a drilling machine according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state before the flow control valve is installed. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state after the flow control valve has been installed. [Figure 10] 10 is a partial cross-sectional front view similar to FIG. [Figure 11] 10(a) is a partially cross-sectional front view showing a housing constituting a tube punching device in Example 2, and FIG. 10(b) is a partially cross-sectional plan view of the same. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which holes are being drilled by a drilling machine. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state after drilling by the drilling machine. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the state before the flow control valve is installed. [Figure 15] 15(a) to 15(c) are enlarged cross-sectional views of the area enclosed by the chain line in FIG. 14, showing the procedure for removing the insertion machine from the flow control valve. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the state after the flow control valve has been installed. [Figure 17] 17 is a front cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view showing a housing constituting a tube punching device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the drilling machine assembled in the housing. [Figure 20] 19(a) is a partially sectional front view showing the state in which holes are being drilled by a drilling machine, and FIG. 19(b) is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 19(a). [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state after drilling by the drilling machine. [Figure 22]FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the state after the flow control valve has been installed. [Figure 23] 23 is a front cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device according to Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 25] This is an enlarged view similar to FIG. [Figure 26] 10 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device in Modification 2. FIG. [Figure 27] 27 is a partial cross-sectional front view similar to FIG. 26. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device in Modification 3. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device in Modification 4. [Figure 30] 29 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 31] 13 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the housing of a tube punching device according to a fifth modification. FIG. [Figure 32] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device in Modification 6. [Figure 33] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a state in which a hole is being drilled by a pipe drilling device according to a seventh modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tube punching device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to first to third embodiments and first to seventh modifications. [Example]

[0022] A pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the pipe drilling apparatus according to the present invention is primarily composed of a housing 5 that fits around an existing fluid pipe 1, an operating valve 3 that opens and closes the interior of the housing 5, and a drilling machine 7 that drills the fluid pipe 1 within the housing 5. In this embodiment, the pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method will be described as a series of steps that involve drilling a predetermined location in the existing fluid pipe 1, which is a pipeline component, within the housing 5 under uninterrupted flow conditions, and then installing a flow control valve 10 within the housing 5. Note that the fluid in the fluid pipe 1 is tap water in this embodiment, but it may be, for example, industrial water, agricultural water, sewage, or a liquid other than water, or it may be a gas or a gas-liquid mixture of gas and liquid.

[0023] The fluid pipe 1 of this embodiment is a ductile cast iron pipe formed as a straight pipe with a generally circular cross section, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . In this embodiment, the fluid pipe 1 is buried in a shallow layer of ground (not shown) and its pipe direction is generally horizontal. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may also be made of other metals, such as cast iron or steel, or concrete, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or polyolefin. Furthermore, the inner surface of the fluid pipe may be coated with an epoxy resin layer, mortar, plating, or the like, or may be coated with an appropriate material by powder coating. The fluid pipe 1 may also be exposed, and its pipe direction may be generally vertical or inclined.

[0024] The fluid pipe of the present invention is not limited to a straight pipe as in the present embodiment, but may be, for example, a non-standard shaped pipe. The non-standard shaped pipe is a general term for pipes having at least a portion thereof various non-standard shaped portions, such as a curved pipe portion, a branched portion, a cross portion, a non-standard diameter portion, a joint ring portion, a short pipe portion, a drain portion, etc.

[0025] First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer surface of a fluid pipe 1, which will be the mounting location of the pipe drilling device according to the present invention, is cleaned. Then, a housing 5 constituting the pipe drilling device is hermetically fitted onto the fluid pipe 1 via a sealing member 4 for sealing the drilling portion of the fluid pipe 1 (described later). The housing 5 in this embodiment has a multi-section structure divided horizontally, and in this embodiment, is primarily composed of a first section 51 constituting one side and a second section 52 constituting the other side. The division structure of the housing 5 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be divided vertically, or may be divided into a predetermined number of sections, such as three or more. In this embodiment, the divided housings are hermetically joined together using fastening members 2 consisting of bolts and nuts. However, this is not limited to this, and they may also be joined by welding, for example.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the first division 51 of the housing 5 is composed of a pipe line housing section 5a extending in the pipe line direction along the fluid pipe 1, and a cylindrical neck section 5d branching off and extending horizontally at approximately the center of the pipe line housing section 5a, i.e., branching off in the lateral direction rather than the vertical direction in the actual site, and having an open end section 5c opening in the branching direction and an opening section 5b opening to the side, and is formed in an approximately T-shape when viewed from above.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the neck portion 5d has a pair of flange-shaped collar portions 5e, 5e that protrude radially outward toward the pipeline direction of the fluid pipe 1, and notches 5f, 5f that serve as engagement portions recessed radially inward at the circumferential center position of the collar portions 5e.

[0028] The neck 5d has a pipe thickness portion 5g on its cylindrical peripheral side whose outer surface protrudes in the radial direction, and the pipe thickness portion 5g has an opening 5b that opens toward one side in the pipe direction of the fluid pipe 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the opening 5b opens in a vertically elongated, approximately rectangular shape in side view, and is formed so that the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3 can be inserted therethrough, as will be described later.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the inner periphery of the neck 5d is provided with an inner periphery surface 5h that is formed as a generally circular curved surface in a side view and linearly in the horizontal direction, a recessed portion 5i as a concave valve seat recessed in the outer diameter direction along the circumferential direction at the same position as the opening 5b in the axial direction of the neck 5d, an inner periphery surface 5j that is formed closer to the base end of the neck 5d than the recessed portion 5i and is formed to be generally flush with the inner periphery surface 5h on the tip side of the neck 5d, and a step portion 5k that protrudes inwardly on the base end side of the inner periphery surface 5j.

[0030] 3 and 4, the working valve 3 is hermetically connected to the opening 5b of the neck 5d. The working valve 3 is mainly composed of an working valve body 31 that slides openably and closably within the housing 5, a housing member 32 serving as a working valve housing having an interior housing portion 32a that houses the working valve body 31 so that it can slide horizontally and an open portion 32b at one side end thereof, and an attachment member 33 that has a curved inner circumferential surface and can be fitted onto the neck 5d together with the housing member 32.

[0031] 3, 4 and 6, the accommodating member 32 is rotatably and immovably supported, and is provided with a horizontally extending shaft member 34, with the working valve body 31 threadedly engaged with this shaft member 34, and by rotating an operating member 35 attached to a tip end 34a of the shaft member 34 protruding outward from the accommodating member 32, the working valve body 31 can be slid relative to the accommodating member 32. In addition, support portions 36, 36 for supporting a pressing portion 80 and a hydraulic rod 60, which will be described later, are provided on the side surfaces of the accommodating member 32 and the mounting member 33.

[0032] 6, the side of the working valve element 31 facing the branching direction is covered with a plate-shaped seal member 31a, and the peripheral edge of this seal member 31a abuts against the side wall 5r of the recessed portion 5i, thereby hermetically closing the interior of the housing 5. By providing the recessed portion 5i as a recessed valve seat on the inner surface of the neck 5d in this way, the peripheral edge of the working valve element 31 can be abutted against the side wall 5r of the recessed portion 5i by utilizing the pressure within the fluid pipe 1, thereby improving sealing performance. Furthermore, as described above, by abutting the peripheral edge of the working valve element 31 against the recessed portion 5i formed on the inner surface of the neck 5d, the working valve element 31 can be formed in a thin plate-like shape, which shortens the extension of the housing 5 in the branching direction, i.e., the stroke of the drilling machine 7, and prevents the drilling machine 7 from becoming eccentric, thereby improving drilling accuracy. Furthermore, by making the working valve body 31 thin, it is possible to reduce costs by making the working valve body 31 and the housing 5 smaller, and furthermore, because the drilling accuracy is high, the plug body 11 of the control valve 10 described below can be inserted properly, improving watertightness and fluid controllability.

[0033] 2 and 3(b), the thickened pipe portion 5g of the neck 5d has a pair of protrusions 5m protruding in the width direction of the opening 5b as positioning portions, and the inner peripheries of the pair of engagement portions 32c formed above and below the open portion 32b of the containing member 32 are generally L-shaped in side view and generally U-shaped in the axial direction, thereby positioning the containing member 32 at a position where the open portions 32b and the opening 5b of the neck 5d are in communication. In this way, the protrusions 5m allow the operating valve 3 to be accurately attached to the opening 5b, thereby maintaining the opening and closing function of the operating valve 3 within the housing 5.

[0034] Next, the mounting member 33 is placed on the outer surface of the neck 5d at a position opposite the accommodating member 32, with the neck 5d in between. At this time, as shown in Figures 2 and 3(a), the inner periphery of the engaging portion 33a, which is formed on the mounting member 33 and has a generally U-shape in side view, engages with the thick pipe portion 5g of the neck 5d, so that the mounting member 33 is positioned at a position opposite the accommodating member 32 with the neck 5d in between.

[0035] In this way, the working valve 3 attached to the opening 5b can be extended in the pipeline direction of the fluid pipe 1, so that the side area of ​​the fluid pipe 1 can be used as the attachment area for the working valve 3, making it easy to secure this area.

[0036] Next, the accommodating member 32 and the mounting member 33 are fastened together. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), base ends 37a of bolts 37 are connected to both ends of the mounting member 33 in a hinged manner, and the bolts 37 are rotated toward the accommodating member 32 and inserted into gaps formed on the outer periphery of the engaging portions 33a of the accommodating member 32, and further fastened together by screwing nuts 38 onto the tips of the bolts 37.

[0037] Furthermore, a seal member 39 is disposed in the housing member 32 so as to surround the periphery of the open portion 32b, and by fastening the fastening members described above, this seal member 39 comes into close contact with the periphery of the opening 5b, thereby sealing the opening 5b and the open portion 32b. By installing the work valve 3 in the opening 5b provided in the neck portion 5d in this way, the mounting position of the drilling machine 7, which will be described later, can be brought as close as possible to the fluid pipe 1, and the extension stroke by which the drilling machine 7 approaches the fluid pipe 1 can be shortened, resulting in a reduction in the size, weight, and cost of the drilling machine 7 (see FIG. 4).

[0038] Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , a drilling machine 7 is hermetically connected to the open end 5c of the neck 5d. The drilling machine 7 mainly comprises a mounting flange tube 71 as a housing tube, a cutter 72 for drilling holes in the fluid pipe 1, a drive motor 74 for rotating the cutter 72 within the mounting flange tube 71, and an advance / retract mechanism 73 for horizontally advancing and retracting the cutter 72. In this embodiment, the cutter 72 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a diameter smaller than the fluid pipe 1. The cutter 72 comprises a hole saw 72a with a cutting blade circumferentially attached to its tip, and a center drill 72b disposed coaxially with the rotation axis of the hole saw 72a and protruding beyond the cutting blade. The cutter 72 is disposed concentrically with the open end 5c of the neck 5d of the housing 5. The cutter 72 is inserted into the neck 5d of the housing 5 from the open end 5c side and can advance at least to a position where it penetrates the wall of the fluid pipe 1.

[0039] 4 and 6, prior to mounting the drilling machine 7, a pressing part 80 is first mounted on the support parts 36, 36 of the working valve 3 as an insertion means for inserting the drilling machine 7 into the housing 5. The pressing part 80 is mainly composed of a support plate 81 connected to the support part 36 of the working valve 3, a male threaded part 82 fixedly supported by the support plate 81, a pressing piece 83 inserted into the male threaded part 82, and a female threaded part 84 that screws into the male threaded part 82 so as to clamp the pressing piece 83. By screwing the female threaded part 84 into the pressing part 80, the pressing piece 83 moves in the axial direction of the male threaded part 82, and the mounting flange cylinder 71 of the drilling machine 7 fitted with the pressing piece 83 can be mounted or removed from the neck part 5d of the housing 5. It is also preferable to attach a cap 90 to the tip of the male thread portion 82 to restrict movement of the mounting flange tube 71, thereby positioning the mounting flange tube 71 when moving it in the removal direction. This cap 90 may be U-shaped in cross section, may have a female thread on its inner surface, or may be a part of the pressing portion 80.

[0040] The procedure for installing the drill 7 will be described below. The mounting flange cylinder 71 of the drill 7 is inserted into the neck 5d by the pressing unit 80, and the recessed portion 75 formed at the tip of the mounting flange cylinder 71 is fitted into the open end 5c of the neck 5d. More specifically, the recessed portion 75 of the mounting flange cylinder 71 has an inner wall portion 75a that fits inside the side wall of the open end 5c, an outer wall portion 75b that fits outside the side wall of the open end 5c, and an inner bottom portion 75c that forms the base end of the inner wall portion 75a and the outer wall portion 75b. The side wall of the open end 5c is sandwiched between the inner wall portion 75a and the outer wall portion 75b, and the inner bottom portion 75c is brought into contact with the end face of the open end 5c, so that the mounting flange cylinder 71 of the drill 7 is fitted into the open end 5c of the neck 5d in a positioned state. The inner wall portion 75a constitutes the tip portion of the mounting flange cylinder 71, is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer peripheral surface slightly smaller in diameter than the inner peripheral surfaces 5h, 5j of the neck portion 5d, and is adapted to be inserted into the neck portion 5d up to a position where it covers the opening of the recessed portion 5i. In other words, the inner wall portion 75a of the mounting flange cylinder 71 provided in the drilling machine 7 constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention.

[0041] Furthermore, the inner wall portion 75a is arranged to be slidable along the inner peripheral surfaces 5h, 5j of the neck portion 5d, thereby improving the accuracy of movement of the inner wall portion 75a and enabling the recessed portion 5i to be reliably closed or opened.

[0042] Furthermore, annular seal members 76a, 76b are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 75a and are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and these seal members 76a, 76b straddle the recessed portion 5i in the axial direction of the neck portion 5d and come into close contact with the inner peripheral surfaces 5h, 5j of the neck portion 5d, respectively, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the recessed portion 5i in this fitted state and sealing the mounting flange tube 71 of the drilling machine 7 and the neck portion 5d of the housing 5. Here, the seal member 76b provided on the side opposite the fluid pipe 1 side from the recessed portion 5i constitutes the sealing material of the present invention.

[0043] Furthermore, in this fitted state, an engaging member 77 having a split structure and an inner peripheral portion that is roughly U-shaped in cross section and engages with the outer wall portion 75b is assembled along the outer periphery of the outer wall portion 75b. Note that the engaging member 77 is not necessarily required.

[0044] Furthermore, the operation of connecting the work valve 3 to the opening 5b of the neck 5d and the operation of connecting the drilling machine 7 to the open end 5c of the neck 5d are not necessarily limited to the order described above, and the operation of connecting the work valve 3 may be performed after the operation of connecting the drilling machine 7, or these connection operations may be performed simultaneously in parallel.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drilling process of the fluid pipe 1 using the drilling machine 7 will be explained. First, the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3 is placed inside the housing interior 32a of the housing member 32, and the inside of the housing 5 is opened. Then, the cutter 72 is rotated by the drive motor 74 of the drilling machine 7, and the handle 73a that constitutes the advance / retract mechanism 73 is rotated to advance the cutter 72 forward, and the wall of the fluid pipe 1 is drilled without interrupting the flow.

[0046] In this case, particularly in a horizontal branch as in this embodiment, some of the chips generated in the fluid pipe 1 during drilling may enter the neck 5d. However, because a seal member 76a is provided on the outer periphery of the inner wall 75a, closer to the fluid pipe 1 than the recessed portion 5i, to seal the gap between the inner wall 75a and the neck 5d in the circumferential direction, the chips can be prevented from entering the gap between the inner wall 75a and the neck 5d and toward the recessed portion 5i. The chips that enter the neck 5d accumulate or adhere to the inner surface of the inner wall 75a that covers the recessed portion 5i. Furthermore, because a seal member 76b is provided on the outer periphery of the inner wall 75a on the side opposite the recessed portion 5i from the fluid pipe 1 side, the seal member 76b can provide a seal not only during drilling but also when the inner wall 75a is retracted after drilling, allowing drilling to be performed without interrupting the flow.

[0047] Furthermore, a protrusion 75d that protrudes toward the inner diameter is formed at the tip of the inner wall portion 75a, so that chips that have accumulated or adhered to the inner surface of the inner wall portion 75a can remain on the inner surface of the inner wall portion 75a without falling onto the inner surfaces 5h, 5j and recessed portions 5i of the neck portion 5d, not only when drilling but also when removing the mounting flange tube 71 from the neck portion 5d after drilling.

[0048] In this embodiment, the tip surface 75e of the inner wall portion 75a is formed flat, and a portion of this tip surface 75e contacts a step portion 5k that is curved circumferentially and formed on the base end side within the neck portion 5d of the housing 5, and the above-mentioned inner bottom portion 75c contacts the open end portion 5c, thereby completing the insertion of the inner wall portion 75a.

[0049] In addition, a female threaded hole 5p is formed in the housing 5 closer to the fluid pipe 1 than the recessed portion 5i, i.e., closer to the base end of the neck portion 5d, as a discharge port connecting the inside and outside of the housing 5. A ball valve (not shown) that can be opened and closed is installed in this female threaded hole 5p to discharge chips generated during drilling together with the fluid to the outside. This prevents chips generated during drilling from approaching the recessed portion 5i, and allows them to be discharged to the outside via the female threaded hole 5p formed on the base end of the neck portion 5d, upstream of the recessed portion 5i. After drilling, the ball valve is removed while the flow is not interrupted, and is replaced with an open / close bolt 5n as shown in Figure 10 to seal it.

[0050] The chip discharge port is not limited to the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 as a modified example of this embodiment, a communication port 75p communicating with the female screw hole 5p may be formed in the inner wall portion 75a. In this manner, chips that enter the neck portion 5d are discharged through the communication port 75p and the female screw hole 5p. In addition, in this modified example, the tip surface 75f of the inner wall portion 75a is curved so as to follow the step portion 5k that is curved in the circumferential direction and formed on the base end side of the neck portion 5d. In other words, the tip surface 75f is in contact with the step portion 5k along the entire circumference. In this manner, the inner wall portion 75a is stably positioned at a location that closes the recessed portion 5i.

[0051] 6, when the fluid pipe 1 is cut by the cutter 72, a section 1a separated from the fluid pipe 1 is held within the hole saw 72a. The cutter 72 is then retracted into the mounting flange tube 71 together with the section 1a, and the inner wall portion 75a is further pulled back rearward from the recessed portion 5i, thereby closing the interior of the housing 5 with the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3, thereby completing the drilling operation of the fluid pipe 1. As described above, by closing the opening of the recessed portion 5i in the neck portion 5d of the housing 5 with the inner wall portion 75a, it is possible to prevent chips generated by drilling the fluid pipe 1 inside the housing 5 from entering the recessed portion 5i, and therefore the working valve body 31 can come into contact with the clean recessed portion 5i with the inner wall portion 75a open, thereby sealing the housing 5. In this case, the mounting position of the drilling machine 7 is close to the fluid pipe 1, and the drilling operation is performed by inserting and fitting the inner wall portion 75a of the mounting flange tube 71 and the inner circumferential surfaces 5h, 5j of the neck portion 5d, so the drilling machine 7 is positioned as concentrically as possible with respect to the housing 5, and even if there is a misalignment in the parallelism of the connecting surface between the mounting flange of the drilling machine 7 body and the mounting flange tube 71, the impact on the drilled portion is minimized and misalignment of the drilling is suppressed. In particular, the fitting of the recessed portion 5i reduces the width of the working valve body 31, thereby reducing costs and shortening the distance of the drilling machine 7 from the fluid pipe 1, minimizing misalignment of the drilling and suppressing turbulence in the flow path. This drilling allows for the formation of a hole 1b that is drilled without misalignment and allows ideal fluid control when inserting the plug body 11 (valve body) of the control valve 10, which will be described later.

[0052] Next, the drilling machine 7 is removed with the inside of the casing 5 hermetically closed by the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3. It is preferable to replace the drilling machine 7 with an ejector (not shown) connected to the open end 5c of the neck 5d for ejecting chips generated during drilling, and to use the ejector to eject chips remaining inside the casing 5 and the fluid pipe 1. Although not particularly shown, the ejector may be one that is composed of, for example, a cylindrical portion having one end that is open so as to be movable inside the casing 5 and the other end that communicates with the outside of the casing 5, and an on-off valve that can open and close the inside of the cylindrical portion.

[0053] Next, with the inside of the housing 5 blocked by the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3, the discharger is removed, and in place of this discharger, a flow control valve 10 for controlling the fluid in the pipe is connected to the open end 5c of the neck 5d.

[0054] 8, the flow control valve 10 is mainly composed of a plug 11 (valve element) that passes through a perforated hole 1b in the fluid pipe 1 and moves horizontally to open and close the inside of the pipe, and a valve housing 12 that houses the plug 11 so that it can move horizontally and has a peripheral side part 13 with an open tip. The valve housing 12 is equipped with a shaft member 14 that extends horizontally while being rotatable and pivotally supported so that it cannot move back and forth, and the plug 11 is threadedly engaged with this shaft member 14, and by rotating an operating part 14a at the end of the shaft member 14 that protrudes outward from the valve housing 12, the plug 11 can move in the axial direction of the shaft member 14 relative to the valve housing 12.

[0055] More specifically, plug 11 is mainly composed of female screw piece 11a with a female screw that is threaded onto shaft member 14, core portion 11b that engages with female screw piece 11a and moves in accordance with it, and plug portion 11c made of an elastic material that covers the entire outer surface of core portion 11b. Plug 11 moves into the fluid pipe 1 through hole 1b as shaft member 14 rotates, and plug portion 11c comes into close contact with hole 1b and inner surface 1c of fluid pipe 1 over the entire circumference, thereby completely blocking the flow path within the pipe or partially blocking the flow path within the pipe depending on the amount of movement of plug portion 11c, thereby enabling flow rate control.

[0056] Furthermore, the valve housing 12 of the flow control valve 10 has an air vent hole 13a formed at its end side, which penetrates upward through the circumferential side portion 13 and has a female thread portion into which an open-close plug 15, which is normally closed, is screwed, and two recesses 13b, 13b are formed horizontally spaced apart along the entire periphery of the outer peripheral surface at the tip end side of the circumferential side portion 13, and sealing members 21, 22 are provided in each recess 13b. In the following description, the tip end side of the valve housing 12 will be referred to as the first sealing member 21, and the portion closer to the base end than the first sealing member 21 will be referred to as the second sealing member 22.

[0057] 8, the first sealing member 21 and the second sealing member 22 of this embodiment are made of annular, integrally formed elastic material and have the same shape. The first sealing member 21 is composed of a base-side retaining portion 21a that is retained within the recess 13b and a deforming portion 21b that is connected to the retaining portion 21a and allows elastic deformation. In the natural state before elastic deformation, these sealing members 21 and 22 are formed so that the outermost diameter of the deforming portion 21b is larger than the inner diameter of the neck portion 5d. Note that the second sealing member 22 has the same shape as the first sealing member 21 described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] The horizontal separation distance between the first sealing member 21 and the second sealing member 22 is set to be larger than the horizontal opening width of the opening 5b of the neck portion 5d.

[0059] Next, the installation process of the flow control valve 10 will be described. First, instead of the pressing portion 80 described above, a pair of hydraulic rods 60 are installed vertically on the support portions 36 of the operating valve 3 as insertion means for inserting the flow control valve 10 into the housing 5. The hydraulic rod 60 is mainly composed of a support plate 61 connected to the support portion 36 of the operating valve 3, a hollow cylinder 62 fixedly supported by the support plate 61, and a piston 63 one end of which is inserted into the cylinder 62. The hydraulic rod 60 is retractable while horizontally pressing the piston 63 by hydraulic pressure when hydraulic fluid such as oil is supplied by a supply pump or the like to the inside of the cylinder 62 via hydraulic fluid hoses (not shown) connected to supply ports 62a. The pair of hydraulic rods 60 are configured so that the pistons 63 extend and retract synchronously, and their upper ends are always positioned in the same position.

[0060] 8, pistons 63, 63 of hydraulic rod 60 are extended, and a pressing member 64 for pressing flow control valve 10 is installed on the tip of these pistons and fastened with a nut 65. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the end of valve housing 12 of flow control valve 10 is fitted into fitting portion 64a formed through approximately the center of pressing member 64, and by operating pistons 63, 63 toward fluid pipe 1 by hydraulic pressure, a pressing force is applied to flow control valve 10 toward fluid pipe 1 via pressing surface 64b, which is the bottom surface of pressing member 64, and flow control valve 10 is gradually moved toward fluid pipe 1 within neck 5d.

[0061] The flow control valve 10 inserted into the neck 5d by the hydraulic rod 60 is kept sealed by at least the sealing member 21 being in tight contact with the inner circumferential surface 5h of the neck 5d that is further outward than the opening 5b. In this sealed state, the working valve body 31 of the working valve 3 is opened.

[0062] As the flow control valve 10 moves toward the fluid pipe 1, the first sealing member 21, which had been sealing the inner circumferential surface 5h of the neck 5d, passes through the opening 5b and is separated from the inner circumferential surface 5h of the neck 5d, temporarily losing its sealed state, but at this time the second sealing member 22 on the base end side seals the inner circumferential surface 5h of the neck 5d. In other words, the first sealing member 21 and the second sealing member 22, which are separated horizontally, constantly maintain a sealed state until the flow control valve 10 is installed, preventing fluid leakage.

[0063] The flow control valve 10 is pressed to an installation position where the first sealing member 21 extends beyond the opening 5b inward (toward the fluid pipe 1) and is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface 5j of the neck 5d, and the second sealing member 22 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface 5h on the outside of the opening 5b (see FIGS. 9 and 10). In this installation position, the hooks 13e, 13e that protrude outward from the outer diameter side of the circumferential part 13 of the valve housing 12 and extend further inward are fitted into the notched portion 5f that serves as an engagement portion formed in the open end 5c of the neck 5d of the housing 5, and the flow control valve 10 is restricted from moving in the circumferential direction relative to the housing 5, thereby preventing the flow control valve 10 from moving due to the flow of fluid in the pipe.

[0064] Next, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the flange portion 5e of the open end 5c of the housing 5 and the protruding portion 13d of the flow control valve 10 overlapping therewith are engaged with an engaging member 19 having a split structure formed in an approximately U-shape in cross section, thereby preventing the flow control valve 10 from slipping outward from the housing 5.

[0065] Furthermore, when the flow control valve 10 is installed, the open / close plug 15 is unscrewed to open the air vent hole 13a, thereby releasing the air remaining in the valve housing 12 of the sealed flow control valve 10 to the outside.

[0066] After installing the flow control valve 10 as described above, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pressing member 64 and hydraulic rod 60 attached to the flow control valve 10 are removed, followed by the operating valve 3 attached to the opening 5b of the housing 5. At this time, the first sealing member 21 seals the inner circumferential surface 5j below the opening 5b of the neck 5d, preventing leakage of the internal fluid even when the opening 5b is opened. Therefore, the operating valve 3 can be removed without sealing with the plug 11, and there is no risk of the operating valve 3 deteriorating. As shown in Figure 9, a blocking lid 9 is hermetically attached to the opening 5b after the operating valve 3 has been removed. [Example]

[0067] Next, a pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 17. Components identical to those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The installation conditions of the pipeline are the same as those in the previous embodiment. As shown in Figure 12, the pipe drilling apparatus according to the present invention is primarily composed of a housing 105 that fits around an existing fluid pipe 101, an operating valve 103 that opens and closes the interior of the housing 105, and a drilling machine 107 that drills the fluid pipe 101 within the housing 105. In this embodiment, the pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method will be described, covering a series of steps from drilling a predetermined location in the existing fluid pipe 101, which is a pipeline component, within the housing 105 under uninterrupted flow conditions, to installing a flow control valve 110 within the housing 105.

[0068] The fluid pipe 101 of this embodiment is a ductile cast iron pipe, and as shown in FIG. 11(a), is formed as a straight pipe having a substantially circular cross section.

[0069] 11, after cleaning the outer surface of a fluid pipe 101, which is the mounting location of the fluid control device according to the present invention, a housing 105 constituting the pipe punching device is hermetically fitted onto the fluid pipe 101 via a sealing member 104 for sealing the punching portion of the fluid pipe 101, which will be described later. The housing 105 has a divided structure consisting of multiple divided bodies, and in this embodiment, it is mainly composed of a first divided body 151 constituting one side and a second divided body 152 constituting the other side, which are fastened together by fastening members 102.

[0070] The first division 151 of the housing 105 is composed of a conduit housing portion 105a extending in the conduit direction along the fluid pipe 101, and a cylindrical neck portion 105d branching off horizontally at approximately the center of the conduit housing portion 105a and having an open end 105c opening in the branching direction and an opening 105b opening to the side, and is formed in an approximately T-shape when viewed from above.

[0071] Furthermore, the open end 105c of the neck portion 105d has a pair of flange portions 105e that protrude radially outward toward the pipeline direction of the fluid pipe 101, and a plurality of push bolts 105f that are configured to be insertable into a plurality of through holes formed along the circumferential direction of this flange portion 105e.

[0072] This neck portion 105d has a pipe thickness portion 105g on its cylindrical peripheral side whose outer surface protrudes in the radial direction, and this pipe thickness portion 105g has an opening 105b that opens toward one side in the pipe direction of the fluid pipe 1. As shown in Fig. 11, the opening 105b opens in a vertically elongated, approximately rectangular shape in side view, and is formed so that an operating valve body 131 of the operating valve 103 can be inserted therethrough, as will be described later.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the inner periphery of the neck 105d includes an inner periphery 105h formed into a curved surface that is approximately circular in side view, a recessed portion 105i as a concave valve seat recessed radially outward along the circumferential direction at the same position as the opening 105b in the axial direction of the neck 105d, an inner periphery 105j formed closer to the base end of the neck 105d than the recessed portion 105i and formed with a slightly smaller diameter than the inner periphery 105h on the tip side of the neck 105d, and a step 105k connected to the base end side of the inner periphery 105j and protruding radially inward.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), a communication opening 117 is formed at the base end of the neck portion 105d as a discharge port that penetrates the neck portion 105d from the inside to the outside.

[0075] 11 and 12, an operating valve 103 constituting the pipe punching device according to the present invention is hermetically connected to opening 105b of neck 105d. Operating valve 103 is mainly composed of an operating valve element 131 that slides open and closed within housing 105, and an accommodating member 132 serving as an operating valve casing, having an accommodating interior 132a that accommodates operating valve element 131 so that it can slide horizontally, and an opening 132b with one side end open.

[0076] The accommodating member 132 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable and unable to move back and forth, and is provided with an axial member 134 extending horizontally, with the operating valve body 131 screwed onto this axial member 134, and by rotating an operating member 135 attached to the tip of the axial member 134 protruding outward from the accommodating member 132, the operating valve body 131 is configured to be slidable relative to the accommodating member 132.

[0077] Furthermore, endless seal members 131a are provided along or cover the edges of both sides of the working valve disc 131, and the peripheral edge of this seal member 131a comes into face-to-face contact with the side walls 105r of the recessed portions 105i, thereby hermetically closing the interior of the housing 105. By providing the recessed portions 105i as recessed valve seats on the inner surface of the neck 105d in this way, the peripheral edge of the working valve disc 131 can be brought into face-to-face contact with the side walls 105r of the recessed portions 105i by utilizing the pressure within the fluid pipe 101, thereby improving sealing performance. Furthermore, as described above, by bringing the peripheral edge of the working valve disc 131 into face-to-face contact with the recessed portions 105i formed on the inner surface of the neck 105d, the working valve disc 131 can be formed in a thin plate shape, which shortens the extension of the branching direction of the housing 105, i.e., the stroke of the drilling machine 107, and prevents the drilling machine 107 from becoming eccentric, thereby improving drilling accuracy. Furthermore, by making the working valve body 131 thin, it is possible to reduce costs by making the working valve body 131 and the housing 105 smaller, and furthermore, because the drilling accuracy is high, the plug body 111 of the control valve 110 described below can be inserted properly, improving watertightness and fluid controllability.

[0078] Regarding the detailed procedure for attaching the operation valve 103, first, the containing member 132 is placed on the outer surface of the neck portion 105d at a position where the open portion 132b thereof communicates with the opening portion 105b of the neck portion 105d.

[0079] Next, the accommodating member 132 is fastened to the neck portion 105d. In this embodiment, the fastening is performed by threading fastening members through a plurality of through holes formed to surround the open portion 132b of the accommodating member 132 and through a plurality of female screw holes formed to surround the opening portion 105b of the neck portion 105d.

[0080] Furthermore, a seal member 139 is disposed in the housing member 132 so as to surround the periphery of the open portion 132b, and by fastening the fastening members described above, this seal member 139 comes into close contact with the periphery of the opening 105b, thereby sealing the opening 105b and the open portion 132b. By installing the operation valve 103 in the opening 105b provided in the neck portion 105d in this manner, the mounting position of the drilling machine 107, which will be described later, can be brought as close as possible to the fluid pipe 101, and the extension stroke by which the drilling machine 107 approaches the fluid pipe 101 can be shortened, resulting in a reduction in size, weight, and cost of the drilling machine 107 (see Figures 12 and 14).

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 12, a drilling machine 107 is hermetically connected to the open end 105c of the neck 105d. The drilling machine 107 is mainly composed of a mounting flange tube 171, a cutter 172 for drilling holes in the fluid pipe 101, a drive motor 174 for rotating the cutter 172 within the mounting flange tube 171, and an advance / retract mechanism 173 for moving the cutter 172 horizontally. The cutter 172 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 101, and is composed of a hole saw 172a with a cutting blade at its tip along the circumferential direction, and a center drill 172b arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the hole saw 172a and protruding beyond the cutting blade.

[0082] A cylindrical body 178, which movably fits the cutter 172, is provided inside the mounting flange tube 171 and is movable horizontally relative to the mounting flange tube 171. The cylindrical body 178 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer circumferential surface slightly smaller in diameter than the inner circumferential surfaces 105h and 105j of the neck portion 105d. The cylindrical body 178 is inserted into the neck portion 105d to a position covering the opening of the recessed portion 105i by pushing and pulling an operating portion 179 fixed to the base end and extending outward from the mounting flange tube 171 in a sealed state. In other words, the cylindrical body 178 provided in the drilling machine 107 constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention. The cylindrical body 178 is positioned at a predetermined position covering the opening of the recessed portion 105i by fixing the operating portion 179 with a fixing screw 179a threaded into the mounting flange tube 171. The positioning is not limited to using the fixing screw 179a, but may be achieved by using a mechanism that presses the head of the operating part 179, for example.

[0083] Furthermore, cylindrical body 178 is arranged slidably along inner circumferential surfaces 105h, 105j of neck portion 105d, thereby improving the accuracy of movement of cylindrical body 178 and enabling recessed portion 105i to be reliably closed or opened.

[0084] Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 178 is disposed close to the inner peripheral surfaces 105h and 105j of the neck portion 105d, which prevents foreign matter from entering the recessed portion 105i.

[0085] The procedure for installing the drilling machine 107 will be described below. The flange portion 175 formed at the tip of the mounting flange tube 171 is hermetically fastened to the flange portion 105e of the open end 105c of the neck portion 105d by a plurality of fastening members 177 arranged circumferentially.

[0086] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the drilling process of the fluid pipe 101 by the drilling machine 107 will be explained. First, the working valve body 131 of the working valve 103 is placed inside the housing interior 132a of the housing member 132, and the inside of the housing 105 is opened. Then, the cutter 172 is rotated by the drive motor 174 of the drilling machine 107, and the cutter 172 is advanced forward by the advance / retract mechanism 173, so that the wall of the fluid pipe 101 is drilled without interrupting the flow.

[0087] At this time, particularly in a horizontal branch as in this embodiment, some of the chips from the fluid pipe 101 generated during drilling will enter the neck portion 105d, but because the opening of the recessed portion 105i is blocked by the cylindrical body 178, the chips can be prevented from entering the recessed portion 105i. The chips that enter the neck portion 105d will accumulate or adhere to the inner surface of the cylindrical body 178 that covers the recessed portion 105i. At this time, for example, an elastic material may be bonded or vulcanized to the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 178 to eliminate gaps between the inner periphery surfaces 105h and 105j and the recessed portion 105i, or between only selected portions of each.

[0088] Furthermore, a protrusion 178d that protrudes toward the inner diameter side is formed at the tip of the cylindrical body 178, so that chips that have accumulated or adhered to the inner surface of the cylindrical body 178 can remain on the inner surface of the cylindrical body 178 without falling onto the inner surfaces 105h, 105j and recessed portion 105i of the neck portion 105d, not only during drilling but also when the mounting flange tube 171 and the cylindrical body 178 are removed from the neck portion 105d after drilling.

[0089] In addition, the tip surface 178e of the cylindrical body 178 in this embodiment is formed flat, and the insertion of the cylindrical body 178 is completed when this tip surface 178e comes into contact with the step portion 105k formed in the neck portion 105d of the housing 105.

[0090] At this time, for example, by opening a ball valve 118 attached to a communication opening 117 formed on the base end of the neck 105d as a discharge port communicating between the inside and outside of the housing 105, chips generated during drilling can be discharged to the outside along with the fluid. In this way, chips generated during drilling can be discharged to the outside via the communication opening 117 formed on the base end of the neck 105d, upstream of the recess 105i, without approaching the recess 105i. As will be described later, this communication opening 117 is used as a bypass for filling with water when the flow control valve 110 is operated. After operation, the ball valve is removed without interrupting the flow and sealed with an open-close plug 119 shown in FIG. 17.

[0091] Furthermore, when the fluid pipe 101 is cut by the cutter 172, a section 101a separated from the fluid pipe 101 is held within the hole saw 172a. Then, as shown in FIG. 13 , the cutter 172 is retracted into the mounting flange tube 171 together with the section 101a, and the cylindrical body 178 is also retracted into the mounting flange tube 171. The interior of the housing 105 is then closed by the working valve element 131 of the working valve 103, thereby completing the drilling operation of the fluid pipe 101. As described above, by closing the opening of the recessed portion 105i in the neck portion 105d of the housing 105 with the cylindrical body 178, it is possible to prevent chips generated by drilling the fluid pipe 101 inside the housing 105 from entering the recessed portion 105i, and therefore the working valve element 131 can be brought into contact with the clean recessed portion 105i that is opened by the cylindrical body 178, thereby sealing the housing 105. In this case, since the mounting position of the drilling machine 107 is close to the fluid pipe 101, the drilling machine 107 is positioned as concentrically as possible with respect to the housing 105, and even if there is a deviation in the parallelism between the mounting flange of the drilling machine 107 body and the connecting surface of the mounting flange tube 171, the impact on the drilling portion is minimized and drilling deviation is suppressed.

[0092] Next, with the inside of the casing 105 hermetically closed by the working valve body 131 of the working valve 103, the drilling machine 107 is removed. In place of the drilling machine 107, it is preferable to connect a discharger (not shown) to the open end 105c of the neck 105d to discharge chips generated during drilling, and to use the discharger to discharge chips remaining inside the casing 105 and the fluid pipe 101 to the outside.

[0093] Next, with the inside of the housing 105 blocked by the working valve body 131 of the working valve 103, the discharger is removed, and in place of this discharger, a flow control valve 110 for controlling the fluid in the pipe is connected to the open end 105c of the neck 105d.

[0094] Prior to installing the flow control valve 110, as shown in Figure 14, a flange 116a formed at the tip of a housing tube 116, which houses the flow control valve 110 so that it can move horizontally, is hermetically connected to the open end 105c of the neck 105d with a plurality of fastening members 116d in the circumferential direction. The housing tube 116 is formed as a cylinder with a bottom, with its tip open and its base end closed by a closing lid 116b having a through-hole in the center. A communication opening 127 that connects the inside and outside of the housing tube 116 is formed in the closing lid 116b, and a ball valve 128 is normally threaded into this communication opening 127.

[0095] An insertion machine 160 is provided inside the housing cylinder 116 as an insertion means for inserting the flow control valve 110 into the housing 105. The insertion machine 160 is attached so that the flow control valve 110 can be moved horizontally from the outside of the housing cylinder 116 and can be attached and detached. The insertion machine 160 extends horizontally through the center of the base end of the housing cylinder 116, and is mainly composed of, in order from the center, an extension rod 161, an operating rod 162, and an insertion cylinder 163.

[0096] 14 and 15(a), the tip of the extension rod 161 is threadedly engaged with the mounting jig 126 attached to the base end of the valve housing 112 of the flow control valve 110, and the base end extends outward beyond the accommodating cylinder 116. The operating rod 162 that fits onto the extension rod 161 is pivotally supported rotatably but immovably in the axial direction relative to a cylinder portion 116c that constitutes the accommodating cylinder 116 and covers the through-hole of the blocking lid 116b, and is provided at its base end with a grip portion 162a for rotational operation. Furthermore, the insertion tube 163 that fits onto the operating rod 162 is pivoted relative to the tube portion 116c so as to be non-rotatable but movable in the axial direction, and its tip portion 163a is clamped horizontally between the mounting jig 126 and the flange portion 161a of the extension rod 161, and is provided with a female screw portion 163b that screws into the male screw portion 162b of the operating rod 162.

[0097] Furthermore, a through hole 163c that is approximately square in side cross section is formed in the tip 163a of this insertion tube 163, and a protruding end 126a of the mounting jig 126 that is approximately square in side view so as to complement this through hole 163c is fitted into the through hole 163c. In this manner, the flow control valve 110 to which the mounting jig 126 is attached is restricted from moving in the circumferential direction relative to the insertion tube 163. Note that the side view shapes of the through hole 163c of the insertion tube 163 and the protruding end 126a of the mounting jig 126 that complements it are not limited to approximately square, and may be any non-circular shape such as rectangular, elliptical, or oval.

[0098] 14, the flow control valve 110 is mainly composed of a plug 111 (valve element) that passes through a perforated hole 101b in a fluid pipe 101 and moves horizontally to open and close the inside of the pipe, and a valve housing 112 that houses the plug 111 so that it can move horizontally and has a peripheral side part 113 with an open tip. The valve housing 112 is equipped with a shaft member 114 that extends horizontally while being rotatable and pivoted so that it cannot move back and forth, and the plug 111 is threadedly engaged with this shaft member 114. By rotating an operating part 114a at the base end of the shaft member 114 that protrudes outward from the valve housing 112, the plug 111 can move horizontally relative to the valve housing 112.

[0099] 16 and 17, the plug 111 is mainly composed of an internally threaded piece 111a threaded onto an axial member 114, a plug body 111b made of an elastic material, a plug body 111c that engages with the internally threaded piece 111a and moves in accordance with the internally threaded piece 111a, and a fastening member 115 that connects the plug body 111b to the plug body 111c and is made of a bolt and nut integrally molded with the plug body 111b by vulcanization or the like. The plug 111 moves into the fluid pipe 101 at the end through the hole 101b, as the axial member 114 rotates, and the plug body 111b comes into close contact with the hole 101b and the inner circumferential surface 101c of the fluid pipe 101 over the entire circumference, completely blocking the flow path in the pipe or partially blocking the flow path in the pipe depending on the amount of movement of the plug body 111c, thereby enabling flow control. Furthermore, the female screw piece 111a initially moves simultaneously with the plug body portion 111b and the plug trunk 111c, but when the plug body portion 111b comes into contact with the bottom of the inner periphery of the pipe, the female screw piece 111a moves significantly relative to the plug body portion 111b and the plug trunk 111c, and the blade portions on both sides of the female screw piece 111a push the plug body portion 111b outward in the radial direction, thereby helping to stop the water.

[0100] Furthermore, the valve housing 112 of the flow control valve 110 has a recess 113b formed over the entire periphery on the outer peripheral surface at the tip end of the peripheral side portion 113, and a sealing member 121 is provided in this recess 113b.

[0101] 14, with accommodating tube 116 accommodating flow control valve 110 therein as described above connected in a sealed manner to open end 105c of housing 105, before opening working valve body 131, communicating opening 117 provided in neck 105d of housing 105 forward of working valve body 131 is connected to communicating opening 127 provided in the blocking lid of accommodating tube 116 on the base end side of working valve body 131 by a connecting hose (not shown). In this manner, the fluid in fluid pipe 101 is gradually introduced into accommodating tube 116 by its fluid pressure through the communicating opening (not shown), the connecting hose, and communicating opening 127.

[0102] By introducing the fluid in the fluid pipe 1 into the containing cylinder 116 in this way, the pressures in the containing cylinder 116 and the fluid pipe 1 can be adjusted to the same pressure before the working valve body 31 is opened.

[0103] Next, as shown in Figure 14, the working valve body 131 is opened, and the flow control valve 110 in the receiving tube 116 is installed facing the housing 105. More specifically, by rotating the operating rod 162 of the insertion machine 160 in the forward direction, the insertion tube 163 threaded onto this operating rod 162 moves toward the fluid pipe 101. As the insertion tube 163 moves, a pressing force is applied to the flow control valve 110 via the mounting jig 126, causing the flow control valve 110 to move gradually within the neck 105d. Note that the extension rod 161 threaded onto the mounting jig 126 also moves downward following the flow control valve 110.

[0104] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the flow restriction valve 110 is pressed to an installed position where the sealing member 121 extends beyond the opening 105b and comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 105j of the neck portion 105d.

[0105] After installing the flow control valve 110 as described above, the insertion machine 160 is operated to remove the housing tube 116 that was attached to the flow control valve 110. More specifically, as shown in Figures 15(a) to 15(c), the extension rod 161 that is threadedly engaged with the mounting jig 126 is first rotated to remove it from the mounting jig 126. Next, the operating rod 162 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the insertion tube 163 that is threadedly engaged with the operating rod 162 toward the base end, thereby removing the tip end 163a from the tip end 126a of the mounting jig 126 that has been fitted into a substantially rectangular shape.

[0106] After operating the insertion machine 160 as described above and disconnecting it from the flow control valve 110, the fluid in the pipe introduced into the storage tube 116 is discharged through a drain section not shown, and the storage tube 116 is removed from the housing 105 together with the insertion machine 160.

[0107] Next, the operating valves 103 attached to the openings 105b of the housing 105 are sequentially removed. At this time, the sealing member 121 seals the inner circumferential surface 105j of the neck 105d beyond the openings 105b, so leakage of the internal fluid is prevented even when the openings 105b are opened. As shown in Figure 16, a blocking lid 109 is removably attached to hermetically close the periphery of the openings 105b after the operating valves 103 have been removed, and an annular blocking ring 140 is attached to the flange portion 105e of the neck 105d with a plurality of fastening members 141 in the circumferential direction. [Example]

[0108] Next, a pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 23. Components identical to those in the above-described embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The installation conditions of the pipeline are the same as those in the above-described embodiments. As shown in Figure 19, the pipe drilling apparatus according to the present invention is primarily composed of a housing 205 that fits around an existing fluid pipe 201, an operating valve 203 that opens and closes the interior of the housing 205, and a drilling machine 207 that drills the fluid pipe 201 within the housing 205. In this embodiment, the pipe drilling apparatus and its installation method will be described, covering a series of steps from drilling a predetermined location in the existing fluid pipe 201, which is a pipeline component, within the housing 205 under uninterrupted flow conditions, to installing a flow control valve 210 within the housing 205.

[0109] The fluid pipe 201 of this embodiment is a ductile cast iron pipe, and as shown in FIG. 18, is formed as a straight pipe having a substantially circular cross section.

[0110] First, as shown in Fig. 19, the outer surface of a fluid pipe 201, which will be the mounting location of the fluid control device according to the present invention, is cleaned, and then a housing 205 constituting the pipe punching device is hermetically fitted onto the fluid pipe 201 via a seal member 204 for sealing the punching portion of the fluid pipe 201 (described later). The housing 205 has a divided structure consisting of multiple divided bodies, and in this embodiment, it is mainly composed of a first divided body 251 constituting one side and a second divided body 252 constituting the other side, which are fastened together with fastening members 202, and the housing 205 is fitted onto the fluid pipe 201 in a hermetically sealed state so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 18, a seal member is also used to seal between the first divided body 251 and the second divided body 252.

[0111] The first division 251 of the housing 205 is composed of a conduit housing portion 205a extending in the conduit direction along the fluid pipe 201, and a cylindrical neck portion 205d branching off and extending horizontally at approximately the center of the conduit housing portion 205a, having an open end 205c opening in the branching direction, and an opening 205b opening to the side, and is formed in an approximately T-shape when viewed from above.

[0112] This neck portion 205d has an opening 205b on its cylindrical peripheral side that opens toward one side in the pipe direction of the fluid pipe 201. The opening 205b opens in a vertically elongated, approximately rectangular shape in side view, and is formed so that an operating valve body 231 of the operating valve 203 can be inserted therethrough, as will be described later.

[0113] As shown in Figures 18 and 20(b), the inner periphery of the neck 205d is provided with an inner periphery surface 205h which is formed as a curved surface of an ellipse in a side view and which is linear in the horizontal direction, a recessed portion 205i which serves as a concave valve seat portion which is recessed in the outer diameter direction along the circumferential direction at the same position as the opening 205b in the axial direction of the neck 205d, an inner periphery surface 205j which is formed closer to the base end of the neck 205d than the recessed portion 205i and which is formed to be approximately flush with the inner periphery surface 205h on the tip side of the neck 205d, and a step portion 205k which is connected to the base end side of the inner periphery surface 205j and protrudes in the inner diameter direction.

[0114] Next, as shown in Figure 19, operating valve 203, which constitutes part of the pipe punching device according to the present invention, is hermetically connected to opening 205b of neck 205d. Operating valve 203 has the same configuration as in Example 1 described above, and is mainly composed of operating valve element 231 that slides open and close within housing 205, containing member 232 as an operating valve housing that contains operating valve element 231 so that it can slide horizontally, and mounting member 233 having an inner circumferential surface that can be fitted onto neck 205d together with containing member 232.

[0115] The detailed configuration, installation procedure, features and effects of the operating valve 203 are the same as those of the operating valve 3 of the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0116] Next, a drilling machine 207 is connected in a sealed manner to the open end of the neck 205d. The drilling machine 207 is mainly composed of a mounting flange tube 271, an end mill 272 as a cutter for drilling holes in the fluid pipe 201, a drive motor 274 for rotating the end mill 272 within the mounting flange tube 271, and an advancing / retracting mechanism 273 for moving the end mill 272 horizontally forward and backward within the flange tube 271. The end mill 272 in this embodiment is formed on a shaft having a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 1, and is equipped with a cutting blade along its tip and circumferential surface.

[0117] Prior to installing the drilling machine 207, a pressing part 80 is first installed on the support parts 236, 236 of the working valve 203 as an insertion means for inserting the drilling machine 207 into the housing 205. The detailed configuration of the pressing part 80 and the installation procedure are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0118] To explain the procedure for installing the drill 207, the mounting flange tube 271 of the drill 207 is inserted into the neck 205d by the pressing unit 80, and the flange portion 271a formed at the base end of the mounting flange tube 271 is brought into contact with the open end 205c of the neck 205d and fastened with the fastening member 279. The mounting flange tube 271 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer circumferential surface slightly smaller in diameter than the inner circumferential surfaces 205h, 205j of the neck 205d, and is inserted into the neck 205d to a position where it covers the opening of the recessed portion 205i. In other words, the mounting flange tube 271 provided in the drill 207 constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention.

[0119] Furthermore, the mounting flange tube 271 is arranged to be slidable along the inner peripheral surfaces 205h, 205j of the neck portion 205d, thereby improving the accuracy of movement of the mounting flange tube 271 and enabling the recessed portion 205i to be reliably closed or opened.

[0120] Furthermore, a seal member 276, which is a sealant of the present invention, is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting flange cylinder 271, and this seal member 276 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface 205h of the neck portion 205d, thereby sealing the mounting flange cylinder 271 of the drilling machine 207 and the neck portion 205d of the housing 205 in this connected state. Note that, as in the above-described first embodiment, a seal member may be provided that seals the inner peripheral surface 205j of the neck portion 205d.

[0121] Next, as shown in Figure 20, the drilling process of the fluid pipe 1 by the drilling machine 207 will be explained. First, with the working valve body 231 of the working valve 203 placed inside the housing member 232 and the inside of the housing 205 open, the end mill 272 is rotated by the drive motor 274 of the drilling machine 207, and the end mill 272 is advanced forward by the advance / retract mechanism 273, so that the wall of the fluid pipe 201 is drilled and penetrated without interruption of flow.

[0122] After the above-described penetration, the housing 205, to which the drilling machine 207 is attached and which is fitted hermetically around the fluid pipe 201, is swung by a predetermined angle α in the circumferential direction of the fluid pipe 201 while maintaining this sealed state. By doing so, the end mill 272 swung in the circumferential direction in response to the swing of the housing 205 to drill the fluid pipe 201, resulting in the formation of a hole 201b that extends longer in the circumferential direction of the fluid pipe 201 than in the axial direction of the fluid pipe 201.

[0123] At this time, particularly in a horizontal branch as in this embodiment, some of the chips from the fluid pipe 201 generated during drilling will enter the neck portion 205d, but because the opening of the recessed portion 205i is closed by the cylindrical mounting flange 271, it is possible to prevent the chips from entering the recessed portion 205i. The chips that enter the neck portion 205d will accumulate or adhere to the inner surface of the cylindrical mounting flange 271 that covers the recessed portion 205i.

[0124] Furthermore, a protrusion 271d that protrudes toward the inner diameter is formed at the tip of the mounting flange tube 271, which prevents chips that have accumulated or adhered to the inner surface of the mounting flange tube 271 from falling onto the inner surfaces 205h, 205j and recessed portion 205i of the neck portion 205d, not only during drilling but also when removing the mounting flange tube 271 from the neck portion 205d after drilling.

[0125] In addition, a female threaded hole 205p is formed on the housing 205 closer to the fluid pipe 201 than the recessed portion 205i, i.e., on the base end side of the neck portion 205d, as a discharge port connecting the inside and outside of the housing 205. A ball valve (not shown) is installed to open and close this female threaded hole 205p, allowing chips generated during drilling to be discharged to the outside along with the fluid. This prevents chips generated during drilling from approaching the recessed portion 205i and allows them to be discharged to the outside via the female threaded hole 205p formed on the base end side of the neck portion 205d, upstream of the recessed portion 205i. After drilling, the ball valve is removed without interrupting the flow and sealed with a plug (not shown). The mounting flange tube 271 may have a curved tip, as shown in FIG. 7, or may have a communication port connected to the chip discharge port.

[0126] 21 , after the fluid pipe 201 has been drilled by the end mill 272, the end mill 272 is retracted into the mounting flange tube 271, and the mounting flange tube 271 is further pulled back rearward beyond the recessed portion 205i, and the inside of the housing 205 is closed by the working valve body 231 of the working valve 203, thereby completing the drilling operation of the fluid pipe 201. As described above, by closing the opening of the recessed portion 205i in the neck portion 205d of the housing 205 with the mounting flange tube 271, it is possible to prevent chips generated by drilling the fluid pipe 201 inside the housing 205 from entering the recessed portion 205i, and therefore the working valve body 231 can be brought into contact with the clean recessed portion 205i that has been opened by the mounting flange tube 271, and the housing 205 can be sealed.

[0127] Next, with the inside of the casing 205 hermetically closed by the working valve body 231 of the working valve 203, the drilling machine 207 is removed. It is preferable to replace the drilling machine 207 with a discharger (not shown) connected to the open end 205c of the neck 205d for discharging chips generated during drilling, and to use the discharger to discharge chips remaining inside the casing 205 and the fluid pipe 201 to the outside.

[0128] Next, with the inside of the housing 205 blocked by the working valve body 231 of the working valve 203, the discharger is removed, and in place of this discharger, a flow control valve 210 for controlling the fluid in the pipe is connected to the open end 205c of the neck 205d.

[0129] 22 and 23, the flow control valve 210 is mainly composed of a plug 211 (valve element) that passes through a perforated hole 201b in the fluid pipe 1 and moves horizontally to open and close the inside of the pipe, and a valve housing 212 that houses the plug 211 so that it can move horizontally and has a peripheral side part 213 with an open tip. The valve housing 212 is equipped with a shaft member 14 that extends horizontally while being rotatable and pivotally supported so that it cannot move back and forth, and the plug 211 is threadedly engaged with this shaft member 14. By rotating an operating part at the end of the shaft member 14 that protrudes outward from the valve housing 212, the plug 211 can move in the axial direction of the shaft member 14 relative to the valve housing 212.

[0130] The detailed configuration and installation process of the flow control valve 210 are the same as the installation process of the flow control valve 10 of the first embodiment, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0131] As shown in Figures 22 and 23, the flow control valve 210 is pressed to an installation position where the first sealing member 21 extends beyond the opening 205b (towards the fluid pipe 1) and is in close contact with the inner surface 205j of the neck 205d, and the second sealing member 22 is in close contact with the inner surface 205h located outside the opening 205b.

[0132] The open end 205c of the housing 205 and the overhanging portion 213d of the flow control valve 210 overlapping therewith are fitted together with a fastening member 219, so that the flow control valve 210 is prevented from slipping outward from the housing 205.

[0133] Next, pipe punching devices and installation methods thereof according to Modifications 1 to 7 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 24 to 32. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Furthermore, the installation conditions of the pipelines are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, these modifications will be described as modifications of the second embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. These modifications may also be applied to the first and third embodiments, or multiple applications may be made, for example, by combining the mechanisms of both Modifications 1 and 2.

[0134] First, the pipe punching device and its installation method according to Modification 1 will be described with reference to Figures 24 and 25. As shown in Figure 24, a cylindrical body 188, which movably fits the cutter 172, is provided inside the mounting flange tube 171 and is movable horizontally relative to the mounting flange tube 171, and is inserted into the neck portion 105d to a position where it covers the opening of the recessed portion 105i. In other words, the cylindrical body 188 constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention.

[0135] This cylindrical body 188 is formed in the shape of a cylinder with a bottom and an outer peripheral surface whose diameter is slightly smaller than the inner peripheral surfaces 105h, 105j of the neck portion 105d, and this cylindrical body 188 has a protrusion 181 and a rubber member 182 as engaging parts that protrude from the inner peripheral surface on the base end side toward the inner diameter side, and these engage with the outer peripheral surface of the cutter 172 in a manner that allows them to be connected or released.

[0136] More specifically, an elastically deformable rubber member 182 is provided at the tip of the inner diameter side of the protrusion 181, and this rubber member 182 is clamped and pressed between the outer circumferential surface of the cutter 172, thereby connecting the cylindrical body 188 to the cutter 172. Therefore, when the cutter 172 is advanced in the horizontal direction by the advancing / retracting mechanism 173, the cylindrical body 188 follows the cutter 172 and advances toward the fluid pipe 101.

[0137] As shown in the upper part of Figure 25, the axial tip surface of the cylindrical body 188, which has advanced following the cutter 172, comes into contact with a step 105k formed in the neck portion 105d of the housing 105, thereby completing the insertion of the cylindrical body 188.

[0138] 25, when the cutter 172 is pressed horizontally by the advancing / retracting mechanism 173, the connection between the cutter 172 and the cylindrical body 188 is released, and the cutter 172 moves horizontally on its own to perforate and cut the fluid pipe 101. Cutting chips generated during this perforation are prevented by the cylindrical body 188 from entering the recessed portion 105i.

[0139] Instead of the rubber member 182 provided at the tip of the protrusion 181, although not shown, a recess may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cutter 172, and the protrusion at the tip of the inner diameter side of the protrusion 181 may be configured to fit into the recess and protrusion, or a ball plunger may be provided at the tip of the inner diameter side of the protrusion 181, and the outer peripheral surface of the cutter 172 may be pressed to engage with it.

[0140] Also, as shown in Figure 24, when the fluid pipe 101 is cut by the cutter 172 and the cutter 172 is retracted into the interior of the mounting flange tube 171 together with the cut piece 101a, the cutter 172 and the cylindrical body 188 are again connected, and the base end face of the cutter 172 abuts against the inner bottom surface 188a of the cylindrical body 188, so that the cylindrical body 188 retreats into the interior of the mounting flange tube 171 following the cutter 172.

[0141] In this way, the cutter 172 and the cylindrical body 188 can be easily connected or disconnected simply by moving the cutter 172.

[0142] Next, a pipe punching device and its installation method according to Modification 2 will be described with reference to Figures 26 and 27. As shown in Figure 26, a cylindrical body 178, which movably fits a cutter 172, is provided inside a mounting flange tube 171 and is movable horizontally relative to the mounting flange tube 171. This cylindrical body 178 is fixed to its base end and is inserted into neck portion 105d to a position where it covers the opening of recessed portion 105i by pushing or pulling an operating portion 179 that is fixed to the base end and extends outward from the mounting flange tube 171 in a sealed state. In other words, cylindrical body 178 constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention.

[0143] This cylindrical body 178 is provided with a sweeping portion 190 around the entire circumference, which is made up of numerous hair-like members 191, 191, ... that are raised from the outer peripheral surface at the tip end toward the outer diameter side. This sweeping portion 190 is configured to enter or exit the interior of the recessed portion 105i as the cylindrical body 178 moves back and forth. Furthermore, the sweeping portion 190 may be provided on the entire outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 178, or may be provided on part of it.

[0144] The bristle members 191 constituting the sweeping portion 190 are made of metal, resin, fiber, or other materials, and have the function of sweeping out impurities such as chips from within the recessed portion 105i to the outside, like a broom or brush.

[0145] 26 and 27, the insertion of the cylindrical body 178 is completed when the axial tip surface of the cylindrical body 178 inserted into the neck portion 105d by the operating portion 179 comes into contact with a step portion 105k formed in the neck portion 105d of the housing 105. At this insertion completion position, the sweeping portion 190 is inserted into the recessed portion 105i. This prevents foreign matter such as chips from entering the recessed portion 105i.

[0146] Furthermore, when the fluid pipe 101 is cut by the cutter 172 and the cutter 172 is retracted into the interior of the mounting flange tube 171 together with the cut piece, and the cylindrical body 178 is also retracted into the interior of the mounting flange tube 171, the sweeping portion 190 operates to sweep outward from the interior of the recessed portion 105i. In this way, even if foreign matter such as chips enters the recessed portion 105i, the foreign matter can be discharged to the outside of the recessed portion 105i.

[0147] Next, a pipe drilling device and an installation method thereof according to Modification 3 will be described with reference to Figure 28. As shown in Figure 28, a cutter 372 is provided inside the mounting flange tube 171 so as to be movable horizontally relative to the mounting flange tube 171. The cutter 372 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 101, and is composed of a hole saw 372a with a cutting blade at its tip along the circumferential direction, and a center drill 372b arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the hole saw 372a and protruding beyond the cutting blade. By operating the advance / retract mechanism 173 connected to the base end of the hole saw 372a, the hole saw 372a can be inserted into the neck 105d to a position that covers the opening of the recess 105i. In other words, the hole saw 372a constitutes a part of the cutter 372 of the present invention, and also constitutes the cylindrical portion of the present invention. In this way, by using the hole saw 372a, which is a part of the cutter 372, the structure of the cylindrical portion can be simplified.

[0148] Hole saw 372a is provided with a sweeping portion 390 around the entire circumference, which is made up of numerous bristle members 391, 391, ... that are raised from the outer peripheral surface of the base end toward the outer diameter. Sweeping portion 390 is configured to advance into and advance from recessed portion 105i as hole saw 372a moves back and forth. Sweeping portion 390 may cover the entire outer peripheral surface of hole saw 372a, or it may cover only a portion of the outer peripheral surface.

[0149] The bristle members 391 constituting the sweeping portion 390 are made of metal, resin, fiber, or other materials, and have the function of sweeping out impurities such as chips from within the recessed portion 105i to the outside, like a broom or brush.

[0150] 28, the sweeping part 390 is inserted into the recessed part 105i at a position where the cutting blade at the axial tip of the hole saw 372a, which is inserted into the neck part 105d by the advancing / retracting mechanism 173, is in contact with the outer surface of the fluid pipe 101 and drills a hole. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as chips from entering the recessed part 105i.

[0151] Furthermore, when the cutter 372 is drilling, the hole saw 372a rotates, causing the sweeping portion 390 inserted into the recessed portion 105i to rotate circumferentially, thereby increasing the fluidity within the recessed portion 105i and preventing the entry of foreign matter such as chips.

[0152] Furthermore, when the fluid pipe 101 is cut by the cutter 372 and the cutter 372 is retracted into the mounting flange tube 171 together with the cut piece 101a, the sweeping portion 390 operates to sweep outward from the inside of the recessed portion 105i. In this way, even if foreign matter such as chips enters the recessed portion 105i, the foreign matter can be discharged to the outside of the recessed portion 105i.

[0153] Next, a pipe drilling device and its installation method according to Modification 4 will be described with reference to Figures 29 and 30. As shown in Figures 29 and 30, a suction pipe 280 made of a small-diameter rod-shaped body for discharging chips is inserted in a sealed state approximately horizontally into the inside of neck 105d of housing 105 through through-hole 105m formed in housing 105, and this suction pipe 280 is positioned so as to cover the opening of lower recess 105i from above in the vertical direction. In other words, suction pipe 280 constitutes the tubular portion of the present invention.

[0154] This suction tube 280 has a hollow structure in which a tip opening 281a located inside the neck 105d and a rear opening 281b located outside are connected to each other, and a valve 282 arranged outside the housing 105 can be used to freely open and close both openings 281a, 281b of the suction tube 280, i.e., a communication passage connecting the inside and outside of the neck 105d.

[0155] 30, the suction pipe 280 inserted into the neck portion 105d covers the opening of the recessed portion 105i from above, which makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as chips from entering the recessed portion 105i.

[0156] Furthermore, while the fluid pipe 101 is being cut by the cutter 172, or after the fluid pipe 101 has been cut and the cutter 172 has been pulled into the interior of the mounting flange tube 171 together with the cut piece 101a, the valve 282 of the suction pipe 280 is opened, whereby the cutting chips together with the fluid in the neck portion 105d are sucked in through the tip opening 281a of the suction pipe 280 and discharged outside the housing 105 through the rear opening 281b.

[0157] In this manner, foreign matter such as chips inside the housing 105 can be discharged to the outside through the suction pipe 280, which communicates with the inside and outside of the housing 105. Furthermore, by appropriately moving the suction pipe 280 in the neck portion 105d back and forth along the recessed portion 105i while the valve 282 is open, the efficiency of suctioning chips can be improved. The number of suction pipes 280 is not limited to one, and a predetermined number may be provided. Furthermore, the suction pipe 280 may be detached, for example, while cutting the fluid pipe 101, and then attached to the valve 282 after cutting is completed, thereby discharging foreign matter such as chips to the outside. While it is preferable to subsequently detach the suction pipe 280, this is not a limitation. When sealingly closing the drilling machine 107 with the working valve body 131, foreign matter such as chips may be pushed out by the working valve body 131 while opening the valve 282 and the valve at the rear end opening 281b. Valve 282 can be removed after restrictor valve 110 is installed.

[0158] Next, a pipe punching device and its installation method according to Modification 5 will be described with reference to Figure 31. As shown in Figure 31, recess 105p formed inside neck 105d of housing 105 has an inner surface on the fluid pipe 101 side formed as tapered surface 105t that gradually opens from the inner bottom surface toward the opening.

[0159] This increases the fluidity of the fluid in the recessed portion 105i, so that chips that have entered or are about to enter the recessed portion 105p together with the fluid when the fluid pipe 101 is cut can flow out of the recessed portion 105p along the tapered surface 105t without remaining therein. The taper may be gradually opened from the opening toward the inner bottom surface to prevent chips from entering.

[0160] Next, a pipe punching device and its installation method according to Modification 6 will be described with reference to Figure 32. As shown in Figure 32, housing 105', a mounting flange tube 171' connected to housing 105', and an advancing / retracting mechanism (not shown) are attached to fluid pipe 101 with their outer ends tilted so that they face diagonally upward relative to the horizontal. In other words, the inner surface of recessed portion 105i' formed inside housing 105' is tilted relative to the vertical direction.

[0161] By doing so, the fluidity of the fluid within the recessed portion 105i' can be increased, so that chips that have entered or are attempting to enter the recessed portion 105i' along with the fluid when the fluid pipe 101 is cut can flow out of the recessed portion 105i' along the inner surface of the inclined recessed portion 105i' without remaining there.

[0162] Furthermore, although not specifically shown, it is preferable to attach the housing 105 having the recessed portion 105p according to the above-described modification 5 to the fluid pipe 101 with the housing 105 tilted so that it faces diagonally upward as in modification 6. In this way, the tapered surface 105t constituting the recessed portion 105p is tilted more with respect to the vertical direction, that is, tilted so as to approach the horizontal direction, which further increases the fluidity of the fluid within the recessed portion 105p and enables chips that try to enter the recessed portion 105p to be discharged without leaving any residue.

[0163] Next, a pipe punching device and its installation method according to Variation 7 will be described with reference to Figure 33. As shown in Figure 33, an operating valve 103' constituting the pipe punching device according to the present invention is hermetically connected to opening 105b in neck 105d of housing 105. Operating valve 103' is mainly composed of operating valve element 131' that slides open and close within housing 105, and housing member 132' as an operating valve housing that extends substantially vertically downward and has housing interior 132a' that slidably houses operating valve element 131', and opening portion 132b' whose upper end is open.

[0164] The accommodating member 132' is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable and unable to move back and forth, and is provided with an axial member 134' extending vertically downward, with the operating valve body 131' threadedly engaged with this axial member 134', and by rotating an operating member 135' attached to the tip of the axial member 134' protruding downward from the accommodating member 132', the operating valve body 131' is configured to be slidable relative to the accommodating member 132'.

[0165] According to the operating valve 103' having the above-described accommodating member 132' as the operating valve housing, chips entering the recessed portion 105i can be introduced by descending into the accommodating interior 132a' of the accommodating member 132' without being retained in the recessed portion 105i. It is preferable to provide an outlet (not shown) at the lower end of the accommodating member 132' that can be opened and closed, so that the chips introduced into the interior of the accommodating member 132' can be appropriately discharged to the outside.

[0166] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0167] For example, in the above-mentioned Example 1, the flow control valve 10 has a valve body in the form of a plug body 11 that passes through the hole 1b of the fluid pipe 1 and comes into close contact with the inner surface 1c, but this is not limited to this, and any type of valve body can be applied as long as it is capable of controlling the fluid in the pipe.

[0168] Furthermore, for example, in Examples 1 and 2, drilling was performed with a hole saw 72a having a diameter smaller than that of the fluid pipe 1, and in Example 3, drilling was performed with an end mill 272 having a diameter smaller than that of the fluid pipe 1, but this is not limited to this. Alternatively, a portion of the fluid pipe inside the casing 5 may be cut with a hole saw, a tool, a wire saw, or the like having a diameter larger than that of the fluid pipe 1, or a portion of the fluid pipe line may be cut, and the cut piece may be removed to install a plug that seals the inner surface of the casing as a valve seat, or a restrictor valve having an inner valve body with a built-in valve body, in a state in which the flow is not interrupted. In other words, the pipe drilling device of the present invention may be any device that generates chips from the wall of the fluid pipe, and drilling of the present invention is not limited to simply forming a hole in the fluid pipe but also includes aspects such as cutting or severing.

[0169] In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, the open ends 5c, 105c, 205c of the housing branch off horizontally and open, but this can also be applied to cases where they branch off vertically and drill holes in the up and down directions, or where they are drilled from an angled inclined direction.

[0170] In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, protrusions 75d, 178d, and 271d are provided at the tip of the inner wall portion 75a, the cylindrical body 178, and the mounting flange tube 271 for chip collection, but multiple protrusions may be provided, and the shape is not limited to this, and for example, the inner surface may be lattice-shaped, may have multiple protrusions, or may be coated with a viscous material.

[0171] Furthermore, the cylindrical bodies 178, 188 are not necessarily limited to those formed in a cylindrical shape, but may be formed in a semi-cylindrical shape or a substantially C-shape.

[0172] In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, the working valves 3, 103, 203 are attached so as to extend in the pipeline direction of the fluid pipes 1, 101, 201, but they may also be attached perpendicular to the pipeline direction or at an appropriate angle in the circumferential direction, and may also be attached at an angle so that the operating part side of the outer end of the working valve gradually approaches or recedes from the pipeline, not limited to being parallel to the pipeline. In this case, it goes without saying that the openings 5b, 105b, 205b and the recessed portions 5i, 105i, 205i are also designed in the above-mentioned directions as appropriate.

[0173] Furthermore, when drilling, there is a risk that chips may accumulate in the multiple through holes through which the multiple push bolts 105f can be inserted, particularly on the lower side, so it is advisable to block the through holes from the inner side of the neck with an elastic material such as rubber or sponge, or a material such as tape, plastic, or metal before drilling, or to clean the through holes after drilling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1 Fluid tube 3 Working valve 5. Cabinet 5d neck 5i Recessed part (recessed valve seat part) 5p female screw hole (exhaust port) 7 Drilling machine 10. Flow control valve 31 Working valve body 71 Mounting flange tube (housing tube) 72 cutter 75a Inner wall portion (cylindrical portion) 75d protrusion 75p communication port 76b Sealing material (sealing material) 101 Fluid pipe 103 Working valve 105,105' enclosure 105d Neck 105i,105i' Concave part (concave valve seat part) 105p Recessed part (recessed valve seat part) 105t tapered surface 107 Drilling machine 110 Flow control valve 117 Communication opening (discharge port) 131,131' Working valve body 132,132' Storage member 172 cutter 178 Cylindrical body (cylindrical part) 178d Protrusion 181 Projection part (engaging part) 182 Rubber member (engagement part) 188 Cylindrical body (cylindrical part) 190 Sweeping section 201 Fluid pipe 203 Working valve 205 Case 205d Neck 205i Recessed part (recessed valve seat part) 205p female screw hole (exhaust port) 207 Drilling machine 210 Flow control valve 231 Working valve body 271 Mounting flange cylinder (cylindrical part) 271d Projection 272 End mill (cutter) 276 Sealing materials (sealing materials) 280 Suction tube (cylindrical part) 372 cutter 372a Hole saw (cylindrical part) 390 Sweeping section

Claims

1. A pipe punching device comprising at least a housing with a split structure that hermetically fits around a fluid pipe, an operating valve that has an operating valve body that comes into contact with and separates from a concave valve seat provided in a neck portion of the housing and is configured to be detachable from the neck, and a punching machine that is inserted into the housing and has a cutter having a cutting blade that punches through the fluid pipe in an uninterrupted flow state and a reciprocating mechanism that moves the cutter forward and backward, A pipe punching device characterized in that a suction pipe for discharging chips together with the fluid in the housing is provided on the neck portion so as to be movable along the recessed valve seat portion.

2. 2. The tube piercing device of claim 1, wherein the suction tube is inserted into the neck.

3. 2. The tube punching device according to claim 1, wherein the suction tube is configured to be able to cover the opening of the recessed valve seat portion.

4. 4. The pipe punching device according to claim 1, wherein the suction pipe is provided with a valve that can open and close the inside of the suction pipe.

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