A conduit creating and emplacing device

Abstract

A conduit extrusion device comprises a main body (2) having a substantially circular aperture (4) therethrough; a winding cage (3) configured to receive a profile strip (5) and wind this into a helical spiral conduit that is extruded through the aperture (4); the winding cage (3) rotating relative to the main body (2) so that the extruded conduit is rotationally substantially stationary.

Description

[0001] A CONDUIT CREATING AND EMPLACING DEVICE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to a conduit extrusion device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spirally wound conduit extrusion device that can be used to create and emplace a conduit or pipe directly where required with no rotation of the conduit. The present invention also relates to a method of emplacing a pipe directly where required with no rotation of the conduit.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Underground pipes and conduits are used for a variety of purposes such as for example the passage of utilities. A known method of creating a length of underground conduit is to dig a trench and to lay pre-manufactured sections of pipe end-to-end within the trench, connecting the separate sections together as they are emplaced. Joining the ends of the adjacent sections can be time-consuming and difficult and create the potential for leakage due to faulty installation workmanship or over time due to the movement of the individual sections.

[0006] It is further known to create pipes and conduits by spirally winding a strip or strips to create a pipe or conduit. However, known winding methods can be unsuitable for directly emplacing or laying conduit in situ, as known methods rotate the conduit as part of the forming process, as it is formed. This means that if the conduit is created at the site, the creation process will frequently disturb or damage the pre-prepared site and render this unsuitable for use.

[0007] US9,248,485 describes and shows a method for producing a spiral pipe, in which joint portions are formed at both of the side edge portions of a long profile strip. A reinforcing material is supplied in the longitudinal direction to join mutually adjacent joint portions to each other, thereby producing a spiral pipe. Also disclosed is a curl-forming apparatus that includes a sending roller for the reinforcing material-attached profile strip, and a curl guide. Using the curl- forming apparatus, adjacent parts of the reinforcing material-attached profile strip are subjected to plastic deformation to form spirals by being provided with arc-like curls having a radius of curvature substantially similar to or not greater than the radius of curvature of the spiral pipe.

[0008] In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a conduit extrusion device which goes some way to overcoming the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public or industry with a useful choice.

[0010] It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of emplacing a conduit which goes some way to overcoming the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public or industry with a useful choice.

[0011] Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a conduit extrusion device, comprising: a main body having a substantially circular aperture therethrough; a winding cage configured to receive a profile strip and wind this into a helical spiral conduit that is extruded through the aperture; the winding cage rotating relative to the main body so that the extruded conduit is rotationally substantially stationary.

[0012] In an embodiment, the winding cage comprises a plurality of rollers aligned with their axes substantially parallel with the axis of the aperture, the rollers arranged around the perimeter of the aperture.

[0013] In an embodiment, at least one of the rollers is grooved perpendicular to the main rotational axis.

[0014] In an embodiment, the winding cage further comprises an inner end plate and an outer end plate, the rollers and the plates arranged so that the rollers extend between the inner end plate and the outer end plate, the rollers substantially perpendicular to the plates, the rollers rotatably connected to the plates so that the rollers can rotate about their main longitudinal axis.

[0015] 5. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising an inner smoothing roller mounted so as to extend axially through the aperture, the inner smoothing roller connected to a mount within the winding cage, the mount and smoothing roller configured so that in use the inner smoothing roller can rotate around the perimeter of the aperture 4.

[0016] In an embodiment, the main body comprises a substantially flat plate having a shackle that is connected to the main body at an uppermost point or edge.

[0017] In a second aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of emplacing a conduit, comprising the steps of: i) creating a conduit channel; ii) extruding a conduit directly into the channel, the conduit extruded non-rotationally. In an embodiment, in the step of extruding the conduit, the conduit is created using a device as claimed in any one of the statements relating to the first aspect.

[0018] This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

[0019] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

[0020] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1a shows a perspective rear view of a conduit extrusion device according to an embodiment of the invention, the device having a main body with a central extrusion aperture, a winding cage connected to the rear of the main body, and a pinch roller pressure system associated with the winding cage, the figure further showing a profile strip being fed into the winding cage to create a pipe when the device is operating.

[0023] Figure 1b shows a perspective rear view of the device of figure 1 from generally the same angle as figure 1 , the winding cage shown at a different rotational angle.

[0024] Figure 2a shows a perspective front view of the device of figures 1a and 1b, showing a helically-wound pipe being extruded through the central aperture of the main body.

[0025] Figure 2b shows a perspective front view of the device of figure 2a from the same angle as figure 2a, showing detail of an internal roller used as part of the pinch roller pressure system to lock the edges of the profile strip together to create the pipe.

[0026] Figure 3 shows a side view of the apparatus of the preceding figures, showing detail of the winding cage.

[0027] Figure 4 shows a side view of the apparatus from the same angle as figure 3, showing the winding cage and profile strip in a different rotational position and the pipe extruded to a greater length than in figure 3. Figure 5a shows a perspective view of the apparatus of the preceding figures in use, the apparatus mounted on a trailer and suspended above a pre-dug channel, a spool of profile strip mounted on the trailer and fed into the apparatus.

[0028] Figure 5b shows a perspective view from the same angle as figure 5a of the apparatus and trailer of figure 5a, the trailer moving along the channel as the pipe is extruded so that the extruded pipe is laid directly into the channel from above.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Detailed embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures.

[0031] An embodiment of the conduit extrusion device 1 is shown in figure 1a. The device 1 is a winding apparatus that comprises two main parts: a main body 2, and a winding cage 3.

[0032] Main Body

[0033] The main body 2 comprises a substantially flat plate, aligned generally vertically in use, with a central aperture 4 formed through the plate. The central aperture 4 is substantially circular.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment, the plate is generally teardrop- or plectrum-shaped, arranged with the point facing upwards in use. A shackle 9 is connected to the main body 2 at or close to the point of the teardrop-shape.

[0035] Winding Cage

[0036] The winding cage 3 comprises a plurality of rollers 6 aligned with their axes substantially parallel with the axis of the central aperture 4, with the rollers 6 arranged in a circle around the perimeter of the aperture 4, and spaced at substantially equal intervals around the perimeter of the aperture 4. Most of the rollers 6 have a smooth outer surface, but a number of the rollers 6 are grooved perpendicular to their main rotational axis, these grooved rollers interspersed with the smooth rollers.

[0037] The winding cage 3 further comprises an inner end plate 7 and an outer end plate 8, the inner and outer plates 7, 8 generally flat and aligned in substantially the same plane as the main body 2.

[0038] The rollers 6 and the plates 7, 8 are arranged so that the rollers extend between the inner end plate 7 and the outer end plate 8, the inner ends of the rollers (closest to the main body 2) connecting to the inner end plate 7, and the outer ends of the rollers connecting to the outer end plate 8, the rollers substantially perpendicular to the plates 7, 8 and the main body 2. The rollers 6 are rotatably connected to the plates 7, 8 so that the rollers can rotate about their main longitudinal axis in use The winding cage 3 is connected to the main body 2 so that it can rotate about its central axis. The outer perimeter edge of the inner plate 7 is toothed, so that the inner plate 7 is effectively a large gear. The inner plate 7 is rotationally driven by gears 10 mounted on the rear face of the main body 2, the gears 10 driven by an electric motor (not shown).

[0039] As shown in figure 1a, the winding cage 3 further comprises a feed-in roller 11 mounted outside the main ring of rollers 6, with the outer plate 8 configured to have an extension 12 to receive the outer end of the feed-in roller 11 , and a secondary feed-in plate 13 arranged between the inner and outer plates 7, 8 to receive the inner end of the feed-in roller. The secondary feed-in plate 13 is sized so that it only extends a short distance around the circumference of the winding cage 3. It can be seen that a slot is created between the feed-in roller 11 and a directly adjacent one of the main rollers 6.

[0040] With reference to figures 2a and 2b, the winding cage 3 further comprises an inner smoothing roller 14 that is mounted so as to extend axially through the aperture 4 in the main body 2, from the rear side through to the front side, close to the perimeter of the aperture 4. The inner smoothing roller 14 forms part of the pinch roller pressure system, and is connected to a mount 15 within the winding cage 3 so that in use the inner smoothing roller 14 can rotate around the perimeter of the aperture 4.

[0041] Use

[0042] In use, the winding cage 3 rotates on the main body 2. Viewed from the rear as shown in figures 1a and 1b, the winding cage 3 in this embodiment rotates anti-clockwise.

[0043] A uPVC profile strip 5 is fed into the slot between the feed-in roller 11 and the directly adjacent one of the main rollers 6 as the winding cage 3 rotates. The strip 5 is fed in clockwise (when viewed from the same angle as figures 1a and 1 b), so that the profile strip 5 winds onto the inner perimeter of the winding cage 3 formed by the rollers 6. The profile strip 5 feeds in such a manner that the trailing edge of the previous turn directly abuts the leading edge of the subsequent turn, so as to create a helical spiral. The profile strip 5 is of the type that has longitudinal channels along the outside surface. The grooves in the grooved ones of the rollers 6 locate into these channels to help correctly position the strip 5.

[0044] As the strip 5 is wound onto the inner surface of the winding cage 3, the trailing edge of each turn or winding directly abuts the leading edge of the next turn or winding. The helical strip is gradually fed forwards through the aperture 4, and as can be seen from figures 2a, 3, and 4, a spirally-wound or helically-wound conduit 100 is created. The inner smoothing roller 14 passes around the inner perimeter surface of the conduit 100 as this passes through the aperture 4, pressing against the inner surface of the conduit where the leading and trailing edges of each turn abut one another, so as to press these together and lock the turns together to create a continuous length of pipe 100 with no discrete joining.

[0045] A conduit created in this manner extrudes longitudinally from the spiral winding apparatus or conduit extrusion device 1 , but does not rotate axially as it is being extruded - it is stationary in a rotational sense (but moving slowly longitudinally as it is extruded). This means that the conduit can be created and directly and immediately placed in the required location without the risk of the conduit disturbing or damaging the pre-prepared location.

[0046] A method by which this can be accomplished is shown in figures 5a and 5b. In use, the winding apparatus or conduit extrusion device 1 is mounted on a trailer 20. In the preferred embodiment, the winding apparatus is mounted on a crane 21 or similar on the trainer via the shackle 9, so as to hang from the crane 21 off the rear of the bed of the trailer 20. A spool of strip is mounted on the bed of the trailer so that the strip unwinds from the spool into the conduit extrusion device 1 as outlined above, when the device 1 is operating.

[0047] The trailer is positioned over or straddling a pre-dug channel 22, and is driven along over the top of the channel 22 as the device 1 operates, at the same speed as the extrusion of the conduit. As can be seen in figure 5b, the conduit is directly laid into the channel as it is formed, and does not rotate as it is emplaced.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A conduit extrusion device, comprising: a main body having a substantially circular aperture therethrough; a winding cage configured to receive a profile strip and wind this into a helical spiral conduit that is extruded through the aperture; the winding cage rotating relative to the main body so that the extruded conduit is rotationally substantially stationary.

2. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the winding cage comprises a plurality of rollers aligned with their axes substantially parallel with the axis of the aperture, the rollers arranged around the perimeter of the aperture.

3. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of the rollers is grooved perpendicular to the main rotational axis.

4. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the winding cage further comprises an inner end plate and an outer end plate, the rollers and the plates arranged so that the rollers extend between the inner end plate and the outer end plate, the rollers substantially perpendicular to the plates, the rollers rotatably connected to the plates so that the rollers can rotate about their main longitudinal axis.

5. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising an inner smoothing roller mounted so as to extend axially through the aperture, the inner smoothing roller connected to a mount within the winding cage, the mount and smoothing roller configured so that in use the inner smoothing roller can rotate around the perimeter of the aperture 4.

6. A conduit extrusion device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the main body comprises a substantially flat plate having a shackle that is connected to the main body at an uppermost point or edge.

7. A method of emplacing a conduit, comprising the steps of: i) creating a conduit channel; ii) extruding a conduit directly into the channel, the conduit extruded non-rotationally.

8. A method of emplacing a conduit as claimed in claim 7 wherein in the step of extruding the conduit, the conduit is created using a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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