Patent ID: 9701523
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: B66F,E02F,F16L

Claim:
1. A system for repairing a damaged portion of a pipeline buried in a trench, the system comprising: a plurality of inflatable roller bags positionable, while deflated, under the pipeline adjacent the damaged portion; a sling means operationally connected to the roller bags for supporting the roller bags under the pipeline and for cradling the damaged portion of the pipeline while the damaged portion of the pipeline is raised from its buried position in the trench; a source of pressurized air for inflating the inflatable roller bags; and a computer-based control unit for regulating delivery and release of pressurized air into and from the inflatable roller bags, wherein each of said roller bags has a tubular configuration and a longitudinal axis, and wherein a first pre-determined quantity of the roller bags is configured for positioning under the pipeline adjacent the damaged portion of the pipeline along the pipeline, and wherein a second pre-determined quantity of the roller bags is configured for positioning under the pipeline immediately adjacent the damaged portion with their longitudinal axes being oriented transversely to a longitudinal axis of the pipeline.