Patent ID: 9046195
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,F16L

Abstract:
1. A method of coating a joint of a pipe during fabrication of the pipe from pipe sections, comprising: positioning a mold tool around the joint to define a mold cavity around the pipe, the mold tool having first and second gates spaced apart from each other; positioning an insert to lie within the mold cavity; injecting molten thermoplastic material through the first gate into a first portion of the mold cavity to advance a melt front in the mold cavity toward the second gate; subsequently injecting molten thermoplastic material through the second gate into a second portion of the mold cavity neighboring the first portion; maintaining a gap between a body of the insert and the pipe to allow the molten thermoplastic material to flow around the insert as the mold cavity fills, wherein the molten thermoplastic material flows through a body of the insert as the mold cavity fills, to embed the insert in the molten thermoplastic material injected into the mold cavity; accelerating cooling of the injected material in the first portion of the mold cavity relative to cooling of the injected material in the second portion of the mold cavity; and removing the mold tool from the joint after the injected material in the mold cavity has cooled to a self-supporting extent.