A SEALING RING

Abstract: An annular sealing ring arranged to be mounted between the mutually facing wall surfaces of the ends of two pipe-like elements, one of which is inserted in the other. Figure 6 illustrates an annular seal having a rectangular cross-section such as to present two broad sides (14 and 15). Arranged closely adjacent one another are two parts (8' and 9'), one being for the supply of a hardenable substances to the internal cavity of the seal, and the other for the evacuation of air from said cavity. To prevent the hardenable substance from flowing in both directions around the cavity of the seal, a partition wall is formed between said parts, by pinching together the parts (19', 19'') of the annulars located therebetween, by means of a suitable tool (27). In this way, all air present in the cavity is evacuated therefrom without impeding the flow of said substance therearound.

Description: A SEALING RING The present invention relates to a sealing ring arranged to be mounted between two pipe ends of which one is inserted in the other, said sealing ring comprising a continuous, flexible and resilient hose-like element having an internal cavity which is arranged to be filled with a hardenable pressure medium through means connected with said cavity. Such a sealing ring is well known, and one such sealing ring is described in the German Auslegeschrift 1 475 890. The internal cavity of the sealing ring according to this publication is connected to two mutually diametrical¬ ly located valves , of which one is arranged to be connected to a pressure source for injecting a hardenable pressure fluid into said cavity, and the other is intended for the evacuation of air from the cavity when the pressure fluid, which may comprise a hardenable epoxy resin, is injected into said cavity. One problem encountered with such sealing rings is that it is practically impossible to distribute the pressure fluid inifor ly in amanner such that the two branch lines connected to the inlet are filled at the same speed. Normally, one of said branch lines is filled more quickly than the other, and consequently the air outlet is blocked before the other branch line has been completely filled. Consequently ' air is enclosed which gradually causes the abutment pressure between the part of the ring filled with air and the pipe surfaces abutting said part to be excessively low, therewith resulting in a leakage, which may have serious consequences if the pipes are buried in the ground. Consequently, it is a main object of the present invention to provide an annular, continuous sealing means of the kind mentioned in the introduction, in which the risk of air inclusions is completely eliminated. Accordingly, this invention consists in a sealing ring arranged to be mounted between two pipe ends which are. _ ___ " inserted one within the other, said ring comprising a continuous, flexible and resilient hose-like means having an internal cavity, which is arranged to be filled with a hardenable pressure fluid through means connected to said cavity, wherein there is arranged in the cavity, at least during a filling operation, a sealing partition wall, where a fluid inlet discharges into said cavity adjacent one side surface of the partition wall, and wherein a fluid outlet communicates with the cavity adjacent the other side surfac of said partition wall. So that the invention will be more readily understood and further features thereof made apparent, exemplary embo- dyments of the invention will now be described with referen to the accompanying schematic drawings, . in which Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a sealing ring accord ing to the invention in sectional view in a plane through the common axis of the two pipe ends, Figure 2 is a view taken in the axial direction of the ring in Figure 1, said ring being shown here in reduced scale, Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 2, said view being in an enlarged scale, Figure 4 illustrates a partially cut away portion of the sealing ring taken at the inlet and the outlet of the seal, Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified embodiment, and Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which the partition wall is formed by squeezing the hose-like element. Figure 1 illustrates a wall 1 of a pipe 2 whose end is inserted in a sleeve or pipe end 3, the wall of which is referenced 4. Located between the two pipes 2 and 3 is a gap 5 in which a sealing ring 6 according to the invention is arranged. This sealing ring 6, which is described with reference to Figure 1 to 4, is continuous and is made of a resilient material, such as silicone rubber or natural rubb The ring 6 has an internal cavity 7 which communicates with an inlet opening 8 and an outlet opening 9. In the illu- εtrated embodiment, a hose 10 is connected to the inlet opening 8, while a hose 11 is connected to the outlet opening. Each of the two hoses 10, II has a respective closing valve 12 and 13. As will be seen from Figure 2, the sealing ring has a rectangular cross-section with two broad side surfaces 14,15 and two narrow side surfaces 16,17. The two broad side surfaces 14,15 form sealing surfaces against the walls 1,4 of the pipes. The thickness of the material 18 between the cavity 7 and respective narrow ring surfaces 16,1-7 shall be of such magnitude that a pressure above ambient pressure in the cavity 7 will only result in a compression and expansion of the sealing side surfaces 14,15. As illustrated in Figure 4, there is arranged in the cavity 7 a partition wall 19 which is sealingly connected to. the inner wall 20 of said cavity. The outlet 9 is connected on one side of the partition wall 19 adjacent said wall, while the inlet 8 is connected on the other side of said partition wall adjacent said wall. The- partition wall 19 of the illustrated embodi¬ ment of Figures 1 to 5 has the form of a resilient, bellow- like structure,', or any other suitable structure which will permit the broad side walls of the sealing ring to be moved away from each other, and is conveniently bonded or vulcanized between the end parts 21,22, of the hose which has been connected to the illustrated continuous sealing ring. The openings 8 and 9 should lie as close as possible to the sealing partition wall 19,. for example at a distance of less than 10-20 mm. When the sealing ring has been mounted in the gap 5, as illustrated in Figure 1, the two valves 12,13 are opened, and a hardenable fluid, for example an epoxy resin, is injected into the cavity 7 through the hose 12 and the opening 8. The resin will only flow to the left as seen in Figure 1, since the sealing partition wall 19 prevents the resin from flowing to the right in Figure 4. The relative- ly sluggishly flowing or viscous resin will progressively fill the cavity 7 whilst flowing clockwise in Figure 2, and will therewith expell air in the cavity 7 out -through the outlet 9. The resin will subsequently reach the outlet 9 flow out therethrough. The cavity is thus completely fill and no deleterious air inclusions will be left. The valve is then closed and the pressure built up in the resin in the cavity 7, this pressure forcing the wall surfaces 14,1 of the ring against the pipe walls 1,4. Subsequent to the requisite pressure having been built up in the cavity 7, t valve 12 is closed and the resin hardened to form a solid 23 which holds the wall material of the sealing ring in co stant and intended contact with said pipe walls. Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified embodimen of the invention. In this embodiments, the internal cavity comprises a slot 7' in which the hardening pressure medium is forced, and arranged on the sealing surfaces are peri- pherally extending ridges or flanges, such as 24,25,26, wh may, in certain cases, improve the seal against the pipe e and penetrate into irregularities in the pipe walls. Figure 6 illustrates a particularly example, and pre¬ ferred embodiment of the invention. Instead of providing a permanent partition wall as with the Figure 4 ambodiment, the partition wall of the Figure 6 embodiment is formed by pinching temporarily the hose-like element between the inl 8 ' and the outlet 9'. The hose-like element may be pinche by means of a pair of tongs or a like tool, having two jaws 27 and 28, the portions 19' and 19" being pinched firmly to gether to form the necessary partition wall. Subsequent t filling the hose-like element, the pressure on the jaws is removed, that space created by the said portions 19' and 19" quickly being filled. As will readily be understood, pinching of the said section of the hose-like element may also be effected by placing the said element against, for example, a flat suppo surface and by applying a force to said element substantial perpendicularly to said surface, thereby to provide a part tion wall between said inlet and said outlet. Instead of the flexible lines or hoses 10,11 which a connected to respective inlet and outlet on one of the non- OMPI sealing side surfaces 16 or 17 of the ring, valves can be arranged directly in the openings 8,9. When using hoses 10,11 or comparable conducting means, said hoses or means may be closed by means of plugs or the like. The pressure fluid may comprise any suitable hardenable material wyich will contract only slightly when hardening. OMPI

Claims: C L A I M S :- 1. A sealing ring arranged to be mounted between two pipe ends which are inserted one within the other, said ring comprising a continuous, flexible and resilient hose¬ like means having an internal cavity which is arranged to be filled with a hardenable pressure fluid through means connected to said cavity, wherein there is arranged in the cavity, at least during a filling operation, a sealing par tition wall, wherein a fluid inlet discharges into said cavity adjacent one side surface of the partition wall and wherein a fluid outlet communicates with the cavity adjace the other side surface of said partition wall. 2. A sealing ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hose-like means has a substantially rectangular cross-sec¬ tional shape, with the broad rectangular sides of said mea being arranged to abut the walls of the pipe ends. 3. A sealing ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cavity of the hose-like means has the form of a thin slot. 4. A sealing ring as claimed in any one of claims 2 to wherein the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are arranged on one of the narrow sides of the hose-like means. 5. A sealing ring as claimed in claim 4, wherein flexib lines, for supplying fluid to and removing fluid from said cavity are connected to the fluid inlet and to the fluid o let respectively. 6. A sealing ring as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein the partition wall is permanent and made of a resilient material 7. A sealing ring as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein the partition wall comprises at least a part of th hose-like means, which has been pressed in by an external force. OMPI

Inventors: BLOM H
Applicants: BLOM H, PANDATA AB
Application year: 1979
Main classification: F16L21
IPC codes: F16L21