CONCRETE PUMPING

Abstract: A method of cleaning a pipeline which has been previously used for pumping concrete comprising attaching one end of a vessel to the pipeline, the vessel having air escape means adjacent said one end of the vessel, locating an object in the pipeline remote from said vessel and propelling the object along the pipeline towards the vessel with air to thereby push concrete before the object and permitting air to escape via said air escape means once the object has passed said means whereby to reduce the force of air tending to propel the object.

Description: CONCRETE PUMPING This invention relates to concrete pumping and in particular aspect relates to cleaning of lines through whic concrete has previously been pumped. It has become common practice to pump concrete throug pi pelines from a source of concrete, usual ly a concret mi xer or a concrete delivery truck, to a place where th concrete is to be used. However, cleaning the pipelines after pumping o concrete is messy and is rarely done to a satisfactor standard. The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus an a method for cleaning pipelines which have been previousl used to pump concrete. In tests conducted ith a view to provid ng such a apparatus and method Applicant has tried, dismantling pum and cleaning by hand and has located objects in a pipel n and propelled the object along the length of the pipel in with ai r or with water . ith a view to the object pushin concrete within the pipel ine before it and out of th pipeline. Dismantl ing and cleaning by hand has been found Appl icant to be ti e consumi ng, usually requi ring of t people and was proved to result in spi llage of concre which necessitated further cleaning. Using water as a means to propel an object was a mes operation and often left residual water in pipeline a other equipment which might later dilute a concrete batc Further, water under sufficient pressure may not be readi available at some sites. The use of air as a means to propel an object w generally more satisfactory but it was noted that the obje could escape at the end of the line and this posed a hazar there was a tendency to produce mess and the end of t pi pel i ne had a tendency to whip after the object h escaped. Thus Applicant further experimented with means at t end of the pipel ine to catch the- object but stil l found tendency for the li ne to whip and also a tendency f concrete to be sprayed. As a result of the above experiments, the present invention provides a method of cleaning a pipeline which has been previously used for pumping concrete comprising attaching one end of a vessel to the pipeline, the vessel having air escape means adjacent said one end of the vessel, locati ng an object in the pipel ine remote from said vessel and propel li ng the -object along the pipel ine towards the vessel with air to thereby push concrete before the object and permitting air to escape via said air escape means once the object has passed said means whereby to reduce the force of air tending to propel the object. The present invention also provides a vessel for use in cleani ng a pipel ine through which concrete as previously been pumped, the vessel having one end' adapted to be connected to such a pipel ine and air escape means adjacent said one end of the vessel. Since it is highly desirable that the object should not escape, as so doing may be dangerous or at the least result in a spray of concrete, it is particularly preferred that the vessel has a length beyond the air escape means sufficient to al low the object to come to a stop without escaping. That length may be provided if the vessel has a body of suitable length. However, in a particularly preferred instance, that length is provided at least in part by a length of pipeline which may be considered to be part of the vessel and which length of pipel ine may be part of the pi pel i ne to be cleaned. * Thus, in a particularly preferred instance the present invention prov des a method of cleaning a pipeline which has previously been used for pumping concrete comprising taking a vessel having a body having two open ends and locating the body i n the pipeli ne adjacent, but spaced from one end of the pipeline, the body having air escape means therein, locati ng an object in the other end of the pipel ine an propelling the object along the pipeline with air to thereb push concrete before the object and permitting air to escap vi a said air escape means once the object has passed sai means whereby to reduce the force of air tending to prope the object. The body preferably has ends adapted to be directl coupled to the pipeline. To that purpose the ends of th body may be formed as pipeline couplings. One end of the body may have means to block the passag of the object after the object has passed the afr escap means but not such as to substant ally block the passage o concrete. The air escape means is preferably provided by plural ity of holes in a side wal l of the body. Those hole are preferably located in a group so that they can b uppermost and so reduce the amount of concrete which mig pass through them if they were located to be lowermost. T holes preferably have a si ze of not more than 8.2 mm an preferably are not less than 2.5 mm. The holes ar preferably located towards that end of the body which wil first receive the object. Since some concrete might spray out of the holes it preferred that a cover is provi ded over the holes. Th cover should not block air escape. The cover is preferab removable or movable to a remote position such as by bei hinged or made slideable for cleaning purposes. Access to the interior of the body is preferabl provided for purposes such as cleaning. That access i conveniently provided through the side wall. Access throu the side wall can be conveniently provided by hingedl mounting part of the side wall. * Preferably there is a member adapted to be acted up by air escaping from the air escape means and to move sa means to block . the passage of an object from a fir position in which it wil l not substantially block t passage of the object to a second position in which it wi block the passage of the object. Preferably said member s a cover for the ai r escap means and is connected by an actuating linkage to said mean to block the passage of an object. The object to b propelled through the pipeline is conveniently a sponge. A specific construction of vessels in accordance wit this invention and their manner of use will now be describe with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one vessel, Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of said one vessel, Fig. 3 shows sand one vessel in use, Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of another vessel, Fig. 5 is a top plan view of said another vessel, Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of said anothe vessel, Fig. 7 is a si de elevational view of said anothe vessel with a part removed, Fig. 8 is a top plan view of said another vessel wit said part removed, Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the left hand end i Fig 7, Fig. 10 is an elevationl view of the right hand end i Fig 7, Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 but showin said another vessel in another condition, Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8 but showin said another vessel in said another condition, and Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the right hand end i Fig. 13. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the vessel 1 compri ses length of tube 2 having ends 3 and 4 adapti ng it to b coupled into a pipeline 6 (as i n Fig. 3). The length of tube 2 has a perforated metal insert hinged to the length of tube and which has holes 8 of abou 3.2 mm in diameter therein. A cover 9 is hi ngedly attached to the length of tube and normally covers the insert 7. In use the vessel 1 is coupled i nto the pipeli ne adjacent, but spaced from, one end 21. 1 A source 22 of compressed air is connected to the othe 2 end 23 and a sponge is inserted i nto the end 23 an 3 propelled along the pipeline 6 by the air. 4 The sponge will push concrete before it until it come 5 to the holes 8 whereat the air wil l escape and the spong 6. will stop moving. 7 In practice, the sponge was usual ly found to stop i 8 the last length 26 of the pipeli ne 6 which could easily b 9 cleaned by hand. 0 The cover 9 served to restrict concrete from spraying. 1 The vessel 31 shown in Figs. 4 - 13 comprises a lengt 2 of tube 32 having ends 33 and 34. The end 33 may be couple 3 to a pipel ine simi larly as shown in Fig. 3 but the end 3 4 need not be coupled to a pipeline unless desired. 5 The tube 22 is provided with a removable spray shiel 6 30. 7 The length of tube 32 has a perforated metal insert 8 secured thereto, preferably removably. The insert 37 ha 9 holes 38 of about 3.2 mm diameter therein. 0 A cover 39 is hi ngedly attached to the length of tub 1 32 and normally covers a substantial part of the insert 3 2 The hinged attachment of the cover 39 to the length of tu 3 32 is by means of an arm 41 which extends upwardly from t 4 cover 39 and which is pivoted about a pin 42 mounted to 5 bracket 43. 6 Rods 44 are articulated at one end to the arm 41 and a 7 the other end to a capture lever 46. The lever 46 i 8 pivotally mounted to a bracket 47 by a pivot pin 48. T 9 lever 46 and cover 39 are normally disposed in the positi 0 shown in Fig. 7 but may move to the position shown in Fig 1 11 - 13 in which the lever 46 extends within the length 2 pipe 32. 3 In use, the vessel 31 is coupled into the pipel ine 4 either at the end 21 or spaced therefrom similarly as sho 35 in Fig. 3. 36 A source 22 of compressed air is connected to the oth 37 end 23 and a sponge is i nserted i nto the end 23 a 38 propelled along the pipeline 6 by the air. The sponge wi ll push ai r before it unti l it comes t the holes 38 whereat the air wil l escape and the sponge wil tend to stop moving. However, since it has been found tha the sponge wil l on occasion escape the vessel the lever 4 is provided. As the air escapes through the holes 38 it acts upo the cover 39 and causes it to pivot to the position shown i Figs. 11 - 13 about the pin 42 and in so doing it causes th rod 44 to move to cause .the capturing lever 46 to pivo about the pi n 48 to. block the end 34 of the length of tub 32 to prevent escape of the sponge. The shield 30 serves to restrict concrete fro spraying. The entire contents of the provisional specificatio lodged with Australian Patent Appl ication No. PG 6213 ar hereby imported into this specif cation and form part of th disclosure of this specification. The cl ai ms f orm pa rt of th e d i s cl os ure of thi specification.

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A method of cl eani ng a pi pel i ne which has bee previously used for pumping concrete comprising attaching one end of a vessel to the pipeli ne, th vessel having air escape means adjacent said one end of th vessel , locating an object in the pipel ine remote from sai vessel and propel li ng the object along the pipeline towards th vessel with air to t'hereby push concrete before the objec and permitting air to escape via said air escape means onc the object has passed said means whereby to reduce the for of air tending to propel the object. 2. A method of cleaning a pipeli ne which has previousl been used for pumpi ng concrete comprising taking a vesse having a body having two open ends and locating the body i the pi peli ne adjacent, but spaced from one end of th pipeline, the body having air escape means therein, locati an object in the other end of the pi peline and propellin the object along the pipeline with air to thereby pus concrete before the object and permitting air to escape vi said air escape means once the object has passed said mea whereby to reduce the force of air tending to propel t object. 3. A vessel fo use in cleaning a pipel ine through whi concrete has previously been pumped, the vessel having o end adapted to be connected to such a pipeli ne and ai escape means adjacent said one end of the vesse.l. 4. A vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the body has end adapted to be directly coupled to the pipeline. 5. A vessel as claimed i n claim 3 or claim 4 wherein t Body has means to block the passage of an object propell along the pipeline by compressed air. 6. A vessel as claimed in claim 5, including a memb adapted to be acted upon by air escaping from the air esca means and to move said means to block the passage of object from a first position in which it wi l l n substantially block the passage of the object to a secon position in which it will block the passage of the object. 7. A vessel as claimed in claim 6, wherein said member i a cover for the air escape means and is connected by a actuating linkage to said means to block the passage of a object. - 8. A vessel as claimed in any one of claims 3 - 7, wherei the air escape means is provided by a plurality of holes i a side wall of the body. 9. A method of cleaning a pipeline which has previousl been used for pumping concrete or a vessel for use i cleaning a pipeline through which concrete has previousl been pumped substantially as hereinbefore described wit reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. 10. The articles, things, parts, elements, steps, features methods, processes, compounds and compositions referred t or ind cated in the specification and/or claims of th application individually or collectively, and any and al combinations of any two or more of such.

Inventors: RUTTEN ERIC, RUTTEN JAKE JOHN, RUTTEN JOHN L, RUTTEN, ERIC, RUTTEN, JAKE, JOHN, RUTTEN, JOHN, L
Applicants: RUTTEN JAKE JOHN, RUTTEN, JAKE, JOHN
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B08B9
IPC codes: B08B9