Abstract:
A method of inserting a cured in-place pipe from a cleanout includes positioning a lining along a portion of a length of a bladder, wherein the lining is frangibly connected to the bladder, inserting the bladder through the cleanout, to a position wherein the lining is within the pipe and does not block the pipe.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/359,026 filed Feb. 22, 2006 which is based upon and claims priority to Application Ser. No. 60/655,162 filed Feb. 22, 2005, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to locating a liner within a sewer pipe during pipeline repair and particularly during cured in-place pipeline repair (CIPP). CIPP is typically a fabric tube, impregnated with a liquid resin, formed inside of an existing conduit and cured to become a one-piece, continuous new pipelining. CIPP is used to renew main sewer pipes or lateral sewer pipes as well as other types of conduits. When using CIPP for renewing both main and lateral pipes, the lining is either pulled in place and inflated or inverted and inflated.  
         [0003]     A cleanout pipe is typical in all plumbing codes and therefore a cleanout pipe is common on lateral sewer pipes. The cleanout pipe provides one access point for entering the lateral. Another way of access is done remotely through a manhole into the main pipe and then into a lateral pipe.  FIG. 1  is a pictorial representation showing the relationship between a main line pipe  10 , a lateral pipe  12 , manholes  14 ,  16 , a cleanout pipe  18  and a house  20 .  
         [0004]     The liner may either be pulled into place or inverted into place. When a liner is pulled into place, either the lining has an outer coating or it does not have an outer coating. If the lining has an outer coating, the resin impregnated into the lining will remain contained within the coated tube preventing resin from migrating into pipe breaks and open joints. If the lining does not have an outer coating, the resin impregnated into the lining may be contaminated and even wiped off during the pulling in process.  
         [0005]     A pulled in-place liner requires two access points. One access point is a manhole, which is commonly located in public streets. The other access point may be another manhole or can also be a cleanout pipe. However, it is often undesirable to require two separate access points and it would generally be considered advantageous to require only one access point.  
         [0006]     The inversion method requires only one access point. It is generally a superior methodology to invert a liner, allowing the liner to be inserted into the pipe from only one access point, and allowing resin to contact the pipe directly and migrate into broken areas of the pipe without damaging the liner. However, inverting a liner through a cleanout pipe  18  and into the lateral line  12  creates an upstream side  38  ( FIG. 2 ) blocking off the lateral line and service to the house. This is because in the prior art the liner is within both the cleanout pipe  18  and the lateral pipe  12 , blocking off the lateral pipe  12  at  38 . Therefore, the lining will need to be cut out after the resin has cured to reinstate service to the house. This type of reinstating process requires expensive equipment, requires additional time and if the cut is not smooth, solids will build up on the lining, causing backups.  
         [0007]     It is therefore a general object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.  
         [0008]     Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a single access bore for inverting a lateral liner into a pipe to be repaired.  
         [0009]     Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for installing and positioning a liner within a sewer pipe that does not block off the sewer pipe.  
         [0010]     A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a lateral liner through a clean out that does not require cutting out the liner to reinstate service to a house.  
         [0011]     A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a lateral liner through a clean out that does not involve a cutting or reinstating process requiring expensive equipment.  
         [0012]     Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a lateral liner through a clean out that does not require additional time for a reinstating process or cutting.  
         [0013]     Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a lateral liner through a clean out that does not require or create the potential of causing solid build ups resulting from a reinstating process.  
         [0014]     A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a liner/bladder assembly through an access bore that allows the liner to be frangibly attached along the length (or portion of the length) of a bladder.  
         [0015]     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method of inverting a liner into a pipe through an access bore wherein the bladder is outside the access bore and the liner/bladder assembly is within the pipe.  
         [0016]     A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a liner/bladder assembly through an access bore that allows the liner to be positioned along the length (or portion of the length) of a pipe using an inverting machine that does not enter the pipe.  
         [0017]     A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an inversion method for installing a liner/bladder assembly through an access bore that allows the bladder to be connected to an inverting machine outside the pipe and allows the liner to be positioned along the length (or portion of the length) of a pipe.  
         [0018]     A further object of the present invention is to position the liner within the sewer pipe in a position adjacent the area of the sewer pipe to be repaired without blocking the sewer pipe.  
         [0019]     A further object of the present invention is to create a liner/bladder assembly wherein the liner is frangibly attached to the bladder and the frangible attachment is created without the need for expensive manufacturing equipment or factory settings, but can be done easily and efficiently in the field.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a method of making a cured in-place pipe repair to a pipe having an area needing repair containing a first margin and a second margin. An access bore contains a lower access bore end in communication with the pipe and an upper access bore end. The method comprises taking an elongated bladder tube having a first bladder end and a second bladder end. The next step places an elongated liner tube within the bladder tube, the liner tube having first and second liner tube ends. The liner tube is impregnated with an uncured resin. The bladder tube is then inverted into the access bore and into the pipe to a position wherein the liner tube is to the outside of the bladder tube and is positioned adjacent the area of the pipe needing repair and does not block the pipe. The resin is then permitted to cure and harden and the bladder tube is removed, leaving the cured in place liner tube which does not block the sewer pipe.  
         [0021]     Another feature of the above method includes determining the proper length and placement of the liner about the bladder.  
         [0022]     According to another feature of the present invention, the positioning step is accomplished by inserting a photo cable having a lens into the sewer pipe and marking the photo cable twice to correspond to the opposite margins of the area of the sewer pipe to be repaired.  
         [0023]     Another feature of the invention comprises frangibly attaching the liner tube to the bladder tube using an adhesive or a solvent that causes the liner tube to be attached to the bladder tube, but removable from the attachment to the bladder tube. This means of frangibly attaching the liner to the bladder can be easily accomplished in the field once the proper length and position of the liner within the pipe is determined.  
         [0024]     According to another feature of the present invention, the pipe is a lateral pipe leading from a home and connected to a main pipe. The method comprises inverting the bladder/liner assembly into the sewer pipe and positioning the liner at the portion of the pipe needing repair by its placement within the bladder.  
         [0025]     According to another feature of the present invention, the step of inverting the bladder/liner assembly is accomplished by an inversion machine.  
         [0026]     According to another feature of the present invention, the step of inverting the bladder/liner assembly is accomplished by an inversion machine that is located in the atmosphere completely outside the access bore.  
         [0027]     According to another feature of the present invention, the first end of the liner tube is positioned closer than the second end of the liner tube to the lower bore end of the access bore after the inverting step. The method comprises attaching the liner tube to the bladder tube only adjacent the first end of the liner tube.  
         [0028]     According to another feature of the present invention, verification of the liner placement during inversion or after inversion is accomplished by inserting a camera into the bladder while the bladder is inflated.  
         [0029]     Yet another feature of the present invention is a new method for lining the inner surface of a pipe or other conduit (not limited to sewer pipes) according to the procedures described herein. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]      FIG. 1  is a top view illustrating a typical prior art sewer pipe system for a house.  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial representation illustrating a prior art clean out pipe where a cured in-place liner closes off service from the house.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing the use of a photo cable to locate the position of the pipeline needing repair.  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a view showing the use of the marked photo cable for locating the liner within the bladder.  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial schematic of the bladder/liner assembly of the present invention before inversion into the lateral pipe.  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing the bladder/liner assembly after the inversion process.  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial representation of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating that the lining is allowed to be placed anywhere within any pipe or conduit that can be accessed from a single access pipe or manhole.  
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial representation of a guide tool for protecting and guiding the bladder tube from an access pipe into another pipe. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0038]     Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show a typical prior art construction. A prior art bladder/liner assembly  22  includes a bladder tube  24  having an open end  26  and a closed end  28 . A pull line  30  is attached to the closed end  28 . A liner tube  32  is positioned on the exterior of the bladder tube after inversion. As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the liner tube  32  includes an access portion  34  of the liner tube  32  within the access pipe  18  and includes a lateral portion  36  of the liner tube  32  within the lateral line pipe  12 . A blocked portion  38  of liner tube  32  is between the access portion  34  and the lateral portion  36  and blocks the sewage coming from house  20 . Therefore it is necessary to cut out and remove the blocked portion  38  so that sewage can pass from the house  20  to the main line  10 . If the cut out does not create a smooth transition between the liner and the host pipe at the invert of the host pipe, then sewage will tend to build up at portion  38  due to a jagged or rough edge created by the liner, which is an undesirable situation. It is preferable that there be no liner tube  34  within the access pipe  18  or blocking the blocked out portion  38 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 3  shows the initial portion of the process for the present invention. A camera  78  includes an optic fiber cable  80  which extends downwardly into the sewer pipe to be repaired by means of a lens  82 .  84  represents the area of the lateral pipe  12  needing repair. D 1  represents one margin of the area needing repair and D 2  represents the other margin of the area needing repair.  
         [0040]     When the lens  82  first approaches D 2  and visualizes one margin of the area  84  to be repaired, a mark is made on the optic fiber designated by the numeral D 2 ′. Then when the lens  82  is moved further into the lateral pipe  12  it encounters and visualizes the margin designated by the numeral D 1 . At this point, the numeral D 1 ′ is marked on the portion of the cable  80  which is adjacent the top of the access pipe  18 , all as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 4  then illustrates the method by which the liner  64  is cut and positioned. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the cable  80  is laid out in a straight line, and the lens  82  is lined up with the open upper end  58  of the bladder tube  56 . In this position the markings D 1 ′ and D 2 ′ of the cable  80  are used to determine the length of liner tube  64  and also are used to determine the position of liner tube  64  within the bladder tube  56 . The end margins of liner tube  64  are designated by the numerals D 1 ′ and D 2 ′ in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0042]     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an improved method for repairing pipe through an access pipe  18  is provided. An external launcher  40  (shown partially in  FIG. 5  and fully in  FIG. 6 ) is utilized outside the access pipe  18  and the lateral pipe  12 . It includes wheels  42 , a launcher chamber  44 , and a launcher opening  46 . Air pressure (not shown) is adapted to be injected into the launcher chamber  44  for causing the inversion of the tube. This air pressure is designated by arrows  47  in  FIG. 5 . Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other means of inversion could be used, such as a tower of water that is introduced into the bladder. The water creates head pressure that forces the bladder/liner assembly to invert.  
         [0043]     The access pipe  18  includes an upper end  48  in communication with the atmosphere and a lower end  50  in communication with the lateral pipe  12 . An access pipe bore  52  extends through the access pipe  18 .  
         [0044]     The upper end  58  of the bladder  56  of  FIG. 4  is connected to the external launcher  40  and is attached to and surrounds the launcher opening  46 . The bladder tube  56  also includes a closed end  60  having a pull line  62  attached thereto and extending upwardly to the outside of launcher  40 .  
         [0045]     The numeral  65  designates the non-blockage area comparable to the blockage area  38  shown in the prior art of  FIG. 2 . The difference between the non-blockage area  65  and the blockage area  38  is that the non-blockage area  65  includes only the bladder tube  56  and not the liner tube  64 . The manner in which this is accomplished is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . It should be noted that the access pipe  18  extends between its upper end  48  and its lower end  50 , a distance L 1 . The distance between the open upper end  58  and the liner tube  64  is shown to be a distance L 2  which is equal to or greater than the distance L 1 . This can be seen in  FIG. 5 , before the inversion process begins. The bladder/liner assembly  54  is positioned above the upper end  48  of the access pipe  18 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 5  also shows a guide tool or “shoe”  100 , which is an apparatus inserted into the access pipe  18  that protects the bladder tube  56  at the juncture between the access pipe  18  and the lateral sewer pipe  12  and directs the bladder tube  56  in a specific direction, either upstream or downstream in the lateral pipe  12 . The guide tool  100  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) includes a circular cylindrical portion  102  with an arcuate portion  104  extending there from. The cylindrical portion  102  of the guide tool  100  is positioned adjacent the opening between the access pipe  18  and the lateral sewer pipe  12 . The cylindrical portion  102  protects the bladder tube  56  against the edges of the sewer pipes about the juncture between the access pipe  18  and the lateral sewer pipe  12 . A protective lining  108 , preferably made of rubber, extends below the underside of the cylindrical portion  102  to act as a cushion between the bladder tube  56  and the exposed edge of the cylinder. Insertion of the bladder into the cylindrical portion  102  causes the protective liner to double back against the edge of the cylindrical portion. The arcuate portion  104  functions much like a shoehorn, directing the bladder tube  56  in the appropriate direction along the lateral sewer pipe  12 . The arcuate portion  104  in combination with the cylindrical portion  102  of the guide tool  100  also prevent the bladder tube  56  from being unconstrained at the back side. If the bladder tube  56  is left unconstrained on the back side as it enters the lateral sewer pipe  12 , the bladder could expand or tumor and burst. The guide tool  100  is attached to a flexible cable  106 , such as a steel spring or a hose, allowing any remaining portion of the cable or hose to easily bend at the top of the access pipe  18  and lay on the ground. The guide tool  100  is positioned within the pipes before the inversion process starts and is removed after the bladder is retracted.  
         [0047]      FIG. 6  shows the bladder/liner assembly  54  after the inversion process has been completed. It will be seen that the liner tube  64  has moved from the interior of the bladder tube  56  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) to the exterior of the bladder tube  56  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Furthermore, the liner tube  64  is located completely within the lateral pipe  12 , but is removed from the access pipe  18  and is not included in the access pipe  18 . Similarly, only the bladder tube is located at the non-blockage portion  65 . Also, points D 1  and D 1 ″ are aligned and points D 2  and D 2 ″ are aligned to position liner tube  64  in registered alignment with the area  84  of the pipeline needing repair.  
         [0048]     It is desirable to attach the liner tube  64  to the bladder tube  56  by a frangible attachment designated by the numeral  66  in  FIGS. 4, 5  and  6 . The frangible attachment between the lining  64  and the bladder  56  may be a solvent that chemically bonds the coating of the liner  64  to the bladder  56 . Liner  64  is preferably made of a felt material, but its interior surface as shown in  FIG. 4  (exterior surface as shown in  FIG. 6 ) may include a film of polymer, such as polyethylene, polyurethane or polyvinylchloride. Furthermore, the bladder  56  is preferably made from a reinforced film of polymer. The frangible attachment  66  may be provided by solvent bonding the polymer of bladder tube  56  to the polymer of liner tube  64 . The bonding is intended to be such that it attaches the liner tube  64  to the bladder tube  56 . However, it is possible by pulling on pull line  62  to break the frangible attachment  66  between the bladder tube  56  and the liner tube  64 . An example of a preferred solvent for use in this process is a product called Tetrahydrofuran, sold under product number 360589 by Sigma-Aldrich, 3050 Spruce Street, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. Using such adhesives or solvents allows the worker/operator to frangibly attach the liner to the bladder in the field, obviating the need for a more labor intensive and costly manufacturing process that must be performed off-site in a plant or factory. It also give the worker/operator more flexibility on the job site. This is a huge advance in the art.  
         [0049]     Other means may be utilized for frangibly attaching the liner tube  64  to the bladder tube  56  at the junction  66 . This can be accomplished by threads that dissolve or melt with time or with the application of solvents. There may be other means of frangible connections between the bladder and the lining such as stitches, buttons, snaps, hook and loop fasteners (Velcro®), two-sided tape, glue, welding techniques and such including but not limited to the use of hot air, sonic waves, RF waves, microwaves, impulses of other types, and any other method for frangibly attaching a lining to an inflation bladder. The term frangible attachment in the present invention relates to the ability of the attachment to connect the liner  64  to the bladder tube  56  during installation, but to permit the bladder tube  56  to be detached from the liner tube  64  upon the pulling of the pull rope  62 .  
         [0050]     A camera port  98  is provided in the well of external launcher  40  to permit cable  80  and lens  82  to be provided to the interior of bladder tube  56  so as to prevent the bladder tube  56  from entering too far beyond the area  84  to be repaired in the pipe  12  (See  FIG. 6 ). This is important to the installer in order to know if the frangible attachment  66  has broken causing the liner  64  to fold flat, thereby preventing the inversion process. It is also important to know that the tube end furthest from the access pipe has fully inverted and is open with the bladder extending beyond the liner tube.  
         [0051]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a slightly modified form of the invention is shown. Instead of using the access pipe  18 , a manhole  14  is utilized. The launcher  40  is utilized although not shown in  FIG. 7  and is positioned externally of the manhole  14 . It should be noted that the manhole is a distance of L 1  between its upper end and its lower end. Similarly, the liner tube  66  is positioned from the end of the bladder tube  56  a distance L 2 . L 2  is equal to or greater than L 1 , and therefore the liner is always positioned within the pipe  10  and not within the manhole  14 . The frangible attachment  66  is also utilized to attach the liner tube  64  to the bladder tube  56 , but to permit the bladder tube  56  to be removed after curing.  
         [0052]     The methods shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  may be utilized to repair damaged lateral pipes  12  as shown or also may be utilized to repair damaged main line pipes  10 . All that is necessary is to gain access to the main pipe  10  through manholes or other access pipes. For purposes of the present invention a manhole is the same as an access pipe and the method of positioning liner  64  is the same.  
         [0053]     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims. By way of example only, the lining methods described are not limited to sewer pipe applications, but can be easily applied to other applications, such as air ducts, gas pipes, water pipes, electrical conduits, shafts, tunnels and other similar conduits, by persons skilled in the pertinent art.