Abstract:
A repair device may include a cured-in-place liner having a modification to prevent adhesion of the liner adjacent to an opening in a pipe during the curing process and where a fire activated device has previously been installed/located. The liner may also soften and give way under specific time/temperature exposure that permits an existing fire-stop device to function properly and as designed in a fire event while preventing that device from deploying prematurely and/or by failure of the existing strap, fitting and/or other design deficiency.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A pipe repair and restoration apparatus is disclosed that may permit continued use of an existing thermally activated pipe shut-off device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Thermally activated pipe shut-off devices may typically include a ball or plug that is positioned in a Y- or T-Type fitting for a pipe. The ball or plug is retained in the branch portion of the fitting by, for example, a band of low-fusing metal. In a fire, heat may melt or otherwise distort the band and release the ball or plug. The ball or plug may then descend into a narrower diameter region of the pipe—sealing the pipe. Thermally activated devices are taught, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,427 to Taylor, No. 1,510,810 to Williams, No. 2,128,292 to Finn, No. 4,583,565 to Cornwall and No. 5,127,425 to Cornwall. 
         [0003]    The band (or other apparatus) that retains the ball or plug in position in many shut-off has been found to degrade and fail over time. As a result, the ball or plug may be released prematurely (absent a fire), sealing the pipe. Conventional repairs and/or modifications to existing thermally activated pipe shut-off devices to address or prevent this issue of premature failure may require invasive and/or destructive actions to walls and property to remove or modify faulty and/or worn out parts. It is difficult, however, to replace or modify shut-off devices in existing homes, condominium, hotels and office buildings because they are behind walls and connected to the existing pipes and plumbing systems. Removing or repairing such devices can require cutting and removal of a large section of drywall or concrete to gain access to the part that is in need of repair and/or replacement. The difficulties of repairing such a device in a home, condominium, hotel or office are also multiplied when the devices are behind walls covered with custom paint and/or expensive wall coverings that may be impossible to restore to their original state without great expense and/or effort. Many shut-off devices also cannot readily be identified behind walls, or are not easily located, making the cost of access and repair prohibitive in most instances. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A repair apparatus is disclosed that may be internally positioned in a pipe by an installer of cured-in-place pipe lining materials to block and/or prevent the premature activation of existing fire-stop devices. As a result, the need for external access of the faulty or worn out part is eliminated. 
         [0005]    More specifically, a pipe repair and restoration apparatus may include a liner that may be inserted into a pipe and positioned proximate a lateral opening of a Y-Type or T-Type fitting that includes a thermally activated shut-off device. The liner may be constructed of known cure-in-place materials, such as a felt impregnated with resin (or another sufficiently porous and strong material such as fiberglass mesh) that hardens in place through a chemical reaction of the applied resins to form a solid barrier on the interior surface of the pipe surface. In addition, two to three inches of one end of the liner may be treated with a non-adheringly layer (such as a vinyl coating or tape) to prevent the treated area from adhering to the pipe wall in the immediate vicinity of the lateral opening of the fitting. 
         [0006]    In operation, the liner is inserted in the pipe in an un-cured state and positioned so that the treated end covers at least a portion of the lateral opening of the Y- or T-Type fitting. The liner is then cured-in-place such that it becomes a rigid form. In this rigid, cured state, the liner may function to block a ball or plug of a thermally activated shut-off device that is prematurely released. In a fire, however, heat from the fire functions to warms the resin in the treated area of the liner to at or near the melting point. This softens that liner in the treated area, making it pliable, and allows the ball or plug of the shut-off device to move the liner aside and descend into the pipe. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Reference will now be made to the attached drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout and wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a planar side cutaway view of an pipe having a Y-type fitting, a thermally activated pipe shut-off device positioned in the branch of the fitting, and an embodiment of a liner constructed in accordance with the present invention positioned in the fitting; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a planar side cutaway view of the pipe, fitting, shut-off device, and liner of  FIG. 1 , in which the shut-off device has prematurely failed, releasing the ball of the device, which is then retained in the branch portion of the fitting by the liner; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a planar side cutaway view of the pipe, fitting, shut-off device, and liner of  FIG. 1 , in which (like  FIG. 2 ) the shut-off device has prematurely failed, and showing heat from a source (e.g., fire) ascending the pipe; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a planar side cutaway view of the pipe, fitting, shut-off device, and liner of  FIG. 1 , in which the heat from a source (e.g., fire) has softened the liner in the treated area, making it pliable, and allowed the ball to move the treated area of the liner aside and descend into the pipe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , a pipe repair and restoration apparatus  10  may include a liner  12  that may be installed within a pipe  100 . The pipe  100  may have a Y- or T-Type fitting  102  that includes a thermally activated shut-off device  104  with a closure apparatus in the form of a ball or plug  106  (or the like) positioned in the branched portion  108  of the fitting  102 . The ball or plug  106  for the device  102  may be retained in the branched portion  108  of the fitting  102  by a strap  110  or another article constructed of a low-fusing material. 
         [0013]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the liner  12  may be a tubular liner constructed of known cured-in-place materials, such as a felt impregnated with resin (or any other sufficiently porous and strong material such as fiberglass mesh and the like), that may harden in place through a chemical reaction of the applied resins to form a solid barrier on an interior surface  112  of the pipe  100  or fitting  102 . In addition, between one-half and five inches (or more preferably between two to three inches) of one end  14  of the exterior surface  16  (or optionally the exterior  16  and interior  18  surfaces) of the liner  12  may be treated with a non-adhering or adhering prevention layer  20  (such as a vinyl coating or a vinyl tape). As will be described further infra, the layer  20  may function to prevent the treated area of the liner  12  from adhering to the interior surface  112  of the pipe  100 . It will, however, be appreciated that other materials may also be used to prevent adhesion of a portion of one end of the liner  12  to interior wall  112  of the pipe  100 . 
         [0014]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the liner  12  may be inserted into the pipe  100  in an uncured state and positioned so that at least a portion of the treated area of the liner  12  covers a lateral opening  114  of a branched portion  108  of the Y- or T-Type fitting  102  of the pipe  100 . More specifically, the liner  12  may be positioned so that at least a portion of the treated end  14  at least partially blocks the lateral opening  114  of the fitting  102  when the liner  12  is installed. Once properly positioned, the liner  12  will then be cured-in-place. It will be appreciated, however, that while a majority of the liner  12  will thus adhere to the interior surface  112  of the pipe  100  during the curing process, the treated area of the liner  12  may function to prevent that portion of the liner  12  from adhering to the pipe wall  112 . As a result, the treated area of the liner (i.e., at least a portion of which may cover the lateral opening  114 ) may not be adhered to the pipe wall  112 . 
         [0015]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , and as best shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , a cured-in-place liner  12  having a treated end as described supra is shown positioned in a pipe  100  so that the treated end at least partially covers the lateral opening  114  of a Y- or T-Type fitting  102  that includes a thermally activated shut-off device  104 . The strap  110  (which may be plastic) of the device  104  has prematurely failed by breaking or giving way and released the ball or plug  106  from the device  104 . However, the rigid cured-in-place liner  12  may function to bar the ball or plug  106  from descending down the pipe  100  under normal conditions (e.g., non-fire) even though the strap  110  supporting the ball or plug  106  has failed. 
         [0016]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , and as best shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , a cured-in-place liner  12  having a treated end  14  as described supra is shown positioned in a pipe  100  so that the treated end at least partially covers the lateral opening  114  of a Y- or T-Type fitting  102  that includes a thermally activated shut-off device  104 . The strap  110  of the device  104  has prematurely failed by breaking or giving way and released the ball or plug  106  from the device  104 . However, as shown in  FIG. 3 , in a fire heat will function to increase temperature of the liner  12 . This increase in temperature also consequently increases the temperature of the resins in the liner  12  to at or near their melting point. As a result, the liner  12  may soften at the treated non-adhering end  14  of the liner  12 . Indeed, it will be appreciated that liner  12  may be constructed with a resin(s) having a melting point at or near the melting point of the strap  110  so that the ball or plug  106  of the thermally activated shut-off device  104  may function to push passed the liner  12  at or near the same time the strap  110  of the device  104  would have originally released in the ball or plug  106 . 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , once the liner  12  is softened, the weight of the ball or plug  106  may fold and/or bend the non-adhering end  14  of the liner inward and allow the ball or plug  106  to pass. The ball or plug  106  may then continue down the pipe  100  to a constriction point or member  116  to seal the pipe  100 . 
         [0018]    Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the liner  12  may be a repair device constructed of a cured-in-place lining material that has been modified to not adhere to a pipe immediately adjacent to the opening  114  of the fitting  102 , and to also cover a portion of the opening  114  sufficient to block a fire-stop device  104 ,  106  from prematurely deploying unless heated to a sufficient temperature by fire or exposure, as during a fire event specified heat/time parameters which then allow the device  104 ,  106  to deploy correctly under the intended fire event conditions. 
         [0019]    Having thus described one embodiment of the apparatus  10 , various other embodiments will become apparent to those of skill in the art that do not depart from the scope of the claims.