GB2201746A

GB2201746A - Pipe leak preventer

Info

Publication number: GB2201746A
Application number: GB08704113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Andrew Berman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-23
Filing date: 1987-02-23
Publication date: 1988-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-23
Also published as: GB2201746B; GB8704113D0

Abstract

A device comprises two halves hinged or separable with an interior lined with a removable compressible material 4, double rim washers adjacent to each end, and hand-fastened butterfly locks 3. The device is designed to be placed around a broken or otherwise leaking pipe and to provide an immediate seal when the butterfly nuts 3 are tightened so as to prevent further water (or other liquid) outflow. More than one layer of compressible material may be provided. The device may be placed about a straight or curved pipe or a sheared pipe to cap the latter. <IMAGE>

Description

WATER PIPE LEAK PREVENTOR This invention relates to a water pipe leak preventor in the event of sheared, split, burst or broken water pipes.

At present when pipes carrying water shear, split or are holed there is the near certainty of a considerable outflow of water prior to emergency repairs being effected. Moreover, in order to prevent the discharge from the broken pipe causing flooding prior to being repaired, it is necessary for the supply of water to the relevant part of the system to be turned off, or for the whole of the water system to be turned off, leading to a degree of inconvenience for the householder or office or factory worker.

The invention here described will enable anyone, without technical knowledge of the relevant central heating, cold or hot water plumbing system, to repair the section of damaged pipe in a manner that will allow continued use of the water system either permanently or temporarily until professionally inspected.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings: Fig 1 Pipe leak preventor in place on burst pipe Fig 2 Pipe leak preventor opened and separate from the damaged pipe prior to the repair.

Fig 3 Section of pipe leak preventor showing compressible inner lining, grooved joint and double washers.

Fig 4 Section of pipe leak preventor showing sample inner sleeve for use in smaller diameter pipe.

Fig 5 Section of pipe leak preventor in place on burst bent pipe.

Fig 6 Butterfly locking mechanism.

Referring to the Fig 1, the water pipe leak preventor containing the compressible internal lining (4) has been placed round the section of damaged pipe and is held firmly in place by the hand tightened butterfly nut locking system (3). The butterfly nuts and bolts are held in place by two retaining arms (2) joined to the cylinder (1). A water tight fit is effected by means of the compressible internal lining (4), the grooved joint (6) at the lip of the cylinder, double washers adjacent to each end of the cylinder (7) and the raising and recessing of each pair of butterfly lock retainers.

Fig 2 shows a water pipe leak preventor open prior to use. The cylinder (1) is lined with a compressible inner lining (4), in which are placed two sets of two washers (7), that is, four half washers adjacent to each end of the cylinder. The cylinder is engineered so that it is hinged (5).

To each half of the cylinder are affixed raised retaining brackets (2a) and recessed retaining brackets (2b) respectively. The grooved lip joint (6) ensures a water tight fit as between the two halves upon tightening.

Fig 3 shows a cross section of the cylinder (1) and the compressible internal lining (4), double washers (7) and the grooved lip joint (6).

Fig 4 shows the cylinder (1) fitted with an additional internal lining (8) (shown extended for ease of view) so as to permit water pipe leak protection around pipes of a smaller diameter. The additional internal lining is similar in all significant respects to that described above (4) Fig 5 shows a cylinder (la) adapted for fitting to an angled water pipe.

The cylinder is fabricated in two halves and is not hinged. Rather than the two pairs of retaining brackets, cylinder (la) has four pairs (2) so as to effect a water tight seal. All other attributes of the cylinder are as described above.

Fig 6 shows the butterfly nut (9) and bolt (10) to be fitted to the retaining bracket.

Claims

1. A cylinder fabricated in two halves, shaped to fit standard (or other) diameter water (or other) pipes in common or specialty use in domestic, commercial and industrial properties, with an interior lined with a compressible material and with a double rim washer adjacent to each end, designed to be placed around a broken or otherwise leaking pipe and to provide an immediate seal when the locking butterfly nuts are hand tightened so as to prevent further water (or other liquid) outflow.

2. A cylinder as claimed in Claim 1 where the two halves are hinged.

3. A cylinder as claimed in Claim 1 where the two halves are separate and curved so as to allow fitting to a pipe where the inlet is at an angle of 90 degrees to the outlet, or is otherwise other than straight.

4. A cylinder as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 containing a series of inner linings, each lining being itself lined with a compressible material and with a double rim washer adjacent to each end, designed as in Claim 1 to be placed around a broken or otherwise leaking pipe and to provide an immediate seal when the locking butterfly nuts are hand tightened so as to prevent further water (or other liquid) outflow, and where the removal of the appropriate inner lining within the cylinder is designed to allow the sealing of different diameter piping.

5. A cylinder as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each butterfly locking mechanism is formed by a butterfly shaped threaded bolt and a separate butterfly shaped nut, which bolt is threaded through each retaining hole on each retaining arm, the nut attached to the threaded bolt and tightened.

6. A cylinder as claimed in any preceding Claim but with a single point of entrylexit for capping a sheared pipe.

7. A cylinder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each pair of retaining arms can dovetail and are lined with compressible material so as to permit hand tightening of the butterfly locking mechanism.

8. A cylinder substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-6 of the accompanying drawing.