Motorized apparatus for pipe inspection and repair

• Main Authors: Duncan, Alexander Kyle, Holovashchenko, Viktor, Danko, Todd William, Lizzi, John M, Jones, Marshall G, Nalladega, Venkata Vijayaraghava, Wang, Guanghua, Jain, Arpit
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.10.2024
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PIPES; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

Methods, systems, and apparatus are described for maintaining the interior cavities of pipes. In one aspect, a motorized apparatus includes a main body having a length extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body, where the main body comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The motorized apparatus further includes at least one drive assembly coupled to at least one of the first end and the second end of the main body, where the at least one drive assembly comprises driven members that engage with an inner surface of the pipe and move the motorized apparatus through an interior cavity of the pipe. The motorized apparatus further includes a maintenance head movably coupled to the main body that moves along the length of the main body and rotates about the longitudinal axis of the main body, where the maintenance head comprises at least one tool configured to perform an action on the inner surface of the pipe.