A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The system includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the pipe and configured to travel along the pipe through an interior cavity. The motorized apparatus includes a plurality of leg assemblies coupled circumferentially around a body assembly. The body assembly includes an actuator assembly coupled to each leg assembly and configured to independently actuate each leg assembly to adjust a position of each leg assembly. The body assembly also includes at least one sensor configured to collect information associated with the position of each leg assembly. The body assembly also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motorized apparatus and configured to receive the information from the sensor, and to determine at least one of a pipe diameter and a pitch of the motorized apparatus based on the information from the at least one sensor.

A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The system includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the pipe and configured to travel along the pipe through an interior cavity. The motorized apparatus includes a plurality of leg assemblies coupled circumferentially around a body assembly. The body assembly includes an actuator assembly coupled to each leg assembly and configured to independently actuate each leg assembly to adjust a position of each leg assembly. The body assembly also includes at least one sensor configured to collect information associated with the position of each leg assembly. The body assembly also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motorized apparatus and configured to receive the information from the sensor, and to determine at least one of a pipe diameter and a pitch of the motorized apparatus based on the information from the at least one sensor.

A system for use in maintaining a pipe having a sidewall is provided. The system includes a motorized apparatus sized to fit within the pipe and configured to travel along the pipe through an interior cavity. The motorized apparatus includes a plurality of leg assemblies each including a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a joint rotatably coupling the first leg portion to the second leg portion. A drive mechanism coupled to the joint is configured to interact with the sidewall. The system also includes an actuator assembly configured to independently position each leg assembly relative to a body assembly to adjust a radial position of the joint of the associated leg assembly relative to the body assembly. The system also includes a controller configured to send instructions to the actuator assembly based at least in part on at least one of a dimension of the interior cavity and a desired force on the sidewall.

A pipe pig is provided with linked wheels, and at least a central wheel of the linked wheels is pivotally linked to adjacent wheels through a spring loaded connection that biases the central wheel out of straight line alignment with the adjacent wheels. The pipe pig may be used to negotiate tight bends in a pipe and carry sensing electronics.

A pipe pig is provided with linked wheels, and at least a central wheel of the linked wheels is pivotally linked to adjacent wheels through a spring loaded connection that biases the central wheel out of straight line alignment with the adjacent wheels. The pipe pig may be used to negotiate tight bends in a pipe and carry sensing electronics.

A remediation pig for cleaning a pipeline of wax or paraffin mechanically, with heating, and/or with jetting, comprising a body having an axis, an impeller mounted in the body to receive power from the flowing fluid within the pipeline, wheels mounted on the body for contacting the internal bore of the pipeline, the wheels being powered by the power received from the impeller and being mounted in a skewed position relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis such that as the wheels roll on the internal bore the remediation pig will move along the pipeline.

A remediation pig for cleaning a pipeline of wax or paraffin mechanically, with heating, and/or with jetting, comprising a body having an axis, an impeller mounted in the body to receive power from the flowing fluid within the pipeline, wheels mounted on the body for contacting the internal bore of the pipeline, the wheels being powered by the power received from the impeller and being mounted in a skewed position relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis such that as the wheels roll on the internal bore the remediation pig will move along the pipeline.

The present invention discloses a single-drive bidirectional-crawling pipe-cleaning robot, including a front body assembly, a transmission assembly, and a rear body assembly. The transmission assembly is driven by a single power source, and a transmission effect of a connecting rod mechanism, a gear mechanism, and an equal-dwell cam mechanism is used to implement alternate retraction and support of the front body assembly and the rear body assembly in a radial direction and a telescopic motion in an axial direction between the front body assembly and the rear body assembly and at the same time implement synchronous rotation of a dredging cutter head, so as to implement bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning work of the robot along a pipe. The present invention is stable, reliable, compact, and practical, and implements single-drive bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning in a pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter, so that the obstacle negotiation performance and adaptability to pipe diameter changes of an in-pipe robot are effectively improved, the endurance of the in-pipe robot is improved, and practical engineering significance in cleaning of a horizontal pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter is provided.

The present invention discloses a single-drive bidirectional-crawling pipe-cleaning robot, including a front body assembly, a transmission assembly, and a rear body assembly. The transmission assembly is driven by a single power source, and a transmission effect of a connecting rod mechanism, a gear mechanism, and an equal-dwell cam mechanism is used to implement alternate retraction and support of the front body assembly and the rear body assembly in a radial direction and a telescopic motion in an axial direction between the front body assembly and the rear body assembly and at the same time implement synchronous rotation of a dredging cutter head, so as to implement bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning work of the robot along a pipe. The present invention is stable, reliable, compact, and practical, and implements single-drive bidirectional crawling and pipe cleaning in a pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter, so that the obstacle negotiation performance and adaptability to pipe diameter changes of an in-pipe robot are effectively improved, the endurance of the in-pipe robot is improved, and practical engineering significance in cleaning of a horizontal pipe having a greatly changing pipe diameter is provided.

Disclosed is an implantable catheter for fluid passage, including a catheter tube, a catheter tip member including one or more apertures and an open proximal end, and a cleaning unit at least partially positioned within the catheter tip member. The catheter tip member is connected at the proximal end thereof to the catheter tube, thereby fluidly coupling the catheter tube to an exterior of the catheter. The cleaning unit is configured for movement within the catheter tip member such as to mechanically prevent, mitigate, and/or remove blockage in the one or more apertures when the catheter tip member is implanted in a body cavity. The catheter tip member further includes a stopper configured to be engaged by a tip portion of a mandrel, such as to prevent the mandrel from reaching and/or damaging the cleaning unit when using the mandrel to guide the catheter tip member into the body cavity.