Method for producing a liner hose for lining pipes and apparatus for carrying out the method

Abstract

A method for producing a liner hose (2) for lining pipelines, comprising the method steps of moving a circumferentially closed inner film hose (4) over a winding mandrel (6) of a winding apparatus (8) and wrapping the inner film hose (4), which is guided on the winding mandrel (6) by means of a guide mechanism (18), with a fibrous strip (12) which has been impregnated with curable reaction resin, is characterized in that the inner film hose (4) is guided via endless pulling means (14) that circulate without a drive, and in that the inner film hose (4) that has been wrapped with the fibrous strip (12) is moved off of the winding mandrel (6) solely by a pull-off mechanism (16) which acts from the outside on the fibrous strip (12). The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a liner hose for lining pipelines, which comprises a circumferentially closed inner film hose and at least one fibrous strip which is wound onto the inner film hose and is impregnated with a curable reaction resin, said apparatus comprising: a winding mandrel on which a guide mechanism is arranged, over which the inner film hose is moved by a pull-off mechanism, wherein the guide mechanism comprises a non-driven endlessly circulating pulling means which is movable substantially parallel to the surface of the winding mandrel, and which is moved over a plurality of free-running, non-driven guide rollers held on the winding mandrel, and wherein the plurality of guide rollers include a proximal and distal free-running, non-driven guide rollers disposed at a proximal and distal turning points of the endlessly circulating pulling means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pulling means is a chain or a belt having a mushroom cap-like cross-section.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the belt has a chain link-like reinforcing elements on an underside of the belt.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an underside of the belt has a central fixed member, and the belt is mounted on ball bearings on both sides of the central fixed member.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a braking element is assigned to at least one guide roller.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel further includes an adjustment device configured to adjust at least one of a cross-sectional area or a diameter of the winding mandrel.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pull-off mechanism comprises at least one driven roller or at least one driven circulating belt, which circulates outside of the circulating area of the winding apparatus, in the area of the endlessly circulating pulling means, and can be placed against an exterior of the liner hose.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide mechanism is held on the winding mandrel such that it is movable in a radial direction, and is acted on by resiliently elastic means with a substantially constant resiliently elastic force in the radial direction.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the resiliently elastic means comprise a pneumatic spring element that can be connected to a compressed air source.

10. An apparatus for producing a liner hose comprising: a winding mandrel extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the winding mandrel having a guide mechanism extending longitudinally along the winding mandrel and substantially parallel with a surface of the winding mandrel, the guide mechanism being adapted to receive and engage an inner surface of an inner film hose, wherein the guide mechanism comprises an endlessly circulating, free-running, non-driven belt extending longitudinally and substantially parallel to the surface of the winding mandrel, and wherein the belt is supported by a plurality of guide rollers wherein all of the guide rollers are free-running, non-driven guide rollers; a winding apparatus radially spaced from the winding mandrel and adapted to rotate about the winding mandrel and wind at least one fibrous strip impregnated with a curable reaction resin onto the inner film hose to form a liner hose; and a pull-off mechanism longitudinally spaced from the distal end of the guide mechanism, the pull-off mechanism having at least one driven roller or belt adapted to engage an exterior surface of the liner hose, and wherein the driven roller or belt rotates in a direction to pull the liner hose over the winding mandrel and guide mechanism.

Description

IN THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a device according to the invention with an indicated winding apparatus, during production of a liner hose,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a guide mechanism according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a belt with a central fixed member, mounted on ball bearings, according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of belt with reinforcing elements, according to the invention, and

(5) FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an adjustment device according to the invention.

(6) As is shown in the diagram of FIG. 1, an apparatus 1 for producing a liner hose 2 according to the invention for lining pipes comprises a winding mandrel 6, on which at least one, but preferably two or more guide mechanisms 18 are arranged. Liner hose 2 consists of a circumferentially closed inner film hose 4 and at least one fibrous strip 12 wound in an overlapping manner onto inner film hose 4 by a schematically indicated winding apparatus 8, which fibrous strip is impregnated with a reaction resin that can particularly be cured using UV light. As is clear from the diagram of FIG. 1, winding mandrel 6 is attached to a cantilevered support tube 32, onto which a section of inner film hose 4 to be processed is pulled and is stored in the collapsed state.

(7) Guide mechanism 18 has an endlessly circulating pulling means which is movable substantially parallel to the surface of winding mandrel 6, and which is preferably embodied as a circulating belt 14, over which inner film hose 4 is pulled by a pull-off mechanism 16 containing two pulling rollers. Although the endlessly circulating pulling means may also be embodied as a chain with separate chain links, on each of which a contact surface, e.g. provided with a rubber-like coating, is formed, in the interest of clarity the invention will be described below in the context of the example of a circulating belt 14.

(8) As is further clear from the diagram of FIGS. 1 and 2, endlessly circulating belt 14 travels over at least two free-running guide rollers 20, rotatably mounted on winding mandrel 6, which are not driven and which form the turning points at which the belt 14, or generally speaking the endless pulling means, is reversed.

(9) In the following, the method for producing a liner hose 2 for lining pipes will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In this method, the circumferentially closed inner film hose 4, which has been pushed by hand onto support tube 32 prior to the start of the method, is pulled by the two pulling rollers of pull-off mechanism 16 over winding mandrel 6 of winding apparatus 8. As inner film hose 4, which is guided on winding mandrel 6 by means of guide mechanisms 18, advances, it is wrapped by the rotation of winding apparatus 8 with at least one fibrous strip 12, which is impregnated with a liquid reaction resin that can be cured by electromagnetic radiation, in particular by UV light, or also by heat.

(10) Pull-off mechanism 16 thus moves inner film hose 4, which enters pull-off mechanism 16 in the form of liner hose 2 wrapped with fibrous strip 12 following several revolutions of winding apparatus 8, beyond winding mandrel 6 at a speed which is synchronized with the rotational movement of winding apparatus 8. Inner film hose 4 is guided in a manner according to the invention solely via the drivelessly circulating endless belt 14 of the respective guide mechanisms 18, of which with small diameters at least 2, and with large diameters four, six or even up to eight guide mechanisms may be provided on winding mandrel 6. During production according to the invention, inner film hose 4 wrapped with fibrous strip 12 is advanced over winding mandrel 6 solely by pull-off mechanism 16 acting on the exterior of fibrous strip 12.

(11) According to an alternative embodiment of apparatus 1 according to the invention that is not illustrated in the drawings, pull-off mechanism 16 may also comprise, in addition or alternatively to the two pull-off rollers 16 shown in FIG. 1, one or more driven rollers or driven circulating belts, which circulate outside of the circulating area of winding apparatus 8, e.g. below or to the side of winding mandrel 6, along a non-driven pulling means/belt 14, and can be engaged against the surface of liner hose 2 in this area. For this purpose, the circulating pulling means/belts 14 are positioned on winding mandrel 6 in such a way, and have such a length, that they circulate at least partially in the area of winding apparatus 8, i.e. in the area where fibrous strip 12 is being moved around inner film hose 4, and partly in the area outside of said area. The additional pull-off rollers or circulating belts, which can be engaged externally on guide mechanisms 18, are preferably driven by means of electric motors.

(12) FIG. 2 further shows a schematic side view of a guide mechanism 18 according to the invention, in which endless belt 14 is guided over two turning rollers 20 disposed at the ends, between which a plurality of ball bearings 26 are arranged in a row, on which the endlessly circulating belt 14 is supported when the outer side of said belt is in contact with the inner surface of inner film hose 4. At least one guide mechanism 18 can be supported on winding mandrel 6 via resiliently elastic means 28, which are designed, for example, as a spring-damper combination having a spring element 30 and a damping element 31, and which support the respective guide mechanism.

(13) Guide mechanisms 18 can further be movably held via guides (not shown), for example linear guides having an end stop, on winding mandrel 6, the position of a guide mechanism 18 which is held resiliently on the winding mandrel preferably being adjusted such that during the production process, the guide mechanism is preferably deflected only up to one-half of the maximum movement path.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a preferred embodiment of the ball bearing-mounted belt 14 according to the invention, which has a central fixed member 24. On each side of central fixed member 24, a ball bearing 26 is arranged, on which belt 14 is mounted in the longitudinal direction. Ball bearings 26 are preferably held on a common shaft (not shown), as is indicated, for example, in FIG. 5 by pins 34.

(15) FIG. 4 further shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a belt 14 according to the invention, which is equipped on its underside with reinforcing elements 22. The upper side of belt 14 in this embodiment is made of an elastic, preferably rubber-like material, while on the underside of belt 14, chain link-like reinforcing elements 22 are arranged, which are made, for example, of a hard plastic material such as polyamide or polycarbonate, or also of metal. The reinforcing elements 22 serve to further reduce the rolling resistance of belt 14.

(16) Finally, FIG. 5 shows a not-to-scale schematic diagram of an adjustment device 40 according to the invention. Adjustment device 40 has four guide mechanisms 18, each of which is mounted on a gear rack 36 and is guided via linear bearings (not shown in detail) such that the guide mechanisms can be moved radially by rotating a central shaft 38. By rotating central shaft 38, the diameter, defined by the four outer sides of belt 14, of the inner film hose 4 being guided over the belt is changed.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(17) 1 apparatus according to the invention 2 liner hose 4 inner film hose 6 winding mandrel 8 winding apparatus 12 fibrous strip 14 circulating pulling means/belt 16 pull-off mechanism 18 guide mechanism 20 guide roller 22 chain link-like reinforcing elements 24 central fixed member 26 ball bearing 28 resiliently elastic means 30 spring element 31 damping element 32 support tube 34 pin 36 round gear rack 38 central shaft 40 adjustment device