| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 137150070 | Mechanical cleaning (e.g., pig, etc.) | 19 |
| 20080202594 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING A PIG INTO A FLUID SYSTEM - A method and apparatus for introducing a pig into a fluid system is provided. The method comprises providing a coupling in a fluid system. The coupling itself can include a sleeve coupled to a pipe and an end cap. The end cap may include a collar handle and at least one engagement member. The engagement member facilitates selective engagement of the end cap with the sleeve. The end cap is rotated relative to the sleeve to disengage the engagement member from the groove and to open the end cap relative to the sleeve. The groove is configured so that the engagement member can be opened only when the line is de-pressurized. A pig is inserted through the sleeve and into the pipe. The end cap is then coupled to the sleeve by engaging the engagement member with the sleeve and rotating the end cap relative to the sleeve. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20100229957 | PIPELINE PIG LAUNCHER OR RECEIVER - A pig launcher or receiver device is designed for connection in-line in a fluid pipeline. The device has a housing ( | 09-16-2010 |
| 20110100479 | DRAIN SYSTEM FOR A PIGGING DEVICE - A drain system for a pigging device on a pipeline includes a pig receiving body connected to the pipeline by at least one pigging valve and being elevated above the pipeline. A drain is connected between the pig receiving body and the pipeline. The drain has a drain valve for selectively opening the drain and the drain drains fluids from the pig receiving body to the pipeline when the drain valve is open and the pressure in the pig receiving body is equalized to the pipeline. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110174387 | PIPELINE PIG EXTRACTOR AND TRANSPORT APPARATUS WITH WIND GUARD - A method and apparatus for transporting a pipeline pig provides a housing having an interior. A jacking mechanism is contained within the housing interior. A carriage is supported by the jacking mechanism for movement between an upper extended and a lower retracted position. The carriage has a concave surface that generally cradles a pipeline pig to be transported. A pulling device on the housing enables a pipeline pig to be pulled from a location that is not on the carriage to a position that is on the carriage. The position that is not on the carriage can be for example a pig trap. As part of the method of the present invention, the pulling device pulls the pig from the pig trap or other location to the carriage and then the carriage is retracted into the housing for transport to a remote location. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20110203676 | PIPE PIG AND METHOD OF CLEANING A PIPE - A pipe pig for refinery heater tubes is disclosed. The pipe pig has arcuate cleaning elements which form an expandable circumference. Each of the arcuate cleaning elements has a scraping edge. A spring element biases the arcuate cleaning elements radially outward. The pipe pig may have structural components made from titanium alloys and arcuate cleaning elements made from carbon-carbon composites. A method for cleaning coking out of refinery heater tubes using the pipe pig is also disclosed. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110232776 | Valve Box Stack Cleaner - A method for cleaning a stack may include the steps of opening a cover of the stack, placing a cleaning tool within the stack to engage the debris within the stack, removing the debris above a valve with the cleaning tool and removing the cleaning tool from the stack. The cleaning tool may include a first cleaning blade, and the cleaning tool may include a second cleaning blade. The first cleaning blade may be a spiral discontinuous blade and a second cleaning blade may be a spiral discontinuous blade. The first cleaning blade may include a first radial cutting edge, and the first cleaning blade may include a first radial cutting edge. The first cutting blade may include a first axial cutting edge, and the second cutting blade may include a second axial cutting edge. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20120006420 | Progressive Dewatering and Inhibitor Dispersal Rolling Pig - A method for progressively dewatering a pipe or pipeline includes the use of a loose-fitting spherical- or quasi-spherical shaped pig body which rolls forward through the interior space of the pipe and temporarily captures and redistributes a portion of the volume of liquids available for capture and redistribution as the pig body rolls on past. Preferably, the portion captured is less than the volume available for capture. A part of the captured liquid may be redistributed to an upper quadrant of the pipe. Capture and redistribution are accomplished by way of a first bypass pathway and a second bypass pathway. One of the pathways may be a through-body pathway. The pig body may be a hollow pig body with a plurality of spaced-apart ports, a solid pig body with a plurality of paddle-like structures, or a cube-sphere type pig body with recessed external wall surfaces. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120103431 | PIPELINE HYDRATE INHIBITOR AND METHOD OF REDUCING HYDRATES USING THE HYDRATE INHIBITOR - Compositions and methods for reducing the formation of hydrates within subsea or over-land pipeline systems. The compositions and methods include the use of organic salt solutions, such as an acetate salt solution, to precondition, treat, and/or dewater the pipeline systems, or employ the use of the organic salt solutions during other pre-commissioning operations. An effective concentration of an organic salt solution acts to reduce hydrates and/or inhibit hydrate formation within the pipeline systems. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20130087213 | Pig Receiver Assembly - A pig receiver and method retrieve pigs in pipeline pigging operations. In one embodiment, a pig receiver includes a pig receiver unit. The pig receiver also includes a pig gate valve assembly disposed on the pig receiving unit. The pig gate valve assembly includes a gate valve. The pig gate valve assembly also includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The pig gate valve assembly further includes a cylinder guide. In addition, the pig gate valve assembly includes a tie bar. Actuation of the tie bar actuates the gate valve. An end of the tie bar is attached to the first actuator, and an opposing end of the tie bar is attached to the second actuator. | 04-11-2013 |
| 20130092249 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNPLUGGING HYDROCARBON DRAINS OR VENTS - Embodiments of an apparatus can be used for unplugging a component of a hydrocarbon transportation or storage unit. Embodiments can include a main body, which can have a central passage through a length of the main body; a secondary passage transverse to the central passage; and a connector end operable to connect the body to the component. Embodiments of the apparatus can also include a valve in fluid communication with the secondary passage, a pressure gauge in fluid communication with the valve, a system connector in fluid communication with the valve, operable to connect the apparatus to a dosed system, and a poker rod operable to move within the central passage of the main body. | 04-18-2013 |
| 20130167943 | Pig Receiver Assembly - A pig receiver and method retrieve pigs in pipeline pigging operations. In one embodiment, a pig receiver includes a pig receiver unit. The pig receiver also includes a pig gate valve assembly disposed on the pig receiving unit. The pig gate valve assembly includes a gate valve. The pig gate valve assembly also includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The pig gate valve assembly further includes a cylinder guide. In addition, the pig gate valve assembly includes a tie bar. Actuation of the tie bar actuates the gate valve. An end of the tie bar is attached to the first actuator, and an opposing end of the tie bar is attached to the second actuator. The pig receiver also includes a system for removing contaminants from the pig receiver. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130327414 | DISPOSABLE CUP INSERT FOR PAD PRINTING AND DECORATING - A liquid supply assembly for use with a printing system of a type in which a liquid is deposited from the liquid supply assembly in a receiving region on a plate and any excess of the liquid in the receiving region is scraped from the plate by the liquid supply assembly. To this end, the liquid supply assembly employs a reusable cup, a disposable cup insert and a scraping element. As assembled, the reusable cup includes a reusable liquid reservoir, the disposable cup insert includes a temporary liquid reservoir holding the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir, and the scraping element includes a conduit facilitating a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20140069512 | AUTOMATIC BARREL PIG LAUNCHER - Disclosed herein is an automatic barrel pig launcher with an actuated ball valve and a rotating magazine that contains one or more pigs. The automatic barrel pig launcher comprises a plate bore, bottom plate bore, upper case bore, and throughbore of a ball that, when aligned, provide loading of the pig into the throughbore of the ball. The pig is launched by opening the ball valve. Also disclosed herein are systems and methods of use of the automatic barrel pig launcher. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140190574 | PIG ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING A FUNCTIONAL LINE FOR CONVEYING FLUID - Disclosed is a pig assembly for maintaining a functional line for conveying fluid. In one aspect, the pig assembly includes a larger diameter pig having an internal compartment and at least one smaller diameter pig adapted to fit therein. The larger diameter pig is capable of passing through a larger diameter functional line and the smaller diameter pig is capable of passing through a smaller diameter functional line. In another aspect, a method for maintaining a functional line for conveying fluid is provided which includes pigging a subsea line having at least a larger diameter functional line and a smaller diameter functional line in fluid communication with one another using a pig assembly as described herein. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20140261737 | GATE VALVE WITH TRACK CLEANOUT - Methods, systems, and apparatus for a gate valve include a valve body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid path therebetween, a track defined in the inner surface, the track defining a bottom surface; a gate having a wing; a scraper having a leading edge, the scraper mounted to the wing of the gate; a biasing element, the biasing element biasing the leading edge of the scraper against the bottom surface of the track. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140326327 | Self-Cleaning Tank - A tank, such as a fermentation tank, includes a scraper blade assembly slideably coupled to a bottom surface of the tank. The scraper blade assembly includes a blade arranged to displace solids deposited on the bottom surface of the tank out through an aperture arranged flush with the bottom surface of the tank. | 11-06-2014 |
| 20140332089 | ANGLE VALVE WITH HAMMERLESS GRINDING - In an angle valve, an externally threaded sleeve within the yoke surrounds the stem at an upper end of the stem. A yoke bushing fixed to the valve has internal threads matching with the external threading of the sleeve. A split collar assembly is located on the stem above the sleeve. The stem has a greater diameter itself, and/or via a nut, at a lower portion of the stem (below the sleeve) relative to the upper portion of stem. The plug stem is designed to pass through the yoke bushing making it possible to perform the normal open-close operation and grinding operation independently. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20150352602 | GATE VALVE WITH TRACK CLEANOUT - Methods, systems, and apparatus for a gate valve include a valve body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid path therebetween, a track defined in the inner surface, the track defining a bottom surface; a gate having a wing; a scraper having a leading edge, the scraper mounted to the wing of the gate; a biasing element, the biasing element biasing the leading edge of the scraper against the bottom surface of the track. | 12-10-2015 |
| 20160195214 | Pig Receiver Assembly | 07-07-2016 |
