Pipe Slitter

摘要

A pipe expander assembly for replacing an existing pipe with a new pipe. The expander assembly has a slitter disposed about a wire rope and abutting an expander at a spherical joint. The expander comprises a cone to expand a slit pipe and is internally connected to the wire rope by jaws that expand and contract about the wire rope due to threading of a jam nut into the cone. A pipe puller is connected to the back of the expander at a clevis and is adapted for connection to a new pipe, either through a jaw system, an adaptor, or fusion to the pipe.

主权项

1. An apparatus for replacing a pipe comprising:
a slitter comprising a blade; an expander comprising:
a tapered section having a first end and a second end, wherein the cross-sectional area of the first end is less than the cross-sectional area of the second end, the first end abutting the slitter;a jam nut connectable to the tapered section; anda gripper disposed between the tapered section and the jam nut, movable between a gripping position and a non-gripping position; and a wire rope disposed within the slitter and the tapered section, wherein the wire rope is held by the gripper when the gripper is the gripping position and wherein the wire rope is not held by the gripper when the gripper is in the non-gripping position.