Repair machine for water pipelines

摘要

The machine may be used in pipelines which are too small for human access. It may be used to plug leaks especially at the junction between the main pipe (11) and a side-branch (13), e.g. for taking water to a house. The side branch may be plugged by a balloon (37). The balloon is attached to an opening (52) in a pressure plate which may be pressed against the side of the pipe in the region of the side branch. A milling cutter is fitted at the opposite side of the pipe from the pressure plate. A video camera may be mounted so that it looks toward the pressure plate. The front assembly (10) may rotate about its axis (24) on a wheeled carriage (17), and the carriage is designed so that this axis is coincident with the axis of the pipe.