IP Library Granted Patent US 11,428,350
Granted Patent B2
US 11,428,350 · App. 17/343,827 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Pipe reinforcement strip anchoring systems and methods

Inventors: Alok Dhagat (Katy, TX); Kirk Spencer Francis (Richmond, TX); Mark Douglas Kalman (Luthersville, TX)
Assignee: Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings, LLC
F16L13/116F16L11/081F16L33/01F16L33/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,428,350
App. No.
17/343,827
Filed
Jun 10, 2021
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3679
USPC
285/211
Abstract

Techniques for implementing a system that includes pipe segment tubing and a pipe fitting to be secured to the pipe segment tubing. The pipe segment tubing includes a reinforcement strip implemented between an internal pressure sheath layer and an outer sheath of the pipe segment tubing. The pipe fitting includes an inner fitting body to be inserted between the internal pressure sheath layer and the reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing. Additionally, the pipe fitting includes an outer fitting body to be disposed circumferentially around the inner fitting body to define a potting cavity between an inner surface of the outer fitting body and an outer surface of the inner fitting body, in which a hole is formed through the reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing before the reinforcement strip is anchored in the potting cavity via cured potting material.

Claims (54)

1. A system comprising:

pipe segment tubing, wherein the pipe segment tubing comprises a first reinforcement strip and a second reinforcement strip implemented between an internal pressure sheath layer and an outer sheath of the pipe segment tubing;

a pipe fitting configured to be secured to the pipe segment tubing, wherein the pipe fitting comprises:

an inner fitting body configured to be inserted between the internal pressure sheath layer and the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing; and

an outer fitting body configured to be disposed circumferentially around the inner fitting body to define a potting cavity between an inner surface of the outer fitting body and an outer surface of the inner fitting body, wherein a first hole is formed through the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing and a second hole is formed through the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing before the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip are anchored in the potting cavity via cured potting material; and

a pin, wherein the pin comprises:

a first pin shaft configured to be secured in the first hole in the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing; and

a second pin shaft configured to be secured in the second hole in the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing to facilitate securing the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip to one another.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the first hole in the first reinforcement strip to enable cured potting material in the pipe fitting to be implemented directly between the first pin shaft and an opening of the potting cavity; and

the second pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the second hole in the second reinforcement strip to enable cured potting material in the pipe fitting to be implemented directly between the second pin shaft and the opening of the potting cavity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pin comprises a pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out from the pin body.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the pin body of the pin is configured to remain between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment tubing to facilitate maintaining spacing between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft of the pin are not linearly aligned to enable the first hole to be formed at a first more central location along a first width of the first reinforcement strip, the second hole to be formed at a second more central location along a second width of the second reinforcement strip, or both.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the pipe segment tubing comprises a reinforcement layer that includes the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip; and

the pin comprises a ring pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out radially from the ring pin body to facilitate circumferentially securing the reinforcement layer to itself.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potting cavity of the pipe fitting comprises a wedge-shaped axial cross-section profile configured to compress cured potting material in the potting cavity against a first portion of the first reinforcement strip in the potting cavity, a second portion of the second reinforcement strip in the potting cavity, a surface of the potting cavity, or any combination thereof when a force tries to pull the pipe segment tubing and the pipe fitting away from one another.

8. A system, comprising:

a pipe segment configured to be secured and sealed in a pipe fitting, wherein the pipe segment comprises:

an internal pressure sheath that defines a pipe bore through the pipe segment;

a first reinforcement strip and a second reinforcement strip implemented around the internal pressure sheath, wherein the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip are implemented using solid material that has a higher tensile strength, a higher linear elasticity modulus, or both as compared to solid material that is used to implement the internal pressure sheath of the pipe segment; and

an outer sheath implemented around the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip, wherein:

the outer sheath is configured to be cut back to expose a first portion of the first reinforcement strip and a second portion of the second reinforcement strip that are to be anchored in a potting cavity of the pipe fitting at least in part using cured potting material implemented within the potting cavity; and

structure of the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip are configured to be modified before being anchored in the potting cavity of the pipe fitting at least in part by forming a first opening through the first reinforcement strip and forming a second opening through the second reinforcement strip; and

a pin, wherein the pin comprises:

a first pin shaft configured to be secured in the first opening in the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment; and

a second pin shaft configured to be secured in the second opening in the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to facilitate securing the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip to one another.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pin comprises a pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out from the pin body.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pin body of the pin is configured to remain between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to facilitate maintaining spacing between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip.

11. The system of claim 8 , comprising a reinforcement sleeve configured to be disposed between the outer sheath and the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment, wherein the reinforcement sleeve is implemented using solid material that has a higher linear elasticity modulus as compared to solid material that is used to implement the outer sheath of the pipe segment.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the first pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the first opening in the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to enable cured potting material to be implemented directly between the first pin shaft and an opening of the potting cavity in the pipe fitting; and

the second pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the second opening in the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to enable cured potting material to be implemented directly between the second pin shaft and the opening of the potting cavity in the pipe fitting.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the pipe segment comprises a reinforcement layer that includes the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip; and

the pin comprises a ring pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out radially from the ring pin body to facilitate circumferentially securing the reinforcement layer to itself.

14. A system, comprising:

a pipe fitting configured to be secured to a pipe segment, wherein the pipe fitting comprises:

an inner fitting body configured to be inserted between an internal pressure sheath layer and a first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment; and

an outer fitting body configured to be disposed circumferentially around the inner fitting body to define a potting cavity between an inner surface of the outer fitting body and an outer surface of the inner fitting body; and

a pin, wherein the pin comprises:

a first pin shaft configured to be secured in a first hole in the first reinforcement strip of the pipe segment, wherein the first hole is formed through the first reinforcement strip before the first reinforcement strip is anchored in the potting cavity of the pipe fitting via cured potting material; and

a second pin shaft configured to be secured in a second hole in a second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to facilitate securing the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip to one another, wherein the second hole is formed through the second reinforcement strip before the second reinforcement strip is anchored in the potting cavity of the pipe fitting via cured potting material.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pin comprises a pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out from the pin body.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pin body of the pin is configured to remain between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip of the pipe segment to facilitate maintaining spacing between the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft of the pin are not linearly aligned to enable the first hole to be formed at a more central location along a first width of the first reinforcement strip, the second hole to be formed at a second more central location along a second width of the second reinforcement strip, or both.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the first hole in the first reinforcement strip to enable cured potting material to be implemented directly between the first pin shaft and an opening of the potting cavity in the pipe fitting; and

the second pin shaft of the pin is configured to extend through the second hole in the second reinforcement strip to enable cured potting material to be implemented directly between the second pin shaft and the opening of the potting cavity in the pipe fitting.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first reinforcement strip and the second reinforcement strip are included in a reinforcement layer of the pipe segment; and

the pin comprises a ring pin body, wherein the first pin shaft and the second pin shaft extend out radially from the ring pin body to facilitate circumferentially securing the reinforcement layer of the pipe segment to itself.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the potting cavity of the pipe fitting comprises a wedge-shaped axial cross-section profile configured to compress cured potting material in the potting cavity against a first portion of the first reinforcement strip in the potting cavity, a second portion of the second reinforcement strip in the potting cavity, a surface of the potting cavity, or any combination thereof when a force tries to pull the pipe fitting away from the pipe segment.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2025
From: CACTUS WELLHEAD, LLC; FLEXSTEEL USA, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 073804/0497 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2025
From: FLEXSTEEL PIPELINE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: FLEXSTEEL USA, LLC
Reel/Frame 069964/0367 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2024
From: TRINITY BAY EQUIPMENT HOLDINGS, LLC
To: FLEXSTEEL PIPELINE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 068326/0846 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2024
From: TRINITY BAY EQUIPMENT HOLDINGS, LLC
To: FLEXSTEEL PIPELINE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 068327/0863 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2021
From: DHAGAT, ALOK; FRANCIS, KIRK SPENCER; KALMAN, MARK DOUGLAS
To: TRINITY BAY EQUIPMENT HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 056495/0874 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63054873 · Jul 22, 2020
Related Publication 20220025995A1 · Jan 27, 2022