WO2018119393A1 - Apparatus and method for installing a manhole chimney liner - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for sealing out water that had seeped into a manhole chimney from coming through cracks in the masonry. For this purpose a coiled sealing liner is installed against the wall of the manhole chimney. An installation frame, which includes an air-inflatable plug, supported on a rigid core, which are suspended from handle bars supported from above, with the uncoilable sealing liner with gasket filled with a hydrophilic grout extending around the inflatable plug. Once the plug is sufficiently inflated, the sleeve is uncoiled and the grout seals the liner against the wall of the chimney. The handlebars regulate the placement of the sleeve in relation to the chimney and they hold the sleeve in place until the grout becomes set and the sleeve is securely fixed to the chimney wall.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING

A MANHOLE CHIMNEY LINER

Cross-Reference to Related Application

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/438,659 filed on December 23, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.

Technical Field

[0002] The invention is directed to a manhole chimney liner, an apparatus for installing the liner within a manhole chimney, and a method of using such apparatus to install the liner.

Background

[0003] A manhole chimney is the vertical tube-like extension of a manhole wall for supporting the cover frame of the manhole and the manhole cover, or lid. The wall can be made of brick and mortar, cast concrete, such as one or more cast concrete rings with mortar or adhesive sealant, or cinder block and mortar, for example, or other materials.

[0004] If, near a manhole chimney, rainwater escapes into the soil around the exposed manhole cover, or the metal frame on which the cover rests, the water often seeps through cracks within the manhole chimney, such as cracks in the mortar or cracks in the brick or precast concrete, which creates problems at the site. For example, the water that has seeped in can freeze in the winter and wash out the mortar if the chimney is made of brick, for example. In addition, in urban areas a manhole chimney can also deteriorate because of traffic loading and vibration. [0005] Conventional methods for repairing such walls, particularly brick walls, can be time intensive and can require special tools and materials to make the necessary repairs. And replacing manhole chimney walls can also be time intensive, particularly because of the need to extract the existing wall from within the manhole and then prepping the area receiving the new wall. In addition, manholes can typically be located within road surfaces, such as in urban areas, where gaining access to manholes can require traffic to be blocked or rerouted and lanes to be closed, thereby creating or exacerbating traffic congestion and problems. Accordingly, lengthy repairs are to be avoided.

Summary

[0006] The invention is directed to an apparatus and method for sealing out water that can seep into a manhole chimney from holes and cracks in the chimney masonry or in the concrete that has deteriorated over time.

[0007] More particularly, the invention relates to such apparatus that includes an installation frame and an assembly that expands a repair sleeve to seal against the chimney wall, as well as a method of using such apparatus for installing the repair sleeve that functions as a manhole chimney seal, in the form of a liner that is secured against the inside wall of the manhole chimney.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description and the annexed drawings illustrating, by way of non- limiting embodiments, how the invention can be carried out, and in which: FIG. 1 illustrates, in a diagrammatic cut-away perspective view, a manhole chimney made of bricks and mortar with water infiltrating through cracks in the mortar, the chimney being in need of repair;

FIG. 2 illustrates, in a cut-away perspective view, an apparatus of a first embodiment of the invention, which includes an installation assembly for installing a repair sleeve, the installation assembly including a plug, that is, a rubber air-inflatable balloon, surrounding a core that is attached to and suspended from handle bars supported on opposite sides of the opening of the manhole in the road surface, with the repair sleeve surrounding the inflatable balloon and carrying a quantity of sealing grout on its outer surface, the assembly in positioned for expanding the repair sleeve against the inner walls of the chimney so as to complete the repair of the chimney;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away perspective schematic view of a completed manhole chimney repair, or rehabilitation, using the apparatus of the first embodiment , with the grouting repair sleeve in an expanded and locked configuration within the inner wall of the brick and mortar manhole chimney, the grouting sleeve being one disclosed, for example, in either of the documents CA 2,131,291 and US 9,052,051, with the apparatus of FIG. 2 having been removed;

FIG. 4A is a plan view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 4B is an elevation view of the apparatus of the second embodiment of the invention, including a height-adjustability feature, and with an assembly of parts corresponding to those shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4C shows a telescopic device, in two respective positions ninety degrees apart, for providing the height adjustable feature of the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the second embodiment of the invention, like that of FIG. 2, but depicting the assembly of parts suspended within the manhole chimney prior to expansion of the rubber air-inflatable balloon, or plug, against the expandable repair sleeve to secure the repair sleeve against the inner wall of the chimney so as to complete the manhole chimney repair; and

• FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the second embodiment of the invention, in which the rubber air-inflatable balloon has been expanded and the repair sleeve is pressed against the inner wall of the chimney of the manhole in the repaired configuration.

Detailed Description

[0009] In the following description, terms denoting direction or position, such as "top", "bottom", "longitudinal", "transverse", "vertical", "horizontal", "left" and "right", should be considered relative terms used for convenience in the following description in relation to exemplary directions and positions occupied by the various components of apparatuses shown in the various drawing figures, as well as the manhole chimney that is to be repaired by such apparatuses and methods. In addition, terms such as "annular" and "circumferential" are used for convenience, such as in connection with a repair sleeve and a gap between a repair sleeve and a manhole chimney, but the terms are not to limit such repair sleeve and host pipe or portions thereof as circular or partially circular in cross section, for example.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a manhole chimney 1 comprising a bricks-and-mortar construction 4 and a manhole cover frame 3, the latter supporting a manhole cover (not shown) that is to be flush with, or substantially flush with a road surface 2 (or ground surface G, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5), with water 5 infiltrating through cracks in the mortar, the chimney being in need of repair.

[0011] The manhole cover frame 3 can be made of cast iron, steel, or other material. Also, although the portion 4 of the manhole chimney 1 beneath the frame 3 is shown as brick-and-mortar, such portion could, alternatively, be made of one or more pre-cast concrete rings, the latter being sealed by mortar or sealant. Leaks can arise from cracks in the mortar, in the bricks, or in the concrete, or between the manhole cover frame 3 and the portion 4 of the chimney below the frame.

[0012] The invention provides an apparatus for installing a repair sleeve, or chimney sleeve or liner, or also referred to as a manhole chimney seal, within and against the inner wall of a manhole chimney that is in need of structural repair, and for sealing the chimney wall against infiltration of water that could otherwise leak through the wall and/or through or beneath the manhole cover frame of the chimney, that is, between frame 3 and portion 4 of the chimney 1.

[0013] FIGS. 2, 4B, and 5 show a plurality of components that comprise an installation frame and an installation assembly that are used to locate a repair sleeve in a final fixed-in-place configuration, depicted in FIG. 6, against the inner wall of the manhole chimney.

[0014] The installation assembly includes a compressed-air-operated elastic/rubber balloon or bladder device 8, sometimes referred to as a plug, which includes a core around which the balloon/bladder extends. Other types of such plugs, with or without a core, can be used as known to those skilled in the art.

[0015] The installation assembly also includes a repair sleeve 6, or liner, or, more particularly, a manhole chimney seal, within which the air-inflatable plug is positioned. Additionally, the installation assembly includes a grout, such as hydrophilic grout, or other sealant 7 that is shown in FIG. 2 on the outer surface of the sleeve/manhole chimney seal 6. The sleeve can be made of metal, such as stainless steel or other material.

[0016] In a particular non-limiting feature, the installation assembly can also include an absorbent gasket, which is filled with the grout so as to hold the grout in place during the repair, which surrounds the repair sleeve 6.

[0017] In the pre-installation position of the installation assembly, such as shown in FIG. 2, the repair sleeve 6 is coiled around the plug 8 and, as the plug inflates, the sleeve uncoils and thereby assumes a greater diameter as it is forced against the wall of the manhole chimney 1 in the final installation configuration shown, for example, in FIG. 6.

[0018] The gasket, filled with grout, can be applied as a layer against the outer surface of the repair sleeve 6. Alternatively, the grout-holding gasket can be circular and the repair sleeve 6 can uncoil within the circular gasket (as shown in FIG. 2).

[0019] The coiled repair sleeve 6 can be perforated to allow grout to come through as the plug is inflated and the repair sleeve 6 uncoils.

[0020] The aforementioned installation assembly, that is, the plug, the repair sleeve, grout, and gasket details and installation procedures can find further support, and further description, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,351,720 and U.S. Patent No. 5,119,862, as well as U.S. Patent No. 9,052,051, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. The aforementioned patents disclose the repair of underground conduits that generally extend horizontally. Multiple repair sleeves can be installed end-to- end along the length of an underground sewer system under repair. [0021] FIG. 13 of U.S. Patent No. 5,351,720 is a schematic illustration of an underground sewer repair, with various equipment to perform the repair, and column 17, line 39, to column 18, line 11, provides a description of such repair.

[0022] For the present invention, different considerations are employed to install a single repair sleeve in a precise location at the top of a manhole. To this end, the invention includes an installation frame, such as shown in FIG. 2 in a first embodiment, and in FIGS. 4A-4C and 5, in a second embodiment, which installation frames suspend the parts of the aforementioned installation assembly within the manhole chimney, at a particular position vertically prior to and during the final completed position of the repair sleeve.

[0023] Regarding such particular position, reference is made to FIG. 3, for example, which, for convenience, shows the repair sleeve 6 (i.e., the manhole chimney seal) isolated without other components, such as the plug and grout, but expanded to the final installation position. Locks 13 are shown in FIG. 3, which hold the repair sleeve 6 in its final uncoiled position, as can be understood particularly with reference, for example, from the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 5,351,720.

[0024] FIG. 3 further shows the top edge of the installed repair sleeve 6 positioned at the border between the manhole cover frame 3 and the remaining portion of the manhole chimney 1 beneath the frame 3, the latter being shown as brick-and-mortar. However, if the source of leakage, against which the repair needs to be positioned, is at said border or within the height of the frame 3, the repair sleeve can be positioned higher than shown in FIGS. 2, 4B, or 6. Alternatively, or in addition, a repair sleeve having a greater height H can be used. Sleeves can be made available in heights between 8-30 inches, such as 8, 12, 16, 24, and 30 inches, to match respective exemplary manhole chimney lengths, although manhole chimneys of any length can be repaired by lengthwise connecting multiple repair sleeves. In addition, expanded sleeves can be made available in diameters D to match the inner diameters of the manhole chimneys, in the non-limiting examples of 24, 27, or 30 inches, for example.

[0025] For the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the installation frame for supporting the aforementioned installation assembly from above, includes a framework comprised of pair of longitudinally extending handlebars 10 connected by cross-pieces, as well as supports 9 which support the framework on the road surface 2 (or other surface) through which the manhole chimney 1 extends. The handlebars 10 include grips 11 for the convenience of installation workers. The handlebars 10 are shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, to extend downwardly to be attached to the core of the plug 8, so as to suspend the plug 8 and the repair sleeve 6 in a preselected position within the manhole chimney under repair. The supports 9 are shown in FIG. 2 as not vertically adjustable, although the height of the framework could be adjusted by inserting different height wedges or other different-thickness members between the road surface and the bottom of the supports 9. The framework can be characterized as a support structure that includes manually engageable elements configured to allow the support structure to be vertically and laterally positionable above the manhole chimney to vertically and laterally position the installation assembly in a selected position.

[0026] Although the handlebars 10 are shown to extend through the core of the plug 8 in the embodiment of FIG. 2, and to include additional downward extending arms to a level to secure the handlebars to the core of the plug 8, such as by means of bolts or welds, other equivalent means can be used for coupling the handlebars to the core of the plug.

[0027] FIGS. 4A-4C and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of an installation frame 14 according to the invention, which includes a framework comprising a plurality of connected members 15 that include pair of longitudinal bars, with grips 16 on the ends, and a plurality of transverse bars. The installation frame 14 also includes a plurality of height-adjustable supports or jacks 17, each having a base 22. The framework allows the operator to support the installation assembly (that is, repair sleeve and plug, etc.) from either side of the manhole chimney and to precisely vertically align the coiled repair sleeve 6 in relation to the height of the manhole chimney prior to uncoiling the sleeve. As can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a plurality of vertically extending connector bars 18 of the framework are connected to the core of the plug by means of connectors 20, such as bolts and nuts. A plurality of vertically spaced-apart horizontal holes can be made in each of the connector bars 18 can be provided if additional height adjustability is desired for the vertically positioning the repair sleeve.

[0028] The vertically adjustable supports 17 can be telescopic tubular devices, as shown in FIG. 4C, whereby a manually removable pin 24 can be selectively placed in any of a series of vertically spaced apart through holes 23 so as to move the repair sleeve and plug to a desired vertical position. Alternatively, hydraulic or compressed-air powered adjustable supports/jacks could be employed. The framework can be characterized as a support structure that includes manually engageable elements configured to allow the support structure to be vertically and laterally positionable above the manhole chimney to vertically and laterally position the installation assembly in a selected position. [0029] Once the installation assembly, with repair sleeve 6, is positioned as desired, such as shown in FIG. 2, 4B, and 5, the balloon of the plug is inflated so as to expand and uncoil the repair sleeve and, as the repair sleeve approaches the inner wall of the manhole chimney, the grout (and optional gasket which holds the grout) on the outer surface of the sleeve is compressed against the inner wall of the chimney to penetrate cracks and joints in the chimney wall to seal it against infiltration of water, in a manner disclosed in any of the above- mentioned patents and, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0030] An additional optional feature of the installation assembly is schematically in FIG. 6. In this regard, over each end of the repair sleeve 6 can include a smaller-width uncoilable sleeve 25, with the outer surface of the smaller-width sleeve 25 having an elastic band comprising a polyethylene foam or other such sealing material that becomes compressed in the annular space or gap between the inner wall of the manhole chimney, so as to prevent grout from escaping at the ends of the repair sleeve 6 as the sleeve is expanded to its final installation position. The smaller-width sleeve 25 can have a width of several inches, such as between six to twelve inches, although other sizes can also be used for the aforementioned sealing purpose.

[0031] At least because the invention is disclosed herein in a manner that enables one to make and use it, by virtue of the disclosure of particular exemplary embodiments, such as for simplicity or efficiency, for example, the invention can be practiced in the absence of any additional element or structure that is not specifically disclosed herein. [0032] Although the invention is described above and is shown in the drawings as relating to the lining of a manhole chimney, the invention can also be employed in other fields of endeavor, including for the purpose of lining a downwardly extending opening, vertical or otherwise, for sealing or for other reasons.

Claims

Claims

1. An apparatus for installing an expandable manhole chimney seal against a manhole chimney wall to seal the wall against water infiltration, said apparatus comprising:

an installation assembly configured to hold the an expandable manhole chimney seal in position within the manhole chimney in preparation for installation against the wall of the manhole chimney, said installation assembly comprising:

an inflatable plug configured to support the expandable manhole chimney seal in preparation for installation of the expandable manhole chimney seal against the chimney wall; and

grout for sealing the expandable manhole chimney seal against the chimney wall;

an installation frame configured to support, from above, the installation assembly, with the expandable manhole chimney seal, in a selected position, vertically and laterally, within the chimney, said installation frame comprising:

a support structure configured to suspend the installation assembly in said selected position, said support structure comprising manually engageable elements configured to allow the support structure to be vertically and laterally positionable above the manhole chimney to vertically and laterally position the installation assembly in the selected position.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the manually engageable elements of the support structure comprise height adjustable elements configured to allow the support structure to be height-wise positionable with respect to the manhole chimney to height-wise position the installation assembly in the selected position.

Claim 3. A method of using the apparatus of claim 1 for installing manhole chimney seal against the wall of the manhole chimney.