Sealing method and apparatus
US9181775B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 2010 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B33/1204
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An apparatus and method for forming a plug in a passageway, comprises a carrier which in use is lowered into the passageway, the carrier comprising an elongate body of material resistant to creep which supports first and second spaced apart portions and a body of material supported on the carrier, the material having a melting point which is higher than the temperature within the passageway and which expands as it solidifies. The carrier may comprise a skirt that extends axially from a lower end of the carrier, the skirt being dimensioned to define a clearance between the skirt and the passageway; and a heater for melting the body of material such that melted material fills a space defined between the first and second portions, and flows into the clearance defined between the skirt and the passageway. The heater may be a removable heater.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.