Seismic Borehole Plug (Patent No: 889694)

Inventor: Bassani, Peppino

Location: Edmonton

Comments: N/A

Description: The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An inflatable bore hole plug for sealing off a bore hole comprising an inflatable tubular bag of flexible elastic material, first and second end closure caps secured to opposite ends of said bag, a rigid hollow pipe secured to said first end closure cap and extending generally axially of said bag, said pipe extending through an aperture in said second end closure cap, sealing means in said aperture forming a sealing engagement between said pipe and said second end closure cap, said second end closure cap being slidable axially with respect to said pipe, an abutment on said pipe defining a limit to the sliding movement of said second end closure cap away from the first end closure cap, a passage communicating the interior of said pipe to the interior of said bag, and valve means on said pipe operative to seal off the interior of said bag.

2. An inflatable bore hole plug according to claim 1 wherein said pipe is cylindrical and said sealing means comprises an O-ring seal carried in an annular groove in the wall of said aperture.

3. An inflatable bore hole plug according to claim 1 wherein said valve means are provided in a housing carried on the end of said pipe remote from said first end closure cap, said abutment being provided by said housing.

4. An inflatable bore hole plug according to claim 3 wherein said housing is adapted to receive and secure a second pipe extending co-axial with said first mentioned pipe.

5. An inflatable bore hole plug according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein each of said end closure caps has an annular groove formed in the periphery thereof the respective end of said tubular bag overlying said groove and being secured thereto by a clamping ring.

6. An inflatable bore hole plug according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said first end closure cap tapers smoothly to a point extending in a direction away from said second end closure cap.

7. A fluid pressurized plug for sealing off a bore hole, said plug comprising an inflatable vertically elongated tubular bag which is expansible both radially and longitudinally while being inflated, upper and lower end caps having the respective upper and lower ends of said bag secured thereto, a rigid fluid inlet pipe secured in the lower end cap, said pipe extending axially upwardly through said bag and through an aperture in the upper end cap and projecting upwardly from the upper end cap, the interior of said pipe communicating with the interior of the bag, said upper end cap being slidable along said pipe to permit longitudinal expansion of the bag during inflation, and an abutment provided on the pipe at a point spaced upwardly from the upper end cap when the bag is not inflated, said upper end cap being engageable with said abutment to limit longitudinal expansion of the bag during inflation.

8. The device as defined in claim 7 together with a shut-off valve provided on said pipe and constituting said abutment.