Apparatus to detect and temporarily seal a leak in a pipeline

Claim 1

A PIPELINE PIG ADAPTED TO DETECT AND TEMPORARILY SEAL A LEAK IN A PIPELINE COMPRISING AN AXIAL ROD, A FIRST CUP RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON AND SEALED TO SAID ROD AND FORMING A SLIDING SEAL AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PIPE, AN OPENING IN SAID FIRST CUP, A FLUID TURBINE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OPENING IN SAID FIRST CUP, A RATTLER MOUNTED ON SAID ROD AND ACTUATED BY SAID TURBINE AND ADAPTED TO STRIKE THE PIPE WHEN ACTUATED, A SECOND CUP RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON AND SEALED TO SAID ROD BEHIND SAID FIRST CUP AND FORMING A SLIDING SEAL AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PIPE, AN OPENING IN SAID SECOND CUP, A FIRST SPRING-BIASED VALVE CLOSING SAID OPENING IN SAID SECOND CUP AND PERMITTING FLUID EXCEEDING A PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE TO DISCHARGE FROM SPACE BEHIND SAID SECOND CUP TO SPACE AHEAD OF SAID SECOND CUP, A THIRD CUP SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROD BEHIND SAID SECOND CUP AND FORMING A SLIDING SEAL AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PIPE, A RADIALLY EXPANDABLE BOOT SMALLER IN UNEXPANDED DIAMETER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE AND CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND CUP AND TO SAID THIRD CUP, A COMPRESSION SPRING BETWEEN SAID SECOND CUP AND SAID THIRD CUP TENDING TO LONGITUDINALLY EXTEND SAID BOOT, A LARGE OPENING IN SAID THIRD CUP PERMITTING ACCESS OF FLUID BEHIND SAID THIRD CUP TO SPACE INSIDE SAID BOOT, A RESTRICTED OPENING IN SAID THIRD CUP PERMITTING ACCESS OF FLUID FROM BEHIND SAID THIRD CUP TO SPACE OUTSIDE SAID BOOT, A FOURTH CUP RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON AND SEALED TO SAID ROD BEHIND SAID THIRD CUP AND FORMING A SLIDING SEAL AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PIPE, AN OPENING IN SAID FOURTH CUP, A SECOND SPRING-BIASED VALVE CLOSING SAID OPENING IN SAID FOURTH CUP AND PERMITTING FLUID EXCEEDING A PREDETERMINED MINIMUM PRESSURE TO DISCHARGE FROM SPACE BEHIND SAID FOURTH CUP TO SPACE AHEAD OF SAID FOURTH CUP, AND A RESTRICTED OPENING BYPASSING SAID SECOND VALVE.