Apparatus for inspecting lateral sewer pipes

Claim 1

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit, the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; and a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a movable friction member interconnected with the frame for movement with respect to the frame, and adapted to frictionally engage an inner surface of a wall of the main conduit; and a propulsion motor interconnected with the frame, and operatively interconnected with the movable friction member for selective movement of the friction member to cause movement of the apparatus in one of a forward and reverse direction with respect to the main conduit.

Claim 2

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit, the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; and a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a movable friction member interconnected with the frame for movement with respect to the frame, and adapted to frictionally engage an inner surface of a wall of the main conduit; and a propulsion motor interconnected with the frame, and operatively interconnected with the movable friction member for selective movement of the friction member to cause movement of the apparatus in one of a forward and reverse direction with respect to the main conduit.

Claim 17

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit, the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, and a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a launch chute assembly interconnected with a front portion of the frame, the launch chute assembly at least partially supporting the lateral camera when the lateral camera is in a fully retracted position; a rotate motor interconnected with the frame and with the launch chute assembly and adapted to selectively rotate the launch chute assembly in one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about a rotate axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; the launch chute assembly including a launch chute member; said lateral camera being at least partially supported by the launch chute member when the lateral camera is in the fully retracted position; and a tilt motor operably interconnected with the launch chute assembly to selectively raise and lower the launch chute member and the lateral camera with respect to the rotate axis.

Claim 18

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit, the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, and a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a launch chute assembly interconnected with a front portion of the frame, the launch chute assembly at least partially supporting the lateral camera when the lateral camera is in a fully retracted position; a rotate motor interconnected with the frame and with the launch chute assembly and adapted to selectively rotate the launch chute assembly in one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about a rotate axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; the launch chute assembly including a launch chute member; said lateral camera being at least partially supported by the launch chute member when the lateral camera is in the fully retracted position; and a tilt motor operably interconnected with the launch chute assembly to selectively raise and lower the launch chute member and the lateral camera with respect to the rotate axis.

Claim 19

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, and a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a launch chute assembly interconnected with a front portion of the frame, the launch chute assembly at least partially supporting the lateral camera when the lateral camera is in a fully retracted position; a rotate motor interconnected with the frame and with the launch chute assembly, and adapted to selectively rotate the launch chute assembly in one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about a rotate axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; and said launch chute assembly including a first bracket interconnected with the frame and rotatable by the rotate motor about the rotate axis; a second bracket interconnected with the first bracket for rotation therewith about the rotate axis and pivotable with respect to the first bracket about a first transverse axis that is substantially normal to the rotate axis, the second bracket defining a channel in which the lateral camera is at least partially housed when in the fully retracted position; a third bracket interconnected with the second bracket for rotation therewith about the rotate axis, the second and third brackets pivotal with respect to each other about a second transverse axis that is substantially normal to the rotate axis; and a tilt motor interconnected with the third bracket to selectively move the third bracket toward or away from the tilt motor, thereby causing the second bracket to raise or lower the lateral camera with respect to the rotate axis.

Claim 20

An apparatus for inspecting a lateral conduit from a main conduit, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a drive motor interconnected with the frame; at least one drive gear selectively rotated by the drive motor in one of an insertion direction and a retraction direction; a push rod cable engaged by the at least one drive gear such that rotation of the at least one drive gear in the insertion and retraction directions causes respective insertion and retraction of the push rod cable with respect to the lateral conduit the push rod cable including a core having sufficient longitudinal compressive rigidity to allow insertion of the push rod cable into the lateral conduit and having sufficient transverse flexibility to negotiate substantially all bends within the lateral conduit, and a push rod circuitry disposed along an outside surface of the core; a lateral camera interconnected with the push rod cable for insertion into the lateral conduit with the push rod cable, wherein the push rod circuitry contains the necessary electrical and video circuitry to operate the lateral camera; a launch chute assembly interconnected with a front portion of the frame, the launch chute assembly at least partially supporting the lateral camera when the lateral camera is in a fully retracted position; a rotate motor interconnected with the frame and with the launch chute assembly, and adapted to selectively rotate the launch chute assembly in one of a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about a rotate axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; and said launch chute assembly including a first bracket interconnected with the frame and rotatable by the rotate motor about the rotate axis; a second bracket interconnected with the first bracket for rotation therewith about the rotate axis and pivotable with respect to the first bracket about a first transverse axis that is substantially normal to the rotate axis, the second bracket defining a channel in which the lateral camera is at least partially housed when in the fully retracted position; a third bracket interconnected with the second bracket for rotation therewith about the rotate axis, the second and third brackets pivotal with respect to each other about a second transverse axis that is substantially normal to the rotate axis; and a tilt motor interconnected with the third bracket to selectively move the third bracket toward or away from the tilt motor, thereby causing the second bracket to raise or lower the lateral camera with respect to the rotate axis.