Fitting assembly evaluating apparatus and methods

Apparatus for manually pre-installing a conduit gripping device of a fitting onto a conduit, the apparatus comprising:

• a threaded tool comprising a camming surface, said threaded tool being manually joinable with a threaded nut having a drive surface, the conduit gripping device being positionable between said camming surface and the threaded nut drive surface when said threaded tool is joined with the threaded nut, and
• a sensor that produces, in response to being actuated by the end of the conduit, an output that indicates when said camming surface and said end of the conduit have reached a predetermined relative axial position, said sensor being actuated by said end of the conduit to produce said sensor output after said male threaded tool is joined with said female threaded nut.

Apparatus for manually pre-installing a conduit gripping device of a fitting onto a conduit, the apparatus comprising:

• a threaded tool comprising a camming surface, said threaded tool being manually joinable with a threaded nut having a drive surface, the conduit gripping device being positionable between said camming surface and the threaded nut drive surface when said threaded tool is joined with the threaded nut, and
• one or more sensors that produce, in response to being actuated by at least one of the threaded nut and the threaded tool, an output related to an assembly condition of the conduit gripping device positioned between said camming surface and said drive surface, said one or more sensors producing said output when a nut rotating mechanism is manually operated to axially advance said camming surface relative to said drive surface to a relative axial position after said male threaded tool is joined with said female threaded nut.