Apparatus and method for providing secondary containment of fluids in a piping system

An apparatus for providing secondary containment of fluids along a portion of a piping system having a valve disposed about a portion of said piping system, said valve including a valve body, an inlet, an outlet, a valve stem, and a removable handle, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a lower housing for containing a lower portion of said valve, said lower housing having an inlet opening formed therein for a sealable introduction of said inlet of said valve, and an outlet opening formed therein for a sealable introduction of said outlet of said valve, said lower housing including;
• (i) a lower section having a sealed lower end and an open upper end, said upper end having an upper edge surface with recesses thereon forming lower segments of said inlet and outlet openings;
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• (ii) an upper section having an open upper end and an open lower end, the lower end of the upper section having a lower edge surface being sealably attached to the upper edge surface of said lower section, said upper section having recesses thereon forming upper segments of said inlet and outlet openings;
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• (b) an upper housing for containing at least part of an upper portion of said valve body and valve stem, said handle having previously been removed from said valve stem, said upper housing including;
• (i) a lower end having a first surface thereon forming a first opening, said first surface being sealably and securably attachable to the upper end of the upper section of said lower housing, and
• (ii) another end having a second surface thereon forming a second opening, said second opening for introduction of a valve stem extension assembly, said valve stem extension assembly for connection at, a lower end thereof, to an upper end of said valve stem and for connection at, an upper end thereof, to said handle;
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• (c) means for sealably and securably attaching said upper housing to said lower housing.

An apparatus for providing secondary containment of fluids along a portion of a coaxial piping system having a fluid regulation control device disposed about a portion of said coaxial piping system, comprising:

• (a) a lower housing for containing a lower part of said fluid regulation control device, said lower housing having surfaces in its side wall which form at least two lower housing openings at opposite sides of said lower housing;
• (b) an outer conduit of said coaxial piping system being sealably and securely attached to said surfaces of the lower housing which form said at least two lower housing openings;
• (c) an inner conduit of said coaxial piping system located within said outer conduit, said inner conduit having a surface in its side wall forming an inner conduit opening, said surface forming said inner conduit opening being secured to an inlet of said fluid regulation control device for providing a direct fluid communication relationship between said inlet and said inner conduit,
• said outer conduit further having a surface in its side wall forming an outer conduit opening therein, said surface forming said outer conduit opening being securely attached to a portion of the surface of the lower housing forming said at least two lower housing openings, said inlet of the fluid regulation control device fitting within said outer conduit opening, said outer conduit opening providing a fluid communication relationship between the interior of said lower housing and spaces formed between the inner conduit and the outer conduit;
• (d) an upper housing for containing at least part of an upper portion of said fluid regulation control device, said upper housing having an open lower end thereof being sealably and securably attachable to an open upper end of said lower housing;
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• (e) means for sealably and securably attaching said upper housing to said lower housing.

A method for providing secondary containment of fluids along a portion of a piping system having a fluid regulation control device disposed about a portion of said piping system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing said fluid regulation control device with at least an inlet and an outlet;
• (b) positioning a lower section of a lower housing about at least a lower portion of said fluid regulation control device, said lower section having a sealed lower end and an open upper end, said upper end having an upper edge surface with recesses thereon, said inlet and outlet being positioned adjacent respective recesses;
• (c) positioning a lower end of an upper section of said lower housing adjacent said upper end of said lower section, the lower end of said upper section having a lower edge surface with recesses formed thereon cooperatively mating with the recesses in said upper edge surface of said lower section to form inlet and outlet openings for said inlet and outlet;
• (d) sealably and securably attaching said upper section to said lower section;
• (e) sealably and securably attaching said inlet and outlet to surfaces of said upper and lower sections forming said recesses;
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• (f) sealably and securably attaching an upper housing to said lower housing.

A method for providing secondary containment of fluids along a portion of a coaxial piping system having a fluid regulation control device disposed about a portion of said coaxial piping system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a lower housing, said lower housing having a side wall with surfaces therein forming at least two lower housing openings at opposite sides of said lower housing;
• (b) providing an outer conduit of said coaxial piping system, said outer conduit having a side wall with a surface thereon forming at least one outer conduit opening, said outer conduit being sized to allow the outer conduit to be securely fitted within the lower housing openings;
• (c) providing an inner conduit of said coaxial piping system, said inner conduit having a side wall with a surface thereon forming an inner conduit opening, said opening being sized to cooperate with an inlet to said fluid regulation control device;
• (d) positioning at least a portion of said fluid regulation control device and positioning said outer conduit within said lower housing openings and said inner conduit within said outer conduit such that the inner conduit surface forming said inner conduit opening is located adjacent said inlet to said fluid regulation control device;
• (e) securably and sealably attaching the inner conduit surface forming said inner conduit opening to said inlet so as to form a fluid communication relationship between said inner conduit and said inlet;
• (f) securably and sealably attaching the surface forming said outer conduit to said lower housing so as to form a fluid communication relationship between any fluids located in a space between said fluid regulation control device and the interior of said lower housing and any fluids located in a space between said inner conduit and said outer conduit;
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• (g) sealably and securably attaching an upper housing to said lower housing.