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US 5,797,431 AGranted
Inner diameter pipe plug
AssigneeEST Group, Inc.
InventorRobert B. Adams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inner diameter plug for sealing a pipe near an open end of the pipe. The plug is capable of being reused within a range of pipe inner diameter tolerances and of providing effective fluid-tight sealing over a range of internal pressures. The plug can be hand tightened and provides self-gripping and self-sealing features.
Claims20
An inside-diameter pipe plug for creating a fluid-tight seal along an inner periphery of a pipe adjacent an open end of the pipe, comprising:
- a compressible O-ring for engaging the inner periphery of the pipe;
- a resilient annular seal element having an outer peripheral groove for retaining said O-ring and having an inner peripheral tapered wall;
- a camming element displaceable axially within said inner peripheral tapered wall of said seal element and having a first outer frustoconical wall slidably engagable with said inner peripheral tapered wall of said seal element;
- and
- means for displacing said camming element relative to said seal element for urging said seal element against the inner periphery of the pipe and thereby urging said O-ring into sealing engagement therewith,
- whereby the O-ring seats in said groove and against the pipe inner periphery without undergoing unwanted deformation.
3 more elements
An inside-diameter pipe plug for creating a fluid-tight seal along an inner periphery of a pipe adjacent an open end of the pipe, comprising:
- a shaft extending axially between and connecting together a distal end plate and a proximal end plate;
- means for displacing said end plates toward one another along said shaft;
- a camming element having a pair of frustum-shaped segments which floatingly engage said shaft between said end plates, one of said frustum-shaped segments providing said camming element with a distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall facing said distal end plate and the other of said frustum-shaped segments providing said camming element with a proximal outer peripheral frustoconical wall facing said proximal end plate;
- a set of grippers radially spaced from said shaft and extending between said proximal outer peripheral wall of said camming element and said proximal end plate, each of said grippers having a gripping surface with teeth for engaging the inner periphery of the pipe, an end portion for engaging the proximal end plate, and a tapered portion for slidably engaging said camming element;
- a resilient annular seal element having an inner peripheral tapered wall slidably engaging said distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall of said camming element;
- and
- a driving insert for engaging said seal element and for urging said seal element toward said distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall of said camming element so that said seal element is compressed against the pipe.
4 more elements
An inside-diameter pipe plug for creating a fluid-tight seal along an inner periphery of a pipe adjacent an open end of the pipe, comprising:
- a shaft extending axially between and connecting together a distal end plate and a proximal end plate;
- means for displacing said end plates toward one another along said shaft;
- a camming element having a pair of frustum-shaped segments which floatingly engage said shaft between said end plates, one of said frustum-shaped segments providing said camming element with a distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall facing said distal end plate and the other of said frustum-shaped segments providing said camming element with a proximal outer peripheral frustoconical wall facing said proximal end plate;
- a set of grippers radially spaced from said shaft and extending between said proximal outer peripheral wall of said camming element and said proximal end plate, each of said grippers having a gripping surface for engaging the inner periphery of the pipe, an end portion for engaging the proximal end plate, and a tapered portion for slidably engaging said camming element;
- a compressible O-ring for engaging the inner periphery of the pipe;
- a resilient annular seal element having an inner peripheral tapered wall slidably engaging said distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall of said camming element and having an outer peripheral groove for retaining said O-ring;
- and
- a driving insert for engaging said seal element and for urging said seal element toward said distal outer peripheral frustoconical wall of said camming element so that said seal element and said O-ring are compressed against the pipe.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.