Pipe tapping
AssigneePressurised Pipe Connectors LTD
InventorYuri Granovski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pipe tapping device which includes a valve conduit having a longitudinal axis, a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion, wherein the fluid inlet portion has associated therewith, a cutting edge; mounting apparatus for mounting the valve conduit onto a pipe to be tapped; and compression apparatus for bringing the cutting edge into compressive contact with an outer surface of the pipe prior to tapping of the pipe; wherein the valve conduit is selectably rotatable about the longitudinal axis, such that upon bringing the cutting edge into the compressive contact with an outer surface of the pipe, rotation of the valve conduit is operative to transfer a turning force to the cutting edge so as to cause the cutting edge to cut a preselected portion of the pipe wall, thereby to form a coupon.
Claims29
A pipe tapping device including:
- a valve conduit having a longitudinal axis, a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion, wherein said fluid inlet portion has associated therewith, a cutting edge;
- a mounting apparatus for mounting said valve conduit onto a pipe to be tapped;
- and
- a compression apparatus coupled to said mounting apparatus, the compression apparatus including a rotatable compression element mounted for rotation about said valve conduit, wherein rotation of the rotatable compression element brings said cutting edge into compressive contact with an outer surface of the pipe prior to tapping of the pipe;
- wherein said valve conduit is selectably rotatable relative to said compression apparatus and about said longitudinal axis, such that upon bringing said cutting edge into said compressive contact with an outer surface of the pipe by rotation of said compression apparatus, rotation of said valve conduit is operative to transfer a turning force to said cutting edge so as to cause said cutting edge to cut a preselected portion of the pipe wall, thereby to a coupon to be retained within said cutting edge.
A method of tapping a pipe including the steps of:
- (a) mounting onto a pipe to be tapped a valve conduit having a longitudinal axis, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a cutting edge associated with the inlet, wherein the cutting edge is arranged adjacent to the pipe;
- (b) rotating a compression apparatus about said valve conduit so as to cause the cutting edge to bear onto a portion of a wall of the pipe sought to be tapped;
- and
- (c) then rotating at least the valve conduit relative to said compression apparatus and about the longitudinal axis, so as to cause a rotation of the cutting edge relative to the pipe, thereby causing the cutting edge to cut through the pipe wall so as to define a coupon to be retained within said cutting edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.