US 6,282,999 B1 · Plumbing part installation and removal tool

Abstract

A plumbing tool is constructed for installing and removing plumbing parts such as tub and sink drains that are engaged together by conventional right-hand threads, one within another. The tool can also be constructed to remove or install left-hand parts. The plumbing extraction and installation tool has an elongated core member with a stud at one end, a cylindrical intermediate section threaded with right-hand threads, and an outwardly flared frustoconical section at the end opposite the stud. A barrel member is internally threaded with right-hand threads at one end and a radial channel is defined in its inwardly facing wall. This channel is bounded by a radially inwardly directed annular lip at its lower extremity. A plurality of wedge members have hooks or tangs at their upper proximal ends that are captured between the barrel member and the core member. Advancement of the barrel member into threaded engagement with the externally threaded portion of the core member causes the distal ends of the wedge members to be pushed radially outwardly to engage the inner cylindrical wall of a plumbing part to be gripped. The tool with the plumbing part frictionally engaged by the wedge elements is then rotated into either a clockwise direction to advance or install a movable plumbing part coaxially within a surrounding stationary plumbing part, or in a counterclockwise direction to remove or disengage one plumbing part relative to another.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A plumbing tool comprising:

an elongated solid core element having a stud end, an intermediate cylindrical section bearing external right-hand threads, and an outwardly flared opposite end that increases in diameter with distance from said intermediate threaded cylindrical section,
a hollow, annular barrel element that is shorter than said core member and which has an interior surface, one end of which has internal right-hand threads defined thereon and another end of which has a radially inwardly directed lip defined thereon, and an annular radially inwardly facing groove is defined in said interior barrel surface between said internal threads and said lip, and
a plurality of wedge elements each having a proximal end with a radially outwardly projecting tang formed thereon and a distal end having an arcuate, concave, radially inwardly facing surface, and said wedge elements are disposed about said core element in angular displacement from each other with all of their tangs engaged in said groove and captured between said barrel element and said core element by said annular lip so that said wedge elements are restrained from longitudinal movement relative to send barrel element, and whereby said distal ends of said wedge elements are coupled to said lip for limited radial rotational movement relative thereto.

A plumbing tool comprising:

an elongated core member formed with an externally threaded cylindrical section having opposing ends and right-hand threads defined thereon, a longitudinally projecting gripping stud at one of said ends of said cylindrical section, and a longitudinally projecting frustoconical section at said other of said ends of said cylindrical section, wherein the diameter of said frustoconical section increases with distance from said cylindrical section,
a barrel member shorter then said core member and having an external surface for engagement by a gripping tool and having one end with internal right-hand threads defined thereon that are engaged with said external right-hand threads of said cylindrical section of said core member and another end with a radially interior wall surface defining a radially inwardly projecting annular lip at its extremity and a radial channel located between said lip and said internal right-hand threads, and
a plurality of elongated wedge members each having an arcuate cross section and each having a proximal end with a radially outwardly projecting hook thereon and a tapered distal end that decreases in thickness with distance from said proximal end and which has a concave surface facing said elongated core member, and said wedge members are disposed about said core member in angular displacement from each other with said hooks of said wedge members all projecting into said channel so that said proximal ends of said wedge members are all captured by said annular lip between said barrel member and said core member and are restrained from longitudinal movement relative to said barrel member by said lip while said distal ends of said wedge members extend longitudinally beyond said barrel member and alongside said frustoconical section of said core member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plumbing part installation and removal tool

Life of this patent

Plumbing part installation and removal tool

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16