Hot tapping tool

A combination of a clamping and valve assembly adapted to be attached to a pipe line carrying a fluid under pressure and a hot tapping tool, removably secured within an externally threaded bore of said clamping and valve assembly, having a shaft supported for rotation and axial movement and a cutting device secured at one end of said shaft for cutting into said pipe line, said improvement comprising,

• (a) a first externally threaded tubular member threadedly secured at one end thereof to said bore,
• (b) a second internally threaded tubular member threadedly engaged to said first member and adapted to be rotated and axial moved with respect to said first member,
• (c) a connecting member operably connecting said second member to said shaft for imparting axial motion thereto thereby permitting said cutting device to be positioned adjacent the pipe line for cutting into the pipe line, said first, second, and connecting members collectively forming a housing about said shaft while said first and second members are spaced from said shaft, said shaft being supported at spaced locations for rotational and axial movement within said housing, and
• (d) a pair of spaced sealing members abutting said shaft and positioned within said housing near respective spaced supporting locations thereof thereby minimizing entrance into and escape from said housing of pressurized fluid escaping from the pipe line during cutting thereof.