AU649338B2 - Direct tapping for water mains - Google Patents

Description

bj4h4 9 S F Ref: 215580

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT I.

ORIGINAL

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Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Tubemakers of Australia Limited 1 York Street Sydney New South Wales 2000

AUSTRALIA

Phil Thompson Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Direct Tapping for Water Mains 6 .0 ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [31] Application No(s) [33] Country PK7394 AU [323 Application Date 23 July 1991 Thu following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815/3 2 DIRECT TAPPING FOR WATER MAINS FIELD OF THE INVENTION Traditionally, to provide water -to a property it has been necessary to dig down to the existing water main and attach a tapping saddle. Then with special equipment the main would be tapped and a valve would be installed with copper pipe extending to a water meter of a property to receive water. The disruption of a main whilst under pressure ano then reinstalling the main has caused many problems.

Accordingly, the water main should be tapped "dry" before installation so as once in place, the need to go back to the main in future will be eliminated.

It would be desirable to provide a new fitting which is supplied pre-tapped thus eliminated the need for any special equipment to tap a main.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION There is disclosed herein a fitting adapted to be placed in-line with a water main, comprising; an essentially cylindrical hollow pipe section having male or female connecting means at each end thereof for sealing connection in-line with said water main, and at least one fluid exit port directed radially from the pipe section and providing threaded means by which a tapped fluid delivery line may be sealingly connected for fluid communication with said water main.

25 Preferably, two fluid exit ports are provided, being angularly S: spaced about the pipe section and preferably separated by an angle of approximately 450 or alternatively 900, through any other angle such as 120° is envisaged. In this instance, it should be appreciated that the water main is located at one side of a street and each of the pair of 30 exit ports services a residence at opposing sides of the street.

Preferably, the tapped fluid delivery line connected to each fluid exit port comprises an in-line valve or valves.

Preferably, the valve or valves Is/are ball valves.

S" Preferably, the male or female connecting means provided at each end of the pipe section comprises annular flange means and o-ring seals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by -3 way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of a fitting adapted to be placed in-line with a water main, Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional end elevational view of the fitting of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a schematic view of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 connected to a water meter by way of a tapped fluid line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a fitting 10 to be connected In-line with a water main.

Fitting 10 comprises an essentially cylindrical pipe section 11 having provided at one end thereof a female coupling 13 for sealing 'connection with a water main. At the other end of pipe section 11 a male coupling 21 is provided for coupling with a female coupling provided in 15 the water main. It should be appreciated that both ends of the pipe •section 11 may be provided with female or male couplings.

Female coupling 13 is provided with an internal annular groove 14 of suitable configuration adapted to engage with a sealing o-ring (not shown).

20 Extending radially through the wall of pipe section 11 is an exit port 12 shown as 12a and 12b in Fig. 2. Each exit port 12a, 12b comprises an increased double thickness (typically double thickness) section provided by suitable welding of a plate to the external surface of pipe section 11. Alternatively the fitting 10 may be cast with an integral Increased thickness section. Through the double thickness section an internal thread 15 is provided.

Exit ports 12a and 12b depicted In Fig. 2 are radially offset by an angle a typically in the vicinity of 450, however a might well be 900, 1350 or 180° for example.

Turning now to Fig. 3, the pipe section 11 is shown connected by way of exit port 12 to a ball valve 18. Ball valve 18 is adapted to provide fluid communication between the water main and a tapped fluid delivery line 19. Fluid delivery line 19 has provided therein a further ball valve 17 between the first ball valve 18 and a meter 16. From meter 16, a fluid line 20 extends to a property In a conventional manner.

Although not depicted for clarity, it should be appreciated that KEH:28401 -4additional componentry 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 may be connected to a second exit port 12a or 12b so as to provide water to a property on the opposite side of a street for example.

The provision of the above described fitting in line with a water main will lead to substantial time and labour savings where new properties are built or where further water supplies are required.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, any number of exit ports 12a, 12b may be provided radially about fitting 10 and furthermore, such exit ports need not reside in a single lateral plane, though may be staggered lengthwise along the pipe section 11.

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Claims (13)

1. A fitting adapted to be: placed in-line with a water main, comprising; an essentially cylindrical hollow pipe section having male or female connecting means at each end thereof for sealing connection in-line with said water main, and at least one fluid exit port directed radially from the pipe section and providing threaded means by which a tapped fluid delivery line may be sealingly connected for fluid communication with said water main.

2. The fitting of claim 1 wherein two fluid exit ports are provided, being angularly spaced about the pipe section

3. The fitting of claim 2 wherein the exit ports are provided in a common plane.

4. The fitting of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the exit port/s is/are provided in an increased thickness section or sections of the hollow pipe.

The fitting of claim 4 wherein the increased thickness section(s) of the hollow pipe is/are provided by welding a plate or plates to the external surface of the pipe section.

6. The fitting of any one of the preceding claims wherein the male or female connecting means provided at each end of the pipe section comprises annual flange means and o/ring seals.

7. The fitting of any one of the preceding claims wherein the threaded means of the exit port(s) is/are internally threaded. 25

8. The fitting of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 7 being formed as a casting.

9. In combination with the fitting of any one of the preceding claims, one or more fluid delivery lines each connected to a respective fluid exit port.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the or each fluid delivery line comprises an in-line valve or valves.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the valve(s) is/are ball valves.

12. A fitting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A combination of fitting and fluid delivery line, the combination being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. -6 DATED this NINTH day of MARCH 1994 Tubemakers of Australia Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 0000 0* 0 0 0000 0* 0* 000000 0* 0. 00 o 0 0 0 000000 0 4 1 DIRECT TAPPING FOR WATER MAINS ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fitting (10) to be connected in-line with a water main comprises an essentially cylindrically pipe section (11) having provided at one end thereof a female coupling (13) for sealing connection with a water main.--- At the other end of pipe section (11) a male coupling (21) is provided for coupling with a female coupling provided in the water main. Alternatively, both ends of the pipe section (11) may be provided with male or female couplings. Extending radially through the wall of pipe section (11) are exit ports (12a) and (12b) comprising an increased thickness section provided by a suitable welding of a plate to the i° external surface of pipe section An internal thread (15) is provided through the increased thickness section for the connection of a fluid delivery line (19). Figs. 1 and 2 0 0 *ol KEH:28401