Service clamp for plastic pipe or the like

• US 4,258,941 A
• Filed: 07/19/1979
• Issued: 03/31/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mueller Co Limited (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller Co Limited (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sands, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callaghan, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US06/058,801
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 285/197, 285/373, 285/419, 137/318
• US Class Current: 285/197
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/12 using attaching means embracing the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 47/30 using attaching means embracing the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6123 With aperture forming means

Abstract

A service clamp for use as a fitting in tapping a hole in a main pipe and/or for supporting a branch pipe, the service clamp being particularly adapted for use when the main pipe is plastic such as polyethylene (PE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) although it may be used with pipe made from other material including metal pipe. The service clamp comprises two saddle parts for encircling the main pipe, one of the saddle parts carrying a branch pipe extension with a throughbore, and each saddle part carrying, prior to assembly of the service clamp, at least one of the screws or bolts used during assembling the clamp about the main pipe. Additionally, one of the saddle parts is provided with a slot communicating with an unthreaded aperture in one of the flange ends of the saddle part, the slot being large enough to receive the head of the bolt or the screw carried in the other part so that the first and second saddle parts can function as a hinge clamp when assembling about the main pipe and then both bolts or screws can be tightened to uniformly apply a load to the sealing means of the service clamp.

Claims

1. A service clamp for tapping a hole in a main pipe and/or supporting a branch pipe, said service clamp comprising:

a first saddle part having a curved surface substantially complementary to a portion of the surface of the main pipe and having a flange extending outwardly from each end thereof, each flange having an unthreaded aperture therethrough, and said first saddle part having a slot therethrough opening to said curved surface and communicating with one of said unthreaded apertures, said slot being wider than said one aperture;

a second saddle part having a curved surface substantially complementary with a portion of the surface of the main pipe and having a flange extending outwardly from each end thereof, each of said flanges having a threaded aperture therethrough, said first saddle part cooperating with said second saddle part to embrace the main pipe therebetween with their respective flanges opposing one another and apertures in the opposing flanges being aligned with each other;

a radially extending branch pipe extension on one of said first and second saddle parts and defining a through-bore opening to the curved surface of the same;

sealing means carried by the one of said first and second saddle parts having said branch pipe extension and arranged to seal around a hole tapped in the main pipe; and

clamping means for clamping said first saddle part to said second saddle part on the main pipe, said clamping means including a first screw having a head, said first screw being partially threaded into the threaded aperture in one flange of said second saddle part which is to be aligned with the unthreaded aperture of the opposed flange of said first saddle part which is in communication with the slot therein, means for staking said first screw to prevent the same from being unthreaded from the threaded aperture, and a second screw having a head and extending through the unthreaded aperture of the other flange of said first saddle part, means for retaining said second screw in said unthreaded aperture of the other flange of said first saddle part prior to assembly of said first saddle part and said second saddle part about the main pipe, said first screw having its head arranged to slip through said slot and bear against said one flange to provide a hinge between said first saddle part and said second saddle part when said saddle parts are being assembled about said main pipe, both of said screws then being capable of being tightened so that their heads bear on the respective flanges of said first saddle part to apply a uniform load on said sealing means.

2. A service clamp as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for staking said first screw in the threaded aperture of said second saddle part is a flared end on said first screw.

3. A service clamp as claimed in claim 2 in which said means for retaining said second screw in place in the unthreaded aperture of said first saddle part prior to assembly of the clamp is a plastic disc of greater diameter than said unthreaded aperture and having a hole therethrough about the same diameter as a root diameter of said screw.

4. A service clamp as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for retaining said second screw in place in the unthreaded aperture of said first saddle part prior to assembly of the clamp is a plastic disc of greater diameter than said unthreaded aperture and having a hole therethrough about the same diameter as a root diameter of said screw.

5. A service clamp as claimed in claim 1 in which said branch pipe extension is positioned on said first saddle part.

6. A service clamp as claimed in claim 5 in which said curved surface of said first saddle part is provided with a groove circumscribing the opening of the throughbore to the curved surface and in which said sealing means includes an elastomeric sealing ring carried in said groove.

7. A service clamp as claimed in claim 6 in which said second saddle part is an arcuate-shaped strap having the flanges at each end thereof the threaded apertures therethrough.

8. A service clamp as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for retaining said second screw in the unthreaded aperture of said first saddle part prior to assembly of the clamp is a disc having a diameter greater than the unthreaded aperture and a hole therein having a diameter substantially equal to a root diameter of the second screw.