Jaw-type expansion adapter for fluid conduits

Claim 1

AN ADAPTER FOR INTERNAL ATTACHMENT TO FLUID CONDUITS ADAPTED TO CARRY FLUIDS UNDER PRESSURE; SAID ADAPTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: CONDUIT-GRIPPING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE JAW SEGMENTS EACH BEING SEPARATE FROM THE OTHER JAW SEGMENTS AND EACH PROVIDING EXTERIOR GRIPPING TEETH THEREON ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND GRIP THE INTERIOR OF A CONDUIT, AND EACH JAW SEGMENT HAVING AN INNER CAMMING SURFACE; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE JAW SEGMENTS IN AN ANNULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING ELONGATED TUBULAR STEM MEANS ADAPTED FOR CONVEYING FLUID THERETHROUGH AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF ENGAGING PORTIONS OF THE INNER PERIPHERY OF EACH SAID JAW SEGMENTS TO PERMIT OF SLIDABLE ROTATION BETWEEN THE STEM MEANS AND THE JAW SEGMENTS, AND RESILIENT MEANS ENGAGING EACH OF SAID JAW SEGMENTS AND RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID JAW SEGMENTS RADIALLY INWARDLY AGAINST SAID STEM MEANS; AND EXPANDER MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CAUSING THE JAW SEGMENTS TO MOVE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AGAINST SAID RADIALLY INWARD BIAS TO CAUSE THE GRIPPING TEETH ON SAID JAW SEGMENTS TO GRIPPINGLY ENGAGE THE INNER PERIPHERY OF A CONDUIT TO WHICH THE ADAPTER IS TO CONNECT; SAID EXPANDER MEANS COMPRISING AN ANNULAR PLATE WHOSE MAXIMUM DIMENSION IS GREATER THAN THE INTERIOR DIMENSION OF A CONDUIT TO WHICH THE ADAPTER IS TO CONNECT, SO THAT SAID ANNULAR PLATE WILL NOT ENTER SAID CONDUIT, A CAM ACTUATOR ON SAID STEM MEANS HAVING A CONTINUOUS SURFACE ADAPTED FOR COOPERATION WITH THE CAMMING SURFACES ON SAID JAW MEMBERS, AND ADVANCING MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID STEM MEANS AND SAID ANNULAR PLATE FOR SELECTIVELY EFFECTING RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID JAW SEGMENTS AND SAID CAMACTUATOR, AND ANNULAR SEALING GASKET MEANS SURROUNDING SAID STEM MEANS AND POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID ANNULAR PLATE, SAID GASKET MEANS ADAPTED TO BE COMPRESSED TO EFFECT A SEAL BETWEEN ITSELF AND EACH OF SAID CONDUIT, PLATE, AND STEM MEANS, AND A RIGID RING OF SMALLER DIMENSION THAN THE INTERIOR DIMENSION OF A CONDUIT POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID GASKET MEANS AND SAID JAW SEGMENT WITH SAID JAW SEGMENTS ABUTTING SAID RIGID RING AND ADAPTED TO SLIDE RADIALLY OF SAID RIGID RING WHILE SAID JAW SEGMENTS ARE SPACED FROM SAID GASKET MEANS SO AS TO PREVENT ENGAGEMENT OF THE GASKET MEANS BY SAID RADIALLY MOVABLE JAW SEGMENTS.