Plumbing fitting and escutcheon assembly therefor

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, AN ADAPTER FITTING FOR CONNECTING A FLUID CARRYING PIPE EXTENDING THROUGH A WALL TO A PLUMPING FIXTURE AND A DECORATIVE ESCUTCHEON ASSEMBLY FOR FINISHING THE INSTALLATION; SAID FITTING COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A FORWARD PORTION SCREWED TO SAID PLUMBING FIXTURE, A REARWARD PORTION AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND A BORE LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID FORWARD PORTION TERMINATING IN AN EXTERNALLY THREADED EXTENSION, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION HAVING AN EXTERNAL GRIPPING SURFACE THEREON ADAPTED FOR BEING GRASPED BY A WRENCH, SAID REARWARD PORTION EXHIBITING AN EXTERNAL SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING A TRANSVERSE WIDTH NOT LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM TRANSVERSE WIDTH OF EITHER SAID FORWARD OR INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS, A SWEATED JOINT CONNECTING THE FLUID CARRYING PIPE TO THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID ADAPTER, SAID ESCUTCHEON ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TUBE HAVING AN INTERNAL TRANSVERSE WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRANSVERSE WIDTH OF SAID EXTERNAL SUPPORTING SURFACE PERMITTING SAID TUBE TO SLIDE THEREOVER FROM A POSITION COVERING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION TO A POSITION EXPOSING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION TO BE GRIPPED BY A WRENCH TO HOLD THE SAME AND PREVENT TORSIONAL STRESS TO SAID SWEATED JOINT WHILE SCREWING THE PLUMBING FIXTURE TO SAID ADAPTER.