Tapping and valve assembly for plastic pipe

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED TAPPING AND VALVE ASSEMBLY ATTACHABLE TO PLASTIC PIPES, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING; A BODY UNIT HAVING A FIRST PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH AND A SECOND PASSAGEWAY INTERSECTING SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, SAID BODY UNIT PROVIDED WITH STRUCTURE SURROUNDING ONE END OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A PLASTIC PIPE IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY PROVIDED WITH AN ABUTMENT FORMING A FIRST VALVE SEAT BETWEEN SAID ONE END OF SAID FIRST PASSAGWAY AND THE INTERSECTION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGEWAYS, A MOVABLE FIRST VALVE MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITIN IN FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO PREVENT FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID ONE END AND SAID INTERSECTION, AND SECOND POSITION SPACED FROM SAID VALVE SEAT IN SAID POSITION FLUID COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID ONE END AND SAID INTERSECTION, A FIRST MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID BODY UNIT AND SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID VALVE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS, SAID VALVE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A THIRD PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING THERETHROUGH IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER IN SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, A PORTION OF SAID THIRD PASSAGEWAY DEFINING A SECOND VALVE SEAT, A MOVABLE SECOND VALVE MEMBER SLIDING MOUNTED IN SAID THIRD PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND VALVE SEAT AND A SECOND POSITION SPACED THEREFROM, SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A PLASTIC PIPE CUTTING ELEMENT OPERATIVE TO FORM AN OPENING WITHOUT CREATING CHIPS OR FINE PARTICLES IN A PLASTIC PIPE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRUCTURE SURROUNDING SAID ONE END OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY WHEN SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER IS IN ITS SECOND POSITION, A SECOND MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST VALVE MEMBER ANS SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER IN ITS FIRST POSITION, SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A THIRD MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CUTTING ELEMENT WHEN SAID SECOND VALVE MEMBER IS IN ITS SECOND POSITION, SAID FIRST VALVE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST VALVE MEMBER AND SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY TO PREVENT FLUID FLOW ALONG SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN SAID FIRST VALVE MEMBER AND THE SURFACE OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, SAID CUTTING ELEMENT BEING A FRICTION HEAT TYPE ROTATING MELT CUTTER OPERATIVE TO ACCOMPLISH CUTTING ACTION WITHOUT APPLYING SIGNIFICANT FORCE AGAINST SAID PIPE AND SAID SECOND VALVE UNIT BEING ADDITIONALLY MOUNTED IN SAID THIRD PASSAGEWAY FOR FREE ROTATION WHN IN ITS SECOND POSITION, SAID CUTTING ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A DEVICE FOR ENGAGING AND RETAINING THE PIECE OF PLASTIC PIPE FORMED DURING CUTTING TO FORM THE OPENING IN A PLASTIC PIPE ENGAGED WITH SAID ASSEMBLY.