Apparatus for testing conduit

Claim 1

An apparatus for passing fluid into a plastic conduit for pressure testing said conduit, comprising: a mandrel having first and second end portions, a middle portion, and a chamber extending therethrough; a compressible annular member having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the conduit, an opening extending therethrough, and first and second ends with said ends being of concave configuration and with said annular member being slidably mounted on the middle portion of the mandrel; a stop ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member, a first end portion matable with the first end of the annular member, and being fixedly attached to the mandrel at the first end portion thereof; a slidable ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member, a first end portion matable with the second end of the annular member and being slidably mounted about the mandrel at the second end portion thereof; compressing means for moving the slidable ring and the second end of the compressible annular member toward the stop ring foR compressing said annular member and sealing the annulus formed between the conduit and the annular member; a removable annular clamping element having opposed first and second segmental portions with each portion having an inner surface of common arcuate configuration with the arc of each having a diameter greater than about 2 inches, said first and second clamp portions each having a length at least greater than the compressible annular member and a flange fixedly attached on opposed sides with openings formed through said flanges; and means associated with the flange openings for urging the flanges on common sides of the clamping element toward one another and the inner surface of the clamping element into forcible contact with the outer surface of the plastic conduit for preventing enlargement of said plastic conduit outer surface during pressure testing thereof.

Claim 2

An apparatus for passing fluid into a plastic conduit for pressure testing said conduit, comprising: a mandrel having first and second end portions, a middle portion, and a chamber extending therethrough; a compressible annular member having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the conduit, an opening extending therethrough, and first and second ends with said ends being of concave configuration and with said annular member being slidably mounted on the middle portion of the mandrel; a stop ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member, a first end portion matable with the first end of the annular member, and being fixedly attached to the mandrel at the first end portion thereof; a slidable ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member, a first end portion matable with the second end of the annular member and being slidably mounted about the mandrel at the second end portion thereof; compressing means for moving the slidable ring and the second end of the compressible annular member toward the stop ring foR compressing said annular member and sealing the annulus formed between the conduit and the annular member; a removable annular clamping element having opposed first and second segmental portions with each portion having an inner surface of common arcuate configuration with the arc of each having a diameter greater than about 2 inches, said first and second clamp portions each having a length at least greater than the compressible annular member and a flange fixedly attached on opposed sides with openings formed through said flanges; and means associated with the flange openings for urging the flanges on common sides of the clamping element toward one another and the inner surface of the clamping element into forcible contact with the outer surface of the plastic conduit for preventing enlargement of said plastic conduit outer surface during pressure testing thereof.

Claim 4

An apparatus for passing fluid into a plastic conduit having an inside diameter greater than about 2 inches for pressure testing said conduit, comprising: a mandrel of generally cylindrical configuration having first and second end portions, a middle portion, and a chamber extending therethrough with said second end portion having threads formed thereon; a compressible annular member having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the plastic conduit upon which utilized, a hole extending therethrough, said hole being of a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mandrel, and first and second ends each of concave configuration with each concave portion extending outwardly from the mandrel at an angle in the range of about 30*-60* relative to the mandrel and said compressible annular member being slidably mounted on said mandrel; a stop ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member in an uncompressed condition thereof, a first end portion matable with the first end of the compressible annular member and being fixedly attached to the mandrel at the first end portion thereof; a slidable ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member in an uncompressed condition thereof, a first end portion matable with the second end of the compressible annular member and being slidably mounted about the mandrel at the second end portion thereof; compressing means matable with the threads of the mandrel for moving the slidable ring and the second end of the compressible annular member in a direction toward the stop ring for compressing said annular member between said stop ring and said slidable ring for sealing an annulus formed between the plastic conduit and the compressible annular member during pressure testing of the plastic conduit and in a direction from the stop ring for removing compression forces from the compressible annular member for moving the mandrel relative to the plastic conduit; a removable clamping element having opposed first and second segmental portions with each portion having an inner surface of common arcuate generally semicircular configuration with the arc of each having a diameter greater than about 2 inches, said first and second clamp portions each having a length at least greater than the length of the compressible annular member and separate flanges fixedly attached on opposed sides of each clamping portion with said flanges having openings formed therethrough with the flange openings of the first clamping portion being generally coaxial with flange openings of the second clamping portion in the installed position on the plastic conduit; and means associated with the flange openings for urging the flanges of the clamping portions toward one another and the arcuate surface of The clamping portions into forcible contact with the outer surface of the plastic conduit for preventing enlargement of said plastic conduit outer surface during pressure testing thereof.

Claim 5

An apparatus for passing fluid into a plastic conduit having an inside diameter greater than about 2 inches for pressure testing said conduit, comprising: a mandrel of generally cylindrical configuration having first and second end portions, a middle portion, and a chamber extending therethrough with said second end portion having threads formed thereon; a compressible annular member having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the plastic conduit upon which utilized, a hole extending therethrough, said hole being of a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mandrel, and first and second ends each of concave configuration with each concave portion extending outwardly from the mandrel at an angle in the range of about 30*-60* relative to the mandrel and said compressible annular member being slidably mounted on said mandrel; a stop ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member in an uncompressed condition thereof, a first end portion matable with the first end of the compressible annular member and being fixedly attached to the mandrel at the first end portion thereof; a slidable ring having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the compressible annular member in an uncompressed condition thereof, a first end portion matable with the second end of the compressible annular member and being slidably mounted about the mandrel at the second end portion thereof; compressing means matable with the threads of the mandrel for moving the slidable ring and the second end of the compressible annular member in a direction toward the stop ring for compressing said annular member between said stop ring and said slidable ring for sealing an annulus formed between the plastic conduit and the compressible annular member during pressure testing of the plastic conduit and in a direction from the stop ring for removing compression forces from the compressible annular member for moving the mandrel relative to the plastic conduit; a removable clamping element having opposed first and second segmental portions with each portion having an inner surface of common arcuate generally semicircular configuration with the arc of each having a diameter greater than about 2 inches, said first and second clamp portions each having a length at least greater than the length of the compressible annular member and separate flanges fixedly attached on opposed sides of each clamping portion with said flanges having openings formed therethrough with the flange openings of the first clamping portion being generally coaxial with flange openings of the second clamping portion in the installed position on the plastic conduit; and means associated with the flange openings for urging the flanges of the clamping portions toward one another and the arcuate surface of The clamping portions into forcible contact with the outer surface of the plastic conduit for preventing enlargement of said plastic conduit outer surface during pressure testing thereof.