Tapping sleeve

Claim 2

In a tapping sleeve of a type having a plurality of bands to be clamped about a cylindrical pipe for forming a fluid connection into said pipe, said bands being disposed about said pipe with pairs of ends of the bands disposed in closely spaced adjacent positions, the end edge margin of one band being formed to extend radially outwardly and in overfolded relation spaced from the outer surface of its band, the end edge margin of another band being formed to extend radially outwardly and in overfolded relation spaced from the outer surface of its band and folded reversely to the first named end edge margin, said folded edge margins forming oppositely facing open grooves, means securing said bands against said pipe comprising said oppositely facing open grooves on said adjacent ends of said bands, each of said grooves having openings therein spaced at intervals along the length of the grooves, a rigid bar formed with openings therethrough welded to the end edge of one of said bands and to the outer surface of the band to span across one of said grooves, the last named said openings being aligned with the first named openings, T-bolts extending upwardly via said aligned openings, said bar being disposed across said one groove to lie at a selected angle for seating nuts carried on the upper ends of said bolts so as to provide a component of the tightening force applied to the bolts to act in a direction serving to cause portions of one of the bands to provide support to the pipe, the other one of said grooves being formed to receive, in seated relation, the cross-head portion of said T-bolts so as to permit the stem of the bolts to pivot toward the pipe when nuts are tightened onto the bolts.

Claim 3

In a tapping sleeve of a type for forming a branch opening into a run of pipe having a band adapted to wrap partly around the circumference of said pipe and having an opening formed through the band for leading into a branch line extending transversely of the axis of said pipe, a branch line connection carried by said band to be aligned with said opening, a reSilient seal disposed coaxially of said opening at the margin bordering the opening in position to be pressed against the exterior of said run of pipe to form a seal around a tapping opening extending through the wall of said pipe, lugs formed on the ends of said band comprising slots spaced along the end edge margin of each end of said band, said end edge margins being formed to extend radially outwardly and reversely in overfolded relation with respect to the outer surface of said band and spaced therefrom to dispose the end edges of said band spaced from the exterior surface of said band, an elongate bar formed with openings therein spaced at intervals corresponding to the spacing between said slots and welded to said end edge and the outer surface of said band with said slots and the openings of said bar aligned to receive bolts therethrough, another elongate band disposed to wrap about said run of pipe, the ends of the last named said band including slots therein extending lengthwise of said band, the ends of the last named band being arcuately turned radially outwardly and reversely away from said end edge margin to form spaced retaining folds open from beneath, and T-shaped bolts each having an elongate stem to extend upwardly via the aligned slots and bar openings and a transversely extending cross-head to be retained in said folds, and nuts carried on the other end of said bolts to be taken up against said bar for drawing the adjacent ends of said bands together.

Claim 4

In a tapping sleeve of a type for forming a branch opening into a run of pipe having a band adapted to wrap partly around the circumference of said pipe and having an opening formed through the band for leading into a branch line extending transversely of the axis of said pipe, a branch line connection carried by said band to be aligned with said opening, a reSilient seal disposed coaxially of said opening at the margin bordering the opening in position to be pressed against the exterior of said run of pipe to form a seal around a tapping opening extending through the wall of said pipe, lugs formed on the ends of said band comprising slots spaced along the end edge margin of each end of said band, said end edge margins being formed to extend radially outwardly and reversely in overfolded relation with respect to the outer surface of said band and spaced therefrom to dispose the end edges of said band spaced from the exterior surface of said band, an elongate bar formed with openings therein spaced at intervals corresponding to the spacing between said slots and welded to said end edge and the outer surface of said band with said slots and the openings of said bar aligned to receive bolts therethrough, another elongate band disposed to wrap about said run of pipe, the ends of the last named said band including slots therein extending lengthwise of said band, the ends of the last named band being arcuately turned radially outwardly and reversely away from said end edge margin to form spaced retaining folds open from beneath, and T-shaped bolts each having an elongate stem to extend upwardly via the aligned slots and bar openings and a transversely extending cross-head to be retained in said folds, and nuts carried on the other end of said bolts to be taken up against said bar for drawing the adjacent ends of said bands together.

Claim 5

In a split tapping sleeve of a type to be clamped about a cylindrical pipe for forming a fluid connection laterally into said pipe and having a plurality of bands to be wrapped about and to conform to the pipe, one of the bands having an opening therein, a tubular outlet member fixed in alignment with said opening, sealing means around said opening between said one band and said pipe to seal escape of fluid, and means securing said bands against the pipe comprising lugs formed on the ends of said bands for drawing adjacent band ends together, said lugs comprising slots formed in each of said adjacent band ends to extend in the direction of the length of the band and spaced at intervals along the end edge of the band, the end edge margin of one of said adjacent band ends being turned radially outwardly and upwardly to an overfolded position relative to the outer surface of its band but spaced therefrom to form a groove along one of said adjacent band ends, the end edge margin of the other one of said adjacent band ends being turned outwardly and away from the last named band end to form a downwardly facing bearing surface open from beneath, the slots of the adjacent band ends being aligned for receiving bolts therebetween, an elongate rigid bar disposed to bridge the first named groove between the end edge of said one band and the outer surface of the band, said bar having openings aligned with the slots of both of said adjacent band ends, said bar having an upwardly facing bearing surface thereon to form a lug, and means for drawing the adjacent band ends toward each other to conform said bands about said pipe, the last named means comprising elongate bolts having a head portion, a threaded stem, and a nut threadedly engaged on the stem, said head portion and nut respectively engaging said first and second named bearing surfaces when said nuts are taken up thereby drawing the adjacent band ends together.

Claim 6

In a split tapping sleeve of a type to be clamped about a cylindrical pipe for forming a fluid connection laterally into said pipe and having a plurality of bands to be wrapped about and to conform to the pipe, one of the bands having an opening therein, a tubular outlet member fixed in alignment with said opening, sealing means around said opening between said one band and said pipe to seal escape of fluid, and means securing said bands against the pipe comprising lugs formed on the ends of said bands for drawing adjacent band ends together, said lugs comprising slots formed in each of said adjacent band ends to extend in the direction of the length of the band and spaced at intervals along the end edge of the band, the end edge margin of one of said adjacent band ends being turned radially outwardly and upwardly to an overfolded position relative to the outer surface of its band but spaced therefrom to form a groove along one of said adjacent band ends, the end edge margin of the other one of said adjacent band ends being turned outwardly and away from the last named band end to form a downwardly facing bearing surface open from beneath, the slots of the adjacent band ends being aligned for receiving bolts therebetween, an elongate rigid bar disposed to bridge the first named groove between the end edge of said one band and the outer surface of the band, said bar having openings aligned with the slots of both of said adjacent band ends, said bar having an upwardly facing bearing surface thereon to form a lug, and means for drawing the adjacent band ends toward each other to conform said bands about said pipe, the last named means comprising elongate bolts having a head portion, a threaded stem, and a nut threadedly engaged on the stem, said head portion and nut respectively engaging said first and second named bearing surfaces when said nuts are taken up thereby drawing the adjacent band ends together.

Claim 7

In a split tapping sleeve according to claim 3 wherein said other adjacent band end is turned downwardly and away from the lug on said one adjacent band end to form a downwardly facing groove open from beneath and having slots at intervals along the length of said groove to receive the stem of said bolts, said head portion of said bolts forming an elongate transverse member to be received within said downwardly facing groove free to pivot therein about the axis of said elongate transverse head member to permit said stem portion to rock toward said pipe.

Claim 8

In a split tapping sleeve accordinG to claim 3 wherein said bar is disposed to orient the bearing surfaces thereof to dispose said nuts to lie in a plane substantially normal to a plane taken through said downwardly facing bearing surface and spaced by the thickness of said band in parallel relation from a plane tangent to said pipe at the radius extending from the axis of the pipe through said downwardly facing bearing surface.

Claim 9

In a split tapping sleeve according to claim 3 comprising a formed gasket seat around said opening and adjacent said outlet member in said one band, both of said bands, including the region of said seat being of substantially uniform thickness.