Tapping apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for tapping a conduit, said apparatus comprising: body means having first, second and third passageway means extending therethrough, said first passageway means being adapted for accepting and maintaining a conduit to be tapped and being in communication with a first end portion of said second passageway means, a first end portion of said second passageway means additionally being in communication with a first end portion of said third passageway means for providing flow communication between the first end portion of said second passageway means and a second end portion of said third passageway means; cutter means for cutting an opening in a conduit located within said first passageway means, said cutter means having means for engaging said second passageway means; said third passageway means including an internally threaded portion in one end portion thereof opposite said second passageway means, and a generally cylindrical inner surface in the third passageway means extending from a position proximate to said internally threaded portion toward said second passageway means; a tubular member having first and second end portions, the first end portion of said tubular member having a first end face, a first generally cylindrical outer surface extending away from said first end face toward the second end portion of said tubular member, a circumferential annular groove in said first generally cylindrical outer surface, an externally threaded portion extending away from said first generally cylindrical outer surface toward the second end portion of said tubular member, said externally threaded portion being threadedly engageable with the internally threaded portion of said third passageway means, said first generally cylindrical outer surface being sized so as to be closely received within the generally cylindrical inner surface of said third passageway means when said externally threaded portion of said tubular member is threadedly engaged with the internally threaded portion of said third passageway means, said tubular member further including a passage extending therethrough and communicating with the first end face of said tubular member; resilient annular seal means disposed in the circumferential annular groove of said tubular member for providing sealing engagement between said tubular member and the generally cylindrical inner surface of said third passageway means when said externally threaded portion of said tubular member is threadedly engaged with the internally threaded portion of said third passageway means; and a tubular reinforcing member positioned within the passage through said tubular member and extending from a position proximate to the first end face of said tubular member toward the second end portion of said tubular member.