Service clamp for plastic pipe or the like

Claim 1

A service clamp for tapping a hole in a main pipe and/or supporting a branch pipe, said service clamp comprising: a first saddle part having a curved surface substantially complementary to a portion of the surface of the main pipe and having a flange extending outwardly from each end thereof, each flange having an unthreaded aperture therethrough, and said first saddle part having a slot therethrough opening to said curved surface and communicating with one of said unthreaded apertures, said slot being wider than said one aperture; a second saddle part having a curved surface substantially complementary with a portion of the surface of the main pipe and having a flange extending outwardly from each end thereof, each of said flanges having a threaded aperture therethrough, said first saddle part cooperating with said second saddle part to embrace the main pipe therebetween with their respective flanges opposing one another and apertures in the opposing flanges being aligned with each other; a radially extending branch pipe extension on one of said first and second saddle parts and defining a through-bore opening to the curved surface of the same; sealing means carried by the one of said first and second saddle parts having said branch pipe extension and arranged to seal around a hole tapped in the main pipe; and clamping means for clamping said first saddle part to said second saddle part on the main pipe, said clamping means including a first screw having a head, said first screw being partially threaded into the threaded aperture in one flange of said second saddle part which is to be aligned with the unthreaded aperture of the opposed flange of said first saddle part which is in communication with the slot therein, means for staking said first screw to prevent the same from being unthreaded from the threaded aperture, and a second screw having a head and extending through the unthreaded aperture of the other flange of said first saddle part, means for retaining said second screw in said unthreaded aperture of the other flange of said first saddle part prior to assembly of said first saddle part and said second saddle part about the main pipe, said first screw having its head arranged to slip through said slot and bear against said one flange to provide a hinge between said first saddle part and said second saddle part when said saddle parts are being assembled about said main pipe, both of said screws then being capable of being tightened so that their heads bear on the respective flanges of said first saddle part to apply a uniform load on said sealing means.