AU2006230673A1 - Mains water pipe access tool - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 GRAEME HALEY; JESSIE HALEY COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title.

Mains water pipe access tool The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- Cross-Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent o) Application No 2005905822 filed on 20 October 2005, the content of which is 00 incorporated herein by reference.

Introduction to the Invention This invention relates to mains pressure water supply piping and in particular, to a tool for piercing said pipe whilst still under full pressure.

IND 10 Background to the Invention Mains water piping and the supply of mains pressure water is a vital community service. Such major infrastructure plumbing systems provide important supply of drinking and general water to domestic and industrial users. The constant and uninterrupted supply of water is very important for convenience; but also for hygienic and industrial purposes.

Of course, such infrastructure requires maintenance. However, the interruption of mains water supplies for the purpose of working on or maintaining mains water pipelines requires the interruption of water supply to domestic, industrial and/or other situations. Such an interruption of a vital and essential service is highly undesirable and is becoming increasingly difficult to justify with higher density living environments and for reasons of industrial interruption and hygiene. In some jurisdictions, regulations greatly impede the ability to interrupt mains water supplies.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to work on a mains water pipeline without having to close off the water pressure. To date, such processes have been accomplished by the use of banding collars positioned around the point in a mains water pipe requiring interruption, with a banding collar operating in conjunction with a valving system known as a ferrel. These systems are costly and difficult to implement and are on-ly generally available to the large water supply corporations and entities and not to the general plumbing trade.

It would be highly desirable to provide a simple cost effective and reliable tool allowing access to mains water piping under pressure, without having to close off the mains water supply.

Statements of the Invention In a first aspect the invention provides a tool for accessing mains water pipes whilst under full pressure comprising a generally tubular body having a threaded m:\specifications\500000\504000\5O4695cmpmaw.doc

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c portion at a first end adapted for engaging a valve mountable to said mains water pipe, a bearing at a second end adapted for housing and guiding an axially positioned O driveshaft said driveshaft being adapted for rotational and lateral movement along the 00 axial length of said body wherein said first end of said driveshaft includes a boring means for penetrating said mains water pipe and a second end of said driveshaft ¢C protrudes beyond said collar for cooperation with a driving means.

SThe threaded portion may be adapted for fitting to the value access of a banding O collar fitted to said mains pipe.

C, The bearing may include a seal to prevent leakage of mains water through the 0 10 tool.

The driveshaft may protrude beyond said bearing to provide an external shaft for driving said tool. The boring means may be a hole saw or other drilling means adapted to form a hold in said mains water pipe.

The lateral movement of the driveshaft and boring means may be buffered against sudden pressure from said mains water.

The buffering may be a spring on other shock absorbing means.

The boring means may include a pilot drill to guide the boring action.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will now be described with reference to figures 1 and 2 and the accompanying legend.

Figure 1 shows an overall view of the tool.

Figure 2 shows the tool in use.

Legend 1. Body 2. Threaded portion 3. First end 4. Valve Bearing 6. Second end 7. Driveshaft 8. Boring means 9. Banding collar Mains water pipe 11. External shaft m:\specifications\500000\504000\504695cmpmaw.doc 12. Pilot 13. Gland and Seal 14. Ferrule Adaptor Referring firstly to Figure 1, the invention provides a compact, highly efficient and intuitively useful tool, comprising a generally cylindrical or tubular shaped body 1, terminating in a threaded end 2 at a first end 3 of the body. The threading 2 is particularly adapted to cooperate with the threaded valve 4, found on standard banding collars 9 (see Figure which are configured to cooperate with mains water piping The body of the tool 1 houses a longitudinal drive shaft 7, positioned coaxially and centrally within the internal confines of the body 1. The drive shaft 7 passes through a bearing 5, found at the second end 6 of the body and is of sufficient length to protrude through the bearing 5 to form an external drivable shaft 11. The drive shaft is adapted for moving laterally up and down the axial length of the body and terminates at a boring means in the form of a hole saw 8 at the end remote from the external shaft.

The hole saw 8 may also be provided with a pilot drill 12 to assist in commencing the boring operation into the mains water pipe. The bearing 5 may include a seal so as to ensure the confines of the body 1 is adapted to retain water and importantly, maintain and withstand the pressure of mains water as found in the pipe. The seal can take the form of a seal gland including an adjustment gland follower and a seal lip 13.

The lateral movement of the drive shaft in and out of the body 1 is adapted to allow free movement as the hole saw bores through the adjacent mains water pipe. In order to minimise any possible sudden pressure build-up as the hole saw penetrates the outer wall of the mains water pipe and subjects the confines of the body and the hole saw itself to sudden mains water pressure, the driveshaft may be provided with a dampening means in the form of a spring or some other shock absorbing system, such that any sudden movement or pressure build-up on the hole saw, tending to force the drive shaft toward the operator would be resisted and absorbed.

Referring now to Figure 2, in use a portion of mains water piping requiring access or maintenance, would be sealed off with the application of a banding collar 9, which is applied around the portion of mains water pipe and bolted down so as to form a watertight seal across the width of the banding collar. The banding collar incorporates an integral valve 4, adapted to close off the sealed section. The threaded portion of the tool 2 can then be applied to the top of the valve 4 and tightened so as to form an integral connection with the banding collar 9. Prior to operation of the tool, the valve 4 is opened so as to allow free movement of the hole saw or boring portion 8, m:\specifications\500000\504000\5O4695cmpmaw.doc

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c1 down through the body of the valve, into contact with the mains water pipe 10. The o tool can then be fitted to a driving means. The driving means may take the form of an O electric drill including high performance battery operated drills which can provide 0_ sufficient torque and power to drive the tool of the invention. The driving means or drill, is then fitted to the external shaft 11 of the tool and the external shaft is rotated Cc and pressure applied to the drill so as to cause the pilot 12 to bear down upon the surface of the mains pipe 10. As the drilling operation commences, the pilot will Spenetrate the mains water pipe and then lead the hole saw or boring means 8 into controlled contact with the surface of the mains pipe and allow controlled and highly accurate boring of a hole of a diameter selected by the diameter of the hole saw and the tool in question into the body of the mains water pipe. The boring operation continues until the pipe is ruptured, at which point, the drive shaft 7 can be withdrawn and the water pressure from the mains water pipe then occupies the confines of the body 1, with the buffering or resilient action of the drive shaft, preventing dangerous or sudden movement of the drive shaft in response to the sudden application for exposure to mains water pressure. Once the pipe is ruptured, the hole saw or boring means can be withdrawn back into the body of the tool 1, where upon the valve 4 can be closed so as to effect the seal of the mains pipe 10 and the tool can then be withdrawn. At that point, the mains pipe can then be accessed by way of the valve 4, fitted to the banding collar 9.

The tool may include an optional ferrule adaptor 14 fitted to the threaded portion 2 of the tool. The ferrule adaptor provide an alternative fitting of the tool to the value.

The invention provides a highly efficient and economical tool which is safe, intuitive to use and reliable, and can provide any license plumber with the ability of access and provide maintenance to mains water plumbing infrastructure.

The tool of the invention can be provided in a number of sizes, limited only by the size of the valves 4 available on banding equipment, or indeed on the size of an aperture required to be effected into the body of a mains water pipe.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims (8)

1. A tool for accessing mains water pipes whilst under full pressure comprising a O generally tubular body having a threaded portion at a first end adapted for engaging a oO Svalve mountable to said mains water pipe, a bearing at a second end adapted for housing and guiding an axially positioned driveshaft said driveshaft being adapted for aC rotational and lateral movement along the axial length of said body wherever said first 0 end of said driveshaft includes a boring means for penetrating said mains water pipe c and a second end of said driveshaft protrudes beyond said collar for cooperation with a i driving means. CN

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said threaded portion is adapted to engage a valve of a banding collar fitted to said mains water pipe.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said bearing may include a seal adapted to withstand mains pipe water pressure.

4. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said lateral movement of said driveshaft is buffered against sudden pressure changes.

5. A tool according to claim 4, wherein said buffer is a shock absorbing means adapted to cooperate with said driveshaft.

6. A tool according to claim 5, wherein said shock absorbing means is a compression spring.

7. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said boring means is a hole saw including a pilot drill.

8. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figures. Dated this seventeenth day of October 2006 Graeme Haley; Jessie Haley Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F B RICE CO m:\specifications\500000\504000\504695cmpmaw.doc