AU608349B2 - Tapping saddle - Google Patents

Description

6 3 49 0000 0 0 0 00 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 00)9 000 0 OQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 00 00 0 0 OO o a o0 0 0 00 00 0 0 00 0 0o 0 000000 eS 0

APPLICANT:

NUMBER:

FILING DATE: MILNES PTY. LIMITED PI 3716/87 13/ 8/87 Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED: TAPPING SADDLE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -1- 003 II~ This invention relates to a tapping saddle used to make connections to water or gas reticulation pipes.

Tapping saddles per se are known and normally consist of two parts, the interior of which, when together, basically define a circle which is normally close to the diameter of the pipe with which the saddle is to be used so 4 that, particularly where the saddle is used with a plastic pipe, the pipe itself suffers little or no deformation whilst the saddle is pulled closely o Q thereabouts.

0 0 000o C 0o Each part of the saddle may have an outwardly directed lug and, on one 0 oo part, there may be studs which are threaded, and the other part may have o°°o apertures which are adapted to receive the studs to enable connection 0°oo0 thereto.

0 00 0 00 o°oo0 One of the parts of the saddle may include an enlarged body portion which, in elevation, has an internal diameter closely corresponding to the diameter 0o0 o of the pipe with which the saddle is to be used and this mav be provided 0 0 with a central aperture which is threaded to receive a cock or, less often, a pipe of a diameter for which the saddle is designed.

About this aperture, on the internal surface, there is normally a groove which is adapted to receive an 0 ring so that, when the saddle is clamped on to a pipe, a seal is made about the aperture between the body and the pipe and, when the pipe is tapped and a cock or pipe is connected to the threads of the aperture, then liquid or gas can pass from the main pipe to the subsidiary pipe without there being any fluid leakage around the saddle.

.The object of the present invention is to provide a tapping saddle of the type as described hereinbefore in which the same saddle components can be -2- Milnes/65/Aug88 used to provide different diameter outlets.

Another object is to provide a tapping saddle of the type herein described in which there is no machining of the body or the aperture therethrough.

A still further object is to provide a tapping saddle wherein the material which is in contact with the pipe about the aperture is of a synthetic 0ooo00 00 coo 0 plastics material.

00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 The invention, in its broadest sense, comprises a tapping saddle having two 0 components the inner peripheries of which, when assembled, define a 0 0 o 0 circle, lugs extending from each side of each component to -enable the 00 0 0 7 0 o components to be held together when encircling a pipe, a body extending outwardly from one component, the body having an aperture therethrough, 0 oOo0 an annular recess about the inner end of the aperture, an insert member 000 o0, 0 0 being adapted to be received within the recess and to extend through the aperture in the body, an aperture through the insert to which a cock or pipe 0 0 0 0o can be connected, a continuous groove about the apertures through the 0 000 00 0 0 o insert in which an O-ring or the like is located and whereby a seal can be o made between the pipe to which the saddle is to be connected and the 00000 0 0 insert characterised in that inserts having different diameter apertures therethrough can be located in the recess and through the aperture whereby cocks or pipes of different diameters can be connected to the saddle.

It will be appreciated that, by using inserts having apertures of different diameters, so the same saddle component can be used for different output diameters from a pipe of a particular diameter.

The insert may be of a synthetic plastics material, such as nylon, and may b\ be made by a moulding process.

ines/5/Dec-3- MiInes/65/Dec9O _.II -ru- -I a o 0o a a a 00o0 0 0 0 0000 0 0 O O 0O 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0000 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 a t 0 4 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 a In order that the invention may be more readily understood, we shall describe one particular form of tapping saddle made in accordance with the invention in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. I is a side view partly sectioned of the saddle of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the saddle; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view; and 3a- Mi Ines @0 0 00 0 0 00 0 00 S 00 0 0 0 1 oo 0 00 -o0 0 I o 0 0 0 S00 000000 0 0 00 o o oo 00 o 0 oo oo o \i o Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but along different section lines.

The tapping saddle 2 basically comprises two components 4 and 6 each of which may be cast from brass but could be formed in other ways.

Each of these saddle components has, as is conventional, outwardly extending lugs and one pair of lugs 8 can have studs 10 extending therefrom which can also be cast or could be connected thereto, and the other pair, apertures 12 to receive these studs so the two components can be interconnected.

The inner surfaces of the components, as is conventional, are when joined, in elevation, basically circular, having a the body 5 on one of the components may be enlarged and may have an inwardly directed a cylindrical recess 14 which is co-axial with a smaller cylindrical bore 16 which passes through the body, there being an annular shoulder 18 formed between the recess 14 and the bore 16.

The inside surface 28 of the component body, as is conventional, are when joined, in elevation, basically circular having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the pipe with which the saddle is to be used.

We provide an insert member 24 which, in external dimensions is of a size to be received in the cylindrical recess 14 and which has a co-axial spiggot 32 or the like extending therefrom, the outer diameter of which spiggot is adapted to be closely received in the bore 16. The insert 24 may be made of nylon or other plastics material.

In side elevation, the lower surface of the insert 24 may be formed to be arcuate with the arc being of effectively the same radius as the pipe with Milnes/65/Aug88 -4- II aa~ ll~I~L~-D13n~-~~ i which the saddle is to be used and, when the insert is located in the recess 14, this arc is effectively equal to the arc of the body portion of the saddle.

The insert and the body may be made in such a way so that, when interconnected, there can be no effective rotation between the two components.

e a0

O

0 As illustrated, the insert 24 may be formed with a rib 32 which is parrallel O0 0 a to its axis and which can be received in a groove 30 formed in the wall of 0 0 0 °ooo the bore 16.

0000 00 0 0 0 0 0 00 The insert 24 has a central aperatures 26 therethrough and in the inner portion of the insert and about the aperture 26, there can be an annular 0 00 00 groove 34, which groove is adapted to receive an O-ring 36 which is 0 00 0 0 0 0 00 constrained to effectively take the shape of the groove, that is, in plan, the 0 00 aoo° O-ring is effectively round but, in elevation, it is arcuate, with the radius of the arc being substantially the diameter of the pipe with which the o"0 tapping saddle is to be used.

S00 The aperature 26 is of a diameter to receive the fitting 40 with which the saddle is to be associated and is preferably internally threaded 38 to directly receive the fitting or pipe.

In use, the required insert 24 is located in recess the body 14 is of the portion of a tapping saddle and the 0-ring 36 is either previously fitted or is then fitted into the groove 34 in the insert.

The two components of the saddle are then located on opposite sides of the pipe with which the saddle is to be used and the studs 10 of one portion pass through the apertures 12 in the other portion and the two components are Mi lnes/65/Aug88 L "Y pulled together by nuts 44 located on the studs.

As previously described, the overall diameter of the tapping saddle is just that, the two components can be moved together so that their outwardly extending lugs are in abutment without causing undue distortion to the pipe with which the saddle is being used, assuming the pipe is a plastics pipe, and, at that time, there will be sufficient compression of the 0- ring 36 to

C

f ensure a fluid tight seal between the insert and the pipe to be tapped.

t e C fC Depending on whether or not the pipe to be tapped is under pressure, then aa e o °3g either an under pressure tapping device can be used, or the pipe can be o 00 simply tapped and, normally, a cock is directly litted to the thread 38 in o0o.o the insert 24 and distribution is effected from the downstream side of the 0 00 0 0 o cock.

0 00 0 00 o0 o It will be seen that, by the use of the invention, the metal components for the tapping saddle are the same for a pipe of a particular diameter and the °0 a different outlet diameters are achieved simply by using different inserts.

0 00 a 000006 C0 This means that supply authorities or plumbers which are using tapping saddles do not need to keep large numbers of saddles having different sized outlets, but only need to keep a required number of saddle components and a selection of inserts which cover the outlet diameters required.

This not only makes the manufacture of these saddles cheaper, as the components can be made in larger runs than has previously been possible but, also, restricts the capital which needs to be tied up in saddles by end users« Whilst we have described herein inserts of particular types and have Milnes/65/Aug88 i_ i i I~ 00 00 0 0 00 So 0 0 0 to o 00 0 0 00 o 0 0 0 0 0 oo O 0o o oo 0 o00 o OO 0 00 0 00 00 0 0 00 0 0 a described these inserts as being located in a particular way, it is to be understood that variations can be made in the particular form of interconnection between the saddle body and the insert without departing from the invention.

Also, we have described the insert as being of a nylon or the like, and it will be appreciated that different forms of material may well be used, although the material must be sufficiently rigid to be able to maintain a thread against the pressures required and it could be possible to provide an insert which has an integral sealing ring rather than using an O ring as described in the preferred embodiment.

-7g88 Mi lnes/65/Au ,i lj i

Claims (4)

1. A tapping saddle having two components the inner peripheries of which, when assembled, define a circle, lugs extending from each side of each component to enable the components to be held together when encircling a pipe, a body extending outwardly from one 0 component, the body having an aperture therethrough, an annular 0e o 0 0 0 o recess about the inner end of the aperture, an insert member being oO 0 0 adapted to be received within the recess and to extend through the Sooo0 0 :o aperture in the body, an aperture through the insert to which a cock o 0o 00 or pipe can be connected, a continuous groove about the apertures 0 0 through the insert in which an O-ring or the like is located and whereby a seal can be made between the pipe to which the saddle is 0 o o o 00 00oo to be connected and the insert characterised in that inserts having oooo 0 0 0 00 0 different diameter apertures therethrough can be located in the a 0 0 C0 recess and through the aperture whereby cocks or pipes of different 0 0 0. diameters can be connected to the saddle. 00 s

2. A tapping saddle as claimed in claim I wherein the insert member is complementary to the annular recess and the bore through the body so as to be restrained against outward movement through the body.

3. A tapping saddle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the annular recess and the insert member are formed so as to be engageable at only the required orientation.

4. A tapping saddle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the insert -8 Mi lnes/65/Dec90 member is made of a synthetic plastics material. A tapping saddle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 000 00 00 o 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 000 000 0 0 0 00 0 0a Dated this 18th day of December, 1990 MILNES PTY. LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys 0000 0 0 0000 0000 0 00 00 0 00 C O 0 C 0 CC CCCC CCC ICC CCC 0 C A. TATLOCK ASSOCIATES -9- 01 Mi lnes/65/Dec9o L,