Patent Application
20220128184
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The disclosure relates to fitting repair devices and more particularly pertains to a new fitting repair device for rapid replacement of a damaged pipe fitting.
The prior art relates to fitting repair devices. The prior art comprises stab connectors or crimp connections for joining fittings to pipes, as well as patching compounds and methods of use thereof. What is lacking in the prior art is a replacement fitting, which comprises a shell that is complementary to a damaged or leaking fitting. Crimp connections engaged to the shell allow for connection of the shell to terminal pipe segments created by removing the damaged or leaking fitting.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell, which has a plurality of orifices positioned therein. Each of a plurality of fasteners is engaged to the shell and extends from a respective orifice. The shell is sized and shaped so that the shell is complementary to an existing pipe fitting positioned in a piping network. Each fastener is configured for insertion of and to sealably engage a respective terminal pipe segment, which results from removal of the existing pipe fitting from the piping network.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each orifice 14 has a respective circumference 16 so that the plurality of orifices 14 comprises orifices 14 having a variety of circumferences 16. As will become apparent, when the device 10 has differentially sized orifices 14, it to be utilized in the replacement of reducing and expanding fittings.
Each of a plurality of fasteners 18 is engaged to the shell 12 and extends from a respective orifice 14. The shell 12 is sized and shaped so that the shell 12 is complementary to an existing pipe fitting 20 positioned in a piping network 22. Each fastener 18 is configured for insertion of and to sealably engage a respective terminal pipe segment 24, which results from removal of the existing pipe fitting 20 from the piping network 22. The existing pipe fitting 20 would generally be removed from the piping network 22 by cutting.
The fastener 18 comprises a crimp connection 26, which is configured to be crimped to sealably engage the fastener 18 to the terminal pipe segment 24. The crimp connection 26 comprises stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, or the like.
The crimp connection 26 comprises a flare 28, which is positioned in the fastener 18 and extends radially and outwardly therefrom to define a recess 30 within the fastener 18. The recess 30 has a gasket 32 positioned therein. The flare 28 is configured to be compressed, utilizing a tool well known to those skilled in the art of crimp connectors, so that the gasket 32 forms a seal between the fastener 18 and the terminal pipe segment 24.
In use, the device 10 is configured to replace an existing pipe fitting 20, allowing for a method 34 of replacing an existing pipe fitting 20 in a piping network 22. The method 34, as generally shown in
A third step 40 of the method 34 entails having a pipe fitting replacement device 10, which has a plurality of orifices 14 numerically equivalent to the plurality of terminal pipe segments 24. A fourth step 42 on the method 34 requires inserting each terminal pipe segment 24 into a respective crimp connection 26. The fifth and final step 44 of the method 34 entails crimping each crimp connection 26 to sealably engage the crimp connections 26 to the terminal pipe segments 24.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
