Patent ID: 8316871
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A perforating device for perforating a fluid duct, an interior of the fluid duct being at a differential pressure relative to an ambient atmosphere, the perforating device having a connector seat, the connector seat having a tapped barrel, the barrel presenting a longitudinal barrel axis and being configured to interface with the fluid duct at a junction between the barrel and the fluid duct, the perforating device comprising: a hollow cylindrical body enclosing an internal volume and having a longitudinal body axis, a first open end, a generally opposed second end, and a threaded external surface, wherein the cylindrical body is threadably receivable within the barrel, and translatable along the barrel axis toward a wall of the fluid duct upon rotation of the cylindrical body in a first direction about the body axis, and wherein the cylindrical body is threadably retractable within the barrel, and translatable along the barrel axis away from the wall of the fluid duct upon rotation of the cylindrical body in a second direction about the longitudinal body axis; a cutting apparatus operably coupled to the second end of the cylindrical body, the cutting apparatus adapted to cut the wall of the fluid duct proximate the junction between the barrel and the fluid duct, thereby separating a cutout portion from the wall of the duct, wherein the cutting is accomplished upon rotation of the cylindrical body in the first direction while the cutting apparatus is in contact with the fluid duct; the cylindrical body defining a fluid passage positioned between the cutting apparatus and the first end of the cylindrical body, wherein the fluid passage provides a pathway for fluid communication with the interior of the fluid duct after withdrawal of the cutting apparatus and the cutout portion retained within the cutting apparatus from the fluid duct after cutting of the wall of the fluid duct; the tapped barrel including a base on an end of the barrel proximate the duct, wherein the base has an internal diameter greater than a diameter of the cutting apparatus and a diameter of the hollow cylindrical body; a valve adapted to selectively seal the internal volume of the cylindrical body relative to the interior of the fluid duct in response to the differential pressure to prevent leakage between the interior of the fluid duct and the ambient atmosphere; a reversible connection assembly, wherein the reversible connection assembly at least rotatably couples or translatably couples the cutting apparatus to the second end of the cylindrical body; and an elastic assembly adapted to bias the cutting assembly in a direction away from the second end of the cylindrical body, wherein the fluid passage is positioned between the second end of the cylindrical body and the cutting apparatus, and wherein one of the second end and the cutting apparatus forms a valve seal, and the other forms a valve seat.