Patent ID: 7441993
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for tapping into a pipe or vessel, the apparatus comprising: a cutting tool for cutting through a wall of the pipe or vessel; a first shaft coaxial with a second shaft, wherein the cutting tool is mounted on an end of the second shaft, the second shaft being housed within the first shaft; a first actuator that is arranged to act on the first shaft and actable to provide a first drive mechanism for delivering the first and second coaxial shafts and the cutting tool to the wall and a second actuator arranged to act on the second shaft and actable to provide a second drive mechanism to drive the second shaft axially relative to the first shaft, thereby powering the movement of the cutting tool through the wall, wherein a component of the first drive mechanism is coupled to the second drive mechanism so as to move the second drive mechanism and the first and second coaxial shafts together towards the wall, and wherein the second drive mechanism is capable of acting independently from the first drive mechanism to power movement of the cutting tool through the wall.