Abstract:
Apparatus suitable for installation in a wye cleanout fitting of a waste line. The apparatus includes four elements. The first element is a pipe. The second element is a valve attached to one end of the pipe and in fluid communication therewith. The third element is a seal having a bore therethrough, the pipe positioned in and sealed to the bore of the seal. The fourth element is a first pipe connector having a bore therethrough, the pipe positioned through and sealed to the bore of the first pipe connector at a position of the pipe between the valve and the seal.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The instant invention is in the field of plumbing apparatus and more specifically the instant invention is in the field of plumbing apparatus for draining and cleaning waste lines.  
         [0002]     The plumbing system of a building usually has pressurized hot and cold water lines and gravity flow waste lines. A “cleanout” is typically installed at the end of each horizontal run of waste line plumbing. The cleanout usually consists of a wye fitting having a threaded plug in line with the horizontal run of waste line plumbing. If the horizontal run of waste line plumbing becomes restricted, then the threaded plug can be removed so that, for example, a plumbers “snake” can be run down the waste line to clear the restriction.  
         [0003]     Clogged waste lines hold water with a volume and pressure that is unpredictable and even uncontainable upon removal of the threaded plug of the cleanout fitting. Once the cleanout plug is removed, the entire drainage system above the cleanout is released. Clean up of such a release can take longer than clearing the restriction in the waste line. Thus, it would be an advance in the plumbing art if a system were devised that provided for a controlled release of backed up waste water from a restricted waste line and/or for facile pressure clearing of a restricted waste line.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The instant invention is an apparatus providing a solution to the above stated problems. The instant invention provides a system for the controlled release of backed up waste water from a restricted waste line and/or for facile pressure clearing of a restricted waste line. More specifically, the instant invention comprises four elements. The first element is a pipe. The second element is a valve attached to one end of the pipe and in fluid communication therewith. The third element is a seal having a bore therethrough, the pipe positioned in and sealed to the bore of the seal. The fourth element is a first pipe connector having a bore therethrough, the pipe positioned through and sealed to the bore of the first pipe connector at a position of the pipe between the valve and the seal.  
         [0005]     When the apparatus of the instant invention is installed in a wye cleanout fitting and positioned so that the seal is positioned near and sealed in the cleanout plug passageway of the wye cleanout fitting, then the valve of the instant invention can be opened to controllably drain the waste line. When the apparatus of the instant invention is installed in a wye cleanout fitting and positioned so that the seal is positioned near and sealed in the horizontal waste line passageway of the wye cleanout fitting, then pressurized water can be flowed through the valve of the instant invention to clear the restriction in the waste line. The apparatus of the instant invention can also be installed in a wye fitting installed in a waste line so that a portion of the waste line can be isolated when the seal is positioned in the crotch of the wye fitting.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention employing a ribbed cylinder shaped rubber sealing element;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of another embodiment of the instant invention employing a spherical shaped rubber sealing element;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a cleanout wye in position for pressure cleaning of a waste line;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a cleanout wye in position for draining a waste line;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  in a wye installed in a waste line, the apparatus being in position to isolate a portion of the waste line;  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  shows the installation of a hose adapter and anti-siphon device on the valve of the instant invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of another preferred embodiment of the instant invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of a preferred apparatus  10  of the instant invention including a one half inch internal diameter, five eights inch outside diameter copper pipe  11 . The pipe  11  is soldered at one end thereof to ball valve  12 . The other end of the pipe  11  is positioned in and sealed in the bore of a ribbed bulbous cylinder shaped rubber seal  13 . The pipe  11  is flared at the end thereof to help retain the seal  13  on the pipe  11 . The pipe  11  is positioned through and sealed to the bore of a first pipe fitting  14  having external threads thereon, said threads being substantially coaxial with said bore. The valve  12  has a valve stem  15 , a valve handle  16  and an outlet  17  threaded for a rubber hose connection.  
         [0014]     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , the pipe  11  is positioned in the bore of a bushing  18 . The bore of the bushing  18  has a threaded portion  19  dimensioned to engage with the external threads of the first pipe fitting  14 . The pipe  11  is also positioned in and sealed to the bore of a second pipe fitting  20  having external threads thereon substantially coaxial with said bore. The threads of the second pipe fitting  20  are dimensioned to engage with a second threaded portion  21  of the bore of the bushing  18 . A gland  22  retains an o-ring  23  to seal the pipe  11  to the bushing  18 .  
         [0015]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus  10  of  FIG. 1  in a cleanout wye  24  having a threaded adapter  25  in position for draining waste line  26  by opening the valve  12  to controllably drain the waste water into a bucket, not shown. The apparatus  10  is placed in the position shown in  FIG. 4  by withdrawing the apparatus  10  from the bushing  18  and then rotating the apparatus  10  in a counter clock wise manner so that the threads of the second fitting  20  engage the corresponding threads in the bore of the bushing  18 . The outside diameter of the ribs of the seal  13  are dimensioned to be a compression fit in the inside diameter of the wye  24 .  
         [0016]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus  10  of  FIG. 1  in a cleanout wye  24  having a threaded adapter  25  in position for pressure cleaning waste line  26  by attaching a pressurized water rubber hose to valve  12  and then opening valve  12 . Alternatively, a partial vacuum can be applied to waste line  26  by attaching a vacuum hose to valve  12 . The apparatus  10  is placed in the position shown in  FIG. 3  by sliding the apparatus  10  into the bushing  18  and then rotating the apparatus  10  in a clock wise manner so that the threads of the first fitting  14  engage the corresponding threads in the bore of the bushing  18 . Referring now to  FIG. 6 , when a rubber hose is connected to the valve  12 , code requires an anti-siphon device  27  which can be adapted to the valve  12  by way of a female/female rubber hose adapter  28 .  
         [0017]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of another apparatus  29  of the instant invention similar to the embodiment  10  of  FIG. 1  but employing a spherical shaped rubber sealing element  30  and no second fitting. In addition, the apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  uses an industry standard one and one half inch male adapter  32  and an industry standard one and one half by one half inch national pipe thread bushing  31 . There is no O-ring seal used in the bushing  31 . The apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  can be used in much the same way as the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . In addition, the apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  can be used as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of the installation of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  in a wye  33  installed in a waste line in position to isolate one portion  34  of the waste line from the other portion  35  of the waste line. The apparatus shown in  FIG. 2  is installed in the wye  33  by way of a threaded adapter  36 . The apparatus  29  is placed in the position shown in  FIG. 5  by sliding the apparatus  29  into the bushing  31  and then rotating the apparatus  29  in a clock wise manner so that the threads of the first fitting of the apparatus  29  engage the corresponding threads in the bore of the bushing  31  so that the spherical shaped rubber sealing element  30  is sealed in the crotch of the wye fitting to isolate the one portion  34  of the waste line from the other portion  35  of the waste line. Of course, the apparatus  29  can also be used to drain or flush the waste line in the position shown in  FIG. 5  as well as if the apparatus  29  is placed in a withdrawn position with spherical shaped rubber sealing element  30  sealed in the blind bore  37  of the wye  33 .  
         [0019]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , therein is shown a side view, part in full and part in cross-section, of another preferred embodiment of the instant invention using the apparatus  10  of  FIG. 1  installed in a PVC bushing  38 , a PVC fitting  39  and a rubber ring  40 . The use of the rubber ring  40  is more preferred than the use of the O-ring  23  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]     The seal of the instant invention can be of any suitable shape even though the shapes disclosed above are preferred. Preferably, the seal of the instant invention is a resilient seal comprising an elastomer such as neoprene or silicone rubber. However, a ball shaped PVC seal, for example, dimensioned to be slightly larger in diameter than the internal diameter of a cleanout wye can be used as the seal of the instant invention. The seal of the instant invention is preferably mounted at the end of the pipe away from the valve.  
         [0021]     The valve of the instant invention is preferably a ball valve but can be any type of valve such as a gate valve. The first pipe fitting of the instant invention is preferably integral with the valve, i.e., a “boiler drain” valve. When a brass boiler drain valve is used with a copper pipe in the instant invention, then it is preferable to solder the pipe in the first pipe fitting of the boiler drain valve. However, it should be understood that the first pipe fitting need not be integral with the valve and need not be positioned at the end of the pipe.  
         [0022]     The use of a second pipe fitting is preferred in the instant invention to help retain the seal in position of the pipe and to better retain the apparatus of the instant invention in the bushing in the position shown in  FIG. 4 . Although not necessary in the instant invention, it is preferred to use an O-ring to seal the pipe with the bushing. The pipe of the instant invention can be made of any suitable material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), iron, galvanized iron or copper. It is contemplated that the pipe, pipe fitting(s) and valve body of the instant invention can be integral and molded of PVC.  
         [0023]     Preferably, the external threads on the first and second pipe fittings are perfectly or essentially coaxial with the longitudinal-axis of the pipe. However, of course, the external threads on the first and second pipe fittings can be substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the pipe, i.e., sufficiently coaxial to permit rotation of the apparatus of the instant invention when it is threaded into position as shown in  FIGS. 3, 4  and  5 . The first pipe connector of the instant invention is preferably an externally threaded pipe fitting. However, the first pipe connector of the instant invention can be other connectors such as a quick-disconnect fitting or a bayonet fitting.  
         [0024]     In conclusion, it is readily apparent that although the invention has been described above in detail in relation with its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the instant invention is not limited thereby but is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents that are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.