Abstract:
A method for providing access to a buried pipe includes excavating the ground to expose the pipe. An access assembly comprising a curved plate and an upstanding access pipe is pressed onto the buried pipe with the curved plate embracing the buried pipe and the access pipe extending upwardly. The curved plate is sealed to the buried pipe and a hole is cut in the buried pipe to provide communication from the access pipe into the buried

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing access to a buried pipeline. 
     Conventional sewer lines include a main pipeline which extends along the street in a direction parallel to the street. Each home has a lateral pipeline that extends from the home and connects to the main pipeline. 
     It is often desirable to provide a clean out to the lateral pipeline adjacent the main sewer line. Many lateral pipelines have been buried without such a clean out. In order to provide such a clean out it is necessary to make a wide and extensive excavation so that persons can enter the excavation and attach the clean out pipe to the lateral pipe. This results in considerable disruption of the soil and the yard around the home. 
     Therefore a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for providing access to buried pipeline. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for providing access to buried pipelines which creates a minimum of disruption of the soil. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for providing access to buries pipeline which does not require a person to enter the excavation to place the access pipe or clean out pipe to the buried pipeline. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device which is efficient in operation, economical in cost, and simple in construction. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a combination including a main sewer pipe located below the surface of the ground and a lateral sewer pipe below the surface of the ground and connected to the main sewer pipe. The lateral pipe includes an interior bore, a surrounding pipe wall, and an outer peripheral surface to the surrounding pipe wall. An access hole is in the surrounding pipe wall of the lateral sewer pipe and provides communication from outside the lateral sewer pipe into the interior bore of the lateral sewer pipe. An access assembly includes a saddle surrounding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the lateral pipe and an access pipe extending upwardly therefrom. The access pipe includes a lower end extending through the saddle and having an upper end adjacent the surface of the ground. The access pipe also has an internal bore providing communication from the upper end thereof to the lower end thereof to the access hole in the lateral sewer pipe. This results in the internal bore of the access pipe providing access from the upper end thereof to the interior bore of the lateral sewer pipe. 
     This access can be used for clean out purposes, but it can also be used for making internal repairs to the lateral sewer pipe. It is possible to invert liner tubes into the lateral sewer pipe through the access pipe in a manner that is commonly used for repairing sewer pipe. 
     The saddle of the access assembly comprises a curved plate conforming to the outer peripheral surface of the lateral sewer pipe. The outer peripheral surface of the lateral pipe extends in a circle 360°, and the curved plate surrounds more than 180° of the outer peripheral surface of the lateral sewer pipe. 
     The curved plate comprises a flexible material that permits the curved plate to flex in an outward radial direction and then snap back to its original curved configuration during the connection of the curved plate to the outer peripheral surface of the lateral sewer pipe. 
     According to another feature of the invention the curved plate includes a concave surface that is substantially concentric to the outer peripheral surface of the lateral sewer pipe. A sealing material provides a fluid tight seal between the concave surface of the curved plate and the outer peripheral surface of the lateral sewer pipe. The sealing material may be a cured resin material. It may be a material that is hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or catalyst activated. It may also be an adhesive, a form of epoxy, or a two-sided tape. It could also be a gasket or a mastic material or any other material that provides a satisfactory seal. 
     The method for providing access to the interior bore of the sewer pipe buried beneath the surface of the ground is as follows; the ground is first excavated to expose a portion of the lateral sewer pipe. This excavation can be minimal because all that is necessary is to provide a one to two foot diameter access hole in the ground rather than an excavation that is sufficiently large to permit a person to enter the access hole. Next the installer takes an access assembly having a curved plate forming a concave surface and an access pipe having a lower end connected to the curved plate and providing fluid communication through the curved plate. The concave surface of the curved plate is then attached in facing relation over the outer curved surface of the exposed portion of the buried pipe. The concave surface of the curved plate is sealed to the outer curved surface of the exposed portion of the buried pipe. This sealing may be accomplished in a variety of different ways described above, including the use of an uncured sealing material that cures and hardens to form the seal. Other devices such as two sided tape or gaskets could be used to provide the seal. The final step is the cutting of an access hole in the buried pipe wall of the buried pipe, the access hole providing communication between the lower end of the access pipe and the interior bore of the buried pipe so as to provide access to the interior bore of the buried pipe from the upper end of the access pipe through the lower end of the access pipe and the access hole in the buried pipe wall. 
     According to one feature of the invention the method of attachment comprises using a curved plate that extends slightly greater than 180° of a circle. The curved plate is formed from a resilient material. The attaching step includes forcing the concave surface of the curved plate into contact with the outer curved surface of the buried pipe whereby the concave surface will first flex in an outward radial direction and then will flex in an inward radial direction to retentively embrace the outer curved surface of the buried pipe. This step may be done remotely by the installer from above ground merely by pressing down on the upstanding access pipe to snap the curved plate in retentive engagement over the buried pipe. While this snapping attachment is preferred, a curved plate having less than 180° may also be used. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the buried lateral and main sewer pipe and showing the access assembly for providing access to the interior of the lateral sewer pipe. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective partially exploded view of the access assembly. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings the numeral  10  designates a main sewer line and the numeral  12  designates a lateral sewer line, both of which are buried in the ground  14  which has an upper surface  16 . 
     An access assembly  18  provides access to the interior of the buried lateral sewer pipe  12 . Access assembly includes a saddle  20  and an access pipe  22 . Saddle  20  includes a curved plate  24  having an upstanding boss  26 . The curved plate  24  has a pair of outwardly flared flanges  44  adjacent its lower edges as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The curved plate  24  extends slightly more than 180° and is made of a flexible resilient material, preferably plastic which can spread in outward radial direction during the time it is being forced over the lateral sewer pipe  12 . After having been forced over the lateral sewer pipe  12 , the resiliency of the curved plate  24  causes it to snap back into its original configuration so that it retentively engages the outer surface of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . 
     The access pipe  22  includes a lower end  28  which is fitted within the upstanding boss  26 , and an upper end which is adjacent the surface  16  of the ground. Extending downwardly through the access pipe  22  is an access pipe bore  32 . The diameter of access pipe  30  may approach the diameter of the lateral sewer pipe  12  so as to provide full access to the interior of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . 
     An access opening  34  is cut in the lateral sewer pipe  12  so as to provide communication from the internal access pipe bore  32  into the interior of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . 
     A sealing material  36  provides a fluid tight seal between the concave lower surface of the curved plate  24  and the convex or curved outer surface of the sewer pipe  12 . The sealing material may be a cured resin or other cured hardenable material. It also can be a physical seal such as a gasket or two-sided tape or other material. 
     The lower end  28  of access pipe  22  rests on an annular rib  35  which extends around the inside of the upstanding boss  26 . The lower end  28  of the access pipe  22  extends inside the boss  26  and is secured there by a flexible sleeve  38  having clamps  40 ,  42  extending there around and having clamp screws  41 ,  43  which can be tightened to secure the attachment of access pipe  22  to the saddle  20 . While the flexible sleeve  38  and the clamps  40 ,  42  are shown, other methods of attachment may be used. For example, the pipe could be attached by an adhesive or other material conventionally used by plumbers in connecting plastic pipe together. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the manner in which the saddle  20  snaps over the lateral sewer pipe  12  can be seen. The line  46  represents the diameter of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . As can be seen the lower ends and flanges  44  of the curved plates  24  extend beyond the diameter line  46  of lateral sewer pipe  12 . When the saddle is pressed downwardly these flanges  44  spread in an outward radial direction and then snap back in place to secure the saddle  20  to the outer surface of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . This can be accomplished remotely by merely pressing downwardly on the upper end  30  of the access pipe  22  so as to snap the saddle  20  in place. 
     In order to install the access assembly  18  the first step is to locate the lateral sewer pipe  12  from above ground. This can be accomplished by various means, among which include the conventional use of a camera that is movable within the main sewer line  10  or the lateral sewer pipe  12  and by sensing the location of the camera from above ground by ultrasonic or other means. Once the lateral sewer pipe is located, an excavation hole  48  is provided. This may be accomplished by numerous boring means such as the use of augers or other materials. However, the preferred method is to use a vacuum excavator manufactured by Vactor Manufacturing under the trade name VACTOR®, at the address of 1621 South Illinois Street, Streator, Ill. 61364. This device excavates a hole and removes the soil from the hole with a minimum of disturbance of the soil. The diameter of hole  48  need be only large enough to permit the insertion of the saddle  20  into the hole, and need be only deep enough to expose a portion of the outer surface of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . 
     When the excavation of the hole is completed, the access assembly  18  is inserted into the hole and pressure is applied on the upper end  30  of the access pipe  22  to force the curved plate  24  and the lower flanges  44  thereon to spread radially outwardly and then snap back into place to secure the saddle  20  to the outer surface of the sewer pipe  12 . This all can be done above ground remotely from the location of the lateral sewer pipe and does not require the installer to enter the access hole  48 . 
     Before snapping the saddle  20  in place, a sealing material  36  is placed on the under surface of the saddle  20 . The sealing material may be an uncured plastic resin or it can be physical sealing means such as gaskets or double-sided tape. Once the saddle  20  is snapped in place, the sealing material  36  provides a fluid tight seal between the saddle  20  and the sewer pipe  12 . 
     Next a cutting tool is inserted through the access bore  32  into engagement with the outer surface of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . An access hole  34  is cut in the outer surface of the lateral sewer pipe  12  thereby providing communication from above ground into the interior of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . The preferred machine for making the access opening  34  is a cutting machine manufactured by Milwaukee Tools under the trade name Diamond coring bits, sold in Grainger Catalog at address of 2701 Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, Ill. 60515. 
     After the access assembly  18  has been secured in place and the access hole  34  cut, a cap (not shown) is placed over the upper end  30  of the access pipe  22 , and the excavated hole  48  is filled in. This provides an access to the interior of the lateral sewer pipe at any time in the future when it is needed merely by removing the cap and using the access bore  32  to gain access to the interior of the lateral sewer pipe  12 . 
     The use of the present invention does not require the operator to make an excavation hole large enough for the operator to enter the hole and work adjacent the buried lateral sewer pipe. Instead the installer works from above ground, and merely inserts the access assembly  18  from a remote position above ground. This minimizes the disturbance of the soil around the access assembly  18  and is quicker and more easily done than prior methods. 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention ask further defined in the following claims.