Abstract:
A tool comprised of an elongated handle with a shaped pry bar blade attached thereto. The pry bar blade has a semicircular opening formed therein with a radius approximately equal to the radius of the sewer pipe. The pry blade is fitted about the neck of the plug or cap. Manipulation of the handle quickly pries the plug or cap from the sewer pipe. A worker may use the present invention without climbing into the sewer line trench.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to prying blades, and in particular, to a tool for easily removing a plastic cap or plug from a sewer pipe or any other system with pipes having caps or plugs.  
           [0002]    In the development of residential housing or tying in established housing to new sewer lines, it is the practice to initially install a main sewer line extending along the length of the street. The pipe includes a separate lateral pipe or extension for each lot adjacent the street. The lateral pipe is initially closed by a sealing device and buried five to ten feet beneath ground level. As individual houses are constructed, a sewer line from the new home is typically also closed by a sealing device to await connection to the main sewer line lateral pipe. Such sealing is typically done by means of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic plug or cap which is used to seal the sewer line. The plug or cap usually will have an O-ring seal to have the pipe sealingly engage the plug or cap.  
           [0003]    At a later time, a plumber or sewer contractor must remove the plug or cap to accomplish hook-up to the main sewer line. The plug or cap, being tightly fit into the pipe, is usually difficult to remove with known tools in the art. In addition to the tight fit there is usually a great deal of internal pipe pressure creating a suction holding the plug or cap in the pipe. Such difficulty in removal often results in damage to the sewer pipe itself when tools such as crow bars, pry bars, hammers and chisels are used to remove the pipe plug.  
           [0004]    Removal of a plug or cap is also time consuming with prior art devices, usually taking 10 to 15 minutes to remove a plug or cap. The problem is compounded by the fact that sewer tie-ins are usually found in trenches to a depth of 8 feet, requiring a worker to climb into the trench and then manipulate the cap or plug from the pipe. There is a danger to working in a trench which is subject to collapse during construction.  
           [0005]    Attempts have been made in the prior art to solve the problems of removing plugs and caps from sewer lines. Most notably have been U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,682 to D. I. Strausbaugh, et al.; 4,786,214 to E. M. Schmidt, et al.; and 4,691,424 to E. M. Schmidt, et al. These patents disclose pulling devices which are attached to a sewer pipe plug or cap and manipulated to remove the plug or cap. However, these prior art devices require a worker to climb into the sewer pipe trench, attach the patented device and manipulate the device to remove the plug or cap. The patented devices or the prior art are complex, and time consuming to attach, manipulate and remove. During this operation the worker is in continuous danger of trench collapse.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention addresses the limitations of prior art devices by providing a tool which is comprised of an elongated handle with a shaped pry bar blade attached thereto. The pry bar blade has a semicircular opening formed therein with a radius approximately equal to the radius of the sewer pipe. The pry blade is fitted about the neck of the plug or cap. Manipulation of the handle quickly pries the plug or cap from the sewer pipe. A worker may use the present invention without climbing into a sewer line trench.  
           [0007]    These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1A is a side elevational view of a sewer pipe end with a plug installed therein.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the end of another type sewer pipe with a plug or cap installed therein.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the invention view shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a detail view, partly in section, of the invention view shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the invention handle.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the rubber handle portion of the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a side elevational view the invention view shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the invention view shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a detail view, partly in section, of the invention view shown in FIG. 11.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 14 is a sectional view along the line  14 - 14  of FIG. 13.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 13 FIG. 16 is a section view along the line  16 - 16  of FIG. 15.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 18 is a sectional view along the line  18 - 18  of FIG. 17.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 17.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0027]    Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown in FIG. 1A an end portion of a sewer lateral pipe  10  supported by a gasket housing  11 . A plug  20  to seal the pipe end portion  10  has a lid  21  and a body portion  22 . FIG. 1B illustrates an alternate sewer lateral pipe  10  having a cylindrical main body with an open end  12 . The open end  12  is removably closed by an end plug  20 . The end plug  20  is sized to fit sealingly within the pipe  10  and being engaged by a conventional O-ring seal  13  fixedly mounted interiorly within ridge  14 , i.e., gasket housing, formed on the main body of the pipe  10 . The end plug  20  has a cylindrical main body  22  with a tapered end  23  to facilitate insertion of the end plug  20  into the pipe  10 . A flange-shaped lid  21  extends radially outward of and circumferentially around the cylindrical main body  22  of the plug  20 . A plurality of projections or stops  24  are integrally formed on the plug  20  and extend from the lid  21  toward the pipe end  12  and are in abutting engagement with the end  12  when the plug  20  is fully mounted to the pipe  10 . The pipe  10  and plug  20  have a longitudinal axis  15  extending centrally there through. The pipe  10  and plug  20  shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are typically produced from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material and are commercially available.  
         [0028]    Referring generally to the drawings and particularly to FIGS.  2 - 7 , there is shown a plug prying blade  30  embodiment constructed according to the principles of the invention. The prying blade  30  is comprised of a blade assembly  40  and an elongated handle assembly  31 . In this embodiment of the invention, the blade assembly  40 , in an upright vertical orientation, has a top  41 , two sides  42 , a bottom  43 , a front  44  and a rear  45 . The blade assembly  40  has a generally flat, rectangular, plate-like body  48  with a substantial, semicircular opening  46  formed therein with the diameter of the widest portion of the opening coinciding centrally with the blade assembly bottom  46 . The opening  46  has an inwardly directed, sharpened beveled edge  47  formed about the body perimeter. The blade assembly top  41  has a flange  49  welded thereon, said flange  49  lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blade assembly  40 . The blade assembly top flange  49  has a hollow, cylindrical collar  50  welded to its center. The collar  50  protrudes perpendicularly away from the flange  49 . In this embodiment of the invention, the collar&#39;s central, longitudinal axis lies perpendicular to the plane of the flange  49 . However, in other embodiments of the invention the collar&#39;s central, longitudinal axis may have a different angle orientation with the plane of the flange  49 , as shown in FIGS.  13 - 19 .  
         [0029]    The handle assembly  31  has a blade assembly end  32  and an opposite free end  33 . The handle  31  is a pipe formed with wall steel or fiberglass. The handle blade assembly end  32  is inserted into and attached to the blade assembly top flange, hollow, cylindrical collar  50 . A rubber handle section  34  is placed over the handle fee end  33 . In alternative embodiments such as shown in FIGS. 13 and 17, the handle free end  33  may be shaped with a conventional, shovel, cross bar grip.  
         [0030]    Referring generally to the drawings and particularly to FIGS.  8 - 12 , there is shown another plug or cap prying blade  60  embodiment constructed according to the principles of the invention. The prying blade  60  is comprised of a blade assembly  70  and an elongated handle assembly  61 . In this embodiment of the invention, the blade assembly  70 , in an upright vertical orientation, has a top  71 , two sides  72 , a bottom  73 , a front  74  and a rear  75 . The blade assembly  70  has a generally flat, crescent-shaped, plate-like body  78  with a substantial, semicircular opening  76  formed therein with the diameter of the widest portion of the opening coinciding centrally with the blade assembly bottom  76 . The opening  76  has an inwardly directed, sharpened beveled edge  77  formed about the body perimeter. The blade assembly top  71  may have a rectangular, flat-bar flange  79  welded thereon, said flange  79  lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blade assembly  70 . The blade assembly top  71  or flange  79  has a hollow, cylindrical collar  80  welded to its center. The collar  80  protrudes perpendicularly away from the top  71  or flange  79 . In this embodiment of the invention, the collar&#39;s central, longitudinal axis lies perpendicular to the plane of the flange  79 . However, in other embodiments of the invention the collar&#39;s central, longitudinal axis may have a different angle orientation with the plane of the flange  79 , as shown in FIGS.  13 - 19 . The flange  79  provides stiffening to the blade assembly body  78  and provides a means for pushing the blade assembly  70  down with a worker&#39;s foot as may be necessary from time to time.  
         [0031]    The handle assembly  61  has a blade assembly end  62  and an opposite free end  63 . The handle  61  is a pipe formed with wall steel or fiberglass. The handle blade assembly end  62  is inserted into and attached to the blade assembly top flange, hollow, cylindrical collar  80 . A rubber handle section  64  is placed over the handle fee end  63 . In alternative embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 13 and 17, the handle free end  63  may be shaped with a conventional, shovel, cross bar grip.  
         [0032]    The construction of the tool shown in the drawings includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of ferrous, non-ferrous and thermoplastic materials, that is, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel/alloy steel, stainless steel, nylon, and other plastic materials. The design and shape of the tool is such to facilitate use in adverse environment conditions inherent in the employment of the tool including corrosive atmospheres, inclement weather, habitats and normal operational abuse.  
         [0033]    The plug  20  is spaced apart from the pipe end  12  by the stops  24  at all times thereby allowing the invention blade assembly  40 ,  70  to be inserted between the plug lid  21  and pipe end  12  facilitating removal of the cap  20  from the pipe  10 . The general operation of the tool  30 ,  60  is manifested by positioning the blade assembly blade opening  46 ,  76  circumferentially about the plug body portion  22  between the plug lid  21  and pipe end  12 . A worker would then grasp the invention handle  31 ,  61  and pry plug or cap  20  out of and off the sewer pipe end  12 .  
         [0034]    It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.