Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6588454B1/en
Timestamp: 2019-05-26 12:24:22
Document Index: 154034960

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 26', 'art 26', 'art 26', 'art 25', 'art 26', 'art 25', 'art 26', 'art 26', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 72', 'art 73', 'art 72', 'art 76', 'art 72', 'art 82', 'art 25', 'art 82', 'art 86', 'art 82', 'art 92', 'art 86', 'art.\n3']

US6588454B1 - Plumbing system test fitting - Google Patents
Plumbing system test fitting Download PDF
US6588454B1
US6588454B1 US10/027,999 US2799901A US6588454B1 US 6588454 B1 US6588454 B1 US 6588454B1 US 2799901 A US2799901 A US 2799901A US 6588454 B1 US6588454 B1 US 6588454B1
lateral port
US10/027,999
US20030111125A1 (en
Gregory L. Sesser
Richard E. Schaupp
Plumb Rite Inc
2001-12-19 Application filed by Plumb Rite Inc filed Critical Plumb Rite Inc
2001-12-19 Priority to US10/027,999 priority Critical patent/US6588454B1/en
2002-02-26 Assigned to PLUMB RITE, INC. reassignment PLUMB RITE, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SCHAUPP, RICHARD E., JOHNSON, MICHAEL W., SESSER, GREGORY L.
2003-06-19 Publication of US20030111125A1 publication Critical patent/US20030111125A1/en
2003-07-08 Publication of US6588454B1 publication Critical patent/US6588454B1/en
Referring now to FIG. 2, test fitting 14 comprises an elongated, generally cylindrical tubular body 16 having a first end 16 a and a second end 16 b. A cylindrical bore 17 extends within body 16 and includes a first enlarged counterbore 17 a opening to end 16 a, a short intermediate counterbore 17 b and a third enlarged counterbore 17 c opening to the end 16 b.
A first, integral, laterally extending boss 18 is formed on body 16 spaced from a second, integral, laterally extending boss 19. Boss 18 is provided with an internally threaded port 18 a and boss 19 is also provided with an internally threaded port 19 a, the ports 18 a and 19 a opening into the bores 17 c and 17, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. A so-called hose bib or faucet 20 is threadedly connected to boss 19 and is operable to be connected to a conduit, not shown, for supplying test fluids, such as water, to the interior of the plumbing system to which the fitting 14 is connected. Faucet 20 includes a manual operating handle 22 for opening and closing a closure member, not shown, of the faucet 20.
The test fitting 14 enjoys several advantages in the art of plumbing system test fittings. The diameter threaded port 18 a may be made substantially smaller than the diameter of the diaphragm 26, as well as ports provided in prior art plumbing test fittings, and is preferably disposed relatively closely adjacent to the bore 17 b which supports the diaphragm assembly 24. Accordingly, when the plumbing system 10 has been filled with liquid via the hose bib or faucet 20 so that liquid resides in the drainage piping 10 a, 10 b and 10 c, a certain hydrostatic pressure head exists at the diaphragm part 26. The diaphragm part 26 is of sufficient strength to withstand at least a predetermined hydrostatic pressure head suitable for testing the plumbing system 10. Once the plumbing system 10 has been tested and found suitable, or otherwise, water used for the hydrostatic test may be drained through port 19 a and hose bib 20. Alternatively, such water may be released to flow out of the system through conduit 10 d by pulling firmly on the pull member 28 to rupture the diaphragm assembly 24, tearing the diaphragm part 26 away from the rim part 25 at its juncture therewith and pulling the diaphragm out through the port 18 a. Initially, the diaphragm part 26 will tend to tear away from the rim part 25 at the point of connection of the pull member 28 with the diaphragm, whereby as the diaphragm part is pulled downwardly and laterally, viewing FIG. 2, it will tend to cover the ports 31 and 18 a to prevent fluid that has been released to flow through the conduit 10 d to not splash out through the relatively small diameter port 18 a.
Once the fluid has drained away, the pull member 28 may be again pulled firmly to tear the diaphragm part 26 completely away from the rim 25 and out through the reduced diameter port 18 a. Thanks to the flexibility of the diaphragm 26, it may be easily folded or deformed, as required, to extract it through the ports 31 and 18 a whereby the port 18 a may then be closed with a conventional externally threaded pipe plug 33, FIG. 2, and the plumbing system 10 is then ready for use. The hose bib 20 may be left in place or replaced by a similar plug threadedly joined to the body 16 at the port 19 a.
Accordingly, the configuration of the diaphragm assembly 24 and the body 16 is such that minimal spillage of test liquid occurs, if such test liquid is not drained through hose bib 20, when the diaphragm part 26 is ruptured and pulled out of the fitting through the port 18 a. Moreover, as previously mentioned, by providing the diaphragm assembly 24 of a molded polymer material, whereby the diaphragm 26 is relatively thin, and joined about its periphery to the rim part 25, the diaphragm 26 exhibits sufficient strength to pressure test the plumbing system, but may also be easily torn away from rim part 25 at its juncture therewith, pulled intact out of the body 16 through the port 18 a and discarded. The fitting 14 may, if desired, be reused by inserting a new diaphragm assembly 24 in the bore 17 b in place of the diaphragm assembly which has been ruptured.
Referring to FIG. 8, another embodiment of a diaphragm assembly in accordance with the invention is illustrated and generally designated by the numeral 70. The diaphragm 70 has a peripheral rim part 72 similar to the rim 25 and a relatively thin circular disc diaphragm part 73 formed integral with the rim part 72, and in generally the same manner as the diaphragm 24 assembly. However, the diaphragm assembly 70 includes a central connection part 76 which is substantially coincident with a central axis 29 of the diaphragm and which is also the central axis of the body 16. The diaphragm member 73 is also sufficiently flexible when torn away from the rim part 72 to be extracted through the port 18 a.
Referring now to FIGS. 9 through 11, still another preferred embodiment of a diaphragm assembly in accordance with the invention is illustrated and generally designated by the numeral 80. The diaphragm assembly 80 includes a cylindrical peripheral rim part 82 similar to the rim part 25 including opposed transverse faces 83 and 84. The rim part 82 is integrally joined to a generally hemispherical or dome shaped diaphragm part 86 having a generally cylindrical annular disk portion 88 joined to the rim part 82 at a relatively thin cylindrical tear line 89, see FIG. 11, and integrally joined to a generally hemispherical dome portion 90. As shown in FIG. 9 the diaphragm assembly 80 also includes a radially offset connection part 92 for connecting the diaphragm part 86 to the lanyard or pull member 28, for example.
1. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a body including a bore formed therein and defining a flow passage, said body being adapted to be connected to a conduit at opposite ends of said body for insertion in a plumbing system, said body including a first lateral port opening into said bore and a second lateral port spaced from said first lateral port for connecting said body to a source of test fluid for testing said plumbing system; and
a flexible molded polymer diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore in a position between said lateral ports and whereby said second lateral port is disposed between said plumbing system and said diaphragm assembly, said diaphragm assembly being connected to a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a peripheral rim part adapted to be retained in said bore and a generally circular thin walled diaphragm part joined to said rim part, the diameter of said diaphragm part being greater than the diameter of said first lateral port, said diaphragm part being connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be separated from said rim part and extracted from said bore through said first lateral port.
2. The test fitting set forth in claim 1 including:
a spiral tear line formed on said diaphragm part and extending from a point of attachment of said pull member to said diaphragm part toward said rim part.
3. The test fitting set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said pull member is attached to said diaphragm part at a laterally displaced position with respect to a central axis of said diaphragm assembly.
4. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a body including a bore formed therein and defining a flow passage, said body being adapted to be connected to a conduit at opposite ends of said body for insertion in a plumbing system and said body including a first lateral port opening into said bore; and
a diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a flexible diaphragm part connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be extracted from said bore through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a peripheral rim part operable to be retained in said bore and said diaphragm part comprises a generally hemispherical shaped portion joined to said rim part at a tear line for tearing said diaphragm part away from said rim part at will.
5. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a body including a bore formed therein and defining a flow passage, said body being adapted to be connected to a conduit at opposite ends of said body for insertion in a plumbing system and said body including a first lateral port opening into said bore;
a diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a flexible diaphragm part connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be extracted from said bore through said first lateral port; and
a retaining sleeve insertable in said bore for retaining said diaphragm assembly in said body.
6. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a body including a bore formed therein and defining a flow passage, said body being adapted to be connected to a conduit at opposite ends of said body for insertion in a plumbing system, said body including a first lateral port opening into said bore and a second lateral port spaced from said first lateral port for connecting said body to a source of test fluid for said plumbing system; and
a diaphragm assembly disposed in a counterbore formed in said body between said first and second lateral ports and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a flexible diaphragm part connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be extracted from said bore through said first lateral port.
7. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a generally cylindrical rim part and a generally circular flexible diaphragm part joined to and supported by said rim part and connected to said pull member, said diaphragm part including a plurality of substantially side-by-side tear lines extending across said diaphragm part and radiating generally from a point of connection of said pull member to said diaphragm part and forming a line of separation of said diaphragm part from one of itself and said rim part and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be extracted from said bore through said first lateral port.
8. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a body including a bore formed therein and defining a flow passage, said body being adapted to be connected to a conduit at opposite ends of said body for insertion in a plumbing system, said body including a first lateral port opening into said bore and a second lateral port spaced from said first lateral port for connecting said body to a source of test fluid for said plumbing system;
a flexible molded polymer diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a peripheral rim part adapted to be retained in said bore and a generally circular thin walled diaphragm part joined to said rim part, the diameter of said diaphragm part being greater than the diameter of said first lateral port, said diaphragm part being connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be separated from said rim part and extracted from said bore through said first lateral port; and
9. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a flexible molded polymer diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a peripheral rim part adapted to be retained in said bore and a generally circular thin walled diaphragm part including a generally hemispherical shaped portion joined to said rim part at a tear line for tearing said diaphragm part away from said rim part at will, the diameter of said diaphragm part being greater than the diameter of said first lateral port, said diaphragm part being connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be separated from said rim part and extracted from said bore through said first lateral port.
10. The test fitting set forth in claim 9 wherein:
said diaphragm assembly is disposed in a counterbore formed in said body, said counterbore being disposed between said first and second lateral ports.
11. The test fitting set forth in claim 9 wherein:
said diaphragm part is of sufficient flexibility to be foldable to be extracted from said body through said first lateral port.
12. A test fitting for testing a plumbing system, said fitting comprising:
a flexible molded polymer diaphragm assembly disposed in said bore and including a pull member extending through said first lateral port, said diaphragm assembly including a peripheral rim part adapted to be retained in said bore and a generally circular thin walled diaphragm part joined to said rim part, the diameter of said diaphragm part being greater than the diameter of said first lateral port, said diaphragm part being connected to said pull member and responsive to a pulling action on said pull member to be separated from said rim part and extracted from said bore through said first lateral port, said diaphragm part including at least one tear line forming a line of separation of said diaphragm part from said rim part whereby said diaphragm part may be separated into a member having one of a predetermined maximum width dimension and a folded dimension less than the diameter of said first lateral port.
US10/027,999 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Plumbing system test fitting Expired - Fee Related US6588454B1 (en)
US10/027,999 US6588454B1 (en) 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Plumbing system test fitting
US20030111125A1 US20030111125A1 (en) 2003-06-19
US6588454B1 true US6588454B1 (en) 2003-07-08
ID=21840998
US10/027,999 Expired - Fee Related US6588454B1 (en) 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Plumbing system test fitting
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Owner name: PLUMB RITE, INC., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:JOHNSON, MICHAEL W.;SESSER, GREGORY L.;SCHAUPP, RICHARD E.;REEL/FRAME:012651/0249;SIGNING DATES FROM 20011212 TO 20011213