Improvements in the Boring and Tapping of Mains while under Pressure and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: t
Improvements in the Boring and Tapping of Mains while under
Pressure and Apparatus therefor.
A communication from EMILE CLAUSOLLES, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
Mechanical Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Up to the present time the boring and tapping and applying branch pipes to
fully charged water, steam or gas pipes could only be done by leaving on the pipe
itself part of the apparatus, after the operation, and clipped onto the tubo or
pipe.
The parts which are thus abandoned at each application of a branch pipe are heavy,.
expensive and not very strong.
The object of this invention is to avoid these disadvantages and it consists essentially
of the application of a valve plug which is not expensive and being screwed into the
pipe itself is of great solidity and adapts itself to the application of a temporary or
permanent pipe. The valve plug is provided with an internal spring which holds the
valve in place and prevents the escape of the steam gas or other fluid. When it is
desired to open the valve to withdraw steam water or gas a pipe provided with several.
notches in its extreme end and with a cap with an internal screw thread fitting onto
the valve plug is screwed onto the latter when the pipe will enter the valve
plug press the valve down and the fluid will escape round the valve and through
the notches in the end of the inserted pipe. When the supply is to be cut
off the pipe is unscrewed when the spring in the interior of the plug will reclose
the valve.
The valve is screwed into the fully charged pipe in the following manner :-A
drilling apparatus of the following description is clipped onto the pipe: the foot of
the apparatus consists of a cylinder provided with a piston and a stop cock the opening

page_text: of which is large enough to let the piston pass. The top of the cylinder is provided
with a screw clamp feeding device common to drills. Previous to the clipping on of
the drill a lead plate is placed between the drill and the pipe. The piston rod with
the piston is now withdrawn and a rose bit fitted into the latter which is then replaced
and clamped down when the hole is drilled into the pipe. The piston is then drawn
up the stopcock turned to prevent escape and the piston then entirely withdrawn.
The rose-bit is now replaced by a tap to thread the hole drilled into the pipe and when
this is done the tap is replaced by the valve plug which is firmly screwed into the pipe
the lead acting as packing to form a tight joint and the whole apparatus may now be
unfastened from the pipe leaving the valve plug therein.
Dated this 14th day of January 1887.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
I
Up to the present time the boring and tapping and applying branch pipes to water
steam or gas mains while under pressure could only be done by leaving, after the
operation, a part of the apparatus clipped onto the main.
The parts which are thus abandoned at each application of a branch are heavy
expensive and not very strong.
The object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages, and the inven-
tion consists essentially in the application of a valve plug which is not expensive and
being screwed into the main itself is of great solidity and adapts itself to the application
of a temporary or permanent branch pipe.
In the accompanying drawings:-
.
Figure 1 represents the valve plug in position on the main with its tube
adjusted.
Figure 2 is the valve plug with the tube separated.
Figure 3 is a section of the tube on line a b.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the valve plug.
Figure 5 is a section of the same on line cd.
The valve plug A is provided with an internal spring which holds the valve A' in place
When it is desired to withdraw
and prevents the escape of the steam gas etcetera.
steam, water or gas a pipe B provided with several notches in its extreme end and
with a cap B' with internal screw thread fitting onto the valve plug is screwed onto
the latter, when the pipe will enter the valve plug, press the valve down and the fluid
will escape round the valve and through the notches in the end of the inserted
pipe.
When the supply is to be cut off the pipe is unscrewed, when the spring in-the
interior of the plug will reclose the valve.
The Figures 6 to 13 in the accompanying drawings refer to the apparatus for inserting
the valve plug in the main.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the same.
Figure 8 is a plan of the part of the apparatus which carries the stop cock.
Figure 9 is a cross section on line e-fof Figure 7.

page_text: Figure 10 is a side view of the clip for clipping the apparatus onto the main.
Figure 11 is the tap for threading the hole bored into the main.
Figure 12 is the rose-bit used for boring the said hole.
Figure 13 is a forked clamp for preserving contact between the point of the feeding
screw and the end of the tool shank.
The valve plug is screwed into the main while under pressure in the following
manner.
A drilling apparatus is clipped onto the main by means of the hinged clip D one
arm of which is fitted into an oval opening C" in the foot of the apparatus while the
other arm is fitted into an open slot on the opposite side of the foot. In this manner
the clip adapts itself to the size of the main to be tapped. The body of the apparatus
consists of a cylinder C provided with a piston and a stop cock K the opening of
which is large enough for the piston to pass through. The piston rod M passes through
a stuffing box J in the lower part of the screw clamp feeding device F F¹ which is
otherwise of the usual construction. Previous to the clipping on of the drill a lead
plate E is interposed between the foot of the cylinder and the main. After the
apparatus is clipped on the piston is withdrawn and a rose bit L fitted in the latter
which is then replaced clamped down and the hole drilled into the main. The piston
is then drawn up the stop cock K turned to prevent escape and the piston is then
entirely withdrawn. The stops K₁ K" on the valve seat serve to indicate the exact
position of the cock a pointer being screwed onto the latter. The rose-bit L is now
replaced by a tap N to "thread" the hole bored into the main and whon this is done
the tap N is replaced by the valve plug A which is firmly screwed into the main, the
lead plate E acting as packing to form a tight joint.
The apparatus is now unfastened from the main leaving the valve plug therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to bo performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The complete apparatus for drilling and tapping a main while under pressure and
inserting a valve plug without escape of the fluid, the whole constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for connecting branch pipes with mains while under pressure
the combination with a cylinder such as C adapted to be temporarily connected to the
main of a stop cock or plug such as K with an opening or fairway largo enough to
pass the piston or plunger head which carries the cutting and tapping tools
and the valve plug substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In an apparatus for connecting branch pipes with mains while under pressure
the combination with a cylinder such as C having a stop cock such as K of a screw
clamp feeding device such as F Fadapted to close the open end of the said cylinder C
of which it forms the cover and provided with a stuffing box through which the piston
rod passes the whole constructed and operating substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In an apparatus for connecting branch pipes with mains while under pressure
the combination with a cylinder such as C of a piston or plunger adapted to carry the
cutting and tapping tools and the valve plug A and having a piston rod M squared at
the end to receive the ratchet brace by which it is turned substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1887.
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