Patent ID: 7674072

Claim:
A method for connecting a main pipe buried in the ground to a lateral pipe without a person climbing into a hole in the ground to reach the main pipe, the lateral pipe having upper and lower ends, the main pipe having a pipe wall with interior and exterior surfaces, the method comprising: excavating an access hole in the ground in communication with the main pipe; placing bonding material on the lower end of the lateral pipe; inserting the lateral pipe into the access hole so that the bonding material engages the outer surface of the main pipe wall at a connection point; cutting an opening in the main pipe wall adjacent the connection point to provide communication between the lateral pipe and the main pipe, the opening having a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the lateral pipe; applying pressure to the connection point from a remote location above the ground while the bonding material forms a secure bond between the lateral pipe to the main pipe; the pressure being applied using a tool having a first end engaging the inner surface of the main pipe wall and a second end above the ground outside the lateral pipe; and removing the pressure.