Patent ID: 7721754

Claim:
A mechanical tapping tee assembly for fluidly connecting to a conduit, the assembly comprising: a body defining a conduit recess for receiving the conduit in close relation relative to said body and further defining a main passage for fluidly connecting said conduit recess to a branch passage, said main passage defined in said body with a first end adjacent said conduit recess and a second, open end spaced apart from said first end; a threaded cutter received in said main passage and threadedly engaged with a threaded region of said main passage for selective advancement and retraction within said main passage upon rotation relative to said body, said cutter including a cutting edge for, upon selective advancement toward the conduit received in said conduit recess, cutting through a sidewall of the conduit to establish fluid communication between said main passage and the conduit; and a cap assembly including a cap fixedly secured to said body for closing the second, open end of said main passage, an elongated bar member rotatably connected to said cutter and rotatable relative to said cap, said cap defining a cap aperture through which said elongated bar member is rotatable to rotate said cutter, an elongated cylindrical sleeve member rotatably received in said cap aperture, said sleeve member nonrotatably connected to said elongated bar member such that rotation of said sleeve member causes rotation of said elongated bar member which in turn causes rotation of said cutter, and said cap assembly allowing rotation of said cutter received in said main passage without removal of said cap assembly from said body.