Patent ID: 8857858

Claim:
A tapping sleeve assembly comprising: a sleeve configured to clamp on to a main fluid conduit oriented about a longitudinal axis; said sleeve having a first shell member and a second shell member separate from said first shell member; a gasket disposed between said first shell member and said main fluid conduit; a branch aperture in said first shell member configured to communicate with a branch fluid conduit attached to said first shell member; a connecting assembly configured and arranged to tighten said first and said second shell members to said main fluid conduit from a non-actuated position to a tightened position; said connection assembly comprising: a first side bar element connected proximate to a longitudinally extending edge of said first shell member and a second side bar element connected proximate to a longitudinally extending edge of said second shell member; multiple bolt receiving lugs extending from said first side bar element and multiple bolt receiving lugs extending from said second side bar element at corresponding positions along said longitudinal axis; and a bolt extending between each of said respective lugs on said first side bar element and said second side bar element; said first side bar element comprising: an upper leg having an upper edge and connected to said first shell member at an upper connection; a lower leg having a lower edge and connected to said upper leg and supporting at least one of said bolt receiving lugs; an intermediate bearing unit configured and arranged to bear against an outer surface of said first shell member between said upper edge of said upper leg and said lower edge of said lower leg; and said bearing unit having at least one bearing surface not affixed to said outer surface of said first shell member; whereby said first side bar element and said second side bar element may be drawn towards each other to tighten said first and second members to said main fluid conduit.