Abstract: An arcuate sweep elbow pipe connector section is disclosed as part of the piping system used to deliver water from a source to a fire sprinkler head. The arcuate sweep elbow pipe connector section is integrally formed at one end with a first connecting section and integrally formed at a section end with a second connection section. The connecting sections are positioned ninety degrees relative to each other and the arcuate sweep elbow pipe connector section optimizes water flow through both connecting sections.

Abstract: A two-piece connection between a supply pipe from a source of water and a connection to a fire sprinkler with the connector having a first or rear section entirely above a ceiling and a second or front section connected to the first section with the connection entirely above a ceiling and the forward portion of second section connected to the fire sprinkler. The first connector section, located entirely above a ceiling, has a spherical male sidewall with a rounded leading edge and a rear portion of the second connector section has a spherical female interior surface.

Abstract: A valve operator assembly may include a housing, a yoke, and one or more stoppers. The housing is mountable on a valve, and includes a body having a sidewall including a shaft bore, to receive a shaft rotatable within the housing, and a cover having a top member mountable on a top portion of the body and a side portion extending downwards adjacent to and partially overlapping the sidewall. The yoke is operably coupled by a yoke nut to the shaft to impart rotation to a valve stem of the valve when the shaft is rotated. The one or more stoppers are disposed within the housing to restrict the linear motion of the yoke nut.

Abstract: A valve operator assembly may include a housing, a yoke, and one or more stoppers. The housing is mountable on a valve, and includes a body having a sidewall including a shaft bore, to receive a shaft rotatable within the housing, and a cover having a top member mountable on a top portion of the body and a side portion extending downwards adjacent to and partially overlapping the sidewall. The yoke is operably coupled by a yoke nut to the shaft to impart rotation to a valve stem of the valve when the shaft is rotated. The one or more stoppers are disposed within the housing to restrict the linear motion of the yoke nut.

Abstract: A grip lock connector member which connects a supply pipe from a source of water to a fire sprinkler through an interior grip lock connector. The grip lock connector includes a multiplicity of gripper teeth which form a tight grip connection to the supply pipe. The supply pipe is retained within an interior chamber and grasped and retained by the multiplicity of gripper teeth at the interior end of the interior chamber. A gasket or O-ring directly behind the gripper teeth facilitates a leakproof connection. At its opposite end, the grip lock connector includes female mating threads which receive male threads at a top location of a fire sprinkler.

Abstract: Each gripper washer 22 is disposed between a gasket retaining ring 18 and an end connector 14. The gripper washers 22 can be any size and dimension, and made from any material, including but not limited to plastic, polyvinyl chloride, or metal. The gripper washers 22 are a washer-like structure, typically a metallic structure that comprises an interior diameter, a concentric inner periphery and an exterior periphery 24. Each gripper washer 22 is disposed between a gasket retaining ring 18 and an end connector 14, such that the exterior periphery 24 of the gripper washer 22 is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the shoulder 20 of the gasket retaining ring 18.

Abstract: A telescoping pipe coupling comprising a hollow body, a hollow tubular insert slidably disposed within the body, two gasket wells, two end connectors, one end connector coupled to each end of the telescoping pipe coupling, two gripper washer wells, a gasket for sealing the tubular insert with the body, two gaskets for sealing one or more pipe sections to the telescoping pipe coupling, two gasket retaining rings each comprising a shoulder, two gripper washers retained within the two gripper washer wells each comprising an outer periphery, wherein the shoulder of each gasket retaining ring is adjacent to the outer periphery of a gripper washer.

Abstract: A pipe connector fitting comprising a body comprising a longitudinal axis, a throat, opposed side walls, an upstream end and a downstream end, a bore defined by the body, a plurality of internal metal threads disposed within the body, an elongate gasket comprising a non-round cross-section, and a gasket retention area defined by the body, sized and dimensioned to accept and retain the gasket when the gasket is non-compressed and fully compressed and the gasket is never allowed to escape the gasket retention area into the throat of the body, the gasket retention area comprising a flat gasket retention surface disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, the gasket disposed within the gasket retention area, wherein, when a threaded male fitting is threadedly disposed within the body, the threaded male fitting can be rotated 360 degrees while remaining continuously fluid tight for pressures in excess of 300 psig.

Abstract: A cut-in fitting has a flange hub, a flange ring, a central body, a first gasket, a second gasket, a split flange hub, a split flange ring and a band clamp.

Abstract: A pipe cap comprising a body; a close-ended bore defined by the body, being sized and dimensioned to accept and rigidly retain an end of a pipe section; an end connector wherein the bore extends out through the end connector; a gasket well in the internal surface of the bore; a gasket for sealing the body to the end of the pipe section, and preventing fluids from flowing out the end of the pipe section; a gasket retaining ring within the gasket well, comprising a shoulder and retaining the gasket within the gasket well; and a gripper washer disposed in the internal surface of the bore, the gripper washer retained between the end connector and the gasket retaining ring, the outer periphery of the gripper washer is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the shoulder of the gasket retaining ring.

Abstract: A pipe cap comprising a body; a close-ended bore defined by the body, being sized and dimensioned to accept and rigidly retain an end of a pipe section; an end connector wherein the bore extends out through the end connector; a gasket well in the internal surface of the bore; a gasket for sealing the body to the end of the pipe section, and preventing fluids from flowing out the end of the pipe section; a gasket retaining ring within the gasket well, comprising a shoulder and retaining the gasket within the gasket well; and a gripper washer disposed in the internal surface of the bore, the gripper washer retained between the end connector and the gasket retaining ring, the outer periphery of the gripper washer is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the shoulder of the gasket retaining ring.

Abstract: A telescoping pipe coupling comprising a hollow body, a hollow tubular insert slidably disposed within the body, two gasket wells, two end connectors, one end connector coupled to each end of the telescoping pipe coupling, two gripper washer wells, a gasket for sealing the tubular insert with the body, two gaskets for sealing one or more pipe sections to the telescoping pipe coupling, two gasket retaining rings each comprising a shoulder, two gripper washers retained within the two gripper washer wells each comprising an outer periphery, wherein the shoulder of each gasket retaining ring is adjacent to the outer periphery of a gripper washer.

Abstract: A closure fitting for enclosing a portion of one or more carrier conduits between a first containment conduit section and an opposed second containment conduit section has: (a) a first cylindrical hollow body; (b) a second cylindrical hollow body, the second body being reversibly attached in fluid tight communication to the first body; (c) a first seal for sealing the first body to the first containment conduit section and a second seal for sealing the second body to the second containment conduit section, wherein and (d) a third seal for reversibly sealing the first body to the second body. In the invention, at least one of the first or second seals allows one of the bodies to axially move with respect to its containment conduit section.

Abstract: A cut-in fitting has a flange hub, a flange ring, a central body, a first gasket, a second gasket, a split flange hub, a split flange ring and a band clamp.

Abstract: A pipe fitting, useable in the installation of a sprinkler head, includes (a) a body having an open upstream end and an open downstream end, the downstream end having internal threads capable of accepting a threaded male fitting, the body defining an gasket retention area located upstream of the internal threads; and (b) an gasket disposed within the gasket retention area. The gasket retention area and the gasket are chosen so that a threaded male fitting threadedly disposed within the downstream end of the body can be rotated within the downstream end of the body 360° while remaining liquid tight for pressures in excess of 300 psig.

Abstract: A repair coupling for joining a first pipe with a second pipe includes (a) a hollow body having a first open end, a second open end, and a passageway the interior surface of the body defining a peripheral, helical body edge terminating in a body edge locking lug, and (b) a hollow tubular insert slidably disposed within the body, the tubular insert having a first open end and a second open end, the tubular insert defining a passageway he exterior surface of the tubular insert defining a peripheral, helical insert edge terminating in an insert edge locking lug. The tubular insert is slidable between (i) a first insert position wherein the helical insert edge is in contract with the helical body edge and (ii) a second insert position wherein the helical insert edge is spaced apart from the helical body edge.

Abstract: A cartridge casing for rifles is made from a high strength aluminum alloy. A method for making such cartridge casing includes the steps of (a) forming a cylindrical blank from an aluminum alloy having a tensile strength greater than 80,000 psi, and (b) rotating the blank at a rate greater than 500 rpm and forcing the blank into a die, the die having a bore with progressively reduced interior diameters which are less than the external diameter of the blank. In the method, the forcing of the blank into the die results in the finished cartridge casing having a distal end with an external diameter which is less than the external diameter of its proximal end.

Abstract: A pipe fitting, useable in the installation of a sprinkler head, includes (a) a body having an open upstream end and an open downstream end, the downstream end having internal threads capable of accepting a threaded male fitting, the body defining a gasket retention area located upstream of the internal threads; and (b) an gasket disposed within the gasket retention area. The gasket retention area and the gasket are chosen so that a threaded male fitting threadedly disposed within the downstream end of the body can be rotated within the downstream end of the body 360° while remaining liquid tight for pressures in excess of 300 psig.

Abstract: A fire sprinkler fitting has a cylindrical body and an insert. The insert has an inner end which is disposed within a proximal portion of the bore, such that the outer end protrudes beyond the open bore end by a distance D. The outer end has internal threads which are sized and dimensioned to accept and retain a fire sprinkler therein. The insert is rotatable within the body without effecting the distance D.

Abstract: The invention satisfies this need. The invention is an internally threaded insert for use with a polymetric pipe fitting in a fire sprinkler system. The insert comprises an outer side surface, an outer rearward surface and an outer forward surface. The outer forward surface is adapted to retain a fire sprinkler at a forward end of the insert. The outer side surface of the insert is sized and dimensioned so as to closely match the bores of standard polymeric pipe fittings, so as to be capable of being slidably and snugly received into the bores of a standard polymeric pipe fitting. The insert can be conveniently affixed within the bores by non-mechanical means, such as by gluing.