Abstract: A method of hot tapping a pipe for installing a carrier for use with a sonic flowmeter transducer includes the steps of welding an alignment fixture to the pipe, attaching a drilling device to the alignment fixture, drilling a hole in the pipe, removing the drilling device and replacing it with a cleaning assembly to remove metal shavings, replacing the cleaning assembly with an extraction assembly which is used to remove the drilling device, removing the extraction assembly and installing an insertion assembly to which a carrier is removably attached. The insertion assembly is employed to secure the carrier to the alignment fixture. The insertion assembly and the drilling device are then detached from the alignment fixture and are ready for reuse.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a quick opening valve structure particularly suitable for use in laboratory applications as a stopcock and the like. The structure includes a valve housing, which may be made of glass, and has a barrel section defining a valve chamber and coaxial inlet and outlet branches leading to and from the chamber through respective inlet and outlet ports. The axis of the valve chamber is disposed at an acute angle to the common axis of the ports. A valve plug, which may be made of a polymeric material, threads into and out of the valve chamber. The plug has an inclined end face disposed at an angle corresponding to the angle of the valve chamber relative to the axis of the ports. The plug has a closed position isolating one port from the other. Rotation of the plug 180.degree. from the closed position in a direction threading the plug outwardly of the chamber, provides substantially full opening of the valve, with the end face of the plug disposed in parallel to the common axis of the ports.