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: 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: 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 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 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 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: The invention is a pipe coupling comprising: a) a cylindrical body for accepting and retaining ends of a pair of spaced apart pipe sections, the cylindrical body comprising two opposed ends; b) an end connector attached to each opposed end of the cylindrical body; c) a gasket disposed within an indentation defined within the interior surface of each of the opposed ends of the cylindrical body; d) a gasket retaining ring disposed between each end connector and gasket, wherein the gasket retaining ring comprises a shoulder; and e) a gripper washer comprising an exterior periphery, the gripper washer disposed between each gasket retaining ring and end connector; wherein the gasket retaining ring shoulder contacts and retains the exterior periphery of the gripper washer.

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: The invention is 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 linear passageway therebetween, the interior surface of the body defining a peripheral, helical body edge terminating in a body edge locking lug, (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 linear passageway between the first open end of the tubular insert and the second open end of the tubular insert, the exterior surface of the tubular insert defining a peripheral, helical insert edge terminating in an insert edge locking lug, and (c) means for sealing the exterior surface of the tubular insert with the interior surface of the body.

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 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 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 reinforced pipe fitting has a body with a cylindrical first section and a cylindrical second section. The first section has a first longitudinal axis and the second section has a second longitudinal axis. The side walls of the first section intersect the side walls of the second section at a crotch point disposed within the plane defined by the first and second longitudinal axes. The first section defines a first section crotch area pipe stop having a proximal portion disposed proximate to the crotch point and a distal portion disposed opposite the proximal portion. The average thickness of the proximal portion disposed 15° to either side of the plane defined by the first and second longitudinal axes is greater by about 15% than the average thickness of the distal portion disposed 15° to either side of the plane defined by the first and second longitudinal axes.