Gas mains tap plug extracting tool - draws plug through obturator of portable tap which is then rotated to maintain seal

摘要

The portable tool is for dismantling partly buried gas mains tap. The tool is a portable assembly with a larger tap (32) with couplings (42, 58) and a handling rod (60). It dismantles the tap whilst maintaining the seal. The portable tap (32) has a length of pipe (50, 54) with an intermediate rotatable obturator or plug (34). This has a cylindrical opening (36) of sufficient size to permit the passage of the plug (20) of the in situ tap (10), and demountable couplings are each end of the pipe. The dismantling operation entails first removing the plug retainer (28) from the in situ tap (10) and replacing it with the leading coupler (42). The nose (50) of the tool is next fitted on the coupler (42) and the rod (60) attached to the in situ plug (20). The plug (20) is then pulled up through the second plug (34) which is then rotated to close the passage (52). The cap (58) of the tool can be now taken off and the rod (60) with the plug (20) be withdrawn. The in situ tap (10) may have a conical plug (20).