Repair valve

Claim 2

A control valve comprising: a valve housing; means for affixing said valve housing in an enclosing manner around a portion of a pipe whose flow is to be controlled; cutting means for cutting away a section of the pipe enclosed in said valve housing, leaving a cutaway area; flow control means for controlling the flow of fluid through said control valve, said flow control means being positioned in said valve housing; means for energizing said cutting means for cutting away said section of said enclosed pipe; and inserting means for inserting said flow control means into said cutaway area for controlling the fluid flow through said control valve; wherein said cutting means comprises a pair of spaced apart nonrotating cutters movable toward each other during the cutting operation, each positioned to cut through said enclosed pipe section substantially flush with a respectively associated sealing surface of the valve housing.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing surface of said valve housing are tapered and said flow control surfaces of said flow control means are tapered to mate with said tapered sealing surfaces.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 including guide means comprising a ridge positioned on said flow control means, and track means positioned in said valve housing, for guiding the movement of said flow control means longitudinally and against rotation.

Claim 5

A control valve comprising: a split valve housing having a pair of tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said valve housing in an enclosing leakproof manner around a portion of a pipe in which fluid flow is to be controlled; means for cutting away a section of the pipe enclosed in said valve housing, leaving a cutaway area, said cutting means comprising a pair of spaced apart, V-shaped cutters, each positioned to cut through said enclosed pipe section substantially flush with its associated sealing surface; means, positioned in said valve housing, for controlling the flow of fluid through said control valve, said flow control means comprising a wedge having a pair of flow control surfaces that are tapered to mate with said tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said flow control means and said cutting means to each other such that the spacing between the cutters is diminished when the flow control means is initially energized; means for energizing said flow control means for cutting away said section of said enclosed pipe; means for inserting said flow control means into said cutaway area with said tapered flow control surfaces in mating orientation with said tapered sealing surfaces for controlling the fluid flow through said control valve.

Claim 6

A control valve comprising: a split valve housing having a pair of tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said valve housing in an enclosing leakproof manner around a portion of a pipe in which fluid flow is to be controlled; means for cutting away a section of the pipe enclosed in said valve housing, leaving a cutaway area, said cutting means comprising a pair of spaced apart, V-shaped cutters, each positioned to cut through said enclosed pipe section substantially flush with its associated sealing surface; means, positioned in said valve housing, for controlling the flow of fluid through said control valve, said flow control means comprising a wedge having a pair of flow control surfaces that are tapered to mate with said tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said flow control means and said cutting means to each other such that the spacing between the cutters is diminished when the flow control means is initially energized; means for energizing said flow control means for cutting away said section of said enclosed pipe; means for inserting said flow control means into said cutaway area with said tapered flow control surfaces in mating orientation with said tapered sealing surfaces for controlling the fluid flow through said control valve.

Claim 7

A control valve comprising: a transversely split valve housing having, a retaining recess, an internally threaded sleeve, a threaded valve stem engaging the threads of said sleeve, a valve handle affixed to the external end of said valve stem whereby a given rotation of said handle drives the internal end of said valve stem further into said valve housing, and a pair of tapered sealing surfaces; bolt means for affixing said valve housing in an enclosing leakproof manner around a portion of a pipe whose fluid flow is to be controlled; means for cutting away a section of the pipe enclosed in said valve housing, leaving a cutaway area, said cutting means comprising a pair of spaced apart V-shaped and pointed cutters, each cutter oriented to cut through an end of said enclosed pipe section substantially flush with its associated sealing surface; gate means, positioned in said valve housing for controlling the flow of fluid through said control valve, said flow control gate means comprising a wedge having a pair of flow control surfaces that are tapered to mate with said tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said cutting means to said flow control means; cutting and inserting means, comprising said valve handle and said valve stem, for driving said cutters through said enclosed pipe section and for inserting said flow control means into said cutaway area with said tapered flow control surfaces in mating orientation with said tapered sealing surfaces for shutting off the fluid flow through said control valve; and means for depositing said cutaway pipe section into said retaining recess of said valve housing; the combination of the flow control means and the cutters being deformable as an incident to initial action of said cutting and inserting means to diminish the spacing between the cutters and to make the flow control surfaces wedge-shaped in combination.

Claim 8

A control valve comprising: a transversely split valve housing having, a retaining recess, an internally threaded sleeve, a threaded valve stem engaging the threads of said sleeve, a valve handle affixed to the external end of said valve stem whereby a given rotation of said handle drives the internal end of said valve stem further into said valve housing, and a pair of tapered sealing surfaces; bolt means for affixing said valve housing in an enclosing leakproof manner around a portion of a pipe whose fluid flow is to be controlled; means for cutting away a section of the pipe enclosed in said valve housing, leaving a cutaway area, said cutting means comprising a pair of spaced apart V-shaped and pointed cutters, each cutter oriented to cut through an end of said enclosed pipe section substantially flush with its associated sealing surface; gate means, positioned in said valve housing for controlling the flow of fluid through said control valve, said flow control gate means comprising a wedge having a pair of flow control surfaces that are tapered to mate with said tapered sealing surfaces; means for affixing said cutting means to said flow control means; cutting and inserting means, comprising said valve handle and said valve stem, for driving said cutters through said enclosed pipe section and for inserting said flow control means into said cutaway area with said tapered flow control surfaces in mating orientation with said tapered sealing surfaces for shutting off the fluid flow through said control valve; and means for depositing said cutaway pipe section into said retaining recess of said valve housing; the combination of the flow control means and the cutters being deformable as an incident to initial action of said cutting and inserting means to diminish the spacing between the cutters and to make the flow control surfaces wedge-shaped in combination.