Copper tube service valve

Claim 1

A self-tapping service valve for a tubular line, comprising: a generally cylindrical centrally bored housing having wrench flats intermediate its ends and having a diametrically reduced periphery forming a relatively thin wall at one end portion, said housing having an internal annular shoulder intermediate its ends facing toward said thin wall end portion, said housing having external threads extending between said wrench flats and said thin wall portion; a tubular member coaxially secured, at one end portion, to the end portion of said housing opposite said threads, the other end portion of said tubular member being transversely bifurcated for forming a U-shaped slot having a bight portion formed on a radius substantially the same as the outside radius of a line to be tapped and defining a pair of legs straddling a line to be tapped, said tubular member having a wall thickness substantially equal with respect to the wall thickness of a line to be tapped; a tubular core, having a length slightly greater than the spacing between the free end surface of said housing thin wall portion and the bight portion of the U-shaped slot, coaxially freely received by the bore of the housing, said core having a diametrically reduced tapered end portion converging toward a line to be tapped when disposed within the U-shaped slot, said tapered end portion terminating in a beveled end surface forming a line piercing tip, said core having an external annular shoulder intermediate its ends facing toward the line piercing tip, said core having a diametrically reduced peripheral portion adjacent its end opposite said line piercing tip forming an annular end shoulder adjacent the housing thin wall portion, said core having internal threads at its end portion opposite said line piercing tip and having a seat formed on its inner wall surface at the inner limit of the threads; an air valve sealing with the seat in said core; and, a cap engaging the threads on said housing, said cap having a beveled inner end surface contacting the adjacent outwardly disposed end surface of said core and forcing the line piercing tip of said core into a line to be tapped while simultaneously seating and sealing said core intermediate shoulder with said housing internal shoulder and subsequently contacting the outer end surface of said housing thin wall portion and forcing the latter inwardly against the outer surface of said core outwardly of said annular end shoulder in locking relation as said cap is progressively engaged threadedly with said housing.