Pipes and tubular conduits – With closures and plugs – Test plugs
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-30
2003-10-28
Brinson, Patrick (Department: 3752)
Pipes and tubular conduits
With closures and plugs
Test plugs
C138S09600T, C138S089000, C004S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637464
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test cap for use in hydrostatic testing of building drains. In particular, the present invention relates to a test cap for use in hydrostatic testing which has a detachable center portion which is easily removed.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The related art has shown various closet flanges having knock-out portions for use in hydrostatic testing. Illustrative are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,596,182 to Sosava and U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,361 to Piskula.
Sosava describes a closet flange with a knock-out test plug. The closet flange includes a cylindrical collar with an external flange at one end. A thin end wall continuous with the external flange extends across the end of the collar. The end wall is provided with grooves in its outer and inner surfaces to provide a circular knock-out test plug. The grooves have a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the waste pipe elbow which is received in the flange collar. The test plug is knocked out by striking the test plug with a hammer.
Piskula describes a toilet flange having an integral knock-out element. The knock-out element is connected to the remainder of the toilet flange by an annular web. The knock-out element is removed either by cutting it out or knocking it out using a hammer. The diameter of the knock-out element when removed is larger than the diameter of the lumen of the lower body portion.
There remains the need for a hydrostatic test cap which has a knock-out section which is knocked out using a standard 3 inch or 4 inch Iron Pipe Size (IPS) pipe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A test cap for use with a building drain to allow hydrostatic testing of the building drain. The test cap is mounted over an open end of a drain pipe or coupling of the building drain and closes the end to seal the open end to prevent fluids from escaping the drain through the open end during hydrostatic testing. The test cap can be used during initial installation of the building drain. Once hydrostatic testing is complete, the center portion of the test cap is detached and removed allowing access to the building drain. The remainder of the test cap remains mounted on the end of the coupling or drain pipe of the building drain.
The test cap includes an end wall with a sidewall extending out from the end wall around the perimeter of the end wall. The top side of the end wall is provided with an annular groove which surrounds and defines the center portion of the test cap. The test cap is mounted on the end of the drain pipe or coupling of the building drain such that the inner side of the end wall is adjacent to the end of the drain pipe or coupling and the groove is on the top side opposite the end. In one (1) embodiment, the test cap is mounted on the end such that the inner side of the end wall of the test cap is spaced apart from the end of the drain pipe or coupling of the building drain.
The diameter and width of the annular groove is such that a standard sized pipe such as a PVC pipe or an IPS pipe can be used to apply force to the groove to detach the center portion from the end wall of the test cap. In one (1) embodiment, the center bore of the coupling or drain pipe has a tapered section adjacent the open end and the test cap. Thus, the diameter of the center bore adjacent the open end is greater than the diameter of the center bore at the end of the tapered section spaced apart from the open end.
After testing, to detatch the center portion, a force is applied to the annular groove. The force can be applied by a standard PVC or IPS pipe. When the center portion is detached, the center portion falls inward toward the center bore of the coupling or drain pipe. In one (1) embodiment the diameter of the center bore is such that the center portion can not enter the center bore.
In another embodiment where the center bore of the coupling or drain pipe has a tapered portion, the diameter of the center portion is such that the center bore can not move beyond the end of the tapered portion having the smaller diameter spaced apart from the open end of the coupling or drain pipe. To remove the detached center portion, a side of the center portion is pushed to pivot or tilt the center portion such that one section moves upward and can be grasped by the user. Once the detached center portion is removed, a plumbing fixture or other drain part can be connected through the opening in the test cap to the center bore of the drain pipe or coupling.
The present invention relates to a coupling assembly for use in hydrostatic testing of a building drain, which comprises: a coupling having a first end and a second end with a center bore extending between the ends and configured to be connected to the building drain at the second end; and a test cap having a first side and a second side and mounted on the first end of the coupling such that the second side of the test cap is adjacent to and spaced apart from the first end of the coupling such as to close the center bore of the coupling at the first end of the coupling, the first side of the test cap having an annular groove forming a center portion wherein the groove provides a weakened area on the first side such that in use, after the hydrostatic testing of the building drain is complete, the center portion of the test cap is detached from the test cap at the groove to provide an opening through the test cap to allow access to the center bore of the coupling.
Further, the present invention relates to a test cap for mounting on a drain pipe for use in hydrostatic testing of a building drain, which comprises: an end wall having a circular shape with an edge around a circumference of the end wall and having a first side and a second side; an annular groove formed in the first side of the end wall and spaced apart from the edge of the end wall; a center portion having a circular shape and formed in the end wall by the groove on a side of the groove opposite the edge of the end wall; and a sidewall mounted on the edge of the end wall on the second side of the end wall and extending outward in a direction away from the first side of the end wall and configured to accommodate an end of the drain pipe of the building drain.
Still further, the present invention relates to a method for hydrostatic testing of a building drain which comprises the steps of: providing a test cap having an end wall having a first side and a second side with a groove on the first side forming a center portion; mounting the test cap on an open end of the building drain; performing a hydrostatic test on the building drain; detaching the center portion from the test cap by applying a force to the groove on the first side of the test cap which detaches the center portion from the remainder of the test cap at the groove such that the center portion drops into the open end of the building drain; and removing the center portion from the center bore of the coupling by grabbing the center portion and moving the center portion through an opening in the test cap formed by the detachment of the center portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2596182 (1952-05-01), Sosaya
patent: 4146939 (1979-04-01), Izzi
patent: 4261598 (1981-04-01), Cornwall
patent: 4823411 (1989-04-01), Nettel
patent: 4827539 (1989-05-01), Kiziah
patent: 5377361 (1995-01-01), Piskula
Brinson Patrick
McLeod Ian C.
Moyne Mary M.
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