1. A snap-on, resilient, one-piece pipe saddle (1) for mounting on a pipe, said saddle including:
a base portion (11) with inner and outer surfaces (13,15) extending along and about a first axis (17), said base portion having a split (19) between the inner and outer surfaces extending along a second axis (21) spaced from and substantially parallel to said first axis (17) to form border surfaces (23) respectively extending between said inner and outer surfaces on either side of the split,
said saddle further including at least two upright portions (25) extending outwardly from said base portion (11) on respective sides of said split (19), said upright portions extending substantially about a third axis (27) substantially perpendicular to said first axis (17),
said resilient saddle in a relaxed position having the two border surfaces (23) of said base portion (11) substantially abutting one another and said respective upright portions (25) substantially abutting one another wherein said pipe can be passed between said upright portions (25) toward said base portion (11) to move said upright portions (25) apart from one another about said first axis (17) and said border surfaces (23) of said base portion (11) apart from one another about said first axis (17) to an open position ready to receive the pipe in said base portion (11) with said flexed, resilient saddle thereafter snapping back toward said relaxed position with said pipe received in said base portion (11) to mount said saddle on the pipe.
2. The saddle of claim 1 wherein said upright portions (25) with said saddle in said relaxed position have border surfaces (33) inclined to said third axis and extending outwardly of each other to form a substantially V-shape, said pipe being passed between said border surfaces (33) forming said V-shape to initiate the moving of the upright portions (25) and border surfaces (23) of the base portion (11) apart from one another and moving said saddle toward said open position.
3. The saddle of claim 2 wherein each border surface (33) of said upright portions (25) is inclined to said third axis (27) at an acute angle.
4. The saddle of claim 3 wherein said acute angle is about 20 degrees.
5. The saddle of claim 2 wherein said upright portions (25) have additional border surfaces (31) substantially abutting one another and extending substantially parallel to said third axis (27) with said saddle in said relaxed position, said inclined border surfaces (33) extending above said additional border surfaces (31) to form said substantially V-shape.
6. The saddle of claim 1 wherein the border surfaces (23) of said base portion (11) are substantially parallel to each other when said saddle is in said relaxed position.
7. The saddle of claim 1 wherein the border surfaces (23) of said upright portions (25) are substantially parallel to each other when said saddle is in said relaxed position.
8. The saddle of claim 1 wherein the inner surface (13) of said base portion (11) in the relaxed position of said saddle is substantially elliptical.
9. The saddle of claim 1 further including a tap (2) having a piercing member (4), said pipe having a wall with inner and outer surfaces, said tap being mountable for rotation about said third axis (27) relative to the saddle on the pipe to advance the piercing member (4) toward the base portion (11) of the saddle and through the wall of said pipe.
10. The saddle of claim 9 further including an arrangement for releasably locking said tap on said saddle.
11. The saddle of claim 10 wherein said arrangement includes at least one latch (41) mounted on said saddle to releasably engage said tap.
12. The saddle of claim 9 further including an arrangement for releasably locking said tap on said saddle in a locked position with the piercing member (4) passing through the wall of the pipe, said tap being releasable from said locked position and rotatable about said third axis (27) relative to said saddle to withdraw said tap from the saddle.
13. The saddle of claim 9 wherein said upright portions (25) have exterior, substantially helical threads therealong and said tap further includes a substantially annular nut (8) with inner (8\u2032) and outer (12) surfaces extending along said third axis, the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut having substantially helical thread matable with the exterior threads of said upright potions (25).
14. The saddle of claim 13 wherein the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut extends about said third axis at a first distance and said tap further includes a barrel section (6) with an outer surface (6\u2032) extending along and about said third axis at a distance less than said first distance to create a space between the outer barrel surface (6\u2032) and the inner nut surface (8\u2032), said upright portions (25) being receivable in said space with said respective threads mating.
15. The saddle of claim 14 wherein said upright portions (25) have inner (25\u2032) and outer (25\u2033) surfaces spaced a first distance apart and the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut is spaced from the outer surface (6) of said barrel section substantially the same distance as said first distance between the inner and outer surfaces (25\u2032,25\u2033) of said upright portions (25) to thereby receive the upright portions in the space therebetween.
16. The saddle of claim 15 wherein the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut extends to a first location (L\u2032) along said third axis and the outer surface (6\u2032) of said barrel section extends to a second location (L) along said third axis spaced from said first location toward said piercing member (4) wherein the outer barrel surface (6\u2032) first contacts the inner surface (25\u2032) of each upright portion as said tap is advanced to thereby guide said upright portions (25) into the space between the outer barrel surface (6\u2032) and the inner nut surface (8\u2032).
17. The saddle of claim 9 wherein said piercing member (4) is hollow and includes a tip section (16) with at least two holes (14) therethrough in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow piercing member (4), said holes being defined at least in part by edges (14\u2032) extending substantially along said third axis (27), said tip section (16) and holes (14)\u2032 including said edges (14\u2032) thereof being advanced through the wall of said pipe to establish fluid communicate through said holes between the interior of the pipe and the interior of the hollow piercing member wherein said edges are rounded to substantially prevent creating shavings from said pipe as said tip section and the edges of the holes are rotated and advanced through the wall of said pipe.
18. A removable tap and saddle combination,
said saddle including a base portion removably mountable on a pipe having a wall with inner and surfaces, said saddle further including a hollow section mounted to said base portion and extending outwardly thereof,
said tap having a piercing member with a hollow interior, said tap being mountable for rotation in a first direction about an axis relative to said saddle and pipe to advance the piercing member toward the base portion of said saddle and through the wall of said pipe,
said combination further including an arrangement to releasably lock said tap on said saddle in a first, locked position with the piercing member passing through the wall of said pipe.
19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said arrangement includes at least one latch (41) mounted on said saddle to releasably engage said tap in said first, locked position.
20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said tap includes an outer surface (2\u2032) extending about and along said axis (27), said outer surface (2\u2032) having at least one recess (51) therein to receive said latch and lock said tap in said first, locked position.
21. The combination of claim 20 wherein said recess (51) is defined in part by a wall (53) extending along said axis (27) and substantially radially outwardly of said axis, said latch abutting said wall with said tap in said first, locked position to prevent rotation of said tap about said axis in a direction opposite to said first direction.
22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said latch (41) is mounted for movement toward and away from said axis (27) wherein said latch can be manually moved away from said axis and abutment with said wall (53) to permit said tap to be rotated in said direction opposite said first direction to withdraw said tap from the saddle.
23. The combination of claim 21 wherein said latch is biased toward said first, locked position.
24. The combination of claim 21 wherein said recess wall (53) has a top and bottom with the bottom being spaced closer to said axis (27) than the top, said recess being further defined in part by a substantially spiral surface (55) moving outwardly from the bottom of said wall about said axis in a direction opposite said first direction.
25. The combination of claim 24 wherein the outer surface (2\u2032) of said tap includes at least a second recess with a wall and spiral surface wherein said latch is selectively, releasably engagable in the second recess to lock said tap in a second, locked position on said saddle, said second locked position being spaced from said first locked position about said axis.
26. The combination of claim 18 wherein said hollow section of said saddle includes at least two upright portions (25) extending about and along said axis (27).
27. A pipe saddle and tap combination,
said saddle (1) including a base portion (11) with inner (13) and outer (15) surfaces extending along and about a first axis (17), said base portion having a split (19) between the inner and outer surfaces extending along a second axis (21) spaced from and substantially parallel to said first axis (17) to form border surfaces (23) respectively extending between said inner (13) and outer (15) surfaces on either side of the split (19),
said saddle (1) further including at least two upright portions (25) extending outwardly from said base portion (11) on respective sides of said split (19), said upright portions extending along and substantially about a third axis (27), said third axis (27) being substantially perpendicular to said first axis (17) and said upright portions (25) having exterior threads therealong,
said tap (2) including a hollow barrel section (6) with outer and inner surfaces (6\u2032,10) extending about and along an axis and a piercing member (4) extending from said barrel section (6) along said tap axis, said tap further including a substantially annular nut (8) with inner and outer surfaces (8\u2032,12) extending along and about said tap axis, the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut being spaced outwardly of the outer surface (6\u2032) of said barrel section and having interior threads therealong to mate with the exterior threads of said upright portions (25), said upright portions being receivable between the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut and the outer surface (6\u2032) of said barrel section with said third (27) and tap axes aligned wherein rotation of said nut (8) about said aligned axes will engage said mating threads and advance the piercing member (4) toward the base portion (11) of said saddle (1).
28. The combination of claim 27 wherein the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut is spaced from the outer surface (6\u2032) of said barrel section substantially the same distance as the distance between the inner and outer surfaces (25\u2032,25\u2033) of said upright portions (25).
29. The combination of claim 28 wherein the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut extends to a first location (L\u2032) along said tap axis and the outer surface (6\u2032) of said barrel section extends to a second location (L) along said tap axis spaced from said first location (L\u2032) toward said piercing member (4) wherein the outer barrel surface (6\u2032) first contacts the inner surface (25\u2032) of each upright portion as said tap is moved toward said saddle to guide said upright portions (25) into the space between the outer surface (6\u2032) of the barrel section and the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut.
30. The combination of claim 27 wherein the inner surface (8\u2032) of said nut extends to a first location along said tap axis and the outer surface of said barrel section extends to a second location along said tap axis spaced from said first location toward said piercing member wherein the outer surface of said barrel section first contacts the inner surface of each upright portion as said tap is moved toward said saddle to guide said upright portions into contact with the outer surface of the barrel section.
31. A tap for a pipe saddle mounted on a pipe having a wall with outer and inner surfaces, said tap including a hollow piercing member (4) with a tip section (16) extending substantially along an axis, said tip section having at least one hole (14) therethrough in fluid communication with the interior of said hollow piercing member, said hole being defined at least in part by an edge (14\u2032) extending substantially along said axis, said tap being mountable to said saddle for rotation relative to said saddle and pipe to advance the tip section including the hole and edge thereof through the outer and inner surfaces of said pipe wall to establish fluid communication through said hole between the interior of the pipe and interior of the hollow piercing member wherein said edge of said hole is rounded to substantially prevent creating shavings from said pipe as said tip section and the edge of said hole are rotated and advanced through the wall of said pipe.
32. The tap of claim 31 wherein said edge (14\u2032) is a leading edge as the tip section (16) is rotated and advanced through the wall of said pipe.
33. The tap of claim 31 wherein said tip section includes at least a second hole defined in part by a rounded edge extending substantially along said axis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A timepiece allowing a reading of first conventional time information by means of first analogue display means including a dial and hours and minutes indicator members driven by a movement of the timepiece, this timepiece including second analogue display means allowing a simultaneous reading of second time information based on a decimal system wherein time is divided at least into thousandths of a day,
wherein said second analogue display means include said dial and said minutes indicator member in addition to complementary analogue display means indicating at least approximate decimal values of the full hours expressed in thousandths of a day,
said minutes indicator member indicating on said dial, in addition to the minutes, corresponding decimal values over a total duration of one hour,
said second time information based on the decimal system being formed by adding the decimal value indicated on said dial by said minutes indicator member and the approximate decimal value indicated by said complementary analogue display means.
2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said complementary analogue display means include said hours indicator member associated with a rotatably adjustable display member mounted on the timepiece and on which at least said approximate decimal values of the full hours are indicated.
3. The timepiece according to claim 2, wherein said hours indicator member makes one complete revolution in twelve hours and in that said rotatably adjustable display member is subdivided into 12N equal angular sectors, N being an integer number,
each angular sector including indications of first and second approximate decimal values separated from each other by twelve hours, these first and second approximate decimal values being indicated successively in each angular sector, in ascending order and in the clockwise direction, with time intervals equivalent to 60N minutes,
said dial being subdivided into N equal angular sectors each indicating the corresponding decimal values of the minutes over a duration of 60N minutes for each angular sector.
4. The timepiece according to claim 3, further including an AMPM indicator mechanism allowing which of said first and second approximate decimal values has to be considered at a given moment.
5. The timepiece according to claim 3, further including a mechanism allowing said first or second approximate decimal values, indicated on said rotatably adjustable display member, to be masked alternately every twelve hours.
6. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said complementary analogue display means include an indicator member driven by said movement and making a complete revolution in twenty-four hours associated with a rotatably adjustable display member mounted on the timepiece and on which at least said approximate decimal values of the full hours are indicated.
7. The timepiece according to claim 6, characterised in that said rotatably adjustable display member is subdivided into 24N equal angular sectors, N being an integer number,
each angular sector including an indication of an approximate decimal value, this approximate decimal value being indicated successively in each angular sector, in ascending order and in the clockwise direction, with time intervals equivalent to 60N minutes,
said dial being subdivided into N equal angular sectors each indicating the corresponding decimal values of the minutes over a duration of 60N minutes for each angular sector.
8. The timepiece according to claim 6, further including an indication of the twenty-four hours facing the corresponding approximate decimal values indicated on said rotatably adjustable display member.
9. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said complementary analogue display means include a fixed index associated with a display member driven by said movement on which at least said approximate decimal values of the full hours are indicated.
10. The timepiece according to claim 9, wherein said driven display member makes a complete revolution in twenty-four hours and is subdivided into 24N equal angular sectors, N being an integer number,
each angular sector including an indication of an approximate decimal value, this approximate decimal value being successively indicated in each angular sector, in ascending order, with time intervals equivalent to 60N minutes,
said dial being subdivided into N equal angular sectors each indicating the corresponding decimal values of the minutes over a duration of 60N minutes for each angular sector.