An apparatus for use in delivering fluid under pressure to a drain of a given diameter includes a bladder having an inlet end, an outlet end and an expandable wall having an outer diameter which is smaller than the given diameter of the drain when the bladder is unexpanded. The apparatus includes an orifice at the outlet end of the bladder and may be connected at its inlet to a fluid supply source which supplies fluid under pressure to the bladder. The diameter of the orifice is sized relative to the diameter of the inlet to cause a pressure build-up in the bladder sufficient to cause the expansion of the bladder when fluid is supplied to the bladder, and an inner member is provided for directing fluid flow radially outwardly within the bladder toward the expandable wall to facilitate the expansion of the bladder. The apparatus may alternatively be provided with valve means for covering the orifice when the wall is unexpanded and for uncovering the orifice as the wall is expanded.
An elongated pneumatic plug is provided for sealing pipelines. The pneumatic plug has a body structure with a first end cap element, a second end cap element and an expandable elastomeric sleeve with a fixed outer diameter. A fluid ingress and egress valve is located in the first end element which is positioned adjacent the first segment of the sleeve structure. The elastomeric sleeve structure has a specified length and varying wall thicknesses at specified segments along its length. The segmented lengths comprise a middle segment having a predetermined wall thickness, a first segment having a thickness in a range of approximately 50-65% of the middle segment thickness and a second segment having a thickness in a range of approximately 65-80% of the middle segment thickness. The segmented sleeve structure provides an ordered and staged inflation and deflation of the pneumatic plug body.
A device for plugging a pipe includes a resilient, hollow body member that expands with the application of internally applied pressure to block the pipe. The body member has at one end a conical shaped wall with an apex that points inward. At ambient pressure, the diameter of the body member is less than the diameter of the pipe into which it is inserted. The diameter of the body member increases as the internal pressure increases, and the length of the conical shaped wall decreases.
A drain clearing device for use on unvented plumbing fixtures having a drain and a holding tank is provided having a valve body. The valve body has a first end and a second end with a fluid flow channel therethrough, and a valve connected to a handle actuated to open and close to valve. A first fitting member and a second fitting member are connected to the first and second end of the valve body, respectively. Each of the first and second fitting members has a threaded portion on an interior sidewall thereof. A hose adaptor is connected to the first fitting member. A pipe has a first end and a second end is provided. The first end of the pipe has a threaded portion engageable with the threaded portions of the first and second fitting members to fasten the pipe in a retracted or extended position. The second end of the pipe has a seal. The seal is sufficiently compressible such that when it is pressed against the drain of the plumbing fixture, a fluid tight seal is obtained.
