Pipe joints or couplings – With means blocking release of holding means – Lock nut or washer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2002-09-10
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Pipe joints or couplings
With means blocking release of holding means
Lock nut or washer
C285S382000, C285S256000, C285S280000, C285S305000, C285S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06447017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to fluid couplings of the swivel variety, and more particularly to such couplings wherein axial, rotational and rocking movement of the component parts is essentially eliminated during cyclic pressurized operation. The invention furthermore relates to such couplings for the connection of a medium or high-pressure hose or line, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic line to a standard equipment port without the need for a separate stabilizing adapter.
Fluid couplings are utilized in a variety of applications and may be utilized to connect line or hose to various types of industrial equipment and machinery via the equipment's hydraulic connection ports or manifolds, or to connect two pieces of equipment to one another, or to connect one piece of such equipment to rigid pipe or tubing. Hydraulic coupling assemblies in particular, which may include a hydraulic hose, and a hydraulic coupling for engagement with an equipment port for example, may be required to perform under a variety of working pressures, any of which may involve a high degree of pressure cycling resulting in sudden dramatic pressure increases, also known as impulses or spikes.
A fluid coupling typically has two ends; one generally defines the hose connection end and the other defines the equipment connection end. The hose connection end is typically characterized by a stem with a series of circumferential flanges or barbs that facilitate engagement to the end of a hose. The equipment connection end is commonly characterized by a male or female configuration with circumferential threads for connection to a complementary configured equipment port.
The two main types of threaded fluid couplings are known as “solid” and “swivel” types. In solid-type coupling assemblies the coupling's equipment connection end and hose connection end are on opposite ends of a single, rigid component, to maintain a very robust and durable solid connection between an equipment port and a second fluid transfer component. However, installation of solid type couplings may be cumbersome or even impossible in some environments. Since the solid type coupling's equipment connection end and hose connection end are on opposite ends of a single, rigid component, and one end cannot therefore rotate, or “swivel” relative to the other, the coupling and the hose to which it is attached must be rotated as a unit in threading the coupling onto the associated equipment port. Alternatively, a separate swivel adapter may be utilized to facilitate assembly without the need for rotating any portion of the components, but the utilization of a separate component, i.e., the swivel adapter, adds costs to the assembly in terms of labor, storage, maintenance, etc.
For the second type of coupling, i.e., swivel-type couplings, the equipment connection end and the hose connection end still define opposite ends of the device, but they are housed in separate rigid components which are connected to one another in such a way as to allow independent rotation of one component in relation to the other, thus allowing the hose to remain stationary as the coupling is threaded onto an associated equipment port. The equipment connection end is housed in a first component such as a swivel nut or a push-to-connect adapter, which may be staked or otherwise conventionally rotatably attached to a second component which houses the hose connection end. In the interest of clarity, the term “connecting end portion” will be utilized throughout this disclosure to denote that component housing the coupling's equipment connection end, and the term “stem portion” will be utilized to denote that component housing the coupling's second connection end, or hose connection end. While they provide this installation benefit, swivel-type couplings historically have not performed as well as solid couplings under cyclic pressurized or impulse conditions. The present invention is directed to an improvement in the second type of couplings, i.e., in swivel-type couplings.
Swivel-type couplings are generally of two main types. In the first, a swivel coupling, comprising a stem portion rotatably coupled to one end of a swivel nut, is connected at the swivel nut's second, female-configured end to a male-configured adapter previously-installed into an equipment port. Once installation is complete, the adapter between the equipment port and the swivel nut prevents further rotation of the swivel nut vis-a-vis the stem portion. The stabilizing adapter has an annular face designed to abut a complementary annular face on the stem portion when all three components, i.e., stem portion, swivel nut and stabilizing adapter, are in their final position, thereby inhibiting further relative movement between the stem portion and swivel nut. While providing improved ease of installation compared to solid-type couplings, this type of swivel coupling also requires a separate component, i.e., the stabilizing adapter, which adds to the total cost of the device in terms of production, storage, labor and installation time.
In the second type of swivel coupling device, the connecting end portion is threaded directly into an equipment port in the absence of a separate adapter. This device presents a lower cost alternative to the first type of swivel coupling device. Unlike the first type of swivel coupling device however, once installation is complete, the connecting end portion and stem portion remain free to rotate independently of each other. While in some applications this independent rotation of the respective ends of the coupling device is acceptable, in others, it is unacceptable.
In particular, an elastomeric member is used to seal the connection between the connecting end portion and the stem portion in this second type of swivel coupling device. The traditional design of the swivel feature is characterized by some degree of slack between the connecting end portion and the stem portion of the coupling assembly. This slack permits undesirable relative movement of the swivel coupling's stem portion vis-a-vis the equipment port during installation and particularly during pressure impulse operation. This movement gradually wears away or causes “nibbling” of the elastomeric element, which can lead to a premature leak path in the system. This invention is directed toward eliminating or inhibiting this relative movement in swivel couplings of this type during pressure impulses, thus increasing the expected operating life of such couplings, and potentially allowing for their utilization in high pressure environments heretofore unavailable for swivel couplings of this type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a fluid coupling is provided, comprising a connecting end portion, preferably in the form of a swivel nut, having a first end defining an equipment connection end for connection of the coupling to an associated equipment port, and a second end for connection to a stem portion. The stem portion has a first end for connection to the connecting end portion, and a second end defining a second coupling connection end or hose connection end for connection of the coupling to a hose or other component. The stem portion is preferably rotatably coupled to the connecting end portion via any suitable swivel means. The coupling further comprises a stabilizing apparatus for stabilizing the connection between the connecting end portion and the stem portion upon pressurized operation thereof. The stabilizing apparatus may be threaded or otherwise connected onto or integral with one of the connecting end portion or the stem portion, at a point other than at the connecting end portion's equipment connection end, in stabilizing relation to the other in such a manner as to substantially inhibit relative axial, rocking and/or rotational movement between the connecting end portion and the stem portion under pressurized conditions. The stabilizing apparatus is preferably in the form of a jam nut, a latching-type collar mechanism, or combinations thereof.
In
Gilbreath Donald R.
Hendricks Melvin O.
Austin, Esq. S. G.
Castleman, Esq. C. H.
Olson, Esq. M. S.
The Gates Corporation
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