Pipe joints or couplings – With assembly means or feature – With holding means functioning only during transportation...
Patent
1989-01-26
1990-04-24
Arola, Dave W.
Pipe joints or couplings
With assembly means or feature
With holding means functioning only during transportation...
285 93, 285354, 285369, 285340, F16L 5500
Patent
active
049194550
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a joint mechanism capable of connecting easily and tightly in the field a pair of thin-wall stainless steel pipes for conducting a fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Thin-wall stainless steel pipes have been widely used inside or outside buildings for conducting a fluid such as water or steam. These thin-wall stainless steel pipes are replacing iron and copper pipes which are liable to corrosion, causing leakage, and vinyl pipes which have low resistance against both heat and cold weather.
Because stainless steel is very expensive and very hard but very extendible and malleable, the wall thickness of a stainless steel pipe is usually made approximately one millimeter. Consequently, it is difficult to thread the end portions of these thin-wall stainless steel pipes and join them with a nut. For this reason, soldering, welding, and double folding interlock have been used to connect them.
However, these joints do not have satisfactory strength against pulling force, are not removable and liable to corrosion, and require a skilled worker for making such connection. Thus, the inventor of this application has proposed a new joint mechanism in the Japanese U.M. Patent Application No. 58-2005 (Japanese U.M. Patent Application Kokai No. 59=107390). This joint mechanism includes a V-shaped annular bead with a pair of inclined bearing faces on an end portion of a thin-wall stainless steel pipe and a joint sleeve having a diameter sufficiently large to receive the pipe. A male thread and an annular recess are provided on the outside surface and the inside edge of the joint sleeve, respectively. The joint sleeve is fitted over the pipe such that it abuts on a inclined face of the annular bead via an annular seal which is set in the annular recess. A coupling nut having an inside edge tapered so as to abut on the other inclined face of the annular bead is threaded over the joint sleeve to connect the pipe to the joint sleeve.
However, it has been impossible to check accurately by observation whether or not the coupling nut is completely tightened to the joint sleeve. As a result, the installer has had to guess when the coupling nut is tightened completely by feeling the resistance to further tightening, counting the number of turns of the coupling nut, or measuring the distance between the joint sleeve and the coupling nut. These operations, however, are not only troublesome but also inaccurate.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a joint mechanism for thin-wall stainless steel pipes, which is able to withstand a large pulling force and easy to disconnect or remove, does not require a skilled worker, and enables anyone to observe the exact tightness of a coupling nut.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a joint mechanism for connecting a pair of thin-wall stainless steel pipes each having at an end portion an annular bead with a pair of first and second inclined faces, including a joint sleeve which has a diameter sufficiently large to receive the pipes, a pair of first annular recesses with a seal groove thereon at opposite ends of the joint sleeve, a central enlarged collar portion, and a pair of externally threaded sleeve portions extending laterally from the central enlarged collar portion; a pair of coupling nuts which each have an internally threaded portion for engaging with the externally threaded portion, a reduced fitting portion for fitting over the pipe, an abutment face against which a front face of the joint sleeve abuts when the coupling nut is threaded on the joint sleeve, and an inclined shoulder for abutting against the first inclined face of the annular bead; a pair of annular seals for abutting against the second inclined face of the annular bead, the abutment face of a coupling nut, and the seal groove when the coupling nut is threaded on the joint sleeve, and a pair of conical disc springs mounted on the externally threaded joint sleeve between the coupling nut and the central enlarged
REFERENCES:
patent: 1858136 (1932-05-01), Brenner
patent: 2453813 (1948-11-01), Prince
patent: 2540368 (1951-02-01), Harding
patent: 2863678 (1958-12-01), Gordon et al.
patent: 3139293 (1964-06-01), Franck
patent: 3255521 (1966-06-01), Callahan, Jr.
patent: 3393932 (1968-07-01), Howe
patent: 3458220 (1969-07-01), Rose et al.
patent: 3929358 (1975-12-01), Eckhardt
patent: 4793637 (1988-12-01), Laipply et al.
Arola Dave W.
O.N. Industries Co., Ltd.
LandOfFree
Joint mechanism for thin-wall stainless steel pipe does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Joint mechanism for thin-wall stainless steel pipe, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Joint mechanism for thin-wall stainless steel pipe will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-29985