Pipe joints or couplings – Ball and socket
Patent
1995-12-20
1998-11-17
Arola, Dave W.
Pipe joints or couplings
Ball and socket
285266, 285916, 72105, 72367, F16L 2704
Patent
active
058366245
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a metal part including a spherical wall element, a method of making the part, and an exhaust ball-coupling including such a part.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that, in order to avoid transmitting vibration from an engine to an exhaust pipe or tube, in particular from a transversal engine, it is necessary to dispose a flexible coupling between the exhaust manifold which is fixed to the engine and the exhaust pipe which is fixed to the chassis of the vehicle. Flexible couplings referred to as "ball-couplings" are known in which a length of tube is flared at one end so as to form a concave spherical abutment portion which co-operates with a convex spherical abutment portion carried by a facing length of tube, the spherical abutment portions being held in contact with each other by resilient link members exerting sufficient pressure on the spherical abutment portions to keep the coupling gastight while enabling one length of tube to move relative to the other. In general, the convex spherical abutment portion is constituted by the outside surface of an annular gasket mounted on one of the lengths of tube and abutting against a flange fixed thereto.
The concave spherical abutment is commonly made by stamping the end of the tube, so that it is impossible to guarantee either that the concave inside surface is accurately spherical or that said inside surface has a radius that is exactly identical to the radius of the outside surface of the exhaust gasket, especially after prolonged use of the coupling at the high temperatures to which the coupling is subjected when the exhaust gases pass through the flexible coupling.
As a result of these imperfections, the concave spherical surface and the convex spherical surface do not rub against each other over their entire facing portions, but rather over zones which are distributed discontinuously and between which the gases can leak, so that the gastightness of the coupling is not guaranteed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a metal part that can be used as a constituent part of an exhaust ball-coupling, which part includes a spherical wall element provided with a series of work-hardened annular strips spaced apart and extending substantially coaxially.
In this way, the work-hardened annular strips, which are more resistant to deformation than the non work-hardened portions of the metal part, constitute very accurate reinforcement for said part, thereby considerably improving the gastightness of the coupling when the spherical wall is associated with a corresponding spherical surface.
In a preferred application of the invention, an exhaust ball-coupling is made comprising firstly a first length of metal tube having an end provided with a spherical wall element that has a concave spherical inside surface, and secondly a second length of tube carrying an annular exhaust gasket provided with a spherical wall element having a convex spherical outside surface in contact with the concave inside surface of the first length of tube, the spherical wall elements of the first length of tube and of the exhaust gasket being provided with work-hardened annular strips having surfaces that are set back from respective non-facing sides of the wall elements. Thus, the gastightness of the coupling is very good because its constituent parts are shaped accurately, while the friction forces between the coupled spherical surfaces are minimized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a ball-coupling of the invention including spherical wall elements, half of the figure being in section on a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the coupling;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the coupling shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a b
REFERENCES:
patent: 2641488 (1953-06-01), Dunn et al.
patent: 3449937 (1969-06-01), Dimmig
patent: 4419829 (1983-12-01), Miller
patent: 4871181 (1989-10-01), Usher et al.
patent: 5040805 (1991-08-01), Ozora
patent: 5203593 (1993-04-01), Brandener
Arola Dave W.
Financiere de Segur
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