Pipe joints or couplings – With assembly means or feature – Molded joint facilitator
Patent
1984-12-18
1987-12-15
Grosz, Alexander
Pipe joints or couplings
With assembly means or feature
Molded joint facilitator
285281, 285239, 285 39, 285382, 264 68, 156 735, 29157R, 29525, 29516, 29DIG24, F16L 1314
Patent
active
047128097
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns a method and a device for assembling several components and particularly connection fittings for fluid couplings.
Couplings are known in the prior art into which components made of a hard material (such as metal, or plastics reinforced with very hard glass fibers) are force fitted, for example with retaining ribs, into bodies of a softer material, especially plastic.
By this method, the material remains stressed and often, after a long time, breaks in an unacceptable and hazardous manner.
Another prior art method consists of fitting hard components, in particular metal inserts, into parts of a softer material with the help of ultrasonics. Unfortunately, this approach cannot be utilized when the inserted bodies are too large or when the components are too long.
Furthermore, the latter method does not always eliminate internal stresses in the softer substance of the body and the risks of rupturing in the long run, ie. after one to five years, remains high, something which is unacceptable in terms of safety for fluid couplings.
There are still other methods of fitting inserts, especially metallic inserts, into a part by which capture in the supporting part is accomplished either by expansion of the insert after insertion or by elasticity, as in the case of split inserts, or otherwise by self-tapping,as in the case where an insert effectively "machines" its capture means by rotation. All of these methods share a common drawback stemming from the fact that considerable tension must be maintained between the parts after they have been fit together, which might cause breaks in the long run.
Still another known method consists of inserting parts by remolding them into other parts at the time of injection. However, this is a costly process, because the inserts must be manually placed inside the mold, and accordingly penalizes throughput.
The present inventors had attempted to overcome this problem by utilizing a device which was the subject of French Pat. No. 2,399,608 in which a ribbed end fitting is force fitted into a body made of a softer material in such a manner that the relatively slow rotation of the rib drives a groove in the softer body. However, this method has not proved satisfactory due to the difficulty of making such a rib in the hard material, for example metal.
Still another known method involves the friction welding of two parts by pressing them together as they are rotated and thus heating them until local melting bonds them together. But this works only with identical materials, whether hard or soft, never with two materials having different hardnesses, as required for the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of assembling couplings between hard components, particularly metal components, and a part or body of a softer substance so as to obtain a long-lasting, indestructible union, able to withstand the typical aging and thermal shock conditions encountered in a workplace, or outdoors in a humid and moist environment.
In accordance with the invention, the parts, which are made from materials with different hardnesses, are force fitted together and one of them is rotated at high speed so that the other part, made of softer material, locally heats up and melts, in order to make the two parts fit snugly and swivelably, while nearly eliminating internal stresses.
This invention enables such couplings to be made easily and reliably and is thus an improvement to French Pat. No. 2,399,608.
The harder component designed to be fitted into the body of the softer fitting has at least one cylindrical part and its cylindrical fitting part is given one or more small ridges, the height of which is specifically determined as a function of the softer body's diameter and elasticity. Two circumferential grooves are provided, one to either side of said ridge or rib, to accommodate excess material. The shape of the ridge or rib is important and is a function of the resistance of the softer body and of wear on assemb
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Branson Ultrasonics Corporation Publication, 1980, PW-4.
Grosz Alexander
Nicholson Eric K.
Societe Anonyme Styled LEGRIS
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