Pipe joints or couplings – With assembly means or feature – Guide and support
Patent
1995-11-21
1999-01-26
Arola, Dave W.
Pipe joints or couplings
With assembly means or feature
Guide and support
285111, 285336, 285367, 285910, 2989014, F16L 3500
Patent
active
058630783
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a pipe coupling used to join adjacent pipe lengths together to form a pipeline system.
BACKGROUND ART
A known pipe coupling comprises a clamp arrangement incorporating a clamp which embraces adjacent ends of adjacent pipe lengths. The clamp is tightened onto a seal so that the coupling can withstand the maximum pressure the pipeline is designed to carry.
The clamp arrangement may hold the pipe lengths together by friction in low pressure situations, or may co-operate with a groove or shoulder formed at each end of each pipe length in higher pressure situations.
Such clamp arrangements may be fixed into position by bolting or over centre clamping.
A problem with known clamp arrangements is that it is difficult to ensure accurate alignment of the internal bores of adjacent pipe lengths, primarily due to the resilience of the seal which can allow adjacent pipe lengths to move radially relative to one another, such as may occur as the clamp is being tightened onto the pipe lengths.
A known method of overcoming this problem is to design the pipe lengths to have one male end and one female end. Joins between adjacent pipe lengths are then made between the male end of one pipe length and the female end of another pipe length. This allows adjacent pip ee located accurately relative to one another and leads to alignment of the bores of adjacent pipe lengths.
A disadvantage with this known system, however, is that the pipe lengths can only be fitted into the pipeline in one direction.
It has been proposed, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,159, to provide a sealing ring reacting between the ends of adjacent pipe lengths and comprising a resilient, deformable plastics component sandwiched between inner and outer retainer rings of metal such as steel which are resiliently deformable in a direction radially of the pipe lenths.
In such an arrangement, the pressure in the pipeline reacts primarily on the metal components of the seal.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It would be desirable to be able to provide a pipe coupling which ensured positive and accurate alignment of adjacent pipe lengths, and therefore a smooth, continuous bore therethrough, the ends of adjacent pipe lengths being identical, and which incorporated a seal the efficiency of which increased with increasing pressure within the pipeline.
According to the present invention there is provided a pipe coupling for coupling together First and second lengths of pipe, the coupling comprising a first collar secures to an end of first length of pipe and having a joining surface thereto, a second collar secured to an end of the second length of pipe and having a joining surface thereto, the first and second collars being positioned such that, when adjacent ends of the first and second pipe lengths are brought into contact with one another, the joining surfaces of the first and second collars also contact one another, the joining surfaces of the first and second collars each having formed therein radially-aligned grooves which, when the collars are brought into contact with one another, define seal receiving means, a seal comprising a substantially rigid first seal component in the form of a substantially rigid ring the width of which is slightly less than the combined width of the grooves in the two collars and the outer diameter of which is such that the ring is a push-fit into the receiving means, said seal further comprising a resilient second seal component, the seal being positioned within the seal receiving means to extend partially into both receiving portions thereof and to seal between the joining surfaces of the first and second collars, and means for securing together the first and second collars, characterised in that the second seal component comprises a resilient ring of substantially inverted U-shape in transverse section the width of which is slightly more than the combined width of the grooves in the two collars, and the internal diameter of which is slightly larger than the minimum diameter of each groove.
In use
REFERENCES:
patent: 2777715 (1957-01-01), Beyer
patent: 3514133 (1970-05-01), Besse
patent: 3594022 (1971-07-01), Woodson
patent: 3836159 (1974-09-01), Dryer
patent: 3870322 (1975-03-01), Marshall
patent: 5076617 (1991-12-01), Bronnert
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