Quick coupling ball-and-socket joint for pipes

Details Quick coupling ball-and-socket joint for pipes Quick coupling ball-and-socket joint for pipes

2002-06-18

2004-03-23

Bochna, David (Department: 3679)

Pipe joints or couplings

Clamp

C285S261000, C285S364000, C285S406000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06709028

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to an improved quick coupling ball-and-socket joint for pipes, in particular for pipes operating at higher than 5 atm pressure and of more than 100 mm diameter.
For connecting two pipes together, quick coupling ball-and-socket joints have been known for many years, comprising two components to be coupled together, namely a male component and a female component joined to the respective pipes, plus a third component for quickly coupling the first two components together.
The first two components are each in the shape of a bulging tube piece forming a segment of a spherical surface, and are coupled together in mutual contact with incident axes such as to enable a small angle to be formed between the axes of the two pipes.
Said third component, shown in frontal view in the accompanying FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
, comprises an annular element
1
N which embraces and engages the male component in a transverse plane, and at least two (usually only two) coupling means
2
N and
2
′N to be hooked to the female component
Each coupling means
2
N,
2
′N comprises two parallel hooking arms
3
N in the form of plates, lying in planes parallel to the axial plane P passing through the longitudinal centre line of the coupling means, and joined together by a transverse front plate
4
N fixed to a first end of the arms
3
N for its hooking to the female component.
The third component also comprises a pair of flanges
5
N for each coupling means
2
N,
2
′N, in the form of plates fixed rigidly (by welding) to the annular element
1
N and lying in planes parallel to the planes of the hooking arms
3
N. Each of these pairs of flanges
5
N carries a transverse pin
6
N for securing the hooking arms
3
N in the axial direction.
With at least one (usually only one) of the two coupling means, that indicated by
2
N, there is associated a lever means
7
N able to move the coupling means
2
N in an axial direction to apply axial traction to the coupling means and hence firmly join the male and female components together. The lever means
7
N comprises a pair of lever arms
8
N in the form of plates lying in planes parallel to the planes of the flanges
5
N and hinged at one end to the transverse pin
6
N carried by the flanges
5
N. The pair of lever arms
8
N carries a second transverse pin
9
N, parallel to and positioned at a distance from the first pin
6
N, and on which the second ends of the hooking arms
3
N of the coupling means
2
N are hinged.
A characteristic which is of importance to the present invention is that the pair of flanges
5
N in both the coupling means
2
N and
2
′N is positioned on the inside of the pair of hooking arms
3
N. In this respect, in the coupling means
2
N, both the hooking arms
3
N and the lever arms
8
N are positioned on the outside of the flanges
5
N.
An object of this invention is to improve the described quick coupling ball-and-socket joint, and in particular its third component, in order to achieve a structure able to better support the pressure, especially if relatively high, to which the pipe is subjected.
This and further objects are attained by the invention as characterised in the claims.
The invention is based on the surprising observation that by applying said flanges of the coupling means on the outside of the outer faces of the longitudinal lever arms, considerable advantages are obtained in that the resultant structure is both less deformable and less tensioned than the corresponding traditional structure, with the practical consequence that the third component is able to work at considerably higher operating pressures for equal weight of the joint.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1487517 (1924-03-01), Krause
patent: 2098188 (1937-11-01), Kinmont
patent: 2277990 (1942-03-01), Lanninger
patent: 2556659 (1951-06-01), Patterson
patent: 2701148 (1955-02-01), Lanninger
patent: 3445127 (1969-05-01), Clake
patent: 3494641 (1970-02-01), Caregnato
patent: 3997197 (1976-12-01), Marsh et al.
patent: 4223922 (1980-09-01), Pape
patent: 4465308 (1984-08-01), Martini
patent: 5873609 (1999-02-01), Abthoff et al.
patent: 2595599 (1986-03-01), None

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