Pipe coupling

• US 20100314864A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Romac Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Romac Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Cumic, Branko, Lemke, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/148.28
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/022 used with sleeves or nipples for pipes of the same diameter, or with reduction pieces F16L21/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/065 tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pins

Abstract

A pipe coupling for connecting pipes of the same or different diameters. The coupling has a barrel sleeve with clamping rings on each end. The clamping rings each carry nested seals. An inner portion of each nested seal may be removed so as to adapt the clamping ring to different pipe diameters. Each clamping ring is hinged, but becomes iron-bound upon tightening, so that each ring eventually bends as a unitary ring member.

Claims

1. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a cylindrical barrel sleeve having a circumferential flange at each end;

a clamping ring mounted to each circumferential flange, at least one of the clamping rings carrying a seal, the clamping ring having two separate portions connected together at a pivot point so that each clamping ring portion is movable toward and away from the other one, and wherein the clamping ring portions are characterized in that the clamping ring portions become iron-bound at a certain rotational point as the clamping ring portions move toward each other, in a manner so as to cause the clamping ring portions to function as a unitary ring.

2. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein the seal is a nested seal having an inner circumferential seal separately nested within an outer circumferential seal, the nested seal providing an inwardly directed face that presses against an outwardly directed face of the barrel sleeve'"'"'s circumferential flange.

3. The pipe coupling sleeve of claim 2, wherein the nested seal has a sloping outer surface received within the clamp ring, in a manner so that the seal is urged toward the barrel sleeve'"'"'s circumferential flange as the clamping ring portions move toward each other.

4. The pipe coupling of claim 2, wherein the outer circumferential seal includes an annular groove that faces the barrel sleeve'"'"'s circumferential flange, the diameter of the annular groove being greater than the inner diameter of the barrel sleeve'"'"'s circumferential flange, when the seal is in a non-compressed condition, and with the diameter of the annular groove being lesser than the inner diameter of the barrel sleeve'"'"'s circumferential flange when the seal is in a compressed condition.

5. The pipe coupling of claim 2, wherein the inner circumferential seal includes a plurality of outer peripheral ridges that mate with a corresponding plurality of inner peripheral grooves on an inner surface of the outer circumferential seal.

6. The pipe coupling of claim 2, wherein each clamping ring portion has an ear adapted to connect to a tightening bolt, the ears of the respective clamping ring portions being pulled together by the tightening bolt, and wherein the clamping ears are integrated with the structure of the clamping ring portions.

7. The pipe coupling of claim 6, including a backing armor part positioned on an outwardly facing surface of the outer circumferential seal, the backing armor piece underlying and spanning an open space between the clamping ears of the clamping ring.

8. The pipe coupling of claim 2, wherein the barrel sleeve converges at each end toward the circumferential flange.

9. A clamping ring for a pipe coupling, comprising:

a clamping ring that is characterized in that the ring closes around the circumferential flange as the ring is tightened, the clamping ring having separate portions connected together so that one portion may swing relative to the other, and wherein the clamping ring portions are characterized in that the clamping ring portions become iron-bound at a certain inward swing point so as to cause the separate portions to function as a unitary structural member that will bend inwardly as the clamping ring closes.

10. A cylindrical barrel sleeve for a pipe coupling designed to couple together the ends of two pipes having an internal diameter within and including the range of four to twelve inches, the barrel sleeve having a handle for manipulating the sleeve while coupling the ends of the pipes.