4-Way Compression Grooved Coupling

• US 20110154646A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shurjoint Metals Inc.
• Original Assignee: Howard Hagiya
• Inventors: Hagiya, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/505
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/022 Extracting or inserting relatively long parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 17/04 with longitudinally split or divided sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/08 connection by tangentially arranged pin and nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 with prestressing of part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49925 Inward deformation of aperture or hollow body wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49927 Hollow body is axially joined cup or tube

Abstract

A pre-assembled pipe coupling for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling is disclosed. The coupling has a housing with upper and lower arcuate housing segments and left and right bridge segments. Each bridge segment has at least one set of dihedrally angled faces that engage corresponding faces each in the upper and lower housing segments. Drawing the upper and lower segments inwardly together along a first axis, presses each bridge segment inward along a second axis roughly tangential to the first axis. All segments are loosely pre-assembled with bolts and nuts into a coupling and all segments each have radially inwardly projecting lands that mate with end grooves in the pipes to be joined. The coupling also has a one-piece circular sealing gasket that has an inward circumferential and centrally positioned pipe stop that has an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the pipes to be joined. The gasket has two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from the pipe stop, the inner diameter each sealing lip larger than the outer diameter of the pipe segments to be joined.

Method for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments with a pre-assembled pipe coupling, without disassembling the coupling, is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A pre-assembled pipe coupling for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling, the coupling comprising:

a. a pre-assembled pipe coupling housing further comprising upper and lower arcuate housing segments and left and right bridge segments disposed between the upper and lower segments, each bridge segment having at least one set of dihedrally angled faces that engage corresponding faces each in the upper and lower housing segments, such that drawing the upper and lower segments inwardly together along a first axis, presses each bridge segment inward along a second axis roughly tangential to the first axis, all segments loosely pre-assembled with bolts and nuts into a coupling and all segments each having radially inwardly projecting lands that mate with end grooves in the pipes to be joined;

b. disposed within the pre-assembled housing, a one-piece circular sealing gasket having an inward circumferential and centrally positioned pipe stop having an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the pipes to be joined, and having two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from the pipe stop, each sealing lip having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe segments to be joined;

the pre-assembled coupling adapted to receive a grooved pipe end into each of both open ends of the coupling, the two pipe ends thereby seated in the sealing gasket and separated only by the gasket pipe stop.

2. The coupling of claim 1 wherein the dihedral angle of the bridge faces is between 75 and 105 degrees.

3. The coupling of claim 2 wherein the dihedral angle of the bridge faces is about 90 degrees.

4. The coupling of claim 1 wherein the pipe stop inner diameter is about the same as an inner diameter of the pipes to be joined.

5. The coupling of claim 1, each bridge segment further comprising a second set of faces that engage second corresponding faces each in the upper and lower housing segments, the second set of bridge faces contiguous with the first set of faces.

6. The coupling of claim 5 wherein the second set of faces are a second set of dihedrally angled faces.

7. The coupling of claim 5 wherein the angle of the second set of bridge faces is between 75 and 115 degrees.

8. The coupling of claim 7 wherein the angle of the second set of bridge faces is about 100 degrees.

9. A pre-assembled pipe coupling for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling, the coupling comprising:

a. a pre-assembled pipe coupling housing further comprising upper and lower arcuate housing segments and left and right bridge segments disposed between the upper and lower segments, each bridge segment having at least one set of dihedrally angled faces that engage corresponding faces each in the upper and lower housing segments, such that drawing the upper and lower segments inwardly together along a first axis, presses each bridge segment inward along a second axis roughly tangential to the first axis, all segments loosely pre-assembled with bolts and nuts into a coupling and at least the upper and lower segments each having radially inwardly projecting lands that mate with end grooves in the pipes to be joined;

b. disposed within the pre-assembled housing, a one-piece circular sealing gasket having two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from an axial center of the gasket, each sealing lip having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe segments to be joined;

the pre-assembled coupling adapted to receive a grooved pipe end into each of both open ends of the coupling, the two pipe ends thereby seated in the sealing gasket.

10. The coupling of claim 9, the sealing gasket further comprising an inward circumferential and centrally positioned pipe stop having an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the pipes to be joined;

the two pipe ends, after being seated within the gasket, being separated only by the gasket pipe stop.

11. The coupling of claim 10, wherein the pipe stop inner diameter is about the same as an inner diameter of the pipes to be joined.

12. The coupling of claim 9, the bridge segments each further comprising lands that correspond in dimension and positioning with the lands in the upper and lower housing segments.

13. The coupling of claim 9 wherein the dihedral angle of the bridge faces is between 75 and 105 degrees.

14. The coupling of claim 13 wherein the dihedral angle of the bridge faces is about 90 degrees.

15. A method for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments with a pre-assembled pipe coupling, without disassembling the coupling, the method comprising the following steps:

a. inserting a grooved pipe end from each pipe segment into each of both open ends of a pre-assembled pipe coupling having a one-piece circular sealing gasket having two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from an axial center of the gasket, each sealing lip having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe segments to be joined;

b. roughly uniformly applying compression force around the circumference of the coupling to rigidly join and seal the pipe segments.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the roughly uniform compression force around the circumference of the coupling is provided by applying a four-way compression force to the coupling.