COUPLING FOR TUBING

• US 3,837,687 A
• Filed: 12/29/1972
• Issued: 09/24/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Hamlin Leonard
• Original Assignee: George Hamlin Leonard
• Inventors: Leonard, George Hamlin
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jordan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Moshe I.
• Application Number:
  US05/319,520
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 285/340,DIG.3,111,105,81,308,314,313,174,346,196,162,110,DIG.11,315,320,39,32 267/1.5 277/125,9 279/1SG,96,102
• US Class Current: 285/111
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/60 Coupler sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 17/035 the sealing rings having two lips parallel to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/005 made of elastic material, e.g. partly or completely surrounded by clamping devices comprising packing adapted to sealing by fluid pressure F16L17/04, F16L11/20; hose clips F16L33/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0915 with a separate member for releasing the coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 279/907 Washer type jaw or actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/17153 Spring jaws
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/17914 Friction grip

Abstract

A novel fitting includes an enclosure containing a sealing ring and at least one grip-ring both of which are self-energizing into cooperation with an inserted tube having an ordinary cylindrical exterior. A device in the coupling enlarges the inner diameters of both rings to admit a tube and to release an inserted tube, without danger of the tube scarring the seal-forming surface of the sealing ring, or of the grip-ring scoring the tube.

Claims

1. A releasable fitting for forming a seal to an inserted tube, including containing means having an opening for admitting a tube and limiting the maximum diameter of a tube that may be inserted, an elastomeric sealing ring in said containing means, said sealing ring and said opening being disposed about a common axis at spaced-apart positions along the axis, said sealing ring having a surface smaller in diameter than said maximum diameter for forming a seal to an inserted tube, and release means in said containing means for causing a force to be applied to an annular portion of said sealing ring close to but free of contact with said seal-forming surface for enlarging the diameter of the sealforming surface greater than said maximum diameter, whereby a tube may be inserted and removed from the fitting when the sealforming surface is enlarged as aforesaid without rubbing and possibly damaging the seal-forming surface.

2. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing ring has coaxial inner and outer walls movable in relation to each other and a further wall connecting said inner and outer walls, an edge portion of said inner wall spaced axially from the connecting wall providing said seal-forming surface, and wherin said release means is arranged for causing said inner wall to shift axially relative to the outer wall so as to impose a diameter-enlarging stress on said edge portion of the inner wall.

3. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 2, wherein said containing means includes a shoulder for arresting said outer wall during shifting of said inner wall.

4. A fitting in accordance with claim 3, wherein said release means further includes means providing an annular stationary camming surface coaxial with said sealing ring and cooperable with said edge portion of said inner wall to enlarge the diameter of said edge portion and thus to enlarge said seal-forming surface when said inner wall is shifted as aforesaid.

5. A fitting in accordance with claim 1, wherein said release means includes an annular cam for acting radially outward on a tube-encircling portion of said sealing ring adjacent the seal-forming surface thereof when force of the release means is applied.

6. A fitting in accordance with claim 1, wherein said release means includes an annular cam coaxial with said sealing ring, said sealing ring having an edge portion circumferentially grooved to form tube-encircling inner and outer lips, the inner lip tapering to an edge demarking an edge of said seal-forming surface and the outer lip being cooperable with said annular cam to be circumferentially stretched thereby for consequently enlarging the diameter of said inner lip and said seal-forming surface when the force of said release means is applied.

7. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 6, wherein said annular cam is stationary, and wherein said sealing ring has concentric inner and outer walls and a wall connecting said inner and outer walls, said inner wall bearing said circumferentially grooved edge portion, and wherein said release means includes an annular member for shifting said outer wall to enforce cooperation of said outer lip with said annular cam.

8. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing ring is of generally U-shaped cross-section including inner, outer and connecting walls, said inner and outer walls having free edge portions remote from the connecting wall, said containing means having a portion for forming a seal to said outer wall and providing a shoulder for arresting said free edge portion of said outer wall in one axial direction, said release means including a release member for imposing an axial shifting force on said inner wall remote from the free edge portion thereof, said release member being operable along and arcuately about the axis of the sealing ring, said containing means and said release member having cooperating cam means for developing said axial shifting force when said release member is operated arcuately.

9. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 8, wherein said free edge portion of said inner wall is adjacent to said seal-forming surface and wherein said release means includes an annular cam fixed to said containing means and coaxial with said sealing ring and cooperable with said free edge portion of said inner wall when the latter is shifted by said release member in said one axial direction, the cooperation of said cam and said free edge portion of the inner wall being effective to enlarge the diameter of said free edge portion of the inner wall, for thereby enlarging the seal-forming surface radially.

10. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing ring is of generally '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'U'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' shaped cross-section and includes inner and outer walls and a wall connecting said inner and outer walls, said release means including a circular rail integral with said containing means for providing a camming surface coaxial with the sealing ring, arranged for outward-acting cooperation with a free edge portion of said inner wall remote from said connecting wall and adjacent to said seal-forming surface, said release means including an annular axially movable member arranged to shift said inner wall for enforcing cooperation of said free edge portion of said inner wall with said camming surface, for thereby causing the camming surface to stretch said free edge portion of said inner wall and thereby increase the diameter of said seal-forming surface.

11. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 1, including means in said containing means biased for mechanically gripping an inserted tube, said release means when operated to enlarge the diameter of said seal-forming surface also cooperating with the mechanical gripping means to release a tube gripped thereby.

12. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 1, including means for gripping an inserted tube, said means comprising a series of tube-gripping elements each having inner and outer extremities, said inner extremities defining a tube-admitting aperture, said fitting including means confining said outer extremities of said elements against outward displacement, said elements sloping toward said axis and away from said tube-receiving opening, said release means Being operative to increase the slope of said elements and to increase the diameter of said tube-admitting aperture when acting to enlarge the seal-forming surface.

13. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 12, wherein said release means includes an annular axially movable release member cooperating with said containing means and arranged to develop said slope-increasing force against said tube-gripping elements, said tube-gripping elements being interposed between said sealing ring and said release member, said elements transmitting releasing force from said release member of said sealing ring, for concurrently enlarging both the inner circle of the gripping elements and the radius of said sealing surface.

14. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 11, wherein said means for gripping an inserted tube includes at least one grip-ring coaxial with the sealing ring, comprising numerous elements having respective extremities in inner and outer circles, said elements sloping toward the axis of the sealing ring and away from said tube-admitting opening, said elements having interconnections arranged in inner and outer circles divided by alternating discontinuities to promote independent cooperation of pairs of said elements with an inserted tube, said containing means forming a constraining hoop about the outer extremities of said elements.

15. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 14, wherein said gripping means includes plural grip-rings as aforesaid arranged in a coaxial stack, said rings having off-sets at the outer peripheries thereof for providing a limited space between the inner-circle extremities of successive rings to enable the elements of the stacked rings to act independently in pairs for gripping an inserted tube despite geometric irregularities of an inserted tube in relation to the inner circles of the grip-rings.

16. A releasable fitting in accordance with claim 10, further including means for gripping an inserted tube comprising plural grip-rings stacked coaxially along the axis of said sealing ring, each said grip-ring comprising numerous elements having respective extremities in inner and outer circles, said elements sloping toward the axis of the sealing ring and away from said tube-admitting opening, said elements having interconnections arranged in inner and outer circles divided by alternating discontinuities to promote independent cooperation of pairs of said elements with an inserted tube, said containing means forming a constraining hoop about the outer extremities of said elements, means at the outer peripheries of said rings for spacing the inner extremities of the stacked grip-rings from each other, the inner extremities of said stack of grip-rings being interposed axially between said annular axially movable member of said release means and said inner wall of said sealing ring, said grip-rings transmitting the shifting force from said annular member to said sealing ring and the slope of said elements being concurrently increased to enlarge the inner circles of their interconnections for enlarging the grip-ring apertures to admit and to release a tube.

17. A coupling for releasably gripping an inserted cylindrical part such as a tube or a rod, including a containing member having an internally cylindrical surface, at least one grip ring of sheet-metal including elements having inner and outer extremities in inner and outer circles, respectively, pairs of said elements having inner interconnections at the inner circle and pairs of said elements having outer interconnections at the outer circle so that the grip-ring including said elements and their interconnections form an annular sinuous shape wherein successive inner interconnections are separated from each other and successive outer interconnections are separated from each other, interconnected pairs of said outer extremities bearing against said cylindrical surface, a circular rim restricting shift in one axial direction of said outer extremities, and an annulaR release member operable axially against said elements adjacent their inner extremities for flexing said ring and thereby increasing the diameter of said inner circle in order to release or admit a cylindrical part, said coupling having means defining an opening at which a cylindrical part is admitted, said elements slanting radially inward and away from said opening, the slant being greater when the ring is flexed by said release member and the slant being reduced when the ring grips an inserted cylindrical part, said ring being self-biased to reduce the slant of the elements thereof for thereby reducing the diameter of said inner circle to grip an inserted cylindrical part when released by said release member.

18. A coupling in accordance with claim 17, including plural grip-rings as aforesaid, stacked coaxially and having the outer extremities of the elements thereof confined by said rim against shift in said one direction and operable by said release member to increase said slope of said elements thereof for flexing said grip-rings to release or to receive a cylindrical part.

19. A coupling in accordance with claim 18, wherein said rings include peripheral offsets for spacing said inner extremities of said rings from each other to accommodate separate cooperation of interconnected pairs of said elements with an inserted cylindrical part.

20. A coupling in accordance with claim 17, wherein said annular release member is rotatable about its axis within said containing member and wherein said release member and said containing member have cooperating cam means for forcing said release member when rotated in one direction to flex said grip-ring and to release the grip-ring when rotated in the opposite direction.

21. A coupling in accordance with claim 17, wherein said inner extremities of said elements have faces disposed at an angle slightly less than 90* relative to one surface of the sheet-metal grip-ring for maximum area of engagement of said faces with an inserted cylindrical part whose diameter limits said inner circle so that the slant of said elements is the complement of said angle.