COMBINATION SKID AND COUPLING ASSEMBLY

• US 3,866,951 A
• Filed: 09/17/1973
• Issued: 02/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wells D. Deloach
• Original Assignee: Wells D. Deloach
• Inventors: DeLoach, Wells D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callaghan, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US05/397,705
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 285/5,6,24,27,111 239/213 137/344
• US Class Current: 285/5
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/54 for pipes under pressure which are supported only on one side

Abstract

A combination skid and coupling assembly for releasibly joining adjacent pipe sections of an irrigation drag line in a manner which permits towing of a relatively long drag line with a length on the order of a quarter mile from one location to another without parting of the drag line couplings. The skid/coupling assembly has two mating parts, herein referred to as a coupling head and a coupling yoke, to be firmly joined, preferably by welding to the ends of two pipe sections. The coupling head has a one piece cast construction including a tubular body providing at one end a nipple to be permanently joined to one pipe section and at the other end a socket bounded by a resilient seal ring for removably receiving the second pipe section, a cradle for the latter pipe section formed with thrust shoulders facing the socket, and a curved ground skid. The coupling yoke has a curved band for partially surrounding the second pipe section and thrust lugs at the ends of the band for engaging the coupling heat thrust shoulder to prevent separation of the coupling parts and their pipe sections when the drag line is towed.

Claims

1. A combination skid and coupling assembly for joining adjacent pipe sections of an irrigation drag line comprising:

a pair of mating coupling parts including a coupling head and a coupling yoke each comprising an integral one-piece structure, said coupling head including a tubular coupling body having a coupling nipple at one end for attachment to one pipe section and a coupling socket at the other end for removably receiving one end of the other pipe section, a generally semi-cylindrical cradle extending axially from the bottom of and beyond the latter end of said coupling head, and providing an upwardly opening trough for cradling said other pipe section, and a ground skid at the bottom of said coupling head having arcuate lateral extensions projecting beyond opposite sides of said body and cradle and curving upwardly toward each end of said coupling head, the upper edges of said cradle being stepped to provide thrust shoulders spaced from and facing said coupling head and upwardly opening recesses between said head and thrust shoulders, said coupling yoke including an arcuate band to fit about and be secured to said other pipe section, and coupling lugs projecting radially outward from the ends of said band, said coupling parts being adapted to be assembled in coupled relation, wherein said lugs are disposed in said cradle edge recesses with the normally lower surfaces of the lugs facing the cradle edges and one end of the lugs engaging said cradle thrust shoulders to interlock said parts against axial separation, and the cradle edge portions in the regions between said thrust shoulders and the outer cradle end sloping downwardly toward said cradle end and said lower coupling lug surfaces sloping upwardly toward the opposite ends of the lugs and the radially outer edges of the lugs converging in the direction of said latter lug ends to Guide said coupling parts into assembled relation.

2. A combined skid and coupling assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

said skid extensions are generally cylindrically curved about a transverse axis of said coupling head.