Joint assembly for insulating high temperature fluid carrying conduits

• US 4,006,920 A
• Filed: 03/12/1975
• Issued: 02/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermal Pipe Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sadler, Thomas Harry, Cerny, Ronald Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundrat, Andrew V.
• Application Number:
  US05/557,704
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 285/13, 285/14, 285/47, 285/111, 285/133 R, 285/138, 285/351
• US Class Current: 285/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/182 Joints with sleeve or socket in general F16L21/00

Abstract

A joint assembly connected with one end of a heat insulated conduit which includes an outer casing, a concentric inner core and an intermediate concentric layer of insulation material is disclosed herein. This assembly defines a passage extending from the conduit core outwardly to the outer surface of the joint assembly. This passage is provided such that fluid therein and under a predetermined amount of pressure in the direction towards the outer surface of the assembly will move out of the passage in the direction of pressure, i.e., to the outer surface of the joint assembly rather than into the layer of insulation material comprising part of the conduit.

Claims

1. A joint assembly connected with one end of heat insulated conduit which includes an outer casing, a concentric inner core and a concentric layer of insulation material therebetween, said core including a circumferential end section extending longitudinally beyond adjacent ends of said casing and layer of insulation material, said assembly comprising:

a. a coupling arrangement at least including a coupling having a first longitudinal portion which is located concentrically around a first portion of said core end section and which is spaced from the adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material and a second portion which is adapted to connect said one end of said conduit to an adjacent end of a second conduit;

b. a circumferential end seal located concentrically around and against a second portion of said core end section between said adjacent ends and said coupling, one circumferential side of said end seal engaging against the adjacent ends of casing and insulation material and its opposite circumferential side facing said coupling; and

c. said coupling and end seal together defining a passage, said passage extending therebetween from said core outwardly to the outer surface of said coupling arrangement and ambient surroundings of said joint assembly, said passage being such that fluid therein and under a predetermined amount of pressure in the direction towards the outer surface of said coupling arrangement will move out of said passage in the direction of said pressure to the ambient surroundings, said end seal preventing said fluid from passing into said layer of insulation material.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 including means located within and across said passage for

i. preventing liquid which is under substantially no pressure and which is located outwardly of said means from passing inwardly beyond said means, and

ii. allowing liquid which is under said pressure and which is located in said passage inwardly of said means to pass beyond said means towards the outer surface of said coupling arrangement.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said means includes a circumferential fin comprising part of said end seal, said fin extending into and across said passage and engaging against said coupling arrangement, said fin being sufficiently resilient to flex out of engagement with said coupling against the force of said liquid under pressure located inwardly of said fin.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein a circumferential portion of said opposite side of said end seal engages directly against a circumferential portion of said coupling arrangement, one of said circumferential portions of said opposite side and of said coupling arrangement including at least one transverse slot extending across said one circumferential portion and comprising part of said passage.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said slot is located within and transversely across said circumferential portion of said end seal.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said end seal includes a plurality of said transverse slots circumferentially spaced from one another along said circumferential portion of said end seal.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first longitudinal portion of said coupling includes a concentric, inner circumferential groove located around its inner circumference and wherein said coupling arrangement includes a circumferential sealing gasket, a circumferential portion of which is located within said groove and a circumferential portion of which is located outside said groove and around the outer surface of said core end section, said gasket being constructed to deform inwardly in response to the application of a specific amount of heat to said gasket, said gasket, upon deforming, seal engaging against the outer surface of said end section of said core.

8. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined amount of pressure is approximately at least 1-5 psi.

9. A joint assembly connected with one end of a heat insulated conduit which includes a tubular outer casing, a concentric tubular inner core and a concentric tubular layer of insulation material therebetween, said core including a tubular end section extending longitudinally beyond adjacent ends of said casing and layer of insulation material, said assembly comprising:

a. a composite tubular coupling arrangement including a first longitudinal portion which is located concentrically around a first portion of said core end section and which is spaced from said adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material and a second portion which is adapted to connect said one end of said conduit to an adjacent end of a second conduit, said coupling arrangement including means providing a fluid seal between said first longitudinal portion of said coupling arrangement and said end section of said core when said sealing means is heated to a specific temperature;

b. an annular end seal located concentrically against a second portion of said core end section between said adjacent ends and said coupling arrangement, said end seal including

i. one annular side in engagement with said adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material, and

ii. an opposite annular side facing said coupling, said opposite side including an annular fin engaging against said coupling arrangment along the entire circumference of said fin;

c. said coupling arrangement and end seal together defining a passage extending therebetween outwardly from said core to the outer surface of said coupling arrangement, said passage being such that any liquid therein and under at least about 1-5 psi pressure in the direction towards the outer surface of said coupling arrangement will move out of said passage in the direction of said pressure; and

d. said fin being located within and across said passage to prevent liquid which is under substantially no pressure and which is located outwardly of said fin from passing inwardly beyond said fin, said fin being sufficiently resilient to flex out of engagement with said coupling against the force of said liquid under pressure within said passage inwardly of said fin whereby to allow said liquid under pressure to pass outwardly beyond said fin.

10. A joint assembly connected with one end of a heat insulated pipe which includes a tubular outer casing, a concentric tubular inner core and a concentric tubular layer of insulation material therebetween, said assembly comprising:

a. a composite tubular coupling arrangement including

i. an innermost tubular coupling including a first longitudinal portion which is located concentrically around a first portion of said core end section and which is spaced from said adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material and a second portion which is adapted to connect said one end of said pipe to an adjacent end of a second pipe, said coupling including means providing a liquid seal between said first longitudinal portion of said coupling and said core end section when said sealing means is heated to a specific temperature,

ii. a tubular lock block located concentrically around said coupling and spaced from said adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material, and

iii. a tubular outer shell located concentrically around said lock block and spaced from said adjacent ends;

b. an annular end seal located concentrically around and against a second portion of said core end section between said adjacent ends and said coupling, said end seal including

i. one side in engagement with said adjacent ends of said casing and insulation material, and

ii. an opposite side facing said coupling;

c. said opposite side of said end seal including

i. a circumferential surface portion thereof engaging against said outer shell of said coupling arrangement,

ii. a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extending across said circumerential surface portion to provide passageways between said surface portion and said outer shell, and

iii. a circumferential fin engaging along its entire circumference against said outer shell;

d. said coupling arrangement and end seal together defining an overall passage which includes said slots and which extends between said arrangement and end seal outwardly from said core to the outer surface of said shell, said passage being such that any liquid therein and under at least about 1-5 psi pressure in the direction towards the outer surface of said outer shell will move out of said passage including through at least one of said slots in the direction of said pressure and

e. said fin being located within and across said overall passage to prevent liquid which is under substantially no pressure and which is located outwardly of said fin from passing inwardly beyond said fin, said fin being sufficiently resilient to flex out of engagement with said outer shell against the force of said liquid under pressure within said passage inwardly of said fin whereby to allow said inwardly located liquid under pressure to pass outwardly beyond said fin.

11. A conduit arrangement, comprising:

a. a conduit including an outer casing, a concentric inner core and a concentric layer of insulation material therebetween, said core including a circumferential end section extending longitudinally beyond adjacent ends of said casing and layer of insulation material;

b. a joint assembly adapted to connect said conduit to another conduit, said assembly including

i. a coupling arrangement at least including a coupling having a longitudinal portion which has an end that is located concentrically around a portion of said core end section spaced from the ends of said casing and insulation material, and

ii. fluid seal means between said coupling portion and said portion of said core end section; and

c. said conduit arrangement defining a passage extending along the outer surface of said core end section from the free end of said end section and towards said outer casing and layer of insulation material, longitudinally between said end section and said fluid seal means and past said seal means, said passage thereafter extending through said joint assembly to the free ambient surroundings of said joint assembly, said passage at all points along its path being out of direct contact with said insulation layer so as to prevent fluid in said passage from reaching said insulation layer but at the same time providing a path to said ambient surroundings for fluid under pressure within said passage said joint assembly further including a circumferential end seal located concentrically around and against a second portion of said core end section between said adjacent end and said coupling arrangement and wherein at least a portion of said passage is provided by said end seal and said coupling arrangement.

12. A conduit arrangement according to claim 11, said conduit arrangement defining a second passage extending from said insulation layer to said ambient surroundings, said second passage providing a path to ambient surrounding for fluid under pressure within said insulation layer.

13. A conduit arrangement according to claim 12 including means to prevent fluid which is under substantially no pressure from passing through said second passage in the direction towards said insulation layer.