Quick-disconnect coupling

• US 4,802,694 A
• Filed: 10/26/1987
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parrish Enterprises, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Central Machine And Tool Company
• Inventors: Vargo, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callaghan, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US07/112,253
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 285/312, 285/924, 285/87, 285/88, 285/82, 285/901
• US Class Current: 285/87
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/18 Joints tightened by eccentrics or rotatable cams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/901 Cap closures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/924 Vented

Abstract

A quick-disconnect coupling for connecting two sections of pipeline or other tubular conduit to each other, including a female coupler carrying a sleeve which is provided with at least one opening therethrough, and which has a locking handle mounted thereon for pivotation about a horizontal axis. The locking handle carries a camming head disposed at a location to project through the opening in the sleeve. The coupling further includes a tubular male adapter dimensioned for insertion into the sleeve and carrying an annular indented, concavely-surfaced groove. The concavely-surfaced groove is disposed on the male adapter at a location to afford alignment with the camming heads carried on the pivotally mounted locking handles. The sleeve also carries at the location of the openings therethrough, a spring-biased safety lever handle which also carries a camming head aligned with the annular groove in the male tubular member.

Claims

1. A quick-disconnect coupling for interconnecting a pair of tubular elements comprising:

a tubular male adapter having an end face and further having an annular groove of arcuate, concave cross-sectional configuration extending around said male adapter at a location spaced axially along said male adapter from said end face, said groove defining an arcuate concave outwardly facing surface;

a tubular female coupler including;

a tubular neck portion;

a tubular sleeve of larger diameter than said neck portion and having a pair of openings formed through the opposite sides thereof; and

a radially extending annular shoulder extending between, and interconnecting, said sleeve and said neck portion, and forming an internal seal seat within said female coupler, said sleeve receiving said tubular male adapter therewithin, with said end face facing, and extending parallel to, said internal seal seat, and with said annular groove aligned with the openings through said sleeve;

a first pivot pin secured to said tubular sleeve across one of the openings in said sleeve in a direction parallel to a diameter of said sleeve;

a first, elongated locking handle pivotally mounted on said first pivot pin and including a first locking handle cam head having a cam surface thereon and having said first pivot pin extending through said first locking handle can head, said first locking handle cam head and cam surface being so configured and positionally arranged relative to said annular groove on said male adapter that pivotation of said first locking handle to a locking position in which said first locking handle extends substantially parallel to the axis of said tubular sleeve will cause said cam head to bias said male adapter axially inwardly into said sleeve until said end face is in a sealing position relative to said internal seal seat, whereas pivotation of said first locking handle to a de-coupling release position in which said locking handle is pivoted outwardly away from said sleeve and away from said locking position will cause said cam surface to move to a position away from the concave surface of said annular groove, and will allow said male adapter to move axially outwardly with respect to said sleeve, and will allow said end face to move away from said sealing position;

a first elongated safety handle pivotally mounted on said first pivot pin and including a safety handle cam head having a radially inner surface thereon, and having said first pivot pin extending through said first safety handle cam head, said first safety handle cam head and the radially inner surface carried thereon being so configured and positionally arranged relative to said annular groove and its concave, outwardly facing surface that pivotation of said first elongated safety handle to a safe position in which said first elongated safety handle extends parallel to the axis of said tubular sleeve will place a part of said radially inner surface within said annular groove of said male adapter, and prevent said male adapter from moving totally out of said sleeve, whereas pivotation of said first elongated safety handle to a release position will move said radially inner surface radially outwardly out of said annular groove and allow said male adapter to be extricated from said sleeve when said locking handle is in said de-coupling release position;

a first spring having convolutions around said first pivot pin and having a first part bearing against said first elongated safety handle and resiliently biasing said first safety handle to said safe position, and a second part bearing against said sleeve and resiliently resisting movement of said first safety handle away from said safe position, said first spring being positioned to continue to exert said resilient bias on said first safety handle to oppose movement of said first safety handle toward said release position from said safe position, with said resilient biasing of said first safety handle continuing throughout, and opposing, the entire movement of said safety handle from said safe position to said release position;

a second pivot pin secured to said tubular sleeve across the other of said openings in said sleeve and located on the opposite side of said sleeve from said one opening, said second pivot pin extending in a direction parallel to a diameter of said sleeve and parallel to said first pivot pin;

a second, elongated locking handle pivotally mounted on said second pivot pin and including a second locking handle cam head having a cam surface thereon, and having said second pivot pin extending through said second locking handle cam head, said second locking handle cam head and the cam surface carried thereon being so configured and positionally arranged relative to said annular groove, and its radially outwardly facing concave surface, that pivotation of said second locking handle to a locking position in which said second locking handle extends parallel to the axis of said tubular sleeve will cause the cam head carried on said second locking handle to bias said male adapter axially inwardly into said sleeve unit said end face is in a sealing position relative to said internal seal seat, whereas pivotation of said second locking handle to a release position in which said second locking handle is pivoted outwardly away from said sleeve and away from said locking position causes said cam surface on the cam head of said locking handle to move to a position away form the concave surface of said annular groove, and allows said male adapter to move axially outwardly with respect to said sleeve, and said e nd face to move away from said sealing position;

a second elongated safety handle pivotally mounted on said second pivot pin and including a second safety handle cam head having a radially inner surface thereon, and having said second pivot pin extending through said second safety handle cam head, said second safety handle cam head and said radially inner surface carried thereon being so configured and positionally arranged relative to the outwardly facing concave surface of said annular groove that pivotation of said second elongated safety handle to a safe position in which said second safety handle extends parallel to the axis of said tubular sleeve will place a part of said radially inner surface carried on said second safety handle within said groove, sand prevent said male adapter from moving totally out of said sleeve in an axial direction, whereas pivotation of said first safety handle to a release position will move said radially inner surface carried on the cam head of said second safety handle radially outwardly out of said annular groove and allow said male adapter to be extricated from said sleeve by movement in an axial direction at a time when said first and second locking handles are pivoted to said release positions; and

a second spring having convolutions around said second pivot pin and having a first part bearing against said second elongated safety handle and resiliently biasing said second safety handle to said safe position, and having a second part bearing against said sleeve and resiliently resisting movement of said second safety handle away from said safe position, said second spring being positioned to continue to exert said resilient bias against said second elongated safety handle to oppose movement of said second safety handle toward said release position from said safe position with said resilient biasing of said second safety handle continuing throughout, and opposing, the entire movement of said safety handle from said safe position to said release position.

2. A quick-disconnect coupling as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including:

a first pair of lugs protruding from the outer periphery of said sleeve with the lugs in said first pair disposed on the opposite sides of said one opening through said sleeve, and having said first pivot pin extending across said one opening with its ends secured in said lugs; and

a second pair of lugs projecting radially outwardly from the outer periphery of said sleeve with the lugs in said second pair located on opposite sides of said other opening, and said second pivot pin extending across said other opening and having its ends secured in said lugs of said second pair.