Band for effecting a seal

• US 5,029,907 A
• Filed: 04/23/1990
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NPC Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NPC Incorporated
• Inventors: Gundy, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bordas, Carol I.
• Application Number:
  US07/513,216
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 285/158, 285/162, 285/194, 285/214, 285/237, 285/236, 285/230, 285/370, 285/397, 24/270, 24/494, 29/157 R, 29/237, 16/225, 16/DIG. 13, 16/226
• US Class Current: 285/230
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 3/04 Pipes or fittings specially adapted to sewers manufacture of concrete tubes B28; pipes or pipe fittings in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/03 placed in the socket before connection F16L21/022, F16L21/025 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/002 of concrete, cement or asbestos-cement
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/088 fixed using an elastic grommet between the extremity of the tube and the wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/13 Plastic hinge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1418 Self-locking [dead center or snap action]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44333 having toggle operator for moving
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5367 Coupling to conduit

Abstract

A band assembly for effecting a seal particularly adapted for use in establishing a joint between a sewer pipe and a reinforced concrete manhole riser. The seal is affected by a tapered elastomeric tubular connector boot and a clamping band member that expands one end of the boot into the surface of the riser wall. The band assembly comprises a clamping band and a separate toggle expander. The clamping band includes separated end sections that capture the ends of the toggle expander. When the toggle expander is forced into an expanded position, the clamping band forces the connector boot into contact with the manhole riser. The clamping band includes stiffening lips and the toggle expander also incudes stiffening lips to provide a rigid structure. In one embodiment a tab overlies the end sections in the space of the clamping band and the space therebetween to further improve the evenness of the sealing force applied to the connector boot.

Claims

1. In a clamping system including a circular clamping member with first and second end sections, including stop means and having a first separation therebetween, toggle expander means for increasing the separation between the first and second end sections thereby to force the clamping member into a clamping position, said toggle expander means comprising, as a one-piece member:

A. first and second toggle end means for nesting in and being movable over a limited circumferential distance relative to the first and second end sections of the clamping member respectively, and

B. central expander means positioned between and parallel to said first and second toggle end means transverse axes, defining a central transverse axis, said material of said toggle expander means being bendable about said axes in response to a substantially transverse force against said central expander means at said central axis thereby to move said first and second toggle end means into abutment with the stop means and thereafter to increase the separation between the first and second end sections of the clamping band.

2. A clamping system as recited in claim 1 wherein said central expander means has a vee shape formed of first and second planar links that extend respectively between the first and central transverse axes and between the second and central transverse axes with an apex at the central transverse axis, a force being applied to said apex to straighten said links to a common plane.

3. A clamping system as recited in claim 2 wherein each of said links comprises integral lip members extending transversely to the each of said planar links.

4. A clamping system as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and second toggle means have surface configurations that correspond to the surface configurations of the first and second end sections of the clamping member.

5. A system for clamping an article against a sealing surface including a clamping member with first and second ends defining a predetermined separation therebetween and expansion means for increasing the separation thereby to force the clamping member into sealing engagement with the sealing surface, the improvement wherein said clamping member is a one-piece member comprising:

A. an elongated clamping band corresponding to the configuration of the sealing surface, said clamping band having first and second end sections at the ends thereof and an intermediate section with longitudinal edge sections,

B. integral lip means formed transversely to said clamping band along each of said longitudinal edge sections of said intermediate section, and

C. receiving means formed along each of said longitudinal edge sections of said first and second end sections for nesting in end sections of the expansion means and for the expansion means to move over a limited circumferential distance relative to the first and second end sections of the clamping member thereby to enable the expansion means to increase the separation between said first and second end sections of said clamping member.

6. A clamping member for a clamping system as recited in claim 5 wherein first portions of each of said receiving means define guide means adjacent the end sections for guiding the expansion means to other portions of said receiving means.

7. A clamping member for a clamping system as recited in claim 6 wherein second portions of each of said receiving means define channel means for receiving the end sections of the expansion means in a nested relationship within said second portions.

8. A clamping member for a clamping system as recited in claim 7 wherein third portions of each of said receiving means define stop means for abutting the expansion means thereby to limit relative motion between said end sections of said clamping member and the expansion means.

9. A clamping member for a clamping system as recited in claim 5 wherein said flexible clamping band means additionally comprises tab means affixed to one of said first and second clamping band end sections and overlying said second end section and the separation therebetween.

10. A clamping system for sealing a flexible sealing member in a circular configuration against a circular sealing surface surrounding the sealing member, said system comprising:

A. a flexible circular clamping band means for disposition inside the sealing member having first and second separated, juxtaposed receiving end sections, each of said receiving end section having stop means formed therein, and

B. one-piece toggle expander means including;

i. first and second toggle end sections for nesting in said first and second clamping means receiving end sections respectively, and being movable over a limited circumferential distance relative to said end sections, and

ii. expansible means between said first and second toggle end sections for separating said toggle end sections a predetermined distance, said expansible means being deformable to increase the separation between said toggle end sections thereby initially to move said toggle end sections into said stop means and thereafter to increase the separation between said receiving end sections to force said clamping band against the sealing member and to effect a seal between the sealing member and the sealing surface.

11. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 10 wherein said toggle expander expansible means has a vee shape and includes first and second planar links that extend between transverse axes at said end sections and are joined at an apex at a central transverse axis parallel to the other transverse axes but displaced therefrom, a force being applied to said apex to straighten said links.

12. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 11 wherein each of said links comprises integral lip means extending transversely to the planes of said links.

13. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 10 wherein said clamping band receiving end sections have a predetermined surface configuration and include means for nesting the end sections of said toggle expander means, said first and second end sections of said toggle expander means, having surface configurations conforming to the surface configurations of the first and second receiving end sections of said clamping band.

14. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 13 wherein said flexible clamping band means additionally comprises an intermediate section with longitudinal edge sections and integral lip means formed transversely to said intermediate section along each of said longitudinal edge sections.

15. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 14 wherein said clamping band means additionally includes receiving means lip means formed along longitudinal edge sections of said first and second receiving end sections with first portions of said receiving end lip means at each of said first and second receiving end sections defining guide means for guiding said toggle end sections of said toggle expander means with respect to said receiving end sections of said clamping band means.

16. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 15 wherein said receiving end lip means have second portions adjacent said first portions for nesting said toggle end sections.

17. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 16 wherein third portions of said receiving end lip means at said first and second clamping band end sections define stop means for abutting said toggle end sections.

18. A seal clamping system as recited in claim 13 wherein said flexible clamping band means additionally comprises a tab means affixed to one of said first and second clamping band end sections and overlying said second end section and the separation therebetween.