Pipe restrainer
First Claim
1. A pipe restraining mechanism for gripping the outside surface of a pipe at a connection between said pipe and another member comprising:
- a wedge housing having a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and an open bottom, said housing having internal wall surfaces defining a wedge pocket, said top wall and said back wall being substantially perpendicular defining a top and a back of said pocket, said bottom opening to a pipe surface gripped by said mechanism when said mechanism is in use;
said top wall having a threaded hole opening into said pocket along an axis substantially perpendicular to said top and parallel to said back wall of said pocket;
means connecting said wedge housing to another member for supporting said wedge housing in relation to a pipe gripped by said mechanism with the bottom of said wedge pocket opening to said pipe;
a pipe gripping wedge in said wedge pocket, said wedge being loosely fitted in said pocket and having a back face engageable with said back wall of said pocket, a top face substantially perpendicular to said back face, and at least one pipe surface engaging tooth across the bottom face substantially parallel with said back face of said wedge, said tooth being spaced farther from said back face of said wedge than a longitudinal axis of said hole in said top wall of said housing when said wedge is in operating position in said pocket for creating a turning moment arm in said wedge between the axis of said hole in said top of said housing and a line of engagement of said wedge tooth with said pipe surface; and
a wedge operator screw in said hole in said housing top wall, said screw having a lower end adapted to advance into said pocket beyond said top wall of said pocket to engage said top of said wedge along a line coincident with said axis of said hole in said top wall between said tooth and said back face of said wedge to apply a turning force to said wedge to urge said tooth into a pipe surface and to apply a wedging action between said wedge and said screw as pressure in said pipe urges said pipe towards said back wall of said pocket, and said wedge being adapted to be further rotated after said wedging action by pressure responsive movement of said pipe against said wedge tooth to turn said wedge about an axis along the line of contact of the upper back corner of said wedge and said back wall of said pocket to fully engage said tooth and the bottom surface of said wedge with said pipe surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pipe restraining mechanism for use in a pipe retainer gland to secure the gland on a pipe such as PVC pipe and ductile iron pipe including a housing forming a part of the retainer gland and having a pocket therein opening inside of the gland, a wedge operator member on the top wall of the housing, and a pipe gripping wedge in the housing pocket having inside teeth for engagement with the outer surface of a pipe and adapted to be initially mechanically pressed into a pipe surface by the operator member and thereafter fully engaged with the pipe surface responsive to hydraulic pressure in the pipe causing a wedging action with the operator member and thereafter a turning action between the wedge and a housing surface to drive the wedge teeth into the pipe surface and seat the wedge on the pipe surface.
53 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A pipe restraining mechanism for gripping the outside surface of a pipe at a connection between said pipe and another member comprising:
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a wedge housing having a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, and an open bottom, said housing having internal wall surfaces defining a wedge pocket, said top wall and said back wall being substantially perpendicular defining a top and a back of said pocket, said bottom opening to a pipe surface gripped by said mechanism when said mechanism is in use; said top wall having a threaded hole opening into said pocket along an axis substantially perpendicular to said top and parallel to said back wall of said pocket; means connecting said wedge housing to another member for supporting said wedge housing in relation to a pipe gripped by said mechanism with the bottom of said wedge pocket opening to said pipe; a pipe gripping wedge in said wedge pocket, said wedge being loosely fitted in said pocket and having a back face engageable with said back wall of said pocket, a top face substantially perpendicular to said back face, and at least one pipe surface engaging tooth across the bottom face substantially parallel with said back face of said wedge, said tooth being spaced farther from said back face of said wedge than a longitudinal axis of said hole in said top wall of said housing when said wedge is in operating position in said pocket for creating a turning moment arm in said wedge between the axis of said hole in said top of said housing and a line of engagement of said wedge tooth with said pipe surface; and a wedge operator screw in said hole in said housing top wall, said screw having a lower end adapted to advance into said pocket beyond said top wall of said pocket to engage said top of said wedge along a line coincident with said axis of said hole in said top wall between said tooth and said back face of said wedge to apply a turning force to said wedge to urge said tooth into a pipe surface and to apply a wedging action between said wedge and said screw as pressure in said pipe urges said pipe towards said back wall of said pocket, and said wedge being adapted to be further rotated after said wedging action by pressure responsive movement of said pipe against said wedge tooth to turn said wedge about an axis along the line of contact of the upper back corner of said wedge and said back wall of said pocket to fully engage said tooth and the bottom surface of said wedge with said pipe surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A pipe restraining mechanism for gripping the outside surface of a pipe at a connection between said pipe and another member comprising:
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a wedge housing including means for supporting said wedge housing at a pipe surface, said wedge housing having a wedge pocket therein having a back wall and a bottom opening to a pipe surface when in use; a pipe gripping wedge having a pipe gripping tooth disposed in said pocket for radial movement into engagement with pipe surface; an operator screw threaded through said housing and extendible into said pocket to engage and drive said wedge against a pipe surface; and said pocket, said wedge, said tooth, and said operator screw having interrelated structure for operating said wedge in sequential steps including first engaging said wedge to press said wedge tooth against said pipe surface and rotate a back edge of said wedge against said pipe surface, second, driving said wedge by internal pressure induced pipe movement toward said back wall of said pocket while wedging said wedge toward said pipe between said screw and said pipe to further penetrate said pipe with said tooth until an upper back corner of said wedge engages said back wall of said pocket, and third, further rotating said wedge toward said pipe until said tooth fully penetrates said pipe and a bottom surface of said wedge rests on said pipe responsive to a further increase in said internal pipe pressure. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 35, 36)
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34. A pipe restrainer mechanism for gripping the outside surface of a pipe at a connection between said pipe and another member comprising
a wedge housing including means for supporting said wedge housing at a pipe surface, said wedge housing having a wedge pocket therein having a bottom opening to a pipe surface when in use; -
a pipe gripping wedge disposed in said pocket for radial movement into engagement with said pipe surface, said wedge having a bottom face and a pipe gripping tooth projecting from said bottom face, said bottom face being engageable with said pipe surface limiting the depth of penetration of said tooth into said pipe; an operator screw threaded through said housing and extendible into said pocket to engage and drive said wedge against a pipe surface; said wedge being free in said pocket to rotate relative to said pocket and said operator screw; said pocket, said wedge, and said operator screw having interrelated structure for driving said wedge with said screw to initially engage said wedge with said pipe, axially moving said wedge with said pipe responsive to internal pipe pressure to effect wedging action between said wedge and said pipe to further drive said wedge tooth into said pipe, and rotating said wedge relative to said operator screw in said pocket to fully engage said tooth in said pipe and seat said wedge bottom face on said pipe and wherein said bottom is substantially parallel to said outside surface of said pipe.
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37. A pipe restraining mechanism for use in a pipe retainer gland to secure the gland on a pipe including:
- a housing forming a part of said retainer gland and having a pocket therein opening inside of said gland, an operator screw threaded through the outer wall of said housing and rotatable to drive the inner end of said screw into said housing pocket, and a pipe gripping wedge in said housing pocket having inside teeth and a pipe engaging surface between said teeth for engagement with the outer surface of a pipe to limit penetration of said teeth into said pipe, said wedge being free to rotate in said pocket independent of said operator screw and adapted to be initially mechanically pressed into a pipe surface and thereafter fully engaged with said pipe surface responsive to hydraulic pressure in the pipe causing a wedging action with the operator screw and thereafter a turning action between said wedge and a housing surface to drive said wedge teeth into the pipe surface and seat said wedge surface between said teeth on the pipe surface limiting penetration of said teeth into said pipe surface and wherein said pipe engaging surface is substantially parallel to said outer surface of said pipe.
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38. A pipe restrainer mechanism for gripping the outside surface of a pipe at a connection between said pipe and another member comprising:
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a wedge housing including means for supporting said wedge housing at a pipe surface, said wedge housing having a wedge pocket therein having a bottom opening to a pipe surface when in use; a pipe gripping wedge disposed in said pocket for radial movement into engagement with said pipe surface, said wedge having a bottom face and a pipe gripping tooth projecting from said face, said bottom face being engageable with said pipe surface limiting the penetration of said tooth into said pipe; wedge operator means in said housing and extendible into said pocket to engage and drive said wedge against a pipe surface, said wedge being free in said pocket to rotate relative to said operator means and said pocket; and said pocket, said wedge, and said wedge operator means having interrelated structure for driving said wedge to initially engage said wedge with said pipe, axially moving said wedge with said pipe responsive to internal pipe pressure to effect wedging action between said wedge and said pipe to further drive said wedge tooth into said pipe, and rotating said wedge to fully engaging said tooth in said pipe and seat said wedge bottom face on said pipe limiting penetration of said tooth into said pipe and wherein said bottom face is substantially parallel to said outside surface of said pipe. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification