Pipe restraining member

• US 5,190,324 A
• Filed: 11/06/1991
• Issued: 03/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: M&FC Holding, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: M&FC Holding, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaddix, Kirby L., Bird, Edwin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHACKELFORD, HEATHER CHUN
• Application Number:
  US07/788,425
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 285/114, 285/368, 285/412, 285/337, 285/414, 285/413, 285/328, 285/373, 285/419
• US Class Current: 285/328
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/08 with additional locking means F16L17/035, F16L17/04, F16L21/04, F16L21/06 take precedence; screwed joints F16L19/08; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/032 characterised by the shape or composition of the flanges

Abstract

A pipe restraining member comprising a collar member, flanges disposed on the collar member for connecting the collar member to a support, the collar member and the support being adapted cooperatively to encircle a first pipe member, lugs disposed on the collar member for connecting the collar member to a collar assembly encircling a second pipe member, and discrete groups of protrusions extending inwardly from an inside surface of the collar member and adapted to engage an external surface of the first pipe.

Claims

1. A pipe restraining member comprising a collar member, flange means disposed on each end of said collar member and adapted to receive first connecting means for connecting said collar member to a support means, said collar member and said support means being adapted cooperatively to encircle a first pipe member, lug means disposed on said collar member and adapted to receive second connecting means for connecting said collar member to a collar assembly encircling a second pipe member, and groups of protrusions extending inwardly from an inside surface of said collar member and adapted to engage an external surface of said first pipe, said groups including a first group of protrusions of greater height than a second group of protrusions, said first group of protrusions being disposed centrally of said collar member as viewed axially of said first pipe member, said first group of protrusions being disposed on said inside surface axially of said collar member and remote from said flange means.

2. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second group of protrusions comprises first and second sub-groups, said fist sub-group being disposed outboard of said first group on a first side of said collar member, and said second sub-group being disposed outboard of said first group on a second side of said collar member.

3. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 2 in which said first group of protrusions is disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through an arc of about 30°

-90° and

said sub-groups are each disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through an arc equal to the total arc of said collar member less the arc occupied by said first group, divided by two.

4. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 3 in which the protrusions of said first group have a height of less than about 0.10 inch and the protrusions of said second group have a lesser height than said height of said first group.

5. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 2 in which said groups further include a third group of protrusions of lesser height than said second group of protrusions.

6. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 5 in which said third group of protrusions comprises third and fourth sub-groups, said third sub-group being disposed outboard of said first sub-group on said first side of said collar member, and said fourth sub group being disposed outboard of said second sub-group on said second side of said collar member.

7. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 6 in which said first group of protrusions is disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through an arc of about 30°

-90° and

said sub-groups are disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through arcs totaling the arc length of said collar member less the arc occupied by said first group.

8. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 7 in which the protrusions of said first group have a height of less than about 0.10 inch, the protrusions of said second group have a lesser height than said height of said first group, and the protrusions of said third group have a lesser height than said height of said second group.

9. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 6 in which said groups further include a fourth group of protrusions of lesser height than said third group.

10. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 9 in which said fourth group of protrusions comprises fifth and sixth sub-groups, said fifth sub-group being disposed outboard of said third sub-group on said first side of said collar member, and said sixth sub-group being disposed outboard of said fourth sub-group on said second side of said collar member.

11. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 10 in which said first group of protrusions is disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through an arc of about 30°

-90° and

said sub-groups are disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through arcs totaling the arc length of said collar member less the arc occupied by said first group.

12. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 11 in which the protrusions of said first group have a height of less than about 0.10 inch, the protrusions of said second group have a lesser height than said height of said first group, the protrusions of said third group have a lesser height than said height of said second group, and the protrusions of said fourth group have a lesser height than said height of said third group.

13. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 10 in which said groups further include at least one additional group of protrusions of lesser height than said fourth group.

14. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 13 in which said additional group comprises at least one additional sub-group disposed outboard of said fifth sub-group, and at least one further additional sub-group disposed outboard of said sixth sub-group.

15. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 14 in which said first group and said sub-groups comprise discrete groups.

16. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 14 in which said protrusions are conical in configuration.

17. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 16 in which said protrusions have substantially equal base diameters.

18. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 14 in which said protrusions are elongated and configured each to have an elongated central ridge.

19. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 18 in which said protrusions have substantially equal base widths and lengths, and substantially equal central ridge lengths.

20. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 14 in which said first group of protrusions is disposed on said inside surface of said collar member through an arc of about 60°

and said sub-groups are disposed on said inside surface of said restraining member through arcs totaling about 120°

.

21. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 20 in which said sub-groups are each disposed through an arc of about 15°

.

22. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 20 in which the protrusions of said first group have a height of less than about 0.10 inch, the protrusions of said second group have a lesser height than said height of said first group, the protrusions of said third group have a lesser height than said height of said second group, the protrusions of said fourth group have a lesser height than said height of said third group, and the protrusions of said at least one additional group have a lesser height than said height of said fourth group.

23. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 22 in which the protrusions of said first group each have a height of about 0.065-0.075 inch, and the protrusions of said at least one additional group each have a height of less than about 0.035 inch.

24. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 22 in which the protrusions of said first group each have a height of about 0.065-0.075 inch, the protrusions of said second group each have a height of about 0.055-0.065 inch, the protrusions of said third group each have a height of about 0.045-0.055 inch, the protrusions of said fourth group each have a height of about 0.035-0.045 inch, and the protrusions of said at least one additional group each have a height of less than about 0.035 inch.

25. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 1 in which said groups are discrete groups.

26. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 1 in which said protrusions of said groups are conical in configuration.

27. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 26 in which said protrusions of said first group have base diameters substantially equal to base diameters of said protrusions in said second group.

28. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 1 in which said protrusions of said groups are elongated and configured each to have an elongated central ridge.

29. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 28 in which said protrusions of said first group have base widths, base lengths and central ridge lengths substantially equal to base widths, base lengths and central ridge lengths of said protrusions in said second group.

30. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said collar member comprises a band portion having said inside surface, and a rib portion upstanding from an external surface of said band portion and centrally thereof substantially along the length of said band portion.

31. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 30 wherein said rib extends from a first flange of said flange means to a second flange of said flange means and is generally normal to said band portion external surface.

32. The pipe restraining member in accordance with claim 31 wherein said lug means is integral with said rib portion and said rib portion is integral with said band portion.