Pipe coupling

• US 8,448,993 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Romac Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Romac Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Cumic, Branko, Lemke, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNWOODY, AARON M
• Application Number:
  US12/456,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20100314864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 285/110, 285/111, 285/112, 285/113, 285/223, 285/236, 285/231, 285/419, 285/420
• US Class Current: 285/112
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/022 used with sleeves or nipples for pipes of the same diameter, or with reduction pieces F16L21/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/065 tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pins

Abstract

A pipe coupling for connecting pipes of the same or different diameters. The coupling has a barrel sleeve with clamping rings on each end. The clamping rings each carry nested seals. An inner portion of each nested seal may be removed so as to adapt the clamping ring to different pipe diameters. Each clamping ring is hinged, but becomes iron-bound upon tightening, so that each ring eventually bends as a unitary ring member.

Claims

1. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a cylindrical barrel sleeve having at least one circumferential flange with an inner and an outer diameter;

a clamping ring that is adapted to close around said circumferential flange, said clamping ring including first and second separate clamping ring portions that are releasably connected together at a pivot point in a manner so that one clamping ring portion may swing toward and away from the other to respectively close and open said clamping ring, said clamping ring portions being shaped to retain an annularly-shaped seal outward of said circumferential flange when said ring portions are connected together, each clamping ring portion having a region adjacent to said pivot point, the regions of said clamping ring portions pressing against each other when said clamping ring portions close to a bound position so as to cause said first and second separate clamping ring portions to function as a unitary structural member that will bend inwardly toward the seal as the clamping ring portions close past the bound position to thereby clamp said seal around the end of a pipe; and

an exterior handle connected to a central portion of said cylindrical barrel sleeve, for carrying and adjusting the position of said pipe coupling when said pipe coupling is put into use.

2. The pipe coupling of claim 1, further comprising an annularly-shaped seal retained within said clamping ring portions, wherein the seal includes an annular groove that faces the circumferential flange of the barrel sleeve, a diameter of the annular groove being greater than the inner diameter of the circumferential flange, when the seal is in a non-compressed condition, and the diameter of the annular groove being lesser than the inner diameter of circumferential flange when the seal is in a compressed condition.

3. The pipe coupling of claim 1, further comprising an annularly-shaped seal retained within said clamping ring portions, wherein the seal includes an inwardly directed face that presses against the circumferential flange of the barrel sleeve, and the seal includes a top surface that slopes radially inwardly in a direction extending away from the circumferential flange, the top surface pressing against a corresponding inner surface of the clamping ring.

4. The pipe coupling of claim 1, further comprising an annularly-shaped seal retained within said clamping ring portions, wherein the seal is a nested seal having a separate inner circumferential seal removably nested within an outer circumferential seal.

5. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a sleeve including at least one circumferential flange with an inner and an outer diameter;

a clamping ring that is adapted to close around said circumferential flange, said clamping ring including first and second separate clamping ring portions, the first and second clamping ring portions each including a curved body that extends from a bolt engagement portion to a coupling portion, the first and second clamping ring portions releasably connected together at the coupling portions of the first and second clamping ring portions so that, in a released state, the first clamping ring portion is movable towards and away from the second clamping ring portion to respectively close and open said clamping ring, said clamping ring portions being shaped to retain an annularly-shaped seal when said ring portions are connected together, the first and second clamping rings being arranged so that, in a fixed state, the bolt engagement portions of the first and second clamping ring portions are spaced apart from each other and the coupling portions of the first and second clamping ring portions are in abutting contact with each other to constrain relative movement of the coupling portions of the first and second clamping ring portions but to allow relative movement of the bolt engagement portions of the first and second clamping ring portions thereby causing said first and second separate clamping ring portions to function as a unitary structural member that will bend inwardly toward the seal to thereby clamp said seal around the end of a pipe.

6. The pipe coupling of claim 5, further comprising an exterior handle connected to a central portion of said cylindrical barrel sleeve, for carrying and adjusting the position of said pipe coupling when said pipe coupling is put into use.

7. The pipe coupling of claim 5, further comprising an annularly-shaped seal retained within said clamping ring portions, wherein the seal is a nested seal having a separate inner circumferential seal removably nested within an outer circumferential seal.

8. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a sleeve including at least one circumferential flange with an inner and an outer diameter;

a clamping ring that is adapted to close around said circumferential flange, said clamping ring including a curved body with two opposing bolt engagement portions that are spaced apart from each other, said clamping ring being shaped to retain an annularly-shaped seal, the clamping ring being arranged around the circumferential flange of the sleeve so that drawing the two opposing bolt engagement portions towards each other bends the clamping ring inwardly to thereby clamp said seal around the end of a pipe; and

an exterior handle connected to a central portion of said cylindrical barrel sleeve, for carrying and adjusting the position of said pipe coupling when said pipe coupling is put into use.

9. The pipe coupling of claim 8, further comprising an annularly-shaped seal retained within said clamping ring portions, wherein the seal is a nested seal having a separate inner circumferential seal removably nested within an outer circumferential seal.

10. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a hollow sleeve including an opening on a first end, the sleeve including a flange that extends around the opening;

a plurality of separate and distinct, curved clamping components that, when fully assembled, form a clamping ring that functions as a single, unitary component, the clamping ring being structured and dimensioned to house an annular seal, the clamping ring including a curved body that terminates in two spaced apart clamp receptacles, the two clamp receptacles arranged to jointly receive a coupling mechanism that includes a bolt that, when tightened, draws the two clamping receptacles towards each other to move the clamping ring from a relaxed state to a tightened state, the clamping ring structured and dimensioned so that, in the relaxed state, the clamping ring extends around the flange and the two clamp receptacles are spaced apart, and so that, in the tightened state, the two clamp receptacles are drawn towards each other but remain spaced apart and the curved body of the clamping ring bends to bring the annular sealing ring into tight sealing contact with a pipe inserted into the sleeve.

11. The pipe coupling of claim 10, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of separate and distinct clamping components are connected by hinged connections.

12. The pipe coupling of claim 11, wherein the clamping ring is fully assembled when the plurality of separate and distinct components are brought into abutting contact with each other to thereby constrain free-pivoting movement at the hinged connections.

13. The pipe coupling of claim 10, wherein the plurality of separate and distinct, curved clamping components are two separate portions.

14. The pipe coupling of claim 13, wherein the two separate portions are hinged together.

15. The pipe coupling of claim 14, wherein the clamping ring is fully assembled when the two separate portions are rotated to a point where the two separate portions become iron bound and can no longer swing freely relative to each other as two separate components but instead function as a single, unitary component.

16. The pipe coupling of claim 10, wherein the plurality of separate and distinct, curved clamping components are three ring segments.

17. The pipe coupling of claim 10, further comprising an annular seal sized to fit within the fully assemble clamping ring.

18. The pipe coupling of claim 17, wherein the annular seal includes an inner seal separably nested within an outer seal.

19. The pipe coupling of claim 10, further comprising a handle coupled to the sleeve, the handle arranged on the sleeve to facilitate physically manipulation of the sleeve when the sleeve is used to couple pipes together.

20. A pipe coupling, comprising:

a hollow sleeve including an opening on a first end, the sleeve including a flange that extends around the opening;

a clamping ring that includes a curved body that terminates in two spaced apart clamp receptacles, the clamping ring being structured and dimensioned to house an annular seal, the two clamp receptacles arranged to receive a coupling mechanism that includes a bolt that, when tightened, draws the two clamping receptacles towards each other to move the clamping ring from a relaxed state to a tightened state, the clamping ring structured and dimensioned so that, in the relaxed state, the clamping ring extends around the flange and the two clamp receptacles are spaced apart, and so that, in the tightened state, the two clamp receptacles are drawn towards each other but remain spaced apart and the curved body of the clamping ring bends to bring the annular ring into tight sealing contact with a pipe inserted into the sleeve; and

a handle coupled to the sleeve, the handle arranged on the sleeve to facilitate physically manipulation of the sleeve when the sleeve is used to couple pipes together.

21. The pipe coupling of claim 20, wherein the handle is arranged to extend lengthwise along the sleeve.

22. The pipe coupling of claim 20, wherein the clamping ring is arranged on the sleeve such that handle is positioned in line with the clamping mechanism between the ears of the clamp ring.

23. The pipe coupling of claim 20, further comprising an annular seal sized to fit within the fully assemble clamping ring.

24. The pipe coupling of claim 20, wherein the annular seal includes an inner seal separably nested within an outer seal.