Witzenmann Gmbh Metallschlauch-fabrik Pforzheim

Bernd Faber

Reinhard Gropp

Gunter Munz

Udo Erlenmayer

Franz Dorge

Winfried Herty

To couple two pipes for hot fluids together, a sealing membrane of temperature and corrosion-resistant material is located transversely within a ring-shaped chamber or space surrounding the end portions of the pipes, the sealing membrane being welded to the adjacent wall portions defining the ring chamber, and the at least one and preferably two sealing and support cushions or pillows being placed adjacent the sealing membrane, to permit limited angular and axial movement of the pipe ends with respect to each other while, effectively, preventing substantial torsional excursion. The membrane may be corrugated or stepped, located transversely to the pipes or at an inclination with respect thereto. Two membranes may be used, inclined towards each other (FIG. 3) and multi-pipe units can be coupled by a single membrane (FIGS. 8, 9).

High-temperature-resistant type coupling

To connect two pipes which may carry high-temperature potentially corrosive fluids, for example exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, while permitting flexing of the pipes with respect to each other in torsion or twist, bending or lateral shift, while maintaining a sealed connection, a ring chamber is formed in the region of the pipe ends, by an overlapping pipe end portion of the like, an external sleeve, or overlapping flange construction, which retains therein a sealing and support pillow of ceramic or metal materials in form of fibers, filaments or the like, felted, matted, woven, knitted and compressed together; a metal sealing foil, for example of aluminum or specialty steel, crinkled or creased and preferably formed with expansion/contraction undulations, is located within the pillow. More than one pillow may be used, and the pillows may be located against one pipe, overlapped by the end portion of another, with a heat insulation therebetween, or spanning a gap of two butt-aligned pipes, axially retained in position by flanges on the pipe ends and/or rim portions of a surrounding sleeve or clamp.

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Pforzheim, Germany

Bernd Faber