M&fc Holding Company

Sensus Spectrum, LLC

Sensus USA, Inc.

Smith-Blair, Inc.

Edwin A Bird

George D Gabert

Kirby L Shaddix

Michael E Corwon

Travis Scott Moss

A pipe coupling for coupling adjacent pipe ends of a pair of pipes includes a sleeve, a sealing gasket operatively coupled with the sleeve adjacent an open end of the sleeve, and a clamping element for compressing the sleeve or the sealing gasket into tightened engagement with one of the pipe ends. The clamping element includes two bolt flanges nominally spaced apart by a gap and a double threaded fastening bolt with two external threaded portions, which engage with two corresponding fastening nuts having right-hand thread and left-hand thread, respectively. Accordingly, when the fastening bolt is rotated, both the fastening nuts move towards or away from one another, thereby rapidly moving the bolt flanges to shrink the gap and compress the clamping element or to expand the gap. As such, less time and labor are required to operate the pipe coupling in the field.

Pipe coupling having double-threaded tightening fastener and associated methods

A pipe coupling for coupling adjacent ends of a pair of pipes includes a sleeve, a split-ring gland positioned around one of the ends of the sleeve, and at least one annular gasket positioned within the split-ring gland and configured to be compressed by the split-ring gland for sealing one pipe end to the sleeve. The split-ring gland includes two partially circular gland members with spaced ends defining a gap. The pipe coupling includes an armor positioned to span the gap between the spaced ends to provide a generally closed annular periphery about the gasket. The armor includes a corrugated portion having a plurality of corrugations engaging the split-ring gland and the gasket during compression of the gasket. The armor is cold formed to improve structural strength and durability.

Split-ring gland pipe coupling with corrugated armor

A pipe coupling for coupling adjacent pipe ends of a pair of pipes includes a sleeve, a sealing gasket operatively coupled with the sleeve adjacent an open end of the sleeve, and a clamping element for compressing the sleeve or the sealing gasket into tightened engagement with one of the pipe ends. The clamping element includes two bolt flanges nominally spaced apart by a gap and a double threaded fastening bolt with two external threaded portions, which engage with two corresponding fastening nuts having right-hand thread and left-hand thread, respectively. Accordingly, when the fastening bolt is rotated, both of the fastening nuts move towards or away from one another, thereby rapidly moving the bolt flanges to shrink the gap and compress the clamping element or to expand the gap. As such, less time and labor are required to operate the pipe coupling in the field.

A pipe coupling for coupling adjacent ends of a pair of pipes includes a sleeve, a split-ring gland positioned around one of the ends of the sleeve, and an annular gasket positioned within the split-ring gland and configured to be compressed by the split-ring gland for sealing one pipe end to the sleeve. The split-ring gland includes two partially circular gland members with spaced ends defining a gap, which is spanned by an armor positioned in the gap to provide a generally closed annular periphery about the gasket. The armor includes a corrugated portion engaging the gasket during compression. The gasket includes a pressure assist slot configured to receive pressurized fluid leaking from the pipes and a plurality of cross grooves ensuring continued fluid communication with the pressure assist slot. The gasket also includes ribs engaging the split-ring gland and the armor to reduce or eliminate added lubrication necessary.

Split-ring gland pipe coupling with corrugated armor and annular gasket having pressure assist slot

A pipe coupling (,) for coupling and sealing adjacent ends of two pipe sections (,) of the same or different outer diameters. The pipe coupling (,) includes an annular sleeve (,), a pair of annular gaskets (,) and a pair of follower flanges (,) that surround the adjacent ends of the pipe sections (,). The gaskets (,) have inclined front walls (,) that are angled generally complementary to clamping surfaces (,) formed at opposite ends of the sleeve (,). The gaskets further include inclined back walls (,). As the follower flanges (,) are urged toward the opposite ends of the sleeve (,), the inclined back walls (,) of the gaskets (,) cooperate with skirts (,) formed on the follower flanges (,) to cause the gaskets (,) to readily toe-in toward the outer walls of the pipe sections (,) at relatively low torque and cause sealing engagement with pipe ends sections (,). The follower flange skirts (,) may include inclined skirt walls (,) to further facilitate action of the gaskets (,).

Pipe coupling

A plastic pipe adaptor (10) includes a length of pipe (12) having a plastic pipe wall (14) with a substantially rigid pipe stiffener (32) disposed inside the pipe and a substantially rigid collar (34) disposed about the pipe exteriorly of the pipe wall (14), the collar having a recess (40) therein. The stiffener (32) and collar (34) are positioned such that a portion (50) of the plastic pipe wall is disposed between the stiffener (32) and the collar recess (40) and at least a portion (52) of the pipe stiffener is deflected outwardly against the pipe wall portion (50) by an amount sufficient to wedge the pipe wall portion (50) into engagement with the collar recess (40). The result is a firm grip to the pipe which allows the collar to serve as an attachment to another member such as a mechanical joint (30). A method of making the adaptor (10) is also described.

Method of making a plastic pipe adaptor

A method of stiffening a flexible pipe using inserts or stiffeners. To account for non-uniformities and toe in of the flexible pipe, the method involves inserting a pipe stiffener into an end of the pipe and expanding the pipe stiffener within the end to a desired diameter. The stiffener is expanded using an expander, and may be sized to any desired diameter. The pipe stiffener may be expanded within the pipe until its outside diameter approximates the inside diameter of the pipe. Alternatively, the pipe stiffener may be expanded within the pipe by an expander until its inside diameter approximates the inside diameter of the pipe before the pipe stiffener is expanded within the pipe. Finally, the stiffener may be expanded within the pipe until the outside diameter of the pipe approximates the outside diameter of other pipes to be joined thereto.

Method of stiffening a flexible pipe

Plastic pipe adaptor for a mechanical joint

A pipe collar comprising first and second arcuate shell members, clamping means for drawing the shell members together around a pipe, and improved sealing means disposed in each of the shell members, for facilitating sealing engagement between the pipe collar and the pipe, and between the respective shell member sealing means.

Pipe collar

Pipe restrainer collar member

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

Pipe restraining collar member having protrusions of different sizes

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.

Growing community of inventors

Ashdown, AR, United States of America

Edwin A Bird