The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1987
Filed:
Jul. 30, 1986
Marvin D Rhodes, Yorktown, VA (US);
Abstract
This invention relates to a coupling device for tubular members (11 and 12), of large truss structures, with a locking collar 20 being the only moving part. Each tubular member is constructed with an end bell section 15 that has a belled flange 17 with a mating face 18, and a necked area 16 which is smaller in diameter than the tubular members to be joined. A split ring 30 is affixed to each tubular member and is constructed so that then two tubular members are laterally moved into axial alignment and collar 20 is rotated thereover, the split ring loads the joint with axial force by pressing the belled flange mating surfaces together, and a preloading force is provided by the collar 20 mating with a taper on the outside of the split rings. All free play is thereby removed by preloaded force. A major object of the invention is to provide an ability to remove and replace individual tubular members without disturbing other structural parts of a truss structure. An additional anticipated use of this joint is to couple high pressure fluid lines.