GB2098296A - Pipe couplings - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe coupling comprising three or more clamping hooks, which, in use, are arranged to be movable both axially and radially of the coupling for releasably engaging and clamping a flange 18 of a pipe to the coupling, a cam ring 21 and means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring. The cam ring is formed with a first cam means 23 for causing said radial movement of each of the clamping hooks to bring said hooks into and out of engagement with the pipe flange and a second cam means 37 (not shown) for providing clamping pressure to each of the clamping hooks in said axial direction upon rotary movement of the cam ring. Preferably the means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring comprises a single fluid actuable ram. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to pipe couplings The invention relates t6 pipe couplings and more particularly, although not exclusively, to pipe couplings for use on a marine loading arm for loading and unloading tank vessels.

According to the invention there is provided a pipe coupling comprising three or more clamping hooks, which, in use, are arranged to be movable both axially and radially of the coupling for releasably engaging and clamping a flange of a pipe to the coupling, a cam ring and means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring, said cam ring being formed with a first cam means for causing said radial movement of each of the clamping hooks to bring said hooks into and out of engagement with the pipe flange and a second cam means for providing clamping pressure to each of the clamping hooks in said axial direction upon rotary movement of the cam ring.

Preferably said means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring comprises a single fluid actuable ram means.

Said first cam means may comprise, for each clamping hook, a radially extending portion on said cam ring formed with a cam slot of varying radial extent engaged by a roller carried on a roller link which is connected by link means to the clamping hook. Said link means may comprise a pair of overcentre links, the roller link being connected via said overcentre links to actuate a bell crank lever which carries a clamping arm. The clamping arm may be so formed as to be attached to the bell crank lever in differing modes depending upon the diameter of the flange of the pipe to which the coupling is to be engaged with and clamped to.

Said second cam means may comprise for each clamping hook, an axially extending cam surface of varying extent, on said cam ring, which engages with a cam block carried on and for actuation of an annular member carrying said bell crank levers.

The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a pipe coupling; Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the lines AA of Fig. 1 showing a clamping hook in its retracted position, and Fig. 3 is a similar view to the upper half of Fig. 2 showing the clamping hook in its clamped position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a pipe coupling comprising three clamping hooks 10 attached to an annular member 11 located around a further annular member 12 and bolted to yet a further annular member 13. The annular member 13 may be welded to the end of a pipe 14 or alternatively the annular member 12 may be attached to a valve, such as a ball valve, 15, as shown in the bottom half of Fig. 2. An annular adapter plate 16 is located within the annular member 11 and carries annular lip seals 17 for sealingly engaging a flange of a pipe 18 (Fig. 3).

An hydraulic cylinder 18 is hingeably engaged to the body of the coupling at 19 and the piston 20 of the cylinder 1 8 is pivotally engaged with a cam ring 21 at point 22.

Cam ring 21 is provided, for each clamping hook 10, with a radially projecting portion 22 formed with a camming slot 23. A roller 24 is located within the camming slot 23 and carried on a roller link 25. The free end of roller link 25 has a pin 26 which located within a slot 27 formed in an overcentre link 28. The overcentre link 28 is pivotally connected at one end by a pin 29 to the body 30 of the clamping hook and at the other end by a pin 31 to a further overcentre link 32. The other end of overcentre link 32 is pivotally connected by a pin 33 to a bell crank lever 34. The ball crank lever 34 is pivotally connected by a pin 35 to the body 30 of the clamping hook. The outer arm of bell crank lever 34 has a clamping arm 35a located thereon and attached by a bolt 36.The clamping arm 35a can be removed from the arm of bell crank lever 34 and reversed to enable the coupling to be used for clamping to different sizes of pipe flange.

The cam ring 21 is also formed with an axially extending camming surface 37 which is located within a slot formed in a cam lock 38 attached to the annular member 11 by bolts 39.

In operation of the coupling, with the coupling in the position retracted as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hydraulic cylinder 18 is actuated to retract a piston 20 and rotate cam ring 21 in a clockwise direction through 400. During the first 200 of such movement the roller link 25 is moved outwardly due to camming slot 23 and acts via the overcentre link 28 and 32 to move the bell crank lever 34 about its pivot point 35 so that the clamping arm 35a is moved into engagement with the flange and pipe 18. During the final 200 of movement of the cam ring 21, the camming surface 37 acts on the cam block 38 to axially move the annular member 11 to apply clamping pressure to the flange of the pipe 18. This latter clamping action is similar to that described in our copending application, filed on even date herewith (Case BR-43).

The coupling is uncoupled by actuating hydraulic cylinder 18 to return the piston 20 to the position as shown in Fig. 1.

Although the coupling is shown with three clamping hooks 10, further such clamping hooks could be provided with the various camming surfaces and slots provided for each clamping hook.

1. A pipe coupling comprising three or more clamping hooks, which, in use, are arranged to be movable both axially and radially of the coupling for releasably engaging and clamping a flange of a pipe to the coupling a cam ring and means for

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to pipe couplings The invention relates t6 pipe couplings and more particularly, although not exclusively, to pipe couplings for use on a marine loading arm for loading and unloading tank vessels. According to the invention there is provided a pipe coupling comprising three or more clamping hooks, which, in use, are arranged to be movable both axially and radially of the coupling for releasably engaging and clamping a flange of a pipe to the coupling, a cam ring and means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring, said cam ring being formed with a first cam means for causing said radial movement of each of the clamping hooks to bring said hooks into and out of engagement with the pipe flange and a second cam means for providing clamping pressure to each of the clamping hooks in said axial direction upon rotary movement of the cam ring. Preferably said means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring comprises a single fluid actuable ram means. Said first cam means may comprise, for each clamping hook, a radially extending portion on said cam ring formed with a cam slot of varying radial extent engaged by a roller carried on a roller link which is connected by link means to the clamping hook. Said link means may comprise a pair of overcentre links, the roller link being connected via said overcentre links to actuate a bell crank lever which carries a clamping arm. The clamping arm may be so formed as to be attached to the bell crank lever in differing modes depending upon the diameter of the flange of the pipe to which the coupling is to be engaged with and clamped to. Said second cam means may comprise for each clamping hook, an axially extending cam surface of varying extent, on said cam ring, which engages with a cam block carried on and for actuation of an annular member carrying said bell crank levers. The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a pipe coupling; Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the lines AA of Fig. 1 showing a clamping hook in its retracted position, and Fig. 3 is a similar view to the upper half of Fig. 2 showing the clamping hook in its clamped position. Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a pipe coupling comprising three clamping hooks 10 attached to an annular member 11 located around a further annular member 12 and bolted to yet a further annular member 13. The annular member 13 may be welded to the end of a pipe 14 or alternatively the annular member 12 may be attached to a valve, such as a ball valve, 15, as shown in the bottom half of Fig. 2. An annular adapter plate 16 is located within the annular member 11 and carries annular lip seals 17 for sealingly engaging a flange of a pipe 18 (Fig. 3). An hydraulic cylinder 18 is hingeably engaged to the body of the coupling at 19 and the piston 20 of the cylinder 1 8 is pivotally engaged with a cam ring 21 at point 22. Cam ring 21 is provided, for each clamping hook 10, with a radially projecting portion 22 formed with a camming slot 23. A roller 24 is located within the camming slot 23 and carried on a roller link 25. The free end of roller link 25 has a pin 26 which located within a slot 27 formed in an overcentre link 28. The overcentre link 28 is pivotally connected at one end by a pin 29 to the body 30 of the clamping hook and at the other end by a pin 31 to a further overcentre link 32. The other end of overcentre link 32 is pivotally connected by a pin 33 to a bell crank lever 34. The ball crank lever 34 is pivotally connected by a pin 35 to the body 30 of the clamping hook. The outer arm of bell crank lever 34 has a clamping arm 35a located thereon and attached by a bolt 36.The clamping arm 35a can be removed from the arm of bell crank lever 34 and reversed to enable the coupling to be used for clamping to different sizes of pipe flange. The cam ring 21 is also formed with an axially extending camming surface 37 which is located within a slot formed in a cam lock 38 attached to the annular member 11 by bolts 39. In operation of the coupling, with the coupling in the position retracted as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hydraulic cylinder 18 is actuated to retract a piston 20 and rotate cam ring 21 in a clockwise direction through 400. During the first 200 of such movement the roller link 25 is moved outwardly due to camming slot 23 and acts via the overcentre link 28 and 32 to move the bell crank lever 34 about its pivot point 35 so that the clamping arm 35a is moved into engagement with the flange and pipe 18. During the final 200 of movement of the cam ring 21, the camming surface 37 acts on the cam block 38 to axially move the annular member 11 to apply clamping pressure to the flange of the pipe 18.This latter clamping action is similar to that described in our copending application, filed on even date herewith (Case BR-43). The coupling is uncoupled by actuating hydraulic cylinder 18 to return the piston 20 to the position as shown in Fig. 1. Although the coupling is shown with three clamping hooks 10, further such clamping hooks could be provided with the various camming surfaces and slots provided for each clamping hook. CLAIMS

1. A pipe coupling comprising three or more clamping hooks, which, in use, are arranged to be movable both axially and radially of the coupling for releasably engaging and clamping a flange of a pipe to the coupling a cam ring and means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring, said cam ring being formed with a first cam means for causing said radial movement of each of the clamping hooks to bring said hooks into and out of engagement with the pipe flange and a second cam means for providing clamping pressure to each of the clamping hooks in said axial direction upon rotary movement of the cam ring.

2. A pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for causing rotary movement of the cam ring comprises a single fluid actuable ram means.

3. A pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said first cam means comprises for each clamping hook, a radially extending portion on said cam ring formed with a cam slot of varying radial extent engaged by a roller carried on a roller link which is connected by link means to the clamping hook.

4. A pipe coupling as claimed in claim 3 wherein said link means comprises a pair of overcentre links, the roller link being connected via said overcentre links to actuate a bell crank lever which carries a clamping arm.

5. A pipe coupling as claimed in claim 4 wherein the clamping arm is so formed as to be attached to the bell crank lever in differing modes depending upon the diameter of the flange of the pipe to which the coupling is to be engaged with and clamped to.

6. A pipe coupling as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein said second cam means comprises, for each clamping hook, an axially extending cam surface of varying extent, on said cam ring, which engages with a cam block carried on and for actuation of an annular member carrying said bell crank levers.

7. A pipe coupling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.