NZ197094A - Pipe coupling:stepped spigot portions each with central rib - Google Patents

Description

FORM 5. S 9 Reg J9(4) Fee: £ 115 NEW ZEALAND Priority Date(s)ic sr. y- Complete Specification Fifed: Class: 'ciD ""B't"JUN Publication Date: P.O. Journal, No: .../t.f.jf 197094 Insert number of Provisional Specification(s) (if anv) and date( s) of ■ fi Ling; otherwise leave blank.

PATENTS ACT 195 3 Number19 7094 Date: 14 May 1981 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Insert Title of Invention.

Insert full name, full street address and nationality of' (each) applicant.

PIPE CONNECTOR I/VflK DAVID JOHN PICTON, a British subject of 17 Leaver Place, Weymouth, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- Indicate if following page is numbered '1(a)' 1.10.KS 197094 This invention relates to a pipe connector for connecting pipes, hoses, and tubes to a fluid port, such as a tap or another pipe.

In the past, various devices have been used for connecting pipes end to end. However, such devices have tended to be bulky and expensive because of the need to ensure that once the fitting is connected to the pipes, there will be no leak of fluid from within the pipes through the joint.

A common device for joining pipes utilises a metal fitting with a threaded central portion and an end portion of such a diameter that when it is inserted into the end of a pipe it causes the pipe end to expand. A metal collar is then 15 screwed to the central portion to clamp the pipe against the end portion. These devices are cumbersome.

Alternative means for clamping the pipe to the end portion are also utilised. A metal sleeve may be placed oyer the 20 pipe above the inserted end portion and crimped or swaged in place. This results in a joint that is prone to leakage due to the 'creep' of standard pipes and may have a weak point at the connection between the end portion and the central portion of the fitting. Crimping the sleeve generally 25 results in the formation of an 'ear' or loop of material 197094 from the sleeve which reduces the remainder of the sleeve in size. This weakens the sleeve, and deforms the pipe, often creating a minute channel between the pipe and the end portion that allows leakage of fluid carried by the pipe, particularly when it is a gas. Crimping may also deform and damage the end portion of the fitting.

The present invention provides a simple and effective means of securing pipes or tubes to a fluid port so that they will not readily leak.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a pipe connector comprising an elongated plastics body having a bore therethrough, one end of the body having means enabling coupling of the bore at that end to a fluid port, the other end of the body comprising a first spigot portion coaxial with the bore, there being a second coaxial spigot portion separated from the first spigot portion by a step, each of the spigot portions being of substantially cylindrical form, each with a protruding circumferential rib which is between the ends but is not at or closely adjacent an end of the respective spigot portion, the second spigot portion having a larger external diameter than the first spigot portion and a deformable metal sleeve having coaxial cylindrical inner and outer surfaces (when unswaged) on the second spigot portion 157094 swaged over said rib thereon and projecting over the first spigot portion to define an annular cylindrical cavity between the sleeve and the first spigot portion the inner surface of said metal sleeve being, in its unswaged portions 5 of larger diameter than the external diameter of the circumferential rib on the second spigot portion.

In use, a tube or hose is inserted in said annular cylindrical cavity, the metal deformable sleeve being swaged 10 around the hose over the rib on the first spigot portion.

The above gives a broad description of the present invention, a preferred form of which will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a pipe connector body and sleeve in accordance with the present invention; Figure'2 shows an end elevation of the pipe connector body and sleeve shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 to 5 show bodies of additional pipe connectors; and 137094 Figure 6 shows a cross-section view of a pipe connector body, pipe and sleeve when assembled to form a pipe joint but unswaged.

Basically, the present invention provides a pipe connector consisting of a body and sleeve such as the ones illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 for insertion within the end of the pipe to be connected.- The body is hollow and is formed of nylon 10 or other plastics material, the body being open in at least two ends. It may be in the form of a tube with an end portion in the form of a first spigot 1 over which the end of the pipe to be connected can be fitted. The body shown in Figure 1 has a stepped outside diameter, and the first 15 spigot portion outside diameter is such that it will just fit within the pipe to be connected. The first spigot portion 1 may be tapered on the outside to permit easy insertion into the bore of the pipe, and may also be tapered on the inside to reduce turbulence in the flow of fluid 20 through the connecting piece.

Adjacent the first spigot portion 1 is a second spigot portion 3 of a greater diameter than the first spigot portion, preferably being the same diameter as the outside diameter of the pipe to be connected, which will normally be . -5- -2APTOB6 197094 a standard size. Thus a step is formed between the first and second spigot portions. Preferably, although not necessarily,'there is a third, central, portion 4 of greater diameter still than the said second spigot portion. The 5 central portion 4 acts as a divider between the metal sleeve and the attachment means and its diameter is typically the same as the outside diameter of the sle6ve.

To the other side of the second spigot portion is an 10 attachment means 5 for attaching the pipe connecting piece to a fluid port, such as a tap, or another pipe of the same or a different diameter.

The attachment means may be an identical arrangement of 15 'spigots as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5.

Figure.4 shows an alternative attachment means 5, being a threaded spigot, which can be screwed on to a tap or other threaded fitting.

The first spigot portion 1 which fits within the pipe has a series of radial ribs or ridges 9. The ribs may be sloped away from the end of the body, as already found on many ordinary close fitting connecting pieces for inserting into 25 pipes, making the ends easier to insert into the pipe than 197094 to withdraw out of it; but sloped ribs are not necessary to the present invention, and the drawings show straight ribs. The second spigot portion 3 also has ribs 10a,10b to provide secondary sealing once the sleeve is in place.

A sleeve 11, typically made of a metal such as aluminium or copper, consists of an open tube with an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the pipe to be connected, so that the sleeve may slide over the pipe when 10 the first spigot portion of the body is inserted into it. The sleeve is attachable to the hollow body, at the second spigot portion. The sleeve may be attached to the body , prior to use, or at the time that the connector is joined to a pipe.

To attach the sleeve to the body and the pipe a forming or swaging means is used to reduce the outside and inside diameter of portions of the sleeve. The forming means preferably comprises a pair of jaws operable to press onto 20 the sleeve, each jaw having a semi-circular recess of smaller diameter than the outside diameter of the sleeve, so that when the two jaws are pressed together the sleeve is compressed between the jaws to a smaller diameter. The effect of using the forming means seems to be to mould the 25 sleeve about the ribs 10a,10b of the second spigot portion 197094 •> locking the sleeve firmly in place and providing a leak proof joint. The forming means operates around the full circumference of the sleeve to ensure that the sleeve is firmly secured all the way around the body.

In use, as illustrated in Figure 6, a sleeve is slid on the pipe end to be joined 12 which is then placed over the first spigot portion 1 of the pipe connecting piece. The metal sleeve 13 is then slid over the pipe end to overlie the first and second spigot portions. As already described, the sleeve may have already been swaged to the second spigot portion in which case the pipe end 12 is simply pushed between the sleeve and the first spigot portion prior to swaging.

The sleeve is then swaged to the end of the pipe 12, using the forming means about point 16, and, if not already attached, to the intermediate portion of the pipe connector about point 17 over rib 10a. When the sleeve is so attached to the pipe connecting piece, it much strengthens the joint which is weakest at the step between the first and second spigot portions and provides a further seal against leakage.

As the metal sleeve provides structural strength to the pipe connection, the wall thickness of the first spigot portion 197094 of the pipe connector required to be fitted in the pipe end need not be very great. Thus, the present invention provides a minimum of interference of fluid flow through the pipe.

Various forms of the present invention may be used. For example, the connecting piece may define bends as illustrated in Figure 3 or T-sections as in Figure 5 to provide joints of various configurations, and many different forms of attachment means to fluid ports may be utilised.

Claims (3)

197094 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A pipe connector comprising an elongated plastics body having a bore therethrough, one end of the body having means enabling coupling of the bore at that end to a fluid port, the other end of the body comprising a first spigot portion coaxial with the bore, there being a second coaxial spigot portion separated from the first spigot portion by a step, each of the spigot portions being of substantially cylindrical form, each with a protruding circumferential rib which is between the ends but is not at or closely adjacent an end of the respective spigot portion, the second spigot portion having a larger external diameter than the first spigot portion and a deformable metal sleeve having coaxial cylindrical inner and outer surfaces (when unswaged) on the second spigot portion swaged over said rib thereon and projecting over the first spigot portion to define an annular cylindrical cavity between the sleeve and the first spigot portion the inner surface of said metal sleeve being, in its unswaged portions of larger diameter than the external diameter of the circumferential rib on the second spigot portion.

2. A pipe connector as claimed in Claim 1 including a pipe comprising a resilient hose inserted in said annular cylindrical cavity, -10- 197094 5 the metal deformable sleeve being swaged around the hose over the rib on the first spigot portion.

3. A pipe connector substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings. 15 ' 20 # -11- J. b. HAftblE Patent Attorneys faf-the Applicant^