NZ573366A - A pipe assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The ends of first and second pipes 1 and 5 are coupled within a sleeve 2. The end of the second pipe 5 is provided with a bush 8 attached at 9 around the end. A ring 10 is placed around the end of the second pipe before the bush 8 is attached and when the pipes are coupled the ring is welded to the coupler at 12. The end 9 of the bush will interfere with the radial projection 11 of the ring to resist pull through of, and removal of, the bushed end of the second pipe 5 from within the sleeve coupler 2.

Description

2 7 NOV 2009 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 573366 Date: 2 December 2008 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A PIPE ASSEMBLY We, FLETCHER BUILDING PRODUCTS LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 810 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to pipe assemblies and related methods, subassemblies, systems components, etc.

There is frequently a need (as for a man hole or other type application) to have pipes of disparate material interconnected in such a way that there is little tendency of loss of integrity of the joint during normal usage. By way of example, with manholes, a concrete material is usually used as the tubular surround. It is usual to grout a compatible material as a first pipe as an entry into the manhole surround and then to couple to that pipe rather than to the direct to the surround.

The invention also recognises a desire to provide some measure of flexibility in a pipe to pipe connection including in the previously mentioned scenario.

The present invention also wishes to avoid the need for the use of a heat shrunk sleeve in conjunction with specific non-plastic pipe forms or without the need for a surrounding heat shrunk retention arrangement.

An example of such an arrangement is that disclosed in New Zealand patent specification 227686 of Hygrade Products Limited where a female ended first pipe receives within its open end, a male end of a second pipe having an adaptor in the form of a bush or the like fitted therearound. With a view to avoiding withdrawal of the second pipe from within the female end of the first pipe, a heat shrunk sleeve overlies the exterior of the join and shrinks down to prevent withdrawal by acting against a shoulder of the first pipe, the shoulder being provided by its female end characteristic, and the shoulder provided by the adaptor or bush of the nested and O-ringed second pipe.

The present invention also recognises the examples provided by New Zealand patent specification numbers 328354 and 329263.

The present invention however seeks to avoid the need for reliance upon a heat shrunk sleeve or a heat shrunk sleeve and a mastic material.

The present invention sees an advantage in being able to fit to a first pipe without any special end characteristic as in NZ227686. A suitable first pipe of the present invention is that known as the NAYLOR™ DENSLEEVE™. Such a product nests into the NAYLOR™ sleeve connector. Details of these products can be seen on www.naylor.co.nz. The NAYLOR™ sleeve coupler is manufactured in a high impact polypropylene with elastomeric seals providing watertight, flexible mechanical joint assemblies. It provides an inwardly directed registration flange of elastomeric material against which pipes to be connected can be received to butt in a slightly spaced but predetermined manner from the other pipe slow received.

There is no male into female location of one pipe into the other. Rather each pipe is received as a male end into the sleeve coupler and the seal is provided by the interposed annular seals or O-rings about each pipe end against the inside of the sleeve coupler.

We envisage pipe assemblies serving a useful purpose when offered fully pre-assembled, or in part pre-assembled, or as a kit, adapted to engage a first pipe it has all which it might be associated with.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pipe assembly (such as for a manhole or like usage), a kit or assembly of parts or sub-assemblies of such parts, and related methods, systems and the like.

In a first aspect the invention consists in a pipe assembly, the pipe assembly comprising or including a first pipe having an open end, a sleeve coupler able to receive at least two pipes, the sleeve coupler having received the open end of said first pipe, a flexible annular seal or O-ring about said first pipe and between said first pipe and the sleeve coupler, a second pipe with an open end, a bush attached about said second pipe at and/or adjacent said open end, a flexible annular seal or O-ring about the bush and between the bushed end of the second pipe and said sleeve coupler, the bushed end having been received by the sleeve coupler, and a compatible annular member about the second pipe attached to the sleeve coupling subsequent to the receipt of the bushed end of the second pipe and the annular seal or O-ring into the sleeve coupler, the compatible member being adapted to resist pull through of, and removal of, the bushed end of the second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

Preferably said pipe assembly is a manhole or similar connector assembly.

Preferably said first pipe is an earthenware, vitrified clay or Hathenware pipe (eg, typified by the NAYLOR™ DENSLEEVE™ product or something similar).

Preferably said first pipe has said open end at the same diameter as the remainder of the pipe ie, preferably without a "female" end.

Preferably said first pipe is a short pipe (for example less than 1 meter long).

Preferably the sleeve coupler is or includes a moulding of a plastics, synthetic rubber and/or the like material. Suitable materials include a high impact polypropylene with elastomeric seals.

Preferably said sleeve coupler is typified by the NAYLOR™ type coupler as hereinafter exemplified which comply with BS EN295-1:SYSTEM G.

Preferably said second pipe is a plastics pipe.

Preferably said second pipe has a lesser diameter at said open end than at its other end.

Preferably said other end of said second pipe is adapted to receive a pipe there within (preferably with seals being provided in that "female" end).

Preferably said second pipe (eg, of PVC or PP or PE) is a pipe exemplified hereinafter.

Preferably said bush (eg, of PVC or PP or PE) is fitted onto said second pipe after the positioning of said compatible member onto said second pipe.

Preferably said fitment includes placement and attachment by adhesion and/or welding and/or like process.

Preferably said bush is of a compatible plastics material to said second pipe or alternatively said bush and said second pipe are of materials to which there can be a mutually compatible welding or adhesive fixing process applied.

Preferably that end of said bush to act to resist the pull through of the compatible member is welded to said second pipe.

Preferably said compatible member is of a similar type material or materials to that of said sleeve coupler.

Preferably said compatible member is of a substantially cylindrical form having, at or adjacent one end of that form, a substantially radially directed flange adapted to fit over the open end region of said second pipe but not the bush thereby to allow its ease of fitment onto the second pipe prior to placement on, and attachment to, the second pipe of the bush.

Preferably the arrangement as substantially as herein described with reference to any or more of the accompanying drawings.

Preferably the sequence of attachment is not critical but preferably in one embodiment the first pipe is associated with the sleeve coupling prior to the association therewith of the bushed end of the second pipe. In other preferred embodiments the bushed end of the second pipe can be associated with the sleeve coupler first. Indeed in some forms of the present invention, the bushed end of the second pipe can be received by the sleeve coupler prior to the fixing of the bush to the second pipe and/or prior to the movement of the sleeve seal or O-ring between the bush and the sleeve coupler.

Likewise preferably the sequence of fitment of the first pipe within the sleeve coupler can be simultaneously with the movement of the flexible seal or O-ring between said first pipe and said sleeve moulding and/or there can be movement of that seal or O-ring subsequently to that first pipe movement.

In a first aspect the invention consists in a pipe assembly, the pipe assembly comprising or including a first pipe having an open end, a sleeve coupler able to receive at least two pipes, the sleeve coupler having received the open end of said first pipe, a second pipe with an open end, a bush attached about said second pipe at and/or adjacent said open end, and a compatible annular member about the second pipe attached to the sleeve coupling subsequent to the receipt of the bushed end of the second pipe (irrespective of whether the bush when received by then has been fixed or not to the pipe) into the sleeve coupler, the compatible member being adapted to resist pull through of, and removal of, the bushed end of the second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing a pipe assembly which comprises or includes, in any sequence; fitting a first pipe into a sleeve coupler, taking or providing a bush and ring carrying second pipe and fitting the pipe end region and bush into said sleeve coupler prior to, as or after the bush is fixed to the pipe end region, the bush having been associated with the second pipe after the ring has been associated with the pipe, and attaching the ring as a retention member to the sleeve coupler so as to resist, by virtue of the presence of the fixed bush, the withdrawal of the bush ended second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing a pipe assembly substantially as aforesaid which comprises, in any appropriate sequence, providing by a series of steps the required outcome.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing a pipe assembly which comprises or includes, in any sequence; fitting a first pipe into a sleeve coupler in such a way as to seal thereto, taking or providing a bush and ring carrying second pipe and fitting the pipe end region and bush into said sleeve coupler prior to, as or after the bush is fixed to the pipe end region, the bush having been associated with the second pipe after the ring has been associated with the pipe, and attaching the ring as a retention member to the sleeve coupler so as to resist, by virtue of the presence of the fixed bush, the withdrawal of the bush ended second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

Preferably the method is performed using a combination, partial assemblies, a full or partial kit, and items of components herein described or defined.

In still a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing a pipe assembly which allows for some flexibility between two contributing pipe lengths, said method comprising or including any sequence of steps which achieves a result of adjacent ends of said two pipes being within a sleeve coupler and having an annular member welded or attached as either or both a retention and/or closer fitting surround of one or other of the pipes at each end to said sleeve coupler.

Preferably the sleeve coupler is of a material as, for example, polypropylene. In one case preferably the annular member is a retention member adapted to engage a bush fixed to a pipe that has been received within said sleeve coupler so as to prevent the easy withdrawal of the bushed end from within the sleeve coupler. In another case preferably the annular member is a member that more tightly fits about one of said pipes than does the sleeve coupler. Preferably that tighter annular member has been attached eg, by welding to the sleeve coupler.

In another aspect the invention consists in a pipe assembly comprising or including a first pipe having an open end, a second pipe having an open end, a sleeve coupler receiving both said open ends so as to allow communication between said pipes, an annular member about one of said pipes attached to said sleeve coupler, and an annular member about the other of said pipes attached to said sleeve coupler; wherein the annular member is a tighter surround of its pipe than is the proximate region of the sleeve coupler and/or acts as a retention member to prevent withdrawal of its pipe (for example, by providing an interference for a bush fixed to that part that has been received within the sleeve coupler).

Preferably each of said annular members is distinct from any O-ring or seal from the sleeve coupler to a pipe or a bushed pipe.

In a further aspect the invention consists in an interconnected pipe assembly where a sleeve coupler for the pipes has at each end thereof an annular member of similar material welded to the sleeve coupler, such welding having been achieved after association of at least one and preferably both said pipes with the sleeve coupler.

In a further aspect the invention consists in apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a reticulation system which incorporates and assembly in accordance with the present invention.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of'. When interpreting statements in this specification which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7).

The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference.

The preferred form or preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe assembly in accordance with the present invention, the first pipe being lower most, and the female end of the second or plastic pipe being uppermost, the retention ring or compatible member (as an annular end cap for one end of the sleeve coupler) being shown overlying the fixed bush on the second pipe (the retention ring or compatible member being fixed to one end of the sleeve coupler), Figure 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of Figure 1, the first pipe being to the left, Figure 3 is a view AA with respect to Figure 2, Figure 4 is a view BB with respect to Figure 2, Figure 5 is a sectional view of the assembly in the condition as shown in Figure 2, Figure 6a through 6F show one sequence of fitment of the overall assembly, Figure 6F being an enlargement of the weld feature shown in Figure 6E, and Figure 7 shows how the assembly of Figure 5 can be sequenced differently ie, the first pipe being associated with the sleeve coupler after the fitment and retention arrangement is in place for the second pipe.

In the drawings there is shown a first pipe 1. This is preferably the NAYLOR™ DENSLEEVE™ product. It has been received into a NAYLOR™ sleeve coupler 2 with an elastomeric seal 3 (eg O-ring) interposed between the sleeve coupler and the pipe 1.

As can be seen the sleeve coupler 2 has an inwardly directed annular flange 4 to provide an internal register 4.

The second pipe 5 (eg of a plastic) preferably has a female end region 6 of greater general diameter than its male end region 7. The male region 7 received within the coupler 2 and packed with the bush 8 to register against the flange 4.

This pipe 5, for example a socketed PVC plastic pipe has, in the assembly as shown in Figure 5, the bush 8 fixed by welding, adhesive or otherwise 9 to the pipe 5. This provides an abutment surface against which the compatible member or annular cap or ring 10, with its inwardly directed flange 11, can abut to avoid easy withdrawal of the bushed end of the second pipe from within the coupler 2. It is preferably welding or other adhesive attachment at 12 between the coupler 2 and the component 10.

Again there is an elastomeric seal 13 (such as an O-ring) interposed between the received end of the pipe assembly (5, 7 and 8) and the coupler 2.

In some of the drawings, the strengthening external annular ribs 14 and 15 of the coupler 2 have been omitted for clarity. Optionally however, part of peripheral rib such as 15 could be, or could match, part of the ring or compatible member 10.

As can be seen from the sequence 6a through 6e, the member 10 is the narrow end region of the second pipe 5. Prior to the association of the bush 8 with the pipe 5 and its fixing thereto consequently it is not necessary for either the sleeve coupling 2 nor the retention cap or ring 10 to be heat shrinkable ie, there is to be an interference without heat shrinking.

Clearly being able to have member 10 around the pipe 5 prior to bush 8 fitting and anchoring is desirable.

Whilst there is preferably welding at 12 (see Figure 6f) preferably this is conducted in such a way as to provide no shrinkage that leads to the retention characteristic ie, the retention characteristic is inherent from the cap or retention member 10 having been fixed to the coupler 2 and having its inwardly directed flange 11 acting in an interference way with respect to anchored bush 8 on the pipe 2.

It matters not how it is the sequence of assembly is performed. A person skilled in the art will appreciate the various different ways such an arrangement can be created.

People will also appreciate how the PVC bush 8 and the PVC pipe 5 can be anchored one relative to the other in a number of different ways whether by welding or not (eg, adhesive) Preferably however there is a welded anchoring and preferably with the end of the bush as shown ie, in the same plane as the male end of the pipe 5.

Figure 22, with broken lines shows how, if desired, a similar member to 10 can be fitted to the coupler 2 by welding. This enables a closer tolerance to the pipe 1 than is the case for the O-ring accommodating member 2. Such a member 16, also of PP can be inwardly flanged and/or a solid ring (eg, smoothly slidable tightly onto the pipe 1 prior to being fixed by welding to coupler 2).

The present invention with proprietary products and the compatible member as the end cap provides for ease of manufacture of a sub assembly, or full assembly, of components to provide the pipe assembly described and able to be used in any of the ways such assemblies are used whether from within a manhole or not.

In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Claims (27)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A pipe assembly, comprising of including: a first pipe having an open end, a sleeve coupler able to receive at least two pipes, the sleeve coupler receiving the open end of said first pipe, a second pipe with an open end, a bush attached about said second pipe at and/or adjacent said open end, the sleeve coupler receiving the bushed end of said second pipe, and an annular member about the second pipe attached to the sleeve coupler subsequent to the receipt of the bushed end of the second pipe into the sleeve coupler, the annular member being adapted to resist pull through of, and removal of, the bushed end of the second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

2. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly further comprises a flexible annular seal or O-ring about said first pipe between said first pipe and the sleeve coupler.

3. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said assembly farther comprises a flexible annular seal or O-ring about the bush between the bushed end of the second pipe and said sleeve coupler.

4. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said pipe assembly is a manhole assembly.

5. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said first pipe is an earthenware, vitrified clay or hathernware pipe.

6. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the diameter of said open end of said first pipe is the same diameter as the remainder of the pipe.

7. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first pipe is without a "female" end.

8. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said first pipe is a pipe less than 1 meter long.

9. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sleeve coupler is formed from, or includes a moulding of, a plastics, synthetic rubber and/or similar material.

10. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the sleeve coupler is formed from a high impact PP (polypropylene) with elastomeric seals.

11. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said second pipe is a plastics pipe.

12. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said second pipe has a lesser diameter at said open end than at its other end. 10

13. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein said other end of said second pipe is adapted, as if it is a "female" end, to receive a pipe there within.

14. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein said second pipe has seals in the "female" end.

15. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein said second pipe is of PVC (polyvinylchloride) or PP or PE (polyethylene).

16. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said bush is fitted onto said second pipe after the positioning of said annular member onto said second pipe.

17. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said bush is of PVC, PP or PE.

18. A pipe assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein said bush fitment includes placement and attachment by adhesion and/or welding and/or similar process.

19. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein said bush is of a compatible plastics material to said second pipe.

20. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein said bush and said second pipe are of materials to which there can be a mutually compatible welding or adhesive fixing process applied.

21. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein that end of said bush which acts to resist the pull through of the compatible member is welded to said second pipe.

22. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said annular member is of a similar type of material or materials to that of said sleeve coupler.

23. A pipe assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said annular-member is of a substantially cylindrical form having, at or adjacent one end, a substantially radially directed flange adapted to fit over the open end region of said second pipe but not the bush thereby to allow its ease of fitment onto the second pipe prior to placement on, and attachment to, the second pipe.

24. A pipe assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

25. A method of providing a pipe assembly which comprises or includes the steps of; fitting a first pipe into a sleeve coupler, taking or providing a bush and ring carrying second pipe and fitting the end region of the second pipe and the bush into said sleeve coupler prior to, as, or after, the bush is fixed to the end region of the second pipe, and 11 attaching the ring to the sleeve coupler as a retention member so as to resist, by virtue of the presence of the fixed bush, the withdrawal of the bush ended second pipe from within the sleeve coupler.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein first pipe is associated with the sleeve coupler in such a way as to seal thereto.

27. A method of providing a pipe assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. 12