US20100148498A1 - Swivel Misalignment Coupling for Connecting Conduit Sections - Google Patents
Swivel Misalignment Coupling for Connecting Conduit Sections Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100148498A1 US20100148498A1 US12/392,431 US39243109A US2010148498A1 US 20100148498 A1 US20100148498 A1 US 20100148498A1 US 39243109 A US39243109 A US 39243109A US 2010148498 A1 US2010148498 A1 US 2010148498A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- coupling member
- contact surface
- male
- attachment points
- conduit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/02—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction
- F16L27/04—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces
- F16L27/053—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces held in place by bolts passing through flanges
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/08—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe
- F16L27/0804—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe the fluid passing axially from one joint element to another
- F16L27/0808—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe the fluid passing axially from one joint element to another the joint elements extending coaxially for some distance from their point of separation
- F16L27/0812—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe the fluid passing axially from one joint element to another the joint elements extending coaxially for some distance from their point of separation with slide bearings
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
- F16L27/08—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe
- F16L27/0861—Arrangements of joints with one another and with pipes or hoses
Definitions
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of a conduit system in accordance with one embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a multi-section conduit using three-bolt swiveling misalignment connectors in accordance with one embodiment.
- FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a three-bolt swiveling misalignment connector as used in the example of FIG. 2 .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the male coupling member of FIG. 3 separately.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the collar of FIG. 3 separately.
- various embodiments of the invention comprise conduit systems and couplings for conduits, wherein the couplings are configured to facilitate easy and reliable connections of potentially misaligned conduit sections.
- conduits there are many applications for high-pressure and/or high strength conduits, particularly in the chemical and oil processing industries.
- the fluids that are conveyed by these conduits may be very hazardous.
- the fluids may be corrosive, poisonous, or harmful to the environment.
- the fluids may be carried through the conduits at very high pressures or very high temperatures, making them even more dangerous if the conduits leak.
- Misalignment couplings have been developed for some applications. These misalignment couplings are typically used to couple large diameter pipe sections, such as oil pipelines. Conventional misalignment couplings are typically very bulky devices that are secured by bolting together heavy flanges around the peripheries of the couplings' components. Conventional misalignment couplings are therefore normally very large, heavy devices that require a great deal of time and effort to assemble and thereby join the conduit sections. Consequently, these misalignment couplings are not well suited for use in conduit systems that use smaller-diameter (but still high-strength and/or high-pressure) conduits and require assembly of many different conduit sections.
- FIG. 1 an exemplary implementation of a conduit system in accordance with one embodiment is shown.
- the conduit system is used to interconnect various components of a truck-mounted fluid processing system.
- FIG. 1 includes two views of the system—one showing the left side of the system and the other showing the right side of the system.
- Fluid processing system 100 is mounted on a truck 110 to enable the system to be easily transported.
- the truck-mounting of the system places several constraints on the design of the system. For instance, because of the limited amount of space on the truck, the system must be designed to be as compact as possible. The components must therefore be placed very close to each other, and the interconnecting conduits must be routed around components that might not otherwise be in the way in a stationary (non-truck-mounted) implementation. Further, the components may not be as precisely positioned when mounted on the truck, so the conduits need to be able to account for potentially greater mis-positioning or misalignment than in a stationary implementation. Still further, the capacity limitations of the truck demand that the interconnecting conduits be as light as possible.
- conduit 150 connects an input manifold 120 to a main fluid processing component 130 .
- conduit 160 connects main fluid processing component 130 to output manifold 121 .
- conduit 150 includes multiple conduit sections that are connected by corresponding couplings in order to allow the conduit to be securely connected to form a leak-free conduit.
- Conduit 150 includes four sections, 151 - 154 .
- Section 151 is rigidly coupled to input manifold 120
- section 154 is rigidly coupled to processing component 130 .
- Conduit sections 152 and 153 are coupled together between sections 151 and 154 using couplings 155 - 157 that provide secure connections between the sections, even when they are misaligned.
- conduit 160 includes multiple sections that are coupled together to allow secure connection of the conduit.
- Conduit sections 161 - 164 are coupled together using couplings 165 - 168 . These couplings allow the conduit sections to be securely coupled together despite potentially being misaligned.
- conduits 150 and 160 may need to have multiple sections in order to allow inclusion of special-purpose conduit sections such as section 164 , which includes conduit branches 170 and 171 and corresponding valves.
- conduit 200 includes two conduit sections ( 210 , 211 ) and three couplings ( 220 , 221 , 222 ).
- Coupling 221 allows conduit sections 210 and 211 to be misaligned with respect to each other.
- Couplings 220 and 222 allow conduit 200 to be misaligned with respect to the components that are interconnected by the conduit. These may, for example, be functional components or additional conduit sections.
- Couplings 220 - 222 are three-bolt swiveling misalignment connectors. As described above, the misalignment feature allows the conduit sections to be securely connected and to have good seals even though the ends of the conduit sections are not precisely aligned with each other.
- Each coupling uses three bolts, equally spaced around the periphery of the coupling to secure the two flanges of the coupling together. The use of only three bolts allows the coupling to be quickly assembled or disassembled. This is important in systems that include many different conduit sections and that may have to be frequently assembled or disassembled, such as for maintenance purposes.
- the three-bolt connection also reduces the weight of the coupling in comparison to more conventional couplings that use more bolts and require heavier flanges.
- the coupling is designed so that at least one of the flanges of the coupling can swivel around the end of the corresponding conduit section. This facilitates alignment of the bolt holes in the two flanges so that the coupling can be
- coupling 300 includes a female coupling member 310 , a male coupling member 320 and a swiveling flange or collar 330 .
- Female coupling member 310 is configured so that a rear end 311 of the member can be welded to a first conduit section.
- the rear end 321 of male coupling member 320 is configured to be welded to a second conduit section.
- Female coupling member 310 has a pocket that is formed by an inward-facing contact surface 312 .
- Male coupling member 320 has a nose formed by outward-facing contact surface 322 .
- each of contact surfaces 312 and 322 is spherically shaped so that contact between the surfaces can be maintained when the coupling members are misaligned.
- a seal ring 340 may be positioned between the contact surfaces in order to ensure a good seal between the flanges. Seal ring 340 may be a simple o-ring, a tapered seal ring (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,474), or any other suitable type of seal ring.
- Male coupling member 320 has a shoulder 323 which extends radially outward from the member. Collar 330 is positioned around male coupling member 320 so that it abuts a rearward-facing (with respect to the male coupling member) surface of shoulder 323 . Collar 330 is then bolted to female coupling member 310 , pulling the collar toward the female coupling member and thereby forcing male coupling member 320 toward the female coupling member. The bolts are tightened to apply contact pressure between the contact surfaces of the male and female coupling members (or between these contact surfaces and the corresponding contact surfaces of the seal ring positioned between the contact surfaces). In order to accommodate misalignment of the coupling members, the bolt holes may be slightly oversized and both the bolts (and nuts) and seats therefor may be slightly rounded.
- FIG. 4A is a view of male coupling member 320 along the axis (centerline) of the member. From this view, it can be seen that male coupling member 320 is generally annular in shape and has no protruding tangs around the periphery of the member for bolting it to the female coupling member.
- FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of male coupling member 320 showing the structure of the coupling member. As noted above, an outward-facing contact surface 322 is configured to contact the female coupling member (or a sealing ring between the male and female coupling members) to provide a sealing connection between them.
- Contact surface 322 is spherical in this embodiment, but may have other shapes in alternative embodiments.
- shoulder 323 extends radially outward beyond contact surface 322 to form a stop 326 that limits the axial misalignment between the male and female coupling members. (At approximately 100° in misalignment in this embodiment, the stop contacts the female coupling member and prevents further misalignment.)
- shoulder 323 forms a rear contact surface 325 .
- FIG. 5A is a view of collar 330 along the axis of the collar
- FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the collar.
- collar 330 has a flange with three tangs 331 - 333 extending radially outward, each having a bolt hole therethrough. The tangs enable the collar to be bolted to the female coupling member.
- Collar 330 includes a contact surface 334 or that comes into contact with rear contact surface 325 of male coupling member 320 and urges the male coupling member into contact with the female coupling member when the coupling is assembled.
- the coupling member When the collar is positioned around the male coupling member, the coupling member can rotate or swivel within the collar and is not impeded by the bolts that connect the collar to the female coupling member.
- the collar can therefore be swiveled and aligned with the bolt holes of the female coupling member without having to move the male coupling member or the conduit section welded to the male coupling member.
- FIG. 6A is a view of female coupling member 310 along the axis of the coupling member
- FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the female coupling member.
- female coupling member 310 like collar 330 , has a flange, including three tangs 313 - 315 extending radially outward from the flange, with both holes therethrough.
- the flange and tangs are stationary with respect to female coupling member 310 , in contrast to the flange of collar 330 , which swivels around male coupling member 320 .
- the tangs and bolt holes female coupling member 310 are evenly spaced around the periphery of the coupling member so that they can be aligned with the bolt holes of the collar for assembly of the coupling.
- female coupling member 310 has an inward-facing contact surface 312 configured to contact the male coupling member and thereby provide a sealing connection between the coupling members.
- contact surface 312 there is a recess in contact surface 312 in which a sealing ring 360 can be seated to provide a good seal between contact surface 312 of the female coupling member and contact surface 322 of the male coupling member.
- FIGS. 6A and 6B also show that each tang ( 313 , 314 , 315 ) of female coupling member 310 has a generally triangular-shaped recess ( 316 , 317 , 318 ) therein.
- the flange is larger and accommodates more bolts (e.g., typically at least six) positioned around the periphery of the flange. The greater number of bolts are used not simply to provide sufficient contact pressure between the contact surfaces of the coupling components, but also to the evenly distribute the contact pressure around the peripheries of components.
- various embodiments of the present coupling are suitable for high-pressure conduits (e.g., conduits that must be pressurized to over 200 psi). Some embodiments of the coupling may withstand internal pressures of over 1000 psi. The high-pressure performance of the present coupling is therefore comparable to conventional high-pressure couplings. Both of these types of couplings are typically forged and/or machined, in contrast to the type of stamped-metal fixtures used in common low-pressure plumbing applications. The present coupling may be employed in a variety of applications ranging from smaller diameter pipes (e.g., 3 inch diameter) to larger pipelines (over 10 inches in diameter), similar to larger high-pressure pipe flanges.
- smaller diameter pipes e.g., 3 inch diameter
- larger pipelines over 10 inches in diameter
- the present coupling provides the advantage of easy assembly because the coupling is lighter, has fewer bolts than conventional couplings, and swivels. Further, the coupling allows connections of conduits in applications in which tight positioning and alignment tolerances may not be met using conventional couplings.
- conduits and pipes should be construed interchangeably, and should further be construed to include types of conduits that are not simple tubular members.
- manifolds, valve bodies and other components through which fluid may flow are considered to be conduits or pipes for the purposes of this disclosure.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/122,325, filed Dec. 12, 2008, which is incorporated by reference as if set forth herein in its entirety.
- Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of a conduit system in accordance with one embodiment. -
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a multi-section conduit using three-bolt swiveling misalignment connectors in accordance with one embodiment. -
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a three-bolt swiveling misalignment connector as used in the example ofFIG. 2 . -
FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the male coupling member ofFIG. 3 separately. -
FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the collar ofFIG. 3 separately. -
FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the female coupling member ofFIG. 3 separately. - While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and the accompanying detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment which is described. This disclosure is instead intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
- One or more embodiments of the invention are described below. It should be noted that these and any other embodiments described below are exemplary and are intended to be illustrative of the invention rather than limiting.
- As described herein, various embodiments of the invention comprise conduit systems and couplings for conduits, wherein the couplings are configured to facilitate easy and reliable connections of potentially misaligned conduit sections.
- There are many applications for high-pressure and/or high strength conduits, particularly in the chemical and oil processing industries. The fluids that are conveyed by these conduits may be very hazardous. For instance, the fluids may be corrosive, poisonous, or harmful to the environment. Additionally, the fluids may be carried through the conduits at very high pressures or very high temperatures, making them even more dangerous if the conduits leak.
- Various types of couplings have been developed to enable reliable connections to be formed between sections of high strength conduits. Typically, these connections are made by welding heavy flanges to the ends of the conduit sections and then bolting the flanges together with a gasket or seal between them. Often, the flanges are immovable, and a good seal can only be formed between the flanges if the sealing faces of the flanges are properly positioned and precisely aligned. In some applications, however, it is necessary to use many different conduit sections, or to install the conduit sections around other equipment, both of which make it difficult to accurately position or align all of the conduit sections so that good seals between the conduit sections can be ensured.
- Misalignment couplings have been developed for some applications. These misalignment couplings are typically used to couple large diameter pipe sections, such as oil pipelines. Conventional misalignment couplings are typically very bulky devices that are secured by bolting together heavy flanges around the peripheries of the couplings' components. Conventional misalignment couplings are therefore normally very large, heavy devices that require a great deal of time and effort to assemble and thereby join the conduit sections. Consequently, these misalignment couplings are not well suited for use in conduit systems that use smaller-diameter (but still high-strength and/or high-pressure) conduits and require assembly of many different conduit sections.
- It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods for coupling conduit sections together, wherein the couplings between the conduit sections have sufficient strength to provide reliable seals between potentially misaligned sections of conduit in a high-strength and/or high-pressure system, and wherein the couplings are configured to be lightweight and easily assembled.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 , an exemplary implementation of a conduit system in accordance with one embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the conduit system is used to interconnect various components of a truck-mounted fluid processing system.FIG. 1 includes two views of the system—one showing the left side of the system and the other showing the right side of the system. -
Fluid processing system 100 is mounted on atruck 110 to enable the system to be easily transported. The truck-mounting of the system, however, places several constraints on the design of the system. For instance, because of the limited amount of space on the truck, the system must be designed to be as compact as possible. The components must therefore be placed very close to each other, and the interconnecting conduits must be routed around components that might not otherwise be in the way in a stationary (non-truck-mounted) implementation. Further, the components may not be as precisely positioned when mounted on the truck, so the conduits need to be able to account for potentially greater mis-positioning or misalignment than in a stationary implementation. Still further, the capacity limitations of the truck demand that the interconnecting conduits be as light as possible. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 1 , to exemplary conduit sections are illustrated—one on the left side of the system and one on the right side of the system. On the left side of the system,conduit 150 connects aninput manifold 120 to a mainfluid processing component 130. On the right side of the system,conduit 160 connects mainfluid processing component 130 to output manifold 121. - Because
output manifold 120 cannot be precisely positioned with respect to the input ofprocessing component 130,conduit 150 includes multiple conduit sections that are connected by corresponding couplings in order to allow the conduit to be securely connected to form a leak-free conduit.Conduit 150 includes four sections, 151-154.Section 151 is rigidly coupled toinput manifold 120, whilesection 154 is rigidly coupled toprocessing component 130.Conduit sections sections - Similarly, because the output of
processing component 130 and the input of manifold 121 cannot be precisely positioned,conduit 160 includes multiple sections that are coupled together to allow secure connection of the conduit. Conduit sections 161-164 are coupled together using couplings 165-168. These couplings allow the conduit sections to be securely coupled together despite potentially being misaligned. It should be noted thatconduits section 164, which includes conduit branches 170 and 171 and corresponding valves. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , a multi-section conduit using three-bolt swiveling misalignment connectors in accordance with one embodiment is shown in more detail. In this embodiment,conduit 200 includes two conduit sections (210, 211) and three couplings (220, 221, 222).Coupling 221 allowsconduit sections Couplings conduit 200 to be misaligned with respect to the components that are interconnected by the conduit. These may, for example, be functional components or additional conduit sections. - Couplings 220-222 are three-bolt swiveling misalignment connectors. As described above, the misalignment feature allows the conduit sections to be securely connected and to have good seals even though the ends of the conduit sections are not precisely aligned with each other. Each coupling uses three bolts, equally spaced around the periphery of the coupling to secure the two flanges of the coupling together. The use of only three bolts allows the coupling to be quickly assembled or disassembled. This is important in systems that include many different conduit sections and that may have to be frequently assembled or disassembled, such as for maintenance purposes. The three-bolt connection also reduces the weight of the coupling in comparison to more conventional couplings that use more bolts and require heavier flanges. The coupling is designed so that at least one of the flanges of the coupling can swivel around the end of the corresponding conduit section. This facilitates alignment of the bolt holes in the two flanges so that the coupling can be quickly and easily assembled.
- Referring to
FIG. 3 , the structure of a three-bolt swiveling misalignment connector as used in the example ofFIG. 2 is shown in more detail. In this example,coupling 300 includes afemale coupling member 310, amale coupling member 320 and a swiveling flange orcollar 330.Female coupling member 310 is configured so that arear end 311 of the member can be welded to a first conduit section. Likewise, therear end 321 ofmale coupling member 320 is configured to be welded to a second conduit section.Female coupling member 310 has a pocket that is formed by an inward-facingcontact surface 312.Male coupling member 320 has a nose formed by outward-facingcontact surface 322. The nose ofmale coupling member 320 fits into the pocket offemale coupling member 310. In this embodiment, each of contact surfaces 312 and 322 is spherically shaped so that contact between the surfaces can be maintained when the coupling members are misaligned. Aseal ring 340 may be positioned between the contact surfaces in order to ensure a good seal between the flanges.Seal ring 340 may be a simple o-ring, a tapered seal ring (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,474), or any other suitable type of seal ring. -
Male coupling member 320 has ashoulder 323 which extends radially outward from the member.Collar 330 is positioned aroundmale coupling member 320 so that it abuts a rearward-facing (with respect to the male coupling member) surface ofshoulder 323.Collar 330 is then bolted tofemale coupling member 310, pulling the collar toward the female coupling member and thereby forcingmale coupling member 320 toward the female coupling member. The bolts are tightened to apply contact pressure between the contact surfaces of the male and female coupling members (or between these contact surfaces and the corresponding contact surfaces of the seal ring positioned between the contact surfaces). In order to accommodate misalignment of the coupling members, the bolt holes may be slightly oversized and both the bolts (and nuts) and seats therefor may be slightly rounded. - It should be noted that terminology used herein such as “radial” directions and “inward-facing” and “outward-facing” surfaces should be referenced with respect to the
axis 350 at the centerline of the respective component. It should also be noted that, for each of the coupling members, “rear” refers to the end of the coupling member that is configured to be welded or otherwise connected to the corresponding conduit section, while “forward” refers to the end of the coupling member that is farthest from this conduit. - Referring to
FIGS. 4A and 4B ,male coupling member 320 is shown separately.FIG. 4A is a view ofmale coupling member 320 along the axis (centerline) of the member. From this view, it can be seen thatmale coupling member 320 is generally annular in shape and has no protruding tangs around the periphery of the member for bolting it to the female coupling member.FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view ofmale coupling member 320 showing the structure of the coupling member. As noted above, an outward-facingcontact surface 322 is configured to contact the female coupling member (or a sealing ring between the male and female coupling members) to provide a sealing connection between them.Contact surface 322 is spherical in this embodiment, but may have other shapes in alternative embodiments. In this embodiment,shoulder 323 extends radially outward beyondcontact surface 322 to form astop 326 that limits the axial misalignment between the male and female coupling members. (At approximately 100° in misalignment in this embodiment, the stop contacts the female coupling member and prevents further misalignment.) In addition to forming stop 326,shoulder 323 forms arear contact surface 325. Whencollar 330 is positioned aroundmale coupling member 320, the collar contacts surface 325 of the coupling member and applies pressure to this surface to urge the male coupling member into contact with the female coupling member. - Referring to
FIGS. 5A and 5B ,collar 330 is shown separately.FIG. 5A is a view ofcollar 330 along the axis of the collar, whileFIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the collar. Referring toFIG. 5A , it can be seen that, in contrast to the male coupling member,collar 330 has a flange with three tangs 331-333 extending radially outward, each having a bolt hole therethrough. The tangs enable the collar to be bolted to the female coupling member.Collar 330 includes acontact surface 334 or that comes into contact withrear contact surface 325 ofmale coupling member 320 and urges the male coupling member into contact with the female coupling member when the coupling is assembled. When the collar is positioned around the male coupling member, the coupling member can rotate or swivel within the collar and is not impeded by the bolts that connect the collar to the female coupling member. The collar can therefore be swiveled and aligned with the bolt holes of the female coupling member without having to move the male coupling member or the conduit section welded to the male coupling member. - Referring to
FIGS. 6A and 6B ,female coupling member 310 is shown separately.FIG. 6A is a view offemale coupling member 310 along the axis of the coupling member, andFIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the female coupling member. - Referring to
FIG. 6A , it can be seen thatfemale coupling member 310, likecollar 330, has a flange, including three tangs 313-315 extending radially outward from the flange, with both holes therethrough. The flange and tangs are stationary with respect tofemale coupling member 310, in contrast to the flange ofcollar 330, which swivels aroundmale coupling member 320. The tangs and bolt holesfemale coupling member 310 are evenly spaced around the periphery of the coupling member so that they can be aligned with the bolt holes of the collar for assembly of the coupling. - Referring to
FIG. 6B ,female coupling member 310 has an inward-facingcontact surface 312 configured to contact the male coupling member and thereby provide a sealing connection between the coupling members. In this embodiment, there is a recess incontact surface 312 in which asealing ring 360 can be seated to provide a good seal betweencontact surface 312 of the female coupling member andcontact surface 322 of the male coupling member. -
FIGS. 6A and 6B also show that each tang (313, 314, 315) offemale coupling member 310 has a generally triangular-shaped recess (316, 317, 318) therein. In a conventional coupling, the flange is larger and accommodates more bolts (e.g., typically at least six) positioned around the periphery of the flange. The greater number of bolts are used not simply to provide sufficient contact pressure between the contact surfaces of the coupling components, but also to the evenly distribute the contact pressure around the peripheries of components. - Because only three bolts are used in this embodiment, there could be an uneven distribution of contact pressure around the contact surfaces of the coupling member if the thickness of the flange were the same across the entirety of each tang. In other words, the bolts could apply pressure at the three tangs, causing inward deformation of the
female contact surface 312 near the tangs so that this contact surface does not meet the tolerances required for a good seal. The coupling could therefore leak. By providing the triangular recesses between the tangs and the contact surface, the tangs are allowed to flex somewhat without deforming the contact surface inward at those points. The greater thickness around the outer edge of the flange (e.g., at tangential portion 319) or helps to transfer contact pressure to points between the tangs. Recesses 316-318 thereby reduce stresses and resulting deformation of the female contact surface and improve the seal produced by the coupling. - It should be noted that it is not necessary in this embodiment to provide recesses in the tangs of
collar 330 because deformation of the collar that may be caused by the tightening of the bolts in the assembled coupling may affect contact between the collar and the shoulder ofmale flange 320, but little, if any, of this deformation is transferred to contactsurface 322 of the male flange. - It is contemplated that various embodiments of the present coupling are suitable for high-pressure conduits (e.g., conduits that must be pressurized to over 200 psi). Some embodiments of the coupling may withstand internal pressures of over 1000 psi. The high-pressure performance of the present coupling is therefore comparable to conventional high-pressure couplings. Both of these types of couplings are typically forged and/or machined, in contrast to the type of stamped-metal fixtures used in common low-pressure plumbing applications. The present coupling may be employed in a variety of applications ranging from smaller diameter pipes (e.g., 3 inch diameter) to larger pipelines (over 10 inches in diameter), similar to larger high-pressure pipe flanges. As noted above, however, the present coupling provides the advantage of easy assembly because the coupling is lighter, has fewer bolts than conventional couplings, and swivels. Further, the coupling allows connections of conduits in applications in which tight positioning and alignment tolerances may not be met using conventional couplings.
- It should be noted that, while the foregoing description focuses on an exemplary embodiment that uses bolts to fasten the flange of the female coupling member to the flange of the swiveling collar, alternative embodiments may employ other types of fasteners. For instance, rather than providing bolt holes at the attachment points (tangs) of the flanges, the attachment points may be configured to be fastened together by clamps. Still other fasteners may also be used.
- It should be noted that references herein to conduits and pipes should be construed interchangeably, and should further be construed to include types of conduits that are not simple tubular members. For example, manifolds, valve bodies and other components through which fluid may flow are considered to be conduits or pipes for the purposes of this disclosure.
- The benefits and advantages which may be provided by the present invention have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. These benefits and advantages, and any elements or limitations that may cause them to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features of any or all of the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted as non-exclusively including the elements or limitations which follow those terms. Accordingly, a system, method, or other embodiment that comprises a set of elements is not limited to only those elements, and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to the claimed embodiment.
- The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein and recited within the following claims.
Claims (16)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/392,431 US20100148498A1 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2009-02-25 | Swivel Misalignment Coupling for Connecting Conduit Sections |
US14/297,383 US9103475B2 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2014-06-05 | Swivel misalignment coupling for connecting conduit sections |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12232508P | 2008-12-12 | 2008-12-12 | |
US12/392,431 US20100148498A1 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2009-02-25 | Swivel Misalignment Coupling for Connecting Conduit Sections |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/297,383 Continuation US9103475B2 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2014-06-05 | Swivel misalignment coupling for connecting conduit sections |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100148498A1 true US20100148498A1 (en) | 2010-06-17 |
Family
ID=42239592
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/392,431 Abandoned US20100148498A1 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2009-02-25 | Swivel Misalignment Coupling for Connecting Conduit Sections |
US14/297,383 Active US9103475B2 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2014-06-05 | Swivel misalignment coupling for connecting conduit sections |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/297,383 Active US9103475B2 (en) | 2008-12-12 | 2014-06-05 | Swivel misalignment coupling for connecting conduit sections |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20100148498A1 (en) |
Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US275098A (en) * | 1883-04-03 | Flexible plpe-joint | ||
US631064A (en) * | 1899-04-17 | 1899-08-15 | A E Dart Union Company | Union-coupling. |
US680649A (en) * | 1901-02-25 | 1901-08-13 | Jefferson Mfg Company | Union-coupling. |
US696603A (en) * | 1901-11-11 | 1902-04-01 | Solomon R Dresser | Clamping-ring for pipe-couplings. |
US2295716A (en) * | 1941-02-28 | 1942-09-15 | Ora C Cox | Pipe union |
US4486037A (en) * | 1977-07-06 | 1984-12-04 | Keith Shotbolt | Pipe connectors |
US4647084A (en) * | 1985-03-12 | 1987-03-03 | M.A.N. Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg Ag | Pipe connection |
US4795166A (en) * | 1985-04-10 | 1989-01-03 | Feodor Burgmann Dichtungswerke Gmbh & Co. | Sealing gasket |
US5779282A (en) * | 1996-01-11 | 1998-07-14 | General Motors Corporation | Exhaust ball seal |
US6164067A (en) * | 1997-03-07 | 2000-12-26 | Cronje; Jacobus | Knuckle joint for an exhaust system |
US20040046391A1 (en) * | 2000-01-14 | 2004-03-11 | Vasudeva Kailash C. | Exhaust system flanges |
-
2009
- 2009-02-25 US US12/392,431 patent/US20100148498A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2014
- 2014-06-05 US US14/297,383 patent/US9103475B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US275098A (en) * | 1883-04-03 | Flexible plpe-joint | ||
US631064A (en) * | 1899-04-17 | 1899-08-15 | A E Dart Union Company | Union-coupling. |
US680649A (en) * | 1901-02-25 | 1901-08-13 | Jefferson Mfg Company | Union-coupling. |
US696603A (en) * | 1901-11-11 | 1902-04-01 | Solomon R Dresser | Clamping-ring for pipe-couplings. |
US2295716A (en) * | 1941-02-28 | 1942-09-15 | Ora C Cox | Pipe union |
US4486037A (en) * | 1977-07-06 | 1984-12-04 | Keith Shotbolt | Pipe connectors |
US4647084A (en) * | 1985-03-12 | 1987-03-03 | M.A.N. Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg Ag | Pipe connection |
US4795166A (en) * | 1985-04-10 | 1989-01-03 | Feodor Burgmann Dichtungswerke Gmbh & Co. | Sealing gasket |
US5779282A (en) * | 1996-01-11 | 1998-07-14 | General Motors Corporation | Exhaust ball seal |
US6164067A (en) * | 1997-03-07 | 2000-12-26 | Cronje; Jacobus | Knuckle joint for an exhaust system |
US20040046391A1 (en) * | 2000-01-14 | 2004-03-11 | Vasudeva Kailash C. | Exhaust system flanges |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20140300102A1 (en) | 2014-10-09 |
US9103475B2 (en) | 2015-08-11 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
CA2387838C (en) | Apparatus for connecting tubular bodies | |
CA2503231C (en) | Enhanced durability hammer union | |
US6883836B2 (en) | Positive locking fitting assembly | |
US6158781A (en) | Pipeline swivel coupling | |
US6565129B2 (en) | Quick connect system and method for fluid devices | |
US8641099B2 (en) | Coupling with one-piece plural nipples | |
JP2019163857A (en) | Pipe connector | |
US9631757B2 (en) | Pipe joint | |
US11187356B2 (en) | Non-preloaded threaded pipe connection for temporary high pressure piping | |
US6454313B1 (en) | Connector for misaligned tubulars | |
US5415439A (en) | Misalignment fitting | |
US8888144B2 (en) | Misalignment connector utilizing interleaved bearings | |
US9103475B2 (en) | Swivel misalignment coupling for connecting conduit sections | |
US20060131883A1 (en) | Externally pressurized connection | |
US10247332B2 (en) | Pipe coupling having arcuate snap couplers with cylindrical base body | |
US7549678B2 (en) | Systems for actuating a pipe connection | |
US11739871B2 (en) | Pipe union assembly | |
US11946576B2 (en) | Pipe adapter | |
WO2012154222A1 (en) | Ceramic-to-metal flange connection | |
GB2481964A (en) | Ball and socket joint | |
CA3170916A1 (en) | Offset-alignment pivotable coupler fittings for sealably interconnecting high-pressure lines | |
US20080042438A1 (en) | Hydraulic fitting and method of manufacture |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TAPER-LOK CORPORATION, TEXAS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HOWARD, ERIK M.;REEL/FRAME:025348/0808 Effective date: 20101111 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERA Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNORS:AF GLOENCO INC.;ALLPOINTS OILFIELD SERVICES LLC;TAOER-LOK CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:029531/0024 Effective date: 20121219 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TAPER-LOK CORPORATION, TEXAS Free format text: RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN PATENT SHORT FORM SECURITY AGREEMENT AT REEL/FRAME 029531/0024;ASSIGNOR:DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS;REEL/FRAME:042732/0192 Effective date: 20170608 Owner name: TAPER-LOK CORPORATION, TEXAS Free format text: RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN PATENT SHORT FORM SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY, AS SUCCESSOR TO DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, IN ITS CAPACITY AS COLLATERAL AGENT;REEL/FRAME:042732/0503 Effective date: 20170608 |