Pipe fitting with inner and outer seals

A shell-stiffener seal member for a pipe fitting configured to be coupled to a pipe, the pipe fitting including a shell having an inner surface that defines a shell through hole, the pipe fitting defining a pocket between the inner surface of the shell and an outer surface of the stiffener, the shell-stiffener seal member comprising:

• a stiffener positioned with the shell through hole, wherein the shell-stiffener seal member is translatable relative to the shell, the stiffener, or both the shell and the stiffener along the longitudinal direction,
• a body including a seal inner surface and a seal outer surface, wherein the seal inner surface defines a substantially cylindrical shape and the seal outer surface is curved forming a body that has a cross section that is substantially D shaped,
• wherein the seal inner surface is configured to lie substantially flush against the outer surface of the stiffener to form a seal between the shell-stiffener seal member and the stiffener, the seal inner surface defining a flat portion and first and second curved corners, wherein the flat portion helps keep the shell-stiffener seal member aligned on the stiffener and prevent a movement of the shell-stiffener seal member, wherein each of the first and second curved corners define a radius of curvature the depends upon a configuration of the stiffener, wherein the seal outer surface is configured to abut against the shell inner surface to form a seal between the shell-stiffener seal member and the shell, and wherein the stiffener extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, the first end includes a flange that extends radially outward from the outer surface of the stiffener, and wherein the seal outer surface abuts against the first end of the stiffener including the radially extended flange and wherein the shell-stiffener seal member is positioned such that a chamfered end of the pipe abuts the shell-stiffener seal member without damaging or moving the shell-stiffener seal member.

A method of assembling a pipe fitting configured to be coupled to a pipe, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a shell-stiffener seal member about an outer surface of a stiffener of the pipe fitting, the shell-stiffener seal member including a seal inner surface and a seal outer surface, the seal inner surface extending circumferentially about and longitudinally along the outer surface of the stiffener such that the seal inner surface is substantially flush against the outer surface of the stiffener forming a seal between the shell-stiffener seal member and the stiffener;
• and
• positioning the stiffener in a shell through bore defined by an inner surface of a shell of the pipe fitting such that the seal outer surface abuts against the shell inner surface forming a seal between the shell-stiffener seal member and the shell, the seal inner surface defining a flat portion and first and second curved corners, wherein the flat portion helps keep the shell-stiffener seal member aligned on the stiffener and prevent a movement of the shell-stiffener seal member, wherein each of the first and second curved corners define a radius of curvature the depends upon a configuration of the stiffener, wherein the shell-stiffener seal member is translatable relative to the shell, the stiffener, or both the shell and the stiffener along a longitudinal direction, wherein the stiffener extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, the first end including a flange extending radially outward from the outer surface of the stiffener, and wherein the seal outer surface abuts against the first end of the stiffener including the radially extended flange and wherein the shell-stiffener seal member is positioned such that a chamfered end of the pipe abuts the shell-stiffener seal member without damaging or moving the shell-stiffener seal member.