Mechanical joint restraint with wedge assemblies including collar bolts
AssigneeEBAA Iron, Inc.
InventorMichael L. Lundstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A joint restraint assembly for a pipe, the joint restraint assembly including an annular body, and a wedge assembly received within an opening of a wedge housing of the annular body. The wedge assembly includes a bolt including a flange, and a low-friction material positioned between the flange and an interior surface of the wedge housing, which low-friction material is adapted to slidably engage the interior surface during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing. A wedge member is attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member. The wedge member is adapted to engage the pipe.
Claims20
A joint restraint assembly for a pipe, the joint restraint assembly comprising:
- an annular body comprising a wedge housing, the wedge housing comprising:
- a housing block;
- an opening extending from a radially interior surface of the annular body into at least a portion of the housing block;
- and
- an interior surface of the housing block, wherein the interior surface is defined by the opening and inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body;
- and
- a wedge assembly received within the opening of the wedge housing of the annular body, the wedge assembly comprising:
- a bolt comprising a flange;
- a low-friction material positioned between the flange and the interior surface of the housing block, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the housing block during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing;
- and
- a wedge member attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member, wherein the wedge member is adapted to engage the pipe.
A system, comprising:
- a joint restraint assembly, the joint restraint assembly comprising:
- an annular body comprising a wedge housing, the wedge housing comprising:
- a housing block;
- an opening extending from a radially interior surface of the annular body into at least a portion of the housing block;
- and
- an interior surface of the housing block, wherein the interior surface is defined by the opening and inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body;
- and
- a wedge assembly received within the opening of the wedge housing of the annular body, the wedge assembly comprising:
- a bolt comprising a flange;
- a low-friction material positioned between the flange and the interior surface of the housing block, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the housing block during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing;
- and
- a wedge member attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member;
- a first pipe received through the annular body of the joint restraint assembly;
- and
- a second pipe comprising an enlarged mouth and an annular flange formed at an end portion of the enlarged mouth;
- wherein a portion of the first pipe is received within the enlarged mouth of the second pipe;
- and
- wherein the annular body of the joint restraint assembly is attached to the annular flange of the second pipe via a plurality of fasteners.
A method of installing a joint restraint assembly, the method comprising:
- assembling a wedge assembly of the joint restraint assembly, comprising:
- threading a wedge member onto a lower portion of a bolt;
- and
- positioning a cap comprising a low-friction material onto a flange of the bolt;
- inserting the wedge assembly into a wedge housing of an annular body of the joint restraint assembly;
- wherein the wedge housing comprises an interior surface that is inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body;
- and
- wherein, when the wedge assembly is inserted into the wedge housing:
- the cap is positioned between the annular flange and the interior surface of the wedge housing, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the wedge housing during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing;
- and
- an upper portion of the bolt extends through a hole extending through the interior surface of the wedge housing;
- and
- threading a nut onto the upper portion of the bolt extending through the hole extending through the interior surface such that the wedge assembly is retained within the wedge housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.