Couplings Having Stiffening Ribs and Keys with Oppositely Disposed Camming Surfaces
AssigneeVictaulic Company
InventorsScott D. Madara, Wayne M. Biery, John W. Pierce, Douglas R. Dole, Vance W. Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mechanical pipe couplings for joining large diameter pipe elements in end to end relation have arcuate keys which engage circumferential grooves in the pipe elements and radially projecting stiffening ribs aligned with the keys. Key surfaces have angular orientations between 5° and 30°. At the end of the keys on opposite sides are camming surfaces which are formed by a thinning of the key. The camming surfaces may be concave, convex, or angularly oriented surfaces and serve to guide the keys into grooves when the keys are not directly aligned with the grooves.
Claims24
A coupling for connecting two pipe elements together end-to-end, each of said pipe elements having a circumferential groove proximate to an end thereof, said coupling comprising:
- a plurality of segments positionable end-to-end circumferentially around said pipe elements, each of said segments having a pair of keys projecting radially inwardly toward said pipe elements and a pair of stiffening ribs projecting radially outwardly away therefrom, said ribs being positioned in spaced apart relation to one another, each said key for engagement with said circumferential groove of one of said pipe elements, said keys being positioned in spaced apart relation from one another and defining a space therebetween, at least one of said keys on one of said segments having a wedge-shaped cross-section defined by a pair of oppositely disposed key surfaces, said key surfaces being angularly oriented with respect to a plane passing through said segments.
A coupling for connecting two pipe elements together end-to-end, each of said pipe elements having a circumferential groove proximate to an end thereof, said coupling comprising:
- a pair of segments positionable end-to-end circumferentially around said pipe elements, each of said segments having a pair of keys projecting radially inwardly toward said pipe elements and a pair of stiffening ribs projecting radially outwardly away therefrom, said ribs being positioned in spaced apart relation to one another, each said key for engagement with said circumferential groove of one of said pipe elements, said pair of keys on each said segment being positioned in spaced apart relation from one another and defining a space therebetween, each of said keys on each of said segments having a wedge-shaped cross-section defined by a pair of oppositely disposed key surfaces, said key surfaces being angularly oriented with respect to a plane passing through said segments, one of said key surfaces facing away from said space between said keys, the other of said key surfaces facing toward said space between said keys.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.