Tapered nut for tube or pipe fitting
AssigneeSwagelok Company
InventorsPeter C. Williams, Dale C. Arstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive nut (918) for a fitting includes an interior socket centered on a central axis and configured to receive at least a rearward portion of a conduit gripping member. The socket is defined by a radial drive surface (932) positioned to engage the conduit gripping member during pull-up, a first tapered longitudinal surface (940) radially outward of said drive surface and a second tapered longitudinal surface (934) between the drive surface and the first tapered longitudinal surface.
Claims23
A drive nut for a fitting, comprising:
- an interior socket centered on a central axis and configured to receive at least a rearward portion of a conduit gripping member, the socket being defined by a radial drive surface positioned to engage the conduit gripping member during pull-up;
- a first tapered longitudinal surface radially outward of said drive surface and a second tapered longitudinal surface extending from the drive surface to the first tapered longitudinal surface, the second tapered longitudinal surface being angled with respect to both the drive surface and the first tapered longitudinal surface.
A tube fitting, comprising:
- a tube gripping device including a first ferrule;
- a fitting body having a tube end socket for receiving a tube end;
- and
- a drive nut for assembly with the fitting body, the drive nut comprising a recessed portion sized to receive the first ferrule, the recessed portion including a radial drive surface for driving the first ferrule into engagement with a tube end during pull-up on the fitting body;
- a first tapered longitudinal surface that is radially spaced from a radially outer surface of the first ferrule when the tube fitting is in a finger-tight condition, and a second tapered longitudinal surface between the drive surface and the first tapered longitudinal surface, the second tapered longitudinal surface being angled with respect to both the drive surface and the first tapered longitudinal surface,
- wherein when the drive nut is pulled up with the fitting body, the first ferrule is radially displaced into contact with the first tapered longitudinal surface.
A method of assembling a tube fitting with a tube end, the tube fitting comprising a fitting body, a drive nut, and a ferrule, the method comprising:
- inserting the tube end into a tube end socket of the fitting body;
- positioning the ferrule in a recessed portion of the drive nut;
- assembling the drive nut with the fitting body to a finger-tight position, such that the ferrule engages a radial drive surface of the drive nut and is radially spaced from a first tapered longitudinal surface of the drive nut by at least a portion of a second tapered longitudinal surface disposed between the drive surface and the first tapered longitudinal surface;
- and
- pulling up the drive nut on the fitting body, such that the ferrule is radially displaced into contact with the first tapered longitudinal surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.