One-piece nut and sleeve for improved tube fitting
AssigneeImperial-Eastman Corporation
InventorMike D. Kotsakis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A one-piece nut and sleeve coupling element is provided with an improved frangible connector for effective and reliable shearing of the sleeve member. An interior shear groove is flanked by exterior shear grooves to define a pair of break point webs, one web becoming thinner as the other web is widened upon axial displacement of the interior shear groove from a preselected placement. A shearable break point web is therefore assured when making up a tube fitting utilizing such a one-piece nut and sleeve coupling element.
Claims10
In a tube fitting having a female coupling element with an internally threaded passageway and a one-piece male coupling element, said male coupling element having a body member, a passageway through such body member, an exterior threaded portion at one end, a shearable sleeve at the opposite end, and an intermediate frangible connecting portion in the passageway space between the female coupling element and an inserted tube, said frangible connecting portion being substantially lowered relative to said shearable sleeve and said female coupling element, the improvement to said frangible connecting portion, comprising
- a continuous outer exterior shear groove,
- a continuous inner exterior shear groove spaced axially relative to said outer exterior shear groove,
- a continuous interior shear groove placed between said exterior shear grooves,
- a inner break point web between the continuous inner exterior and continuous interior shear grooves, and
- an outer break point web between the continuous outer exterior and continuous interior shear grooves, at least one of said break points being sufficiently thin to obtain shearing of the sleeve upon making up the fitting by connecting the male and female coupling element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.