US 4,060,264 AGranted

Swivel conduit coupling assembly

AssigneeI-T-E Imperial Corporation EFCOR Division

InventorPadej Gajajiva

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Abstract

The present invention provides a coupling member for joining two generally coaxial, tubular members such as an electrical conduit. The coupling member includes internal left hand threads at one end and internal right hand threads at the other end with an annular groove therebetween. One end of a first conduit is provided with two sets of axially spaced apart external left hand threads. The coupling member is rotated so that the left hand threads thereof matingly engage the first set of left hand threads on the conduit and then is temporarily locked by engagement of the second set of left hand threads. The first set of left hand threads on the conduit will then be in the annular groove defined between the left and right hand threads of the coupling member. A standard length of a second conduit having external right hand threads thereon may then be matingly engaged with the right hand threads of the coupling member. After a few threads of the second conduit are engaged, the coupling member is disengaged from the second set of left hand threads of the first conduit so that the coupling member is free to rotate relative to the first conduit, whereby the coupling member can be rotated to fully engage the second conduit thereto. If desired, a sealing ring may be placed in the annular groove in the coupling member so that the end faces of the two conduits may bear against the opposed transverse faces of the sealing ring.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A swivel conduit coupling assembly comprising:

a. a first conduit having;
1. a first set of threads formed proximate a first end thereof, said first set of threads on said first conduit being arranged to advance in a first axial direction;
2. a second set of threads formed adjacent and axially inward of said first set of threads, said second set of threads on said first conduit being arranged to advance in said first axial direction;
and
3. a first annular, axially elongated groove formed intermediate said first and second sets of threads on said first conduit;
and
b. a coupling member having:
1. a third set of threads arranged to advance in a second axial direction that is opposite to said first axial direction to thereby matingly engage said first and second sets of threads on said first conduit;
2. a fourth set of threads arranged to advance in said first axial direction, said fourth set of threads of said coupling member being adapted to mate with threads on a second conduit that is to be coupled to said first conduit;
and
3. a second annular, axially elongated groove intermediate said third and fourth sets of threads on said coupling member;
and
c. said third set of threads of said coupling member being movable from a temporarily locked position, with respect to said first conduit, to an unlocked position when said coupling member is free to rotate relative to said first conduit, said third set of threads of said coupling member being engaged in said second set of threads of said first conduit in said temporarily locked position.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.