US 4,303,261 AGranted

Pipe system including readily removable pipe link

OwnerRobert R. Reddyinventor

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Abstract

A pipe system with a first and a second buttress, each buttress including a support tube having a central axis. The support tubes are axially aligned and spaced from one another. The buttress also includes a camming surface. A tubular first and second follower coaxially surround respective support tubes and are axially freely movable and rotatable thereon. The followers are proportioned and arranged to contact the camming surface so as to assume a respective first and second axial location as a function of a first and second rotational position. A pipe link comprises a rigid length of pipe having a length short enough to fit between the follower members when they are at their maximum spacing from one another, and long enough to be trapped by them when they are brought to their minimum spacing. The pipe link can thereby be inserted when the followers are turned so as to move apart from one another and can be trapped and held to form a fluid circuit when they are turned so as to approach one another.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A pipe system comprising:

a first and a second buttress member, each said buttress member comprising a support tube, and at least one of them further including a camming surface, said support tubes being axially aligned and spaced from one another, said camming surface being formed on a substantially cylindrical outer wall intersecting normally the outer wall of its respective support tube;
a tubular follower member coaxially surrounding said support tube of the buttress member which includes said camming surface, and being axially movable and rotatable thereon, an end of said follower member bearing against said camming surface and being non-circular and so proportioned and arranged as to cause said follower member to assume different axial positions along said axis at different angular positions around said axis, said follower member thereby having first and second angular positions corresponding to first and second axial positions;
a pipe link comprising a rigid length of pipe having a length short enough to fit between said support tubes and said follower member when said follower member is in one of said positions, and to be trapped by it in the other of said positions;
and
means connecting the end of said pipe link not engaged by said follower member to a support tube.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.