# US 4,392,294 A · Method for making polyolefin pipe connector sleeve

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- Number: US 4,392,294 A
- Document ID: US4392294A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/241,568
- Filed: 1981-03-09
- Granted: 1983-07-12
- Earliest claimed: 1980-04-12
- Assignees: Pipe Systems, Incorporated
- Inventors: Steve Campbell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4392294A

## CPC

- F16L 13/141: {by crimping or rolling from the outside}
- B23P 11/02: by first expanding and then shrinking or vice versa, e.g. by using pressure fluids; by making force fits
- B29C 65/66: by liberation of internal stresses, e.g. shrinking of one of the parts to be joined
- B29C 66/1142: {Single butt to butt joints}
- B29C 66/12441: {being a single wall}
- B29C 66/5221: {for forming coaxial connections, i.e. the tubular articles to be joined forming a zero angle relative to each other}
- B29C 66/52298: {said socket being composed by several elements}
- B29C 66/5344: {said single elements being substantially annular, i.e. of finite length, e.g. joining flanges to tube ends (B29C66/5346 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- F16L 47/00: Connecting arrangements or other fittings specially adapted to be made of plastics or to be used with pipes made of plastics
- B29L 2031/24: Pipe joints or couplings (B29L2031/26 takes precedence)
- Y10T 29/49872: Confining elastic part in socket
- Y10T 29/49876: by snap fit
- Y10T 29/49945: by driven force fit
- Y10T 29/49952: At least one part is nonmetallic
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A connector sleeve for polyolefin pipe ends for connecting butted pipe ends by a coupling. The connector sleeve is metallic and has a pair of internal circumferential ribs mated in external grooves of the pipe end which is press-fitted within the sleeve in sealing relation. The connector sleeve has a pair of external grooves registering with the ribs formed by a pressing or rolling operation. Butted pipe ends with their fitted connector sleeves are connected by a coupling engaging the connector sleeves. The connector sleeve and pipe end have registering bevelled ends and in the fitting operation the sleeve and pipe end are axially aligned and forcefully engaged whereby the bevelled end of the connector sleeve causes the pipe end to be internally deflected and compressed in mating engagement with said connector sleeve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for press-fitting an open ended tube-like metallic connector sleeve upon a compressible polyolefin pipe end which comprises performing a mechanical rolling or pressing operation on the exterior of the connector sleeve to simultaneously form an external groove and an underlying registering rib at a plurality of axially spaced locations along said sleeve to form a plurality of grooves and ribs axially aligning the connector sleeve having a plurality of circumferentially extending axially spaced internal ribs with an open ended polyolefin pipe end having a plurality of external circumferential grooves axially spaced from one another the same distance as the aforementioned axial spacing of the ribs of said connector sleeve, the external diameter of said pipe end being slightly greater than the internal diameter of said connector sleeve, forcefully moving said pipe end and connector sleeve toward one another to engage one another and causing said pipe end to be compressed and fitted within said connector sleeve and interfitting said ribs of the connector sleeve with the grooves of said pipe end to provide a mating relation and butting the fitted connector sleeve and pipe end to a like connector sleeve and pipe end and connecting the same by a sleeve-like coupling having internal ribs engaging the external grooves in the butted connector sleeves.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, in which said connector sleeve has an internally bevelled end and said pipe end has an externally bevelled end, said bevelled end of said pipe prior to being press-fitted within said connector sleeve being in diametrical registry with said bevelled end of said connector sleeve, said bevelled ends being aligned and engaged with one another and in said aforementioned forceful engagement with one another causing the pipe end to be internally deflected and compressed within said connector sleeve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, in which the external diameter of said connector sleeve is substantially the same as that of the external diameter of said pipe end adjacent the fitted connector sleeve and compressed end of said pipe end fitted within said connector sleeve is caused to be compressed and deformed to approximately the extent of the wall thickness of said connector sleeve.