Self aligning concrete pipe with configured joint

Abstract

A self aligning concrete pipe and method of producing the self aligning concrete pipe to improve the seal of the joint cooperatively formed between adjacent concrete pipes wherein each concrete pipe includes a male and female joint member formed on opposite ends thereof to operatively engage the corresponding joint member formed on the next adjacent concrete pipe to form the joint therebetween, the male joint member including a tongue element of predetermined peripheral configuration extending outwardly from the concrete pipe having a resilient seal attached thereto offset inwardly from the outer end thereof, the female joint member including a groove element extending inwardly from the opposite end of the concrete pipe comprising an initial alignment stage, intermediate alignment stage and final seat recess stage, the initial alignment stage including an axial alignment camming surface of decreasing diameter having a linear dimension equal to or less than the inward offset of the resilient seal from the outer end of the tongue element and a horizontal and vertical alignment step having an inwardly inclined surface, the intermediate alignment stage including an axial alignment camming surface of decreasing diameter and a horizontal and vertical alignment step having an inwardly inclined surface and the final stage including a camming surface of decreasing diameter such that as adjacent concrete pipes are assembled the tongue element engages the initial and intermediate alignment stages to horizontally, vertically and axially align the adjacent concrete pipes permitting the tongue element to enter the final seat recess stage to form the joint therebetween.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.