US 4,850,617 AGranted

Self sealing connector

OwnerDan LeRoy Moberlyinventor

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Abstract

A connector is described for connecting a pipe to a plate through an opening in the plate. The connector includes a resilient gasket sleeve with an internal bore wall that is slidably receivable over the pipe, and an external wall that is receivable through the plate opening. A rim and a retainer wall member are provided on opposite ends of the gasket sleeve, interconnected by a number of threaded fasteners. The entire unit can be inserted through the plate opening from the top side thereof so the gasket sleeve is received over the pipe and the rim abuts the top surface of the plate. The fasteners can then be tightened drawing cam surfaces on the rim and retainer together axially to deform the gasket sleeve. In doing so, the internal wall of the sleeve is expanded inwardly to securely seal and grip the pipe while the external wall is expanded outwardly to securely grip and seal against the plate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A connector for sealably connecting a pipe and a base plate, the pipe having an external diameter and an end situated adjacent a bottom surface of the base plate and wherein the base plate includes a connector receiving opening defined by a closed wall adjacent to the pipe end, the connector comprising:

an annular rim having a first gasket sleeve engaging surface thereon:
a resilient gasket sleeve including a bottom end, and a top end engaging the annular rim, and further including an internal surface extending about an axis to define an open axial bore adapted to slidably receive the pipe:
an annular retainer member having a second annular gasket sleeve engaging surface thereon engaging the gasket sleeve at the bottom end thereof;
an external axial surface on the gasket sleeve extending about the axis of a size less than and complementary to the connector receiving opening such that the gasket sleeve is loosely receivable axially through the connector receiving opening in the plate;
a plate gripping surface on the resilient gasket sleeve including a first axial section downwardly adjacent the top sleeve end to axially overlap a portion of the wall of the connector receiving opening;
a second axial section downwardly adjacent the first axial section to project axially downward of the bottom plate surface;
the first axial section being expandable radially outward to seal against the portion of the wall of the connector receiving opening and the second section being expandable against the bottom surface of the plate;
and
means for drawing the annular rim and annular retainer together to radially deform the resilient gasket sleeve such that the internal surface of the resilient gasket sleeve compresses and seals against the pipe and the first and second axial sections of the plate gripping surface expand and seal against the plate about the connector receiving opening thereof.

6 more elements

A connector for sealably connecting a pipe and a plate, the pipe having a prescribed external diameter along a pipe axis and an end spaced axially downward of a bottom surface of the plate facing the pipe, the plate including a top surface facing away from the pipe and a connector receiving opening defined by a circular wall formed about a connector opening axis at a prescribed internal diameter, the connector comprising:

an annular rim formed about an axis and having a substantially radial flange at an upper end thereof with an external diameter greater than the connector receiving opening;
a rigid sleeve section on the annular rim projecting axially from the flange of the annular rim to be received axially within the connector receiving opening from the top surface thereof;
an annular gasket abutment surface on the annular rim spaced axially from the flange;
a resilient gasket sleeve including a top end, a bottom end, a bore defined by an internal wall having a pipe gripping surface axially downward of the sleeve section and shaped to be received axially through the connector receiving opening and over the external diameter of the pipe;
the resilient gasket sleeve also having an external substantially cylindrical plate gripping surface axially overlapping the sleeve section and radially inward thereof to be slidably received through the connector receiving opening from the top side thereof;
and
a rigid retainer member received over the gasket sleeve, axially overlapping the pipe gripping surface and radially outward thereof;
operator means connecting the annular rim and the retainer member for selectively drawing the gasket sleeve toward the annular rim;
means for radially deforming the resilient gasket sleeve responsive to the operator means such that the pipe gripping surface is compressed about the pipe coaxially therewith and such that the plate gripping surface is expanded and sealed against the plate in a substantially coaxial relationship with the connector receiving opening axis.

6 more elements

A connector for sealably connecting a pipe and a plate, the pipe having a prescribed external diameter along a pipe axis and an end situated adjacent a bottom surface of the plate facing the pipe, the plate including a top surface facing away from the pipe and a connector receiving opening defined by a wall formed about a connector opening axis, the connector comprising:

an annular rim formed about an axis and having a substantially radial flange at an upper end thereof with a dimension across the flange being greater than a corresponding dimension across the connector receiving opening;
a sleeve section projecting axially from the flange to be received within the connector receiving opening;
a gasket abutment surface on the rim;
wherein the axial dimension of the annular rim from the flange to the annular gasket abutment surface is less than the axial dimension of the plate between the top and the bottom surfaces thereof;
a resilient gasket sleeve including a top end, a bottom end, a bore defined by an internal wall having a pipe gripping surface thereon shaped to be received through the connector receiving opening and over the external diameter of the pipe;
the resilient gasket sleeve also having an external plate gripping surface thereon to be slidably received through the connector receiving opening;
the plate gripping surface of the resilient gasket sleeve including a first axial section downwardly adjacent the top sleeve end to axially overlap a portion of the wall of the connector receiving opening;
and
a second axial section downwardly adjacent the first axial section to project axially downward of the bottom plate surface;
the first axial section being expandable radially outward to seal against the portion of the wall of the connector receiving opening and the second section being expandable against the bottom surface of the plate;
operator means for selectively drawing the gasket sleeve toward the annular rim;
and
means for radially deforming the resilient gasket sleeve responsive to the operator means such that the pipe gripping surface is compressed about the pipe coaxially therewith and such that the plate gripping surface is expanded and sealed against the plate in a substantially coaxial relationship with the connector receiving opening axis.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.