Connector fittings and method of connecting same
OwnerDoonan D. McGrawinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector fitting of the cantilever camming and clamping type having a ferrule secured in the main body bore thereof, the ferrule having an end received in one end of a tubular, usually plastic, member as the tubular member is installed. The ferrule provides radial force backup preventing collapse of the tubular member. It seals with the bore of the main body and with the tubular member. The cap bolt part of the fitting may have a tapered or a straight inner surface arranged to engage the outer wall of the tubular member in gripping relation.
Claims11
In a fitting of the cantilever clamp action type in which the cantilever clamping action is obtained by cooperative internal and external cam threads, the fitting being constructed and arranged to have said threads protected against contaminants and accidental impact damage during normal handling, transport, attachment to at least one cylindrical member, and in its installed position, the fitting comprising:
- a fitting main body having a recess therein provided with an internal thread in axially inwardly spaced relation to the opening of said recess;
- a cap bolt having a bore therethrough, a head, and a longitudinally segmented shank extending axially from said head and provided with an external thread at the outer end thereof in axially spaced relation to said head so that said shank is fully received in said main body recess when said cap bolt is threaded into said main body until said head engages said main body at the recess opening to prevent further movement of said cap bolt head axially toward said recess and fully contain said internal and said external threads protectively within said recess;
- means sealing said cap bolt bore in the area of said head and sealing said fitting main body recess axially beyond said internal threads;
- said threads having mating cam surfaces thereon cooperating in camming relation to move said shank segments in cantilever fashion inwardly when said cap bolt is rotated in a further inwardly threading direction and to thread-lockingly resist cap bolt rotation in the outwardly threading direction, said shank segments then being conditioned to grip a member received in said bore in the axial area of said external threads;
- the improvement comprising:
- a tubular member adapted to be so gripped by said shank segments and when so gripped extending through said cap bolt bore and constituting at least a part of said sealing means;
- and a ferrule having a bore therethrough and positioned in said main body bore in coaxial bore alignment with said cap bolt bore, said ferrule having one end adapted to axially receive said tubular member thereover in sealing and radial force backup relation to said tubular member concentrically within said shank segment external threads;
- said shank segments when gripping said tubular member compressing said tubular member against said ferrule one end in the area concentrically within said shank segment external threads, increasing the sealing action between said tubular member and said ferrule end.
A connector fitting having means connecting a tubular plastic member to said connector fitting, said connector fitting comprising:
- a cap bolt provided with a bolt head, a bore through said cap bolt, and axially extending shank segments having an external thread camming surface thereon, said shank segments having a tapered internal surface formed by a section of said bore axially within said external thread camming surface;
- a main body having a bore with a recess receiving said shank segments and having an internal thread camming surface thereon threadedly cooperating with said external thread camming surface, said cap bolt having a bolt head engaging one end of said main body, and a ferrule secured within said main body bore inwardly of said recess and having a tapered end extending within said internal thread camming surface in inwardly radially spaced relation thereto so as to receive said shank segments thereabout in spaced relation;
- said tubular plastic member having one end inserted into said cap bolt bore and said main body recess and being circumferentially stretched to extend over said ferrule tapered end in surface engaging and sealing relation concentrically inward of said external thread of said shank segments, said cap bolt shank segments being cammed radially inward in cantilever bending relation when said cap bolt is further turned in a threading direction, said shank segments gripping said tubular plastic member and exerting radially inward forces thereon which are transmitted to said ferrule tapered end, said ferrule tapered end preventing collapse of said tubular plastic member in response to said radially inward forces.
A method of connecting a tubular plastic member to a connector fitting having a cap bolt provided with a bore and axially extending shank segments having an external thread camming surface thereon, said shank segments each having a tapered internal surface formed by a section of said bore axially within said external thread camming surface, a main body having a recess receiving said shank segments and having an internal thread camming surface thereon threadedly cooperating with said external thread camming surface, said cap bolt having a bolt head engaging one end of said main body, and a ferrule having a tapered end extending within said internal thread camming surface in inwardly radially spaced relation thereto so as to receive said shank segments thereabout in spaced relation, the steps comprising:
- (1) inserting one end of said tubular plastic member in said cap bolt bore and receiving said ferrule tapered end therein in surface engaging relation with the tubular plastic member inner wall;
- (2) moving the one end of said tubular plastic member axially over said ferrule tapered end, circumferentially expanding the portion of said tubular plastic member to accommodate said ferrule tapered end increase in diameter;
- (3) and turning said cap bolt to cam said shank segments into gripping engagement with said tubular plastic member and radially force said tubular plastic member more tightly into surface engagement with said ferrule one end, sealing and gripping said tubular plastic member against leakage relative to said ferrule and against removal from said fitting main body.
A method of connecting a tubular plastic member to a connector fitting having a cap bolt provided with a bore and axially extending shank segments having an external thread camming surface thereon, said shank segments each having an internal surface formed by a section of said bore axially within said external thread camming surface, a main body having a recess receiving said shank segments and having an internal thread camming surface thereon threadedly cooperating with said external thread camming surface, said cap bolt having a bolt head engaging one end of said main body, and a ferrule having a tapered end extending within said internal thread camming surface in inwardly radially spaced relation thereto so as to receive said shank segments thereabout in spaced relation, the steps comprising:
- (1) inserting one end of said tubular plastic member in said cap bolt bore and receiving said ferrule tapered end therein in surface engaging relation with the tubular plastic member inner wall;
- (2) moving the one end of said tubular plastic member axially over said ferrule tapered end, circumferentially expanding the portion of said tubular plastic member to accommodate said ferrule tapered end increase in diameter;
- (3) and turning said cap bolt to cam said shank segments into gripping engagement with said tubular plastic member and radially force said tubular plastic member more tightly into surface engagement with said ferrule one end, sealing and gripping said tubular plastic member against leakage relative to said ferrule and against removal from said fitting main body.
A method of connecting a tubular plastic member to a connector fitting having a cap bolt provided with a bore and axially extending shank segments having an external thread camming surface thereon, said shank segments each having an internal surface formed by a section of said bore axially within said external thread camming surface, a main body having a recess receiving said shank segments and having an internal thread camming surface thereon threadedly cooperating with said external thread camming surface and of larger thread maximum diameter than the maximum diameter of the external thread camming surface, said cap bolt having a bolt head adapted to engage one end of said main body, and a ferrule having a tapered end extending within said internal thread camming surface in inwardly radially spaced relation thereto so as to receive said shank segments thereabout in spaced relation, the steps comprising:
- (1) inserting one end of said tubular plastic member in said cap bolt bore and receiving said ferrule tapered end therein in surface engaging relation with the tubular plastic member inner wall;
- (2) moving the one end of said tubular plastic member axially over said ferrule tapered end, circumferentially expanding the portion of said tubular plastic member to accommodate said ferrule tapered end increase in diameter;
- (3) turning said cap bolt to thread the external thread camming surface of the shank segments into the internal thread camming surface of the main body until the cap bolt head engages one end of the main body and by concurrent engagement of the tubular plastic member outer wall and the internal surface of the shank segments within the external thread camming surface moving the shank segments outwardly in cantilever fashion during said turning;
- (4) and further turning said cap bolt to cam said shank segments inwardly in cantilever fashion into gripping engagements with said tubular plastic member and radially force said tubular plastic member more tightly into surface engagement with said ferrule one end, sealing and gripping said tubular plastic member against leakage relative to said ferrule and against removal from said fitting main body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.