US 5,851,035 AGranted

Self-locking union for pipes

AssigneeJPB Systeme

InventorsJean-Pierre Marc, Bernard Barre

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Abstract

A pipe coupling comprising a first and second pipe and a nut cooperating with the thread joint of one of the end pieces of one of the pipes by drawing against the latter a second endpiece belonging to the other pipe. A movable locking member, biased by a spring, comprises a shaped portion which in a locking position, fits onto a complementary shaped portion of the nut, thereby preventing the latter from turning in relation to the endpiece onto which it is screwed. The locking element is slidingly mounted on a support member which is fitted onto the first pipe so as to extend about the thread joint, wherein a sufficient radial distance is maintained with the latter to allow for the passage of the nut. The coupling is suitable for fitting, and even retrofitting,to standard couplings, especially of the nipple-nut type.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A device for mechanically locking a coupling between a first pipe and a second pipe, each pipe terminating with a mutually-cooperating sealing conformation, the sealing conformations together forming a seal, the first pipe having a thread positioned before its respective sealing conformation and the second pipe having a rotary nut for cooperating with the thread of the first pipe, a support member permanently fixed to the first pipe against relative movement thereto, the device comprising:

a locking member longitudinally mobile with respect to the first pipe;
a return means for biassing said locking member from a withdrawn position for releasing the nut and towards a locking position in which, when the two pipes are coupled, a locking portion of said locking member cooperates with a complementary portion of the nut;
and
engagement means for preventing the locking member from rotating in a direction of unscrewing the nut with respect to the first pipe when said locking member is in the locking position, said engagement means retaining said locking member with respect to the support member and extending around the thread of the first pipe, with a sufficient radial distance between the support member and the thread to allow the nut to cooperate with the thread.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.