Pipe or the like, a female end ring, and a method of manufacturing such a pipe or the like

A female end ring for use in making a pipe, comprising:

• a longitudinal ferrule defined by a longitudinal inside peripheral face;
• and
• a longitudinal skirt situated axially in line with the ferrule,
• the ferrule being elastically expandable circumferentially,
• wherein said inside peripheral face flares in the longitudinal direction going away from the transition between the ferrule and the skirt,
• wherein said inside peripheral face presents at least one continuous annular portion in relief that is compressible transversely and that is integral with the ferrule,
• wherein said continuous annular portion in relief is in the form of a single rib, and
• wherein said rib is substantially closer, longitudinally, to a free edge of the ferrule than to said transition, said free edge being longitudinally opposite said transition.

A method of manufacturing a pipe, the pipe comprising:

• a concrete cylinder possessing at least one annular end having a longitudinal axis, defined by a longitudinal outside peripheral face and by a transverse front face;
• a female end ring coaxial with said end and secured thereto, the ring consisting of:
• firstly a longitudinal ferrule for securing to the cylinder, the ferrule being defined by a longitudinal inside peripheral face fitting snugly against said outside peripheral face in the immediate vicinity of said front face;
• and
• secondly a longitudinal skirt projecting, longitudinally over said front face to engage coaxially on a male endpiece of another pipe,
• said method comprising,
• a) making the ring so that, at a predetermined longitudinal distance from the transition between the ferrule and the skirt, when the ring is not expanded circumferentially, said inside peripheral face has transverse dimensions that are smaller than corresponding dimensions of said outside peripheral face at the same longitudinal distance from said front face;
• and
• b) engaging the ferrule coaxially on the annular end of the cylinder to a determined relative position in which said transition coincides longitudinally with said front face, and fastening the ferrule to the cylinder in said determined relative position by placing said ferrule in a state of circumferential elastic tension providing sealing relative to said outside peripheral face by said inside peripheral face applying thereto transverse pressure that is distributed circumferentially in a continuous manner,
• wherein, step a), the ring and the cylinder are prefabricated in such a manner that at least one of said outside peripheral face and said inside peripheral face flare relative to their respective longitudinal axes in a longitudinal direction going away respectively from said front face and from the transition between the ferrule and the skirt, and that said inside peripheral face presents one continuous annular rib in relief, which is compressible, transversely, and formed integrally with the ferrule, said rib being substantially closer, longitudinally, to a free edge of the ferrule than to said transition, said free edge being longitudinally opposite said transition,
• wherein between steps a) and b), a ring of adhesive is deposited on a localized zone of at least one of said outside peripheral face and said inside peripheral face selected in such a manner that during and after engaging the ferrule on the cylinder, said zone constitutes a zone of mutual contact via said adhesive and of application of said transverse pressure, and that, as the ferrule is engaged coaxially on the annular end of the cylinder, when implementing step b), said rib facilitates the entrainment of said adhesive by the ferrule and the creation of a film thereof, and
• wherein said adhesive serves as a lubricant during engagement of the ferrule coaxially onto the annular end of the cylinder, and subsequently serves to fasten them together.