Pipe coupling

A coupling creating a fluid-conducting connection between a pipe and a stub, said coupling comprising:

• a coupling body having a forward end for being secured to the stub, a rearward end for receiving the pipe, and an internal bore therethrough;
• stub securing means for securing the forward end of the coupling body to the stub;
• a gripper located within the internal bore of said coupling body for gripping the pipe;
• gripper retaining means for retaining said gripper within said coupling body during handling of the coupling body in a condition where there is no stub and no pipe connected in the coupling;
• a gasket located within the internal bore of said coupling body for creating a seal around the pipe;
• gasket retaining means for retaining said gasket within said coupling body during handling of the coupling body in a condition where there is no stub and no pipe connected in the coupling;
• gripper engaging means for causing the gripper to grip the pipe;
• gasket engaging means for causing the gasket to create a seal around the pipe;
• and
• wherein the gasket engagement means comprises a sloped rearward surface on said gasket such that an axial length of the gasket at an interior surface is greater than that at an exterior surface, a sloped forward surface on said gripper which substantially matches the slope of said sloped rearward surface of said gasket, positioning the gasket immediately forward of a forward end of said gripper such that the sloped rearward surface of said gasket abuts against said sloped forward surface of said gripper, and applying a compressive force between the, gasket and the gripper such that the gasket is urged tightly against the outer surface of the pipe by a cooperation between the sloped rearward surface of the gasket and the sloped forward surface of the gripper.

A coupling creating a fluid-conducting connection between a pipe and a stub, said coupling comprising:

• a coupling body having a forward end for being secured to the stub, a rearward end for receiving the pipe, and an internal bore therethrough;
• stub securing means for securing the forward end of the coupling body to the stub;
• a gripper located within the internal bore of said coupling body for gripping the pipe;
• gripper retaining means for retaining said gripper within said coupling body during handling of the coupling body;
• a gasket located within the internal bore of said coupling body for creating a seal around the pipe;
• gasket retaining means for retaining said gasket within said coupling body during handling of the coupling body;
• gripper engaging means for causing the gripper to grip the pipe;
• gasket engaging means for causing the gasket to create a seal around the pipe;
• and
• an adapter having a forward end and a rearward end, positioned forward of both the gripper and the gasket;
• wherein the rearward end of the adapter is an annular outer flange sized to fit between an interior surface of the coupling body and an outer surface of the pipe once the pipe is received within the rearward end of the coupling body;
• wherein a rearward surface of said outer flange of said adapter abuts against a forward surface of the gasket;
• and
• wherein the gasket engagement means comprises a sloped forward surface on said gasket such that an axial length of the gasket at an interior surface is greater than that at an exterior surface, a sloped rearward surface on the outer flange of the adapter which substantially matches the slope of said sloped forward surface of said gasket, positioning the adapter immediately forward of a forward end of said gasket such that the sloped forward surface of said gasket abuts against said sloped rearward surface of said outer flange, and applying a compressive force between the adapter and the gasket such that the gasket is urged tightly against the outer surface of the pipe by a, cooperation between the sloped forward surface of the gasket and the sloped rearward surface of the outer flange.

A coupling for creating a fluid-conducting connection between a pipe and a stub, said coupling comprising:

• a unitary coupling body having a forward end for being secured to the stub, a rearward end for receiving the pipe, and an internal bore therethrough;
• stub securing means for securing the forward end of the coupling body to the stub;
• a gripper located within the internal bore of said coupling body for gripping the pipe;
• a gasket located within the internal bore of said coupling body for creating a seal around the pipe;
• said internal bore of said coupling body having a shoulder engagable with a shoulder on the gripper and located between the shoulder on the gripper and said forward end of said coupling body, said internal bore further including a frustoconical surface engageable with a corresponding frustoconical surface on said gripper and located between said frustoconical surface on said gripper and said rearward end of said coupling body, said internal bore further including an annular groove receiving a protrusion extending radially outwardly from said gasket to retain said gasket within the coupling body.