Patent ID: 11959351
Assignee: FMC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 0:
1. A connecting assembly for connecting a first body and a second body, comprising:
a connector having a plurality of segments, the connector comprising:
a channel that extends longitudinally through the connector from a first end to a second end;
a plurality of teeth formed on an inside of the connector near the first end and near the second end, each tooth having a leading side facing an axial center of the connector, a top side, a contact point at a transition between the leading side and the top side, and a trailing side opposite the leading side;
a first jaw formed of at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth near the first end; and
a second jaw formed of at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth near the second end and axially spaced apart from the first jaw;
wherein the at least one tooth of the second jaw comprises:
a first tooth axially closer to the axial center of the connector than the remaining teeth of the second jaw, wherein the leading side of the first tooth comprises an altered surface, an engagement surface, and an edge point at a transition between the altered surface and the engagement surface; and
an end tooth axially farther from the axial center of the connector than the remaining teeth of the second jaw,
wherein, if the second jaw only has one tooth, the first tooth will also be the end tooth;

a main piston positioned around at least a portion of the connector,
wherein, when the main piston is in an unlocked position, at least one of the first or second ends of the connector is in a disconnected position,
wherein, when the main piston is in a locked position, both the first end and the second end of the connector are in a connected position,
wherein, for each of the plurality of teeth having the altered surface, a contact distance is measured axially between the contact point and the axial center; an edge distance is measured axially between the edge point and the axial center; and an axial contact separation is the contact distance minus the edge distance,
wherein, for each of the plurality of teeth lacking an altered surface, the axial contact separation is equal to zero,
wherein the at least one tooth of the second jaw further comprises a second tooth adjacent the first tooth, wherein a leading side of the second tooth comprises an altered surface, an engagement surface, and an edge point at a transition between the altered surface and the engagement surface, and
wherein the altered surface of the first and the second teeth is an angled surface, and wherein a slope of the angled surface of the first tooth is greater than or equal to a slope of the angled surface of the second tooth.