Patent ID: 9534719
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: F16L,Y10T

Claim:
1. Apparatus for securing wires of an armour layer in an end fitting of a flexible pipe, comprising: an end fitting comprising an inner collar member and an outer collar member; and a flexible pipe body mounted in the end fitting, the flexible pipe body comprising an internal pressure sheath, at least one armour layer and an outer sheath; the inner collar member comprising: a substantially cylindrical inner collar body; and an inner collar neck extending away from the inner collar body; wherein an end region of said neck comprises an outer surface region flared outwardly towards a mouth at an end region of the inner collar member, the outer surface region flared outwardly at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible pipe body, the outer surface region located at a selected region where wires of the armour wire layer are bent outwardly against the outer surface region, thereby determining a radius of curvature of the wires bent outwardly away from an axis of the flexible pipe body and supported by the outer surface region; the outer collar member comprising: an outer collar body portion; and an elongate substantially cylindrical outer collar neck portion extending away from the outer collar body portion, the outer collar neck portion being secured to a portion of the flexible pipe body in a slotted position between layers of the flexible pipe body, said position being located between the outer sheath of the flexible pipe body and the at least one armour layer of the flexible pipe body; wherein said outer collar body portion comprises an inner surface flared outwardly towards a mouth at an end region of the outer collar member, the inner surface flared outwardly at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible pipe body, the inner surface located at a selected region where wires of the armour wire layer are bent outwardly against the inner surface, thereby determining a radius of curvature of wires of the armour layer bent outwardly away from an axis of the flexible pipe body and supported by the inner surface; wherein each of the inner collar member and outer collar member includes wire supporting surfaces comprising said outer surface and said inner surface respectively thereby determining a radius of curvature of wires of the armour layer of the flexible pipe body at a stressed location where the wires are bent away from an axis of the flexible pipe body and supported by the wire supporting surfaces when the flexible pipe body is mounted in the end fitting, the outer surface region of the inner collar member and inner surface of the outer collar member terminating in axially overlapping relationship to one another such that the inner collar member guides the wires outwardly and against the inner surface of the outer collar body portion.