Patent ID: 8621741
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: B23P,F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A pre-assembled pipe coupling for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling, the coupling comprising: a pre-assembled pipe coupling housing comprising upper and lower arcuate housing segments and left and right bridge segments disposed between the upper and lower arcuate housing segments, each bridge segment having first and second set of dihedrally angled faces that engage corresponding faces each in the upper and lower arcuate housing segments such that drawing the upper and lower arcuate housing segments inwardly together along a first axis presses each bridge segment inward along a second axis roughly tangential to the first axis, wherein the first set of dihedrally angled faces have a line of intersection with the second set of dihedrally angled faces, and wherein all segments are loosely pre-assembled with bolts and nuts into a coupling and all segments have radially inwardly projecting lands that mate with end grooves in the grooved-ended pipe segments; disposed within the pre-assembled housing, a one-piece circular sealing gasket having an inward circumferential and centrally positioned pipe stop having an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the pipes to be joined, and having two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from the pipe stop, each sealing lip having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the grooved-ended pipe segments; wherein the pre-assembled pipe coupling is adapted to receive a grooved pipe end into each of both open ends of the coupling, the two pipe ends thereby seated in the sealing gasket and separated only by the pipe stop.