Pipe connection assembly

A pipe connection assembly for connecting pipes transmitting a fluid as provided. A feature of this invention is the fact that it prevents any fluid escaping from the connection from traveling along the pipes and damaging any machinery that may be located along the pipes. The pipe connection assembly is comprised of first (or upper) and second (or lower) packing assemblies that radially surround the pipes. In certain embodiments, each of the packing assemblies is comprised of a top packing ring, a packing and a packing base ring, each packing being encased by the two complementary packing rings and the pipes when the packing assemblies are properly assembled. An opening is formed between the second top packing ring and the first packing base ring. The pipe assemblies are located with respect to the pipe interface such that any escaping fluid will contact the first packing assembly and the opening before contacting the second packing assembly. Thus, once the escaping fluid gets by the first packing assembly the escaping fluid must still get by the second packing assembly to flow along the pipes. Furthermore, when the fluid gets by the first packing assembly it is no longer under pressure which makes it easier for the second packing assembly to stop the escaping fluid. Also, once the escaping fluid enters the opening, it becomes visible to workmen in the area. This will serve as a warning signal to the workmen that the first packing assembly needs servicing.

This invention relates to pipe connection assemblies connecting two pipes 
that transmit fluids. In particular, this invention relates to such pipe 
connection assemblies wherein any fluid escaping from the pipe connection 
is prevented from flowing along the pipes. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There are many situations in which a fluid is transmitted through a network 
of pipes. Often this fluid is transmitted under pressure. These pipes are, 
of course, not a unitary piece of pipe, but are comprised of many 
individual pipes connected together. These connections are usually under 
pressure from the fluid being transmitted by the pipes. To resist this 
pressure and to prevent the connections from leaking, the connections are 
surrounded by packing glands that usually include a ring of packing 
material pressed against the pipes. However, these packing glands are 
frequently improperly installed and even if the packing glands are 
properly installed, the packing material wears out over time. Frequently, 
when either of these events occur, the fluid escapes the connection and 
packing gland and either flows down the pipes if the pipes have a 
significant vertical direction or drips off the pipes if the pipes are 
primarily horizontal. 
Often the pipes carrying the liquid under pressure lead into a gear box or 
other mechanical apparatus having moving parts. If the fluid that escaped 
the connection flows along the pipe, it may end up in the gear box or on 
the other mechanical apparatus. The fluid may be a corrosive, or a fluid 
which hardens over time (e.g. a mortar), such that the fluid damages the 
gear box and other mechanical apparatus that it contacts. 
One particular piece of equipment which employs a pipe network and 
connection as described above is a vertical earth auger boring unit having 
a shaft running down the center of the auger for feeding grout into the 
hole dug by the boring unit. Thus, as the auger is removed, the grout is 
fed down the center of the auger filling the hole to form a pile. The 
boring unit is basically comprised of a gearbox having an elongated auger 
protruding downward therefrom. The boring unit is lifted by a crane above 
the spot where the hole is to be dug and is held in place by the crane 
during the digging of the hole. The auger is operated such that a vertical 
hole is dug. As the auger is removed from the hole by the crane, grout is 
fed down the center shaft of the auger under pressure. The grout fills up 
the hole and when hardened, forms a concrete pile. 
To feed grout into the center shaft, a grout input pipe is provided which 
leads from a source of the grout to a vertical pipe in the gearbox. The 
connection of the input pipe with the vertical pipe usually occurs on the 
top of the gearbox. It is this type of connection, the connection of the 
grout input pipe to the vertical pipe which is a typical environment in 
which this invention is practiced. Currently, these connections are 
provided with a single packing gland to prevent grout from escaping the 
connection and flowing into the gearbox. If the packing glands now 
available for use with this type connection fail, the escaping grout gets 
by the packing glands and sometimes runs down along the pipes into the 
gearbox. When the grout hardens, the gears within the gearbox are usually 
ruined. 
The operator of the equipment as described above does not have any warning 
that the packing gland is failing since the grout is not in his view 
before it gets into the gearbox. Thus, the first signal to the operator 
that something is wrong is when the machine breaks down due to grout on 
the gears. 
From the above, it is apparent that there exists a need in the art for a 
connection assembly, for connecting two pipes transmitting fluid, designed 
such that grout escaping past a packing gland of the connection assembly 
is prevented by other components of the connection assembly from flowing 
along the pipe, and which provides a warning signal to the operator of the 
equipment embodying the connection assembly that the packing gland has 
failed. It is the purpose of this invention to fulfill this need and other 
needs in the art apparent to the skilled artisan based on the following 
disclosure: 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Generally this invention provides a pipe connection assembly for connecting 
pipes transmitting a fluid comprising: a first packing assembly including 
a first packing and first means for encasing said first packing against 
said pipes, a second packing assembly including a second packing and 
second means for encasing said second packing against said pipes, wherein 
said second packing assembly is spaced along said pipes from the first 
packing assembly such that there is an opening along said pipes between a 
portion of said first means and a portion of said second means, said first 
and said second packing assemblies being located with respect to the pipe 
connection such that any fluid escaping from the connection would first 
contact the first packing assembly and said opening before contacting the 
second packing assembly. 
In some embodiments of this invention the first and second means are each 
comprised of a top packing ring, a packing and a packing base ring (though 
not necessarily of the same shape or size). The packing base ring of the 
second means has raised portions extending from the top thereof. The 
raised portions start at the exterior periphery of the packing base ring 
and extend inward a distance shorter than the radial width of the packing 
base ring. The top packing ring of the second means is attached to the 
inner non-raised portions of the packing base ring of the second means and 
is located within and below the top of the raised portions when the pipe 
connection assembly is properly assembled. The packing base ring of the 
first means is attached to the top of the raised portions of the packing 
base ring of the second means, thus, forming an opening along the pipes 
between the packing base ring of the first means and the top packing ring 
of the second means. 
This invention can be added to an existing pipe connection assembly already 
including the first packing assembly by removing said first packing 
assembly, extending the pipe, placing said second packing assembly where 
said first packing assembly had been, and then attaching said first 
packing assembly to said second packing assembly. 
The pipe connection assemblies for transmitting fluids under pressure 
according to this invention will prevent any fluid escaping from the first 
packing assembly from flowing along the pipe and damaging any equipment 
located along the pipe. This invention also provides a warning signal to 
inform the workers using equipment embodying this invention that the fluid 
is escaping from the first packing assembly. Furthermore, the connection 
assemblies according to this invention provides for a release of the 
pressure once the escaping fluid escapes through portions of the 
connection assemblies. 
Certain embodiments of this invention will now be described with respect to 
the drawings wherein:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to the Figures, and in particular FIG. 1, a typical pipe 
connection assembly for pipes transmitting fluids under pressure which can 
be converted into an embodiment of this invention greatly improve the pipe 
connection assembly is illustrated. The pipe connection assembly consists 
of inlet pipe 10 connected to a housing such as gearbox housing 14. 
Gearbox housing 14 has a top plate 16 to which the pipe connection 
assembly is attached. Extending up through top plate 16 is vertical pipe 
12 which abuts inlet pipe 10 at the end thereof. 
This pipe connection assembly includes packing base ring 28, primary 
packing 26 and top packing ring 24. All of these elements are shaped like 
rings and have an interior diameter that is slightly larger than the 
exterior diameter of pipe 12 so that these elements can be snugly placed 
around pipe 12. 
Packing base ring 28 has two main portions, a bottom plate 42 and an 
upright flange 40. Bottom plate 42 abuts top plate 16 and is fastened 
thereto by bolts 38. Primary packing 26 is placed on bottom plate 42 
between upright flange 40 and pipe 12. 
Top packing ring 24 is comprised of top ring 32, middle portion 34 and 
inner lip 30. Top packing ring 24 is placed on top of primary packing 26 
and packing base ring 28 and middle portion 34 is attached to upright 
flange 40 of packing base ring 28 by bolts 36. By tightening bolts 36, 
packing 26 can be placed under pressure, increasing its effectiveness. 
Top ring 32 of top packing ring 24 has threads 46 on the inside thereof 
(see FIG. 4) which engage a mating threaded portion 20 on input pipe 10 to 
attach input pipe 10 to the pipe connection assembly. 
One environment in which this connection assembly is currently employed is 
on some of the auger boring units used in constructing certain concrete 
piles. These auger units have a gearbox and an auger extending downward 
from the gearbox. The augers have a shaft running down the center thereof 
through which concrete can be fed. The concrete pile is constructed by 
boring a hole in the ground with the auger. As the auger is withdrawn from 
the hole, a grout is fed, under pressure, down the center shaft of the 
auger, filling the hole. To get the grout to the center shaft of the 
auger, it must be fed through the auger gearbox. The pipe connection 
assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 would be the connection between the grout 
inlet pipe 10 and the auger gearbox housing 14. 
Unfortunately with this type of pipe connection assembly, which is common 
in the prior art, once the grout passes between primary packing 26 and 
pipe 12 (if packing 26 wears out or is improperly installed) the grout 
flows along pipe 12 into gearbox 14, damaging the gears therein. 
This invention solves this problem by furnishing a second packing assembly 
which can be added to the original pipe connection assembly illustrated in 
FIG. 1 and described above. This new pipe assembly connection will prevent 
grout from entering gearbox 14 even if primary packing 26 fails. This 
second packing assembly includes supplemental base packing ring 50, 
supplemental packing 58 and supplemental top packing ring 56. All of these 
elements are ring-like in shape and have an interior diameter slightly 
larger than the exterior diameter of pipe 12 and pipe extension 44 
(described below). 
To employ this second packing assembly, the first packing assembly must be 
removed from the top of the gearbox housing 14. Then pipe 12 is extended 
by welding (shown by welding marks 48 on the pipes) pipe extension 44 to 
the top thereof. Next, supplemental packing base ring 50 is placed around 
pipe 12 and pipe extension 44, abutting top plate 16 and is attached 
thereto. Supplemental base packing ring 50 has raised portions 52 spaced 
equally on the top thereof. Raised portions 52 extend from the outer 
periphery of supplemental base packing ring 50 radially inward a distance 
short of the inner periphery of supplemental base packing ring 50. 
Then, supplemental packing 58 is placed between supplemental base packing 
ring 50 and pipe 12 and pipe extension 44. Next, supplemental top packing 
ring 56, having flange 60, is placed on top of supplemental packing 58. 
Flange 60 is attached to the top non-raised portions of supplemental base 
packing ring 50 by bolts 62. When the connection assembly is so assembled, 
the outer periphery of top packing ring 56 is located within the inner 
periphery of raised portions 52 and the top of top packing ring 56 is 
below the top of raised portions 52. Bolts 62 can be tightened to exert 
pressure on packing 58. 
Lastly, the original packing assembly is placed on raised portions 52 of 
supplemental base packing ring 50 and attached thereto by bolts 38. When 
the original packing assembly is so placed, windows 54 are formed framed 
by the individual raised portions 52 on the sides, the packing base ring 
28 on the top and the supplemental packing base ring 50 on the bottom. 
This configuration of elements eliminates the problem noted above prevalent 
in prior art devices, that being the leakage of grout into the gearbox 
housing. In this embodiment, when the grout gets by primary packing 26 
along extension pipe 44, it will flow into a window 54 and contact the 
supplemental packing gland. This supplemental packing gland will prevent 
the escaping grout from further flowing along extension pipe 44. Thus, the 
escaping grout will tend to flow along the top of supplemental top packing 
ring 56 away from pipe extension 22 and not into gearbox housing 14. Also, 
once the escaping grout gets by primary packing 26 and into a window 54, 
the escaping grout is not under any pressure. This makes it easier for 
supplemental packing 58 to prevent the grout from passing into the gearbox 
housing. 
Furthermore, once the grout has escaped into windows 54 the grout is in 
full view of the workers operating the machine. This acts as a warning 
signal to the workers that they should shut down the machine and put in 
new primary packing. Unlike the prior art connections, this warning will 
occur before any damage is done, greatly saving money and time due to a 
reduction in down time. 
Once given the above disclosure, other embodiments, improvements and 
modifications will become known to the skilled artisan. These other 
embodiments, improvements and modifications are considered to be within 
the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims: