Threaded joint for pipes

The invention pertains to a tubular threaded joint provided with a device opposed to over-screwing or unscrewing. The joint includes a male component (3) with an external threading (8) and a female component (2) with internal threading (6), these two components capable of being assembled with predetermined amount of torque. A female portion (7) arranged beyond the female threading (19) and a male portion (13) arranged beyond the male threading (12) provide between their internal surface (14) and external surface (15) an annular zone in which one part at least forms a calibrated zone (20) in which an adhesive ensures mechanical connection between the female portion (7) and the male portion (13). Use of the joint particularly for the oil and gas industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to a new threaded joint for pipes which is provided 
with a device to oppose over-screwing or unscrewing in order to avoid 
undesirable and uncontrolled rotations of one of the tubular elements with 
respect to the other after the two tubular elements have been joined by 
the joint in accordance with the invention. 
2. Discussion of the Background Art 
The majority of presently available joints are not provided with devices 
that oppose over-screwing or unscrewing, and it suffices to apply a torque 
greater than the torque which was used for the assembly of two tubular 
elements in order to cause rotation of one element with respect to the 
other, this rotation being effected in the direction of complementary 
screwing, or in the direction of unscrewing. 
However, in certain circumstances it is necessary to prevent any relative 
rotation of one tubular element with respect to another after tightening 
of the joint to the desired torque, such unscrewing or over-screwing 
capable of being caused in operation due to the forces and displacements 
to which the pipes are subjected, forces and displacements which can 
create torques greater than the coupling torques. Such unscrewing or 
over-screwing may also be produced in particular because of vibrations 
with the applied torques which can in this case be less than the torques 
used in the initial connection. 
Generally, one will resort in this case to welded joints, which of course 
have the disadvantage of requiring a considerably heavy material. These 
joints cannot be taken apart and are used only with easily welded 
materials. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention, the joints are particularly, but not 
exclusively, intended for the petroleum and gas industry in which steel 
pipes are joined to one another by these said joints in order to 
constitute main pipe lines of more or less great lengths and of varied 
shapes which can transport various fluids or mixtures of fluids. 
According to the invention, the joints are especially adapted in the 
petroleum and gas industry to making various main pipe lines that are used 
for off-shore exploitation, for example, in order to link the floating 
platforms or barges to the ocean bottoms or to connect one point on the 
ocean bottom to another. 
It is crucial to obtain reliable and safe exploitation conditions of the 
off-shore petroleum or gas fields so that the joints once they are screwed 
together at controlled torque cannot be over-screwed or unscrewed during 
operation in an uncontrolled manner. 
In the known and traditional way, these main pipelines are currently 
comprised of steel pipes of standard length of approximately 12 meters, 
for example, and are joined end to end by welded joints. They are subject 
to various movements due to vibrations, ocean currents, waves, and 
relative movements of the platform-barge with respect to the pipes, 
movements which can create forces, and torques which have a tendency to 
turn the pipe sections with respect to one another. 
These phenomena of relative movements of the pipe sections with respect to 
one another can occur during the installation of the pipes or after 
installation in the operational phase. 
According to the invention, the joints are intended for replacement of the 
welded joints. 
According to the invention, the joints can of course be used for any other 
application in the petroleum or gas industry or in any other industry, the 
geothermal industry, for example, and are particularly attractive for any 
application in which one desires to avoid rotation of one tubular element 
with respect to another following assembly by joints. 
In accordance with the invention, the joint can be used for casing pipes or 
tubing pipes for oil or gas wells. 
Threaded joints that connect pipes which are provided with devices that 
oppose unscrewing or over-screwing following assembly of the pipes are 
already known. Such a joint is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,590 for 
drilling rods that are assembled by joint tools and consists of inserting, 
between the external peripheral surface of the pipe and the internal 
surface of each free end of the joint sleeve, in an annular space open to 
the outside and provided for this effect, an annular piece that includes 
indentations toward the outside and toward the inside which fit in 
corresponding indentations of the pipe and the sleeve, an annular piece 
which therefore is then fitted together by force. 
Such an annular piece which serves as a means for blocking over-screwing or 
unscrewing can be arranged directly between the pipe and sleeve or through 
the intermediary of a third intermediate piece which extends the sleeve. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,590 describes different more or less complex variants 
which all consist in arranging on the outside of the joint or in a space 
open to the outside of the joint a set of complementary parts that 
mechanically link the pipe and sleeve. 
One will find the same basic concept in U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,109 which 
utilizes, as the means of blocking, a large number of toothed parts 
inserted in an annular space arranged at the end of the joint and open to 
the outside between the outside surface of a pipe and the internal surface 
of another pipe, the sharp edges of the toothed parts being opposed to the 
unscrewing and exclusively to the unscrewing of the pipes. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,106 makes use of the same principle, but in this case, 
the annular space, which is open to the outside of the joint, has an 
eccentric shape and the blocking part inserted in the space and which 
occupies approximately 50% of the periphery is also eccentric. 
In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,106, and very likely U.S. Pat. No. 
2,797,109, one should note that the blocking means does not prevent small 
displacements in rotation of one pipe with respect to the other, the 
blocking occurring only after this displacement has occurred. There is no 
blocking in the initial position of screwing but in an adjacent position. 
All devices described in patents U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,590, U.S. Pat. No. 
2,797,109, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,106 require the utilization for each 
joint of one or several complementary parts which are inserted in an 
annular housing between the pipe and joint, the housing has a shape more 
or less complex in which the machining represents an additional cost 
during fabrication of the joint. This requires one to separately manage 
the storage of complementary parts based on the dimensions of the pipes. 
In addition, the housing and this complementary part are located outside 
the joint and are not protected from the external environment especially 
vis-a-vis problems of corrosion. One must also ensure during handling of 
the joints and based on their positions that the complementary parts 
remain in position after they have been positioned there. 
The patent WO 96/29533 describes another type of joint which will prevent 
rotation of one pipe with respect to another during installation. 
In this document the two pipes are linked mechanically to one another by 
the interlocking of wide teeth cut at their respective ends, the final 
installation being achieved by causing one sleeve to turn up to a 
predetermined reference point in which the two ends of the pipes have been 
inserted in such a way that this sleeve will cover the same length of the 
two ends of the pipes whose threads are of cylindrical shape. A sealing 
ring comprised of a removable part is arranged in the middle of the 
sleeve, and some tight bearing surfaces are provided at each end of the 
sleeve. 
This solution is effected with cylindrical threading and cannot be applied 
to an integral-type joint, that is, one without a sleeve. In addition, 
once the latter is in position, no device for ensuring screwing of the 
sleeve is provided. 
The present invention envisages creation of a new threaded joint for a pipe 
provided with a device that opposes over-screwing or uncontrolled 
unscrewing which can be used in particular in place of welded joints and 
which does not have the disadvantages of the previously described 
solutions. 
Thus, the invention attempts to create a threaded joint which does not 
require implementation of complementary parts to ensure its screwing or to 
ensure its tightness during operation and which remains easy to install. 
In addition, the invention attempts to create a threaded joint which can be 
achieved in a sleeve-type version or in an integral joint version and 
whose structure, basic operational qualities and characteristics of use 
are modified to the least extent with respect to a threaded joint that 
does not include a device that opposes over-screwing or unscrewing. 
The invention also attempts to develop a threaded joint provided with a 
device opposed to over-screwing and unscrewing which can be adapted to 
different already existing threaded joints and to different types of 
threadings, whether one is concerned with so-called superior or premium 
joints which include in particular means of controlling the 
shoulder-stop-type assembly of screwing and tight bearing surfaces or 
standard joints of the API joint types. 
The invention also attempts to create a threaded joint which, while 
providing a device opposed to over-screwing and unscrewing, can be taken 
apart without difficulty and without the said device deteriorating or 
leaving detrimental impressions on the internal or external surface of the 
pipes or sleeves. 
The invention also attempts to create a threaded joint which requires only 
the simplest possible additional machining. 
The invention also attempts to produce a threaded joint which is tight 
vis-a-vis the external medium and which if necessary can receive an 
external coating to protect it against corrosion, particularly in an ocean 
environment. 
According to the invention, the threaded tubular joint includes a male 
tubular component provided with male external threading, a female tubular 
component provided with female internal threading which corresponds to the 
male external threading of the male component, and means for assembling 
these two components according to a predetermined amount of torque 
tightening. The male component is screwed inside the female component at a 
predetermined amount of torque. 
The female component includes beyond the downstream end of its threading an 
unthreaded female portion which is provided at the end on its internal 
wall with a female bearing support surface. 
The male component includes on this side of the upstream end of its 
threading an unthreaded male portion which corresponds to the female 
portion, this male portion being provided at the end on its outside wall 
with a male bearing surface which corresponds to the female bearing 
surface and which is in supporting contact on the female bearing surface 
when the male and female components of the joint are in screwed in 
position. 
The terms downstream and upstream are used as explained subsequently: for a 
male or female component, downstream is oriented along the axis of the 
component toward the free end of the component while upstream is oriented 
toward the inside of the component. 
The internal surface of the unthreaded female portion, the said unthreaded 
female portion being called subsequently for simplification "the female 
portion," extending from the downstream end of the female threading to the 
female bearing surface and the external surface of the unthreaded male 
portion, the said male unthreaded portion being called subsequently for 
simplification "the male portion," which extends from the upstream end of 
the male threading to the male bearing surface, are separated radially 
from one another and create between the female portion and the male 
portion an annular zone without contact. 
This annular zone is such that on at least one part of its measured length 
parallel to the common axis of the components, there is a calibrated 
annular space in which an adhesive, which fills all or part of this 
annular space, ensures mechanical connection between the female and the 
male portion. 
By calibrated annular space, we mean a volume defined by the internal 
surface of the female portion and the external surface of the male 
portion, these two surfaces being opposite one another. These two surfaces 
are separated at their different points by a radial distance of a few 
tenth of millimeters, the preferred radial distance being approximately 
constant over the length of the annular space. The external surface of the 
male portion and the internal surface of the female portion are preferably 
cylindrical or tapered, or more generally, in rotation. 
Said radial distance will be selected essentially as a function of the 
diameter and the thickness of the male and female components and the 
characteristics of the adhesive which is used in such a way as to be able 
to utilize a quantity of adhesive that allows one to ensure mechanical 
connection of the two components. 
By way of non-limiting values, we can mention a radial distance between 
0.15 mm and 1.0 mm. In a general way, the radial distances should be such 
values that they allow one to ensure effectiveness of the gluing under 
good conditions. 
The annular zone, and in particular the annular calibrated space, can be 
arranged only on the male or the female portion; that is to say, they can 
be accomplished on only one of the two joint components. 
Preferably, they will be arranged overlapping the male and the female 
portion. That is, they will be arranged both on the male component and on 
the female component of the joint. 
Advantageously, the annular zone will include an annular part arranged 
directly in extension of the threading, the section of which being several 
times greater than the section of the calibrated annular space, the 
annular part occupying a fraction of the axial length of the annular zone. 
This annular part is intended to serve as a receiving part for the grease 
or equivalent substance that is capable of being ejected from the male and 
female threadings during the screwing process, these threadings generally 
being lubricated by grease or an equivalent substance as well as being 
capable of gathering excess unused adhesive in the annular calibrated 
space. The adhesive and grease are quite possibly mixed in this annular 
part. 
For purposes of simplification, we will designate subsequently this annular 
part by the term grease pocket although as we have already explained this 
receiving part is not only used for grease. 
Therefore, in the annular zone, there will be arranged successively, 
preferably beginning at the end of the male and female threaded sections, 
a grease pocket, then up to the male and female bearing surfaces, a 
calibrated annular space. 
In this way, this arrangement will allow one to prevent the grease under 
pressure being ejected during screwing from entering into the calibrated 
annular space and disturbing the gluing arrangement of the male and female 
portions. This will also allow one to decompress the grease under pressure 
which is capable of being ejected during screwing and to thereby prevent 
the creation of stress zones in this part of the joint. 
This grease pocket, which has a radial height that can reach approximately 
1 to several mm, will preferably be arranged in the major part of the 
female portion in such a way that it will not reduce the effectiveness of 
the joint, that is, the useful section of the male component in the area 
of the male portion. 
Of course, one will ensure that the annular calibrated space is always 
given a sufficient length to ensure conditions of satisfactory gluing. 
Very advantageously, the male portion as well as the female portion and in 
particular the female bearing surface arranged at the downstream end of 
the female portion will have a geometry so that the internal surface of 
the female portion and in particular the female bearing surface and the 
external surface of the male portion will not be in contact during the 
phase when the joint is screwed together, the female bearing surface 
coming into supporting contact on the male bearing surface at the end of 
screwing in of the joint. 
The supporting contact of the male and female bearing surfaces is obtained 
by elastic deformation and thereby creates metal-to-metal tightness at the 
level of the male and female bearing surfaces. 
The female bearing surface and the male bearing surface will then have a 
shape so that there will exist in the screwed-in state of the joint an 
interference between the respective radial dimensions of these bearing 
surfaces. This interference creates a ferruling binding effect. 
Thus, during the screwing of the joint, the female portion, and in 
particular the female bearing surface, will never be in friction with the 
male portion, and there will exist during the screwing phase at any given 
point in particular at the level of the annular calibrated space a radial 
interval for free passage between the male portion and the female bearing 
surface. This will allow easy installation of the joint and will also 
prevent harmful friction action and deterioration of the bearing surfaces 
in particular. 
Preferably, the male and female bearing surfaces will have the shape of a 
truncated cone in which the peak is arranged toward the downstream end of 
the male component. 
Advantageously, the half-angle at the top will be between 3 and 10.degree. 
of the length of the bearing surfaces along the axis of the joint, 
advantageously around 3 to 10 mm. 
Of course, the adhesive that is used will be an adhesive that has 
characteristics that make it suitable for use during screwing of the joint 
and for its use under operating conditions of the joint. 
Among possible adhesives, one will select from adhesives for metals and an 
adhesive that is resistant to shock, maintaining during operation a 
capacity for elastic deformation and resistance to shearing and whose 
properties are at the least modified in the presence of grease, an 
adhesive which could also have a certain lubricating effect. 
Preferably, the adhesive that is used will be an adhesive with setting 
quality controlled by an operation of heating, for example, and preferably 
also one that is quick setting. This will allow one to ensure installation 
of the joint in a controlled way in short periods of time and thus will 
offer good productivity at the pipe installation site or in a shop. 
One could use an adhesive of the single-ingredient type in which hardening 
is controlled by a heating operation for example. It is also possible to 
use a double-component adhesive for which the mixture, for example an 
epoxy resin and hardener prepared immediately prior to use, hardening is 
controlled by a heating operation. 
By way of example, an epoxy resin-based adhesive with hardening by means of 
the thermal effect could easily be implemented. The adhesive is 
advantageously positioned in the annular calibrated space which is 
reserved for it before screwing of the male component into the female 
component. 
For this purpose, one will coat with adhesive, with brush or by any known 
means for example, the part of the male component corresponding to the 
calibrated annular space and one will screw the female component onto the 
male component up to its final position. The downstream end of the female 
portion will scrape away the excess adhesive from the female surface. The 
excess is ejected to the outside upstream of the male portion. The female 
surface does not rest on the male portion during screwing but only at the 
end of the screwing operation. The support occurs at the level of the male 
surface. In this way, one will obtain a calibrated annular layer of 
adhesive in the calibrated annular space. The adhesive will ensure, by its 
gluing properties, blocking at a predetermined torque of the internal wall 
of the calibrated annular space with respect to the external wall of the 
said space; therefore, it will block the male component with respect to 
the female component. 
In another method, the adhesive can be inserted when the male component has 
been completely screwed into its assembly position in the female 
component. 
In this case, one will provide on the female portion, at the level of the 
calibrated annular space, at least one injection channel and 
advantageously a vent channel. The injection channel allows the 
introduction, for example, by injection under pressure or by any other 
means known in the art of the necessary quantity of adhesive into the 
calibrated annular space. The injection channel or channels and the vent 
channel, if it exists, is closed preferably after usage by a device that 
can ensure tightness as, for example, a threaded stopper with or without 
tight seat or any means that can achieve the desired effect. 
According to the invention, the threaded joint can be of the integral type 
or of the sleeve coupling type. 
In the case of an integral-type joint, each of the pipes to be assembled 
will include at one of its ends, which end can possibly be reduced in 
diameter and/or of a reinforced wall thickness, a male component as 
described earlier and at its other end, which end can possibly be expanded 
in diameter and/or of a reinforced wall thickness, a female component as 
described earlier. In accordance with the invention, the joint is made by 
screwing a male component and a female component coming from two pipes to 
be assembled, the gluing process being carried out as explained earlier. 
In the case of a sleeve coupling-type joint, the pipes to be assembled will 
include at both their ends the same type of component, in general a male 
component, two components coming from two pipes to be placed end to end to 
be screwed into the two corresponding components, in general female 
components, arranged at two ends of a connecting sleeve, the male and 
female components being made as has already been described. 
The means which allow one to assemble the male component in the female 
component at a predetermined amount of tightening torque can be the means 
comprised of the threadings themselves or means that are independent of 
the threadings or even a combination of the means comprised of the 
threadings and means not connected to the threadings. 
Thus, in the case of standard cylindrical threadings, for example API 
profile, therefore not the ferruling binding type, these means will be 
independent of threadings. It could be a question of known means such as 
assembly stop pieces or ferruling binding surfaces, as for example the 
bearing surfaces of the female and male portions if said bearing surfaces 
achieve an amount of torque sufficiently resistant to screwing, ensuring a 
metal-to-metal contact with sufficient resistant torque between the male 
component and female component in a zone other than the threadings. 
In the case of tapered threadings, therefore ferruling binding-type, these 
means are comprised directly of the threadings and in particular of the 
interference between a male component and female component at the level of 
their threadings. 
But these means can be complemented in the case of tapered threadings by 
means that are independent of threading such as shoulder stops and/or 
ferruling binding surfaces that ensure a metal-to-metal contact between 
the male component and the female component. These shoulder stops and/or 
metal-to-metal surfaces are able to carry out other functions rather than 
just tightening with predetermined amount of torque. 
The threadings that can be used for the joint of the invention can be of 
any type as, for example, cylindrical, tapered, with one or several 
stages, or with negative angle. 
Advantageously, in particular when the joint of the invention is intended 
for petroleum and gas industry applications and particularly for making 
off-shore main supply lines, one will provide the male component and the 
female component of the joint with metal-to-metal surfaces, thereby 
ensuring complementary watertightness of the joint particularly with 
respect to the fluid circulating inside. These joints could also 
advantageously include screw shoulder stops. 
Thus, the joint according to the invention could be made in particular by 
using threaded joints which have already been described in the patents or 
European patent applications EP 0,488,912, EP 0,741,261, and EP 0,707,133.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In sectional view along its axis and greatly enlarged, FIG. 1 shows an 
assembled joint according to the invention. 
Only the part located above the X1-X2 axis of the joint is shown here, the 
X1-X2 axis being for purposes of simplification presented in the plane of 
the figure while because of the scale of representation used here it will 
not necessarily be representable on the figure sheet. 
One will see on this figure a joint 1 that includes a female component 2 
and a male component 3 that are screwed into one another. 
The female component 2 is arranged at the end of pipe 4, and the male 
component 3 is arranged at the end of pipe 5. Thus, the two pipes 4 and 5 
are assembled by the joint in accordance with the invention. 
The female component 2 includes an internal female threading 6 (FIG. 2). 
This threading 6 is tapered, its slope with respect to the X1-X2 axis being 
around 2.5% to 7.5%, and it is provided with traditional trapezoidal 
threads. 
Downstream from threading 6, the female component 2 is extended by a female 
portion 7 which one can also see on FIG. 6. 
The male component 3 (FIG. 3) includes external threading 8. This threading 
8 is also tapered and corresponds to the female threading 6 of the female 
component 2. 
In order to arrange a useful section 9 of the male component 3 which is as 
large as possible at point 12 which corresponds to the upstream end of 
threading 8, the male threads are vanishing from point 11, the point where 
the envelope of the thread crests of threading 8 and its common part 
rejoins the common surface of component 3. 
Upstream from end 12 of the threaded section, the male component 3 is 
extended by a male portion 13 which one can also see in FIG. 8. 
At 17, a female bearing surface is arranged on the downstream end 16 of the 
female portion 7 on the internal surface 14. There is arranged at 18 a 
male bearing surface on the external surface 15 of the male portion 13 at 
the downstream end of this portion and corresponding to the female bearing 
surface. 
These two annular surfaces 17 and 18 and the geometry of the male 13 and 
female 7 portions are such that in the combined screwed-in state, the two 
annular surfaces 17 and 18 are in metal-to-metal support contact, thereby 
creating a certain tightness of the threaded joint vis-a-vis the fluid 
that is external to pipes 4 and 5. 
The internal surface 14 of the female portion 7 between the bearing surface 
17 and the downstream end 19 of the threaded section 6 and the external 
surface 15 of the male portion 13 between the bearing surface 18 and the 
upstream end 12 of the threaded section 8 create, when the male component 
3 is screwed into assembled position in the female component 2, an annular 
zone that includes successively from the bearing surfaces 17 and 18: 
an annular calibrated space 20 (FIG. 8); 
an annular receptacle 21, which for simplification purposes is called the 
grease pocket; it is understood that this designation characterizes only 
one portion of its functions. 
The internal 14 and external 15 surfaces are at points 20 and 21 radially 
distant from one another and do not have any point of support on one 
another. 
The annular calibrated space 20 (see FIG. 8) is here comprised of two 
annular cylindrical surfaces which are made respectively on the internal 
surface 14 and the external surface 15 that are radially distant by a 
value "h" of some 1/10 millimeter. In the case of the present example and 
without this being in any way limiting, this space occupies approximately 
50% of the length measured along the X1-X2 axis between the bearing 
surfaces 17 and 18 and the ends 12 and 19 of the threadings. 
The grease pocket 21 is here also made by the radial interval existing 
between two cylindrical surfaces, surfaces that are distant from one 
another by a value "H." H is around 1 to several millimeters in size. By 
way of example, H can equal 6 to 30 times h. 
In the assembled screwed in state, the female portion 7 then rests only on 
the male bearing surface 18 through the intermediary of its female bearing 
surface 17. The length "L" of the female portion 7 is around 15 to 40% of 
the axial length outside the female portion of the female component. This 
beam configuration with support point improves the bending behavior of the 
joint and fatigue resistance during bending of the joint, because of the 
decrease of contact pressures between the male component and female 
component at the threadings levels and bending constraints at the level of 
ends 12 and 19 of the threadings with respect to a joint that does not 
include a male portion 13 and female portion 7 with end 16 resting on the 
male component. 
In a preferred manner and such is the case of the joints shown in FIGS. 1 
to 9 one will impart to the male portion 13 and the female portion 7 a 
geometry and dimension so that during screwing in of joint 1 the internal 
surface 14 of the female portion 7, will not be in friction or will not be 
supported at any point and in particular not at the level of the female 
bearing surface 17 on the external surface 15 of the male portion 13. Thus 
one can facilitate installation of the joint and one can prevent 
deterioration, particularly of the surfaces of the annular calibrated 
space 20 and the female bearing surface 17. 
It is only at the end of screwing when the male 3 and female 2 components 
approach their final position that the female bearing surface 17 will 
begin to rub against the male bearing surface 18. This male bearing is 
designed to then cause elastic deformation in the zone of downstream end 
16 of the female component, the metal-to-metal contact 17-18 then being 
ferruling binding. For this reason, the radial distance separating the two 
surfaces of the calibrated space 20 is slightly increased at the end of 
screwing with respect to the radial distance existing during screwing. 
This radial distance then reaches the value h. 
These bearings 17 and 18 are here truncated cones with their slope being 
about 5% with regard to the common axis X1-X2 of joint 1. 
This installation is visible on a larger scale in FIG. 8 where we have 
deliberately shown at the level of bearing 17 and 18 the diametrical 
interference by representing the said bearings before their elastic 
deformation, the radial interval between the two bearings representing the 
interference. 
Thus, one will see that at the end of screwing the radial width h of the 
annular space 20 is slightly increased when the two bearing surfaces 17 
and 18 come into supporting contact. 
In order to achieve such installation, it is necessary that the external 
diameter D1 of the male portion 13 be less than the common diameter D2 of 
pipe 5 on which the male component 3 is made. 
We have made the grease pocket 21 on the female component 2 in order to 
reduce effectiveness of the joint as little as possible and therefore the 
thickness of the pipe at the level of the male component 3. 
The joint 1 has tapered threadings 6 and 8. The latter, of course, are 
ferruling binding type with a predetermined radial interference. These 
threaded sections comprise one of the means that allow one to assemble the 
male component and the female component with a predetermined amount of 
torque. 
In addition, in a known way, joint 1 is provided beyond end 22 of the 
threadings of the shoulder stops surfaces respectively 23 on the male 
component and 24 on the female component and with a second pair of bearing 
surfaces 25 on the male component and 26 on the female component 
respectively. 
The shoulder stops surfaces 23-24 allow one to control the ferruling 
binding of the male threaded section 8 in the female threaded section 6 
and to prevent excessively strong screwing while perfectly controlling the 
position of the male component with respect to the female component. Thus, 
the joint can be easily screwed in with controlled and predetermined 
amount of torque. 
The second pair of bearing surfaces 25 and 26 ensure its tightness by means 
of metal-to-metal contact vis-a-vis the fluid circulating inside pipes 4 
and 5. 
On FIG. 1, we have shown the radial interference between the two male 25 
and female 26 bearing surfaces by two lines that show these bearings 
before they have been applied to one another. 
The shoulder stops 23 and 24 on the bearings 25 and 26 are here conical 
surfaces. 
By way of example, the stops 23 and 24 make with respect to X1-X2 axis an 
angle on the order of 75.degree. and the bearings 25 and 26 make with 
respect to the X1-X2 axis an angle on the order of 20.degree.. 
The annular calibrated space 20 is filled with adhesive, this adhesive 
ensuring rigid mechanical connection between the male portion 13 and the 
female portion 7 therefore between the male component and the female 
component. This mechanical connection offers resistant torque which 
represents a fraction of the screw torque of the joint. 
During the operation of screwing joint 1, FIGS. 5 to 8 show one means of 
introduction of the adhesive into the annular calibrated space 20. 
In accordance with this mode, one will deposit by brush or by any means a 
film of adhesive, for example, shown here deliberately in a exaggeratedly 
enlarged way on the external surface 15 of male portion 13. A film of 
grease 28 is at the same time deposited on the female threading 6 as well 
as on the shoulder stop 24 and the bearing 26 in order to make screwing 
easier in the known manner. The female component 2 in which the female 
portion 7 is not coated with adhesive is then inserted on the male 
component 3 and it advances during screwing in helical fashion, by 
relative movement between the male and female components, in the axial 
direction indicated by the arrow F of FIG. 7. 
In this manner, and because of the fact that the female portion is never 
during screwing in contact with the male portion as already explained, 
during screwing shown in FIG. 7, the downstream end 16 of the female 
component 2 and the internal surface 14 of the female portion 7 calibrate 
the film of adhesive 27, the excess adhesive 29 being pushed toward the 
front of end 16. 
Simultaneously some grease 30 which is expelled under pressure by the 
threadings will come to be housed in the grease pocket 21 and partially 
fill it, as represented by crosshatching. 
In FIG. 8, the joint is shown assembled, screwed at a predetermined torque 
as in FIG. 1; only the male and female portions are shown here. 
One will find an excess of adhesive 29 downstream from the female component 
and a grease pocket 21 more or less filled with grease 30 under which a 
film of adhesive 31 will be found. 
The annular calibrated space is filled with a film of adhesive of height h 
which is almost not disturbed by the grease. This adhesive is totally 
capable of carrying out its gluing function. 
In the case of this example, we have selected, without this being in any 
way limiting, an epoxy resin-based adhesive with pre-mixed components that 
harden by heating in tens of seconds, designated commercially by the name 
TOPFIX NA 84 made by Atofindley. 
After having completed the screwing at predetermined torque, one heats in 
the known manner, using a surrounding induction coil at a few kHz, the 
zone of male and female components corresponding to the annular calibrated 
space where the adhesive is located. 
The duration of heating will depend on the diameter and the thickness of 
the pipes that are being used. For example, for pipes with an external 
diameter of 41/2" and a thickness of 6.88 mm, the heating is carried out 
for about 30 seconds at 75 kW. 
Tests will allow one to regulate the duration and power that are employed 
in this operation in order to obtain reliable gluing results. 
Thus, after heating, the adhesive will ensure the desired mechanical 
connection. 
It might happen that in certain cases, at the contact pressures used at the 
level of the bearing surfaces 17 and 18, a very thin film of adhesive will 
remain between these bearing surfaces. This will in no way harm 
effectiveness of the joint. In all cases these bearing surfaces 17 and 18 
will protect the glued zone 20 from the fluid circulating outside the 
pipes. 
For very severe applications, for example in sea water, one can 
additionally coat in the known manner pipes 4 and 5 and the external 
surface of the female component 2 with an epoxy type protective coating 
plus polypropylene or any other type. 
By way of example, we have made a joint as described in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 
screwed it together as described in FIGS. 5 to 8 under the following 
conditions: 
external nominal diameter of the pipes 4:41/2" 
value of h: 0.2 mm 
value of H: 1.4 mm 
length L: 30% of the length including the male or female components 
TOPFIX NA 84 adhesive used as explained above 
Screwing torque: 740 m.cndot.kg 
Resistant torque caused by gluing: 350 m.cndot.kg or 47% of the screwing 
torque. 
Thus one will obtain a joint for which the torque of over-screwing or 
unscrewing is increased approximately 50% with respect to a joint that is 
not supplied with a device opposed to over-screwing or unscrewing. 
In addition, one will note that the production by machining of the female 
threading 6 of joint 1 is facilitated by the grease pocket 21 which 
comprises a beneficial insertion space for the machine tool. 
FIG. 4 gives a sleeve coupling variant of the joint of FIG. 1. 
Two pipes 50 and 51 with common axis Y1-Y2 with each having at their end a 
male component 52, 53 are joined by a sleeve 54 that includes, arranged 
symmetrically with respect to the plane of the line Z1-Z2 and on each side 
of this plane Z1-Z3 a female component 55, 56. 
Each pair of male-female components 52-55, 53-56 has been made as described 
previously and illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 3. 
Such a joint made by means of sleeve 54 has two devices opposed to 
over-screwing or unscrewing in the zones marked A and B in FIG. 4, zones 
which are made as was explained for the joint of FIG. 1. 
FIG. 9 represents a variant of the joint of FIG. 1 in which the adhesive in 
place of being deposited before screwing as shown in FIG. 5 is introduced 
once the joint has been screwed in at predetermined torque. 
This joint 60 includes except for the female portion 61 the same 
characteristics as joint 1. The female portion 61 includes here in 
addition a threaded hole 64 that traverses the entire wall and opens on 
one side into the annular calibrated space 62 and on the other side on the 
external surface 63 of its female portion. The female portion 61 includes 
in addition diametrically opposed to hole 64 but of smaller diameter a 
second threaded hole 70 which is used as a vent channel. 
This threaded hole 64 allows one to inject the desired pressure into the 
calibrated annular space 62 the adhesive in the necessary desired quantity 
to fill this zone, the vent hole 70 allowing one to inject the adhesive 
under good conditions. 
Following injection, one will close the hole 64 by screwing in the threaded 
plug 65 which is shaped in such a way that it will neither exceed in the 
annular space 62 nor on surface 63, the adhesive being applied to the 
threaded section of plug 65. In the same manner one will close the second 
hole 70 with a glued threaded plug which is used to ensure a tight 
junction in operation. 
Next, one will proceed as for joint 1 to heating of the adhesive in order 
to complete installation of the device opposed to over-screwing or 
unscrewing of the joint. 
Of course, the joint in accordance with the invention can be taken apart. 
To achieve this, advantageously one will proceed before unscrewing to 
destruction of the adhesive by heating, heating it for example by 
induction in the known manner at a sufficiently high temperature. In this 
manner, one will not have to exert an unscrewing torque to overcome the 
resistance caused by the gluing of the two components. It will then be 
very easy to unscrew and clean the glue-covered surfaces in order to 
re-use the joint if one so desires, these glued surfaces not at all being 
deteriorated or damaged mechanically. In particular there will be no need 
to re-machine the surfaces of the calibrated space 20 before repeated use. 
The joint according to the present invention can be made in many variants, 
the few examples of implementation shown here being in no way limiting.