IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CLAMPS AND CONNECTORS

Abstract: A clamp or connector (10) for gripping an elongate member e.g. pipes (11, 12) has a housing (14, 14a) engageable with circumferentially discontinuous angularly expansible and contractible gripping elements (24) which engage inclined surfaces (18) and a deformable seal (22) engaging a distance piece (19). Tightening of nuts (32) increases the grip. When gripping a non-circular pipe the element (24) can move axially as at (29). The clamp can grip an internal circumference and can adjust to accommodate a degree of ovality of the pipe.

Description: IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CLAMPS AND CONNECTORS This invention relates to clamps and connectors. According to this invention a clamp or connector comprises structure having an axis and providing a surface inclined to the axis, angularly extending gripping means for engaging the inclined surface and gripping a surface of an elongate member, the gripping means being circumferentially discontinuous such that the gripping means is circumferentially adjustable in response to the surface of the elongate member, and means for moving the inclined surface and the gripping means relative to each other to urge the gripping means more firmly into engagement with the elongate member. There may be a deformable annular seal associated with the gripping means for sealing between the structure and the elongate member. The structure may comprise two parts, one of which parts provides the inclined surface, and means for moving the two parts relative to each other to effect the more firm engagement. Each part may have a said inclined surface and associated gripping means. The gripping means may comprise a gripping element extending the full angular extent of the surface of the elongate members viewed axially in use. The gripping element may comprise two separate, overlapping gripping members. The gripping element may comprise a substant- ially annular member with confronting end faces on spaced end regions when unstressed, the end regions being chamfered to provide cooperable surfaces on overlapping of the end regions in use. The gripping means may comprise a surface inclined to the axis and slidably cooperable with the inclined surface of the' structure. The gripping means may be circumferentially contractible and expansible and axially deformable. The structure may comprise a housing part and an annular member engaging the seal axially. In one example the structure inclined surface is on the housing part and/or the annular member. The invention may be performed in various ways and some specific embodiments with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with refer¬ ence to the accompanying drawings, in which: Pig. 1 is a side view part in longitudinal section of a pipe clamp; Pig. 2 is a perspective view of part of Pig. 1 with a different pipe; Pig. 2A shows a modification; Pigs. 3A to 3D are sections positions of a gripping element; Pigs. 4 to 6 are views similar to pig. 1 of further clamps; Pig. 7 is similar to Pig. 3; Pig. 8 is a further modifica ion; Pig. 9 is an axial view of part of Pig. 8; Pig. 10 shows part of another arrangement; Pig. 11 shows a further embodiment; Pig. 12 is a view of pig. 1 prior to tightening; Pig. 13 is a section of another arrangement; Pig. 14 is an axial view of a gripper element; Pig. 15 is a view on arrow A of Pig. 14 on an enlarged scale; Pig. 16 is a section through the element of Pig. 14; and Pig. 17 shows use of the element of Pig. 14. A clamp or connector 10 for an elongate member, for example a pipe, is shown in pigs.l, 2 for connecting or clamping the ends of two pipes 11, 12. The clamp 10 in an unstressed condition is symmetrical about a central transverse plane 13 but this is not essential. As shown the clamp 10 has two annular housing parts 14, 14a each having a central longitudinal axis 14b and having at their axially inner ends on their inner circular section surfaces 15 an annular recess 16 having at its axially inner end an axial surface 17 and at its axially outer endanaxially outwards and radiaUy inwards inclined surface 18. A central axial annular distance piece 19 is located in the recesses 16 with a radially outer surface 20 nominally engaging the surfaces 17. The end portions 21 of the distance piece 19 engage annular deformable seals 22 which seal between the surfaces 17, 18 and the outer surface 23 of the respective pipe 11, 12. At their axially outer ends the seals 22 engage respective gripping elements 24 which engage the inclined surface 18 and pipe surface 23- The gripping elements 24 are formed as a ring of a helically wound wire 27, the length of the ring 27 between the ends 25, 26 of the wire being for example between 10mm and 20mm greater than the engaged circum¬ ference of the pipe. The end portions 25a, 26a of the wire thus overlap as seen axially. The housing parts 14, 14a are formed with a plural¬ ity of equi-angularly spaced bores 30 which are aligned to receive bolts 31 with nuts 32 so that on tightening of the nuts 32 the parts 14, 14a are moved towards each other and the gripping elements 24 are moved axially (and thus radially inwards) into gripping engagement with the pipes. Before tightening of the nuts 32, the ends of the pipes 11, 12 are inserted into the housings 14, 14a until the pipe ends engage, Pig. 12. As shown in Pig. 1, the nuts 32 have been tight¬ ened until the axially inner faces 34 of the housings 14, 14a engage but they could be spaced as shown dotted in Pig. 6. The pipe ends could also be slightly spaced, again as shown in Pig. 6. Depending on the degree of tightening, the grip¬ ping element 24 may gouge into the pipe, the material of the ring being harder than the material of the pipe. The circular pipe is gripped around its complete cir¬ cumference as seen axially. The cross-section diameter of the wire 27 would typically be at least 1 of the external diameter of the pipe. The clamp or connector 10 is particularly arranged for accommodating ovality of the pipes 11, 12, that is where the cross-sections of the pipes 11, 12 depart from true circles. The nominal outer diameter of the pipes 11, 12 may range for example from 1.9cm to 53cm (finch to 24inch) and they are made typically with a diameter tolerance of plus or minus 1 . If the pipe outer surface is oval, the element 24 can adjust so that it still grips the pipe continuous- ly through a full circumference as seen axially, within the design range of the clamp and the expected toler¬ ance of the pipe. The internal pressure in the pipes 11, 12 when installed for example in a pipeline may range up to for example 20000 pounds per square inch or more, (138MPa). Pigs. 3A to 3D show examples of adjustment of the element 24 and seal 22 to accommodate variations in the radius or diameter of the pipe as indicated by the diff¬ erent distances 40 between the surfaces 15 and 23. As the element 24 adjusts to the ovality, the ends 25, 26 of wire 27 may move angularly towards or away from each other as seen axially and portions of the wire 24 are displaced axially from the positions adopted when the pipe is circular. As can be seen from pigs. 3A to 3D, as the wire 27 moves along the inclined surface 18 the wire 27 moves axially and radially. The element 24 may additionally tilt and the axes of the housing parts 14, 14a become non-coaxial with the axes of the pipes. The seals 22 are made of material which can flow as required, for example graphite or polytetrafluoroethy- lene (PTPE). Typically the clamp would be intended to be in position for a considerable period, and if removed the seal would typically be replaced before re-use of the clamp. If additional grip is desired, further housing parts with gripping elements and seals can be added. For example as in Pig. 6 where housing parts 50, 51 have been added, the parts 14, 14a having inner annular extensions 52 engaging the seals 22 in the parts 50,51. In some cases only one pipe is gripped. For example as in Pig. 4 the housing part 14 is replacedby an end cap 53 having an annular extension 55 engaging seal 22 in part 14a and an annular seal 54 in cap 53 engaging the end of the pipe. In the embodiment of Pig. 5, additional wires 27 are located at the axially inner ends of the seals 22 and the axial ends of the distance piece 19 are inclined outwards to provide surfaces 19a engaging the respective wires 27 to give additional grip on the pipes. This modification can be used in other embodiments such as pigs. 1, 6. Pig. 7 shows the position of the gripping element for an elliptical pipe at four positions equiangularly spaced around the pipe, the wire 27 gouging into the pipe at 28. If the pipe is not circular the wire 27 moves radially and axially to adjust (see dotted at 29 Pig. 1) and continues to grip the pipe around the circum erence within the design parameters of a particular arrangement. In Pig. 2 the pipe is not oval. In the arrangement of Fig. 10, only the ends 49 of distance piece 19 are inclined but this is not appro- priate in curcumstances where the gap 40 is so large that the seal 22 is forced out. It will be understood that the gripping element 24 engages the seal 22 which provides a reaction force on the element; if the reaction force is reduced, the effectiveness of the gripping element is reduced. Correspondingly the seal 22 should not pass to an undesirable extent into the gap 43 between the distance piece 19 and surface 23 (Pig. 1). In Pigs. 8, 9 the gripping element 24 is formed by a wire 44 which extends incompletely around the pipe. A similar wire 44a is located axially inwards of the wire 44 but rotated through 180 so that the wire 44a over- laps the gap between the ends of wire 44. The seal 22 is located axially inwards of and engaging the wire 44a which prevents the seal 22 moving into the gap between the ends of wire 44. The pipes 11, 12 can be radially outwards of the clamp parts, for example as shown in Pig. 11; this can apply to other embodiments. In the above embodiments the gripping element 24 is circumferentially adjustable around the pipe and engages the pipe surface continuously around an arcuate portion, preferably a full peripheral engage¬ ment. Pig. 13 shows a use of the clamp in repair. If a pipe 62 ' has a damaged portion removed, an external apertured flange 61 can be welded to the end of a replacement pipe length 60 secured in place with an annular gasket seal 63 between the flange 61 and housing part 14. The other end of length 60 would be similarly secured to another pipe 62 at the other end of the gap produced by removal of the damaged portion. pigs. 14 to 17 show another form of gripping element 24. In this case the gripping element is a split ring 72 having, in an unstressed condition, a gap 72a between ends 73, 74. The ends 73, 74 have flat radial faces 73a, 74a and are chamfered in opposite sides to form flat faces 73b, 74b, Pig. 15. The cross-section of the ring is shown in Pig. 16 and has flat axial end faces 75, 76, a flat radially inner face 77 which extends radially inwards as it extends axially inwards, and a radially outer face 78 which extends radially outwards as it extends axially inwards. The inclination of face 78 to the central axis 14b is nominally the same as surface 19a so that in use the surface 78 can slide along surface 19a. Corners or edges 79 between faces 75, 78 and 78, 76 and 75, 77 are rounded but axially and radially inner corner 80 between faces 76, 77 is sharp so that on tightening of nuts 32, the edge 80 can dig or gouge into the pipe (see Pig. 17). This provides additional resistance to relative axial separating movement between the pipes 11, 12. The ring 72 can be ormed by appropriately shaving and cutting a circular section ring. For larger diameter pipes, it is desirable to similarly chamfer the ends of other forms of gripping element. For example as shown at Fig. 2A to reduce undesirable shearing forces on the seal 22. In some cases an annular seal is provided between the confronting end faces of parts 11, 12. In some cases of a thin-walled pipe, the effect of the gripping element may be to remove ovality in the region of the gripping element. If the elongate member(s) are solid e.g. a turned or extruded rod of essentially uniform circular cross- section, it may be possible to omit seal 22 but the seal permits positional adjustment in the operation of the clamp or connector. If the clamp is to be used with elongate members which have external surfaces essentially circular, for example solid rods produced by turning or extrusion, the element 24 would not be displaced axially unless it deformed the pipe but if the pipe is oval the element 24, 72 is expanded or contracted circumferentially and deformed axially under the action of the seal and the inclined surface 18. The elongate members may be of different materials, for example plastics or steel or fibreglass. The gripping means described above are circum- ferentially discontinuous, as compared with an integral ring, and as viewed axially in use extend fully around the inner or outer periphery of the pipe.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A clamp or connector (10) comprising structure (14, 14a, 50, 51, 53) having an axis (14b) and providing a surface (18, 19a) inclined to the axis, angularly extending gripping means (20, 44; 44a, 20) for engaging the inclined surface and gripping a surface of an elongate member (11, 12) , the gripping means being circumferentially discontinuous such that the gripping means is circumferentially adjustable in response to the surface of the elongate member, and means (31, 32) for moving the inclined surface and the gripping means relative to each other to urge the gripping means more firmly into engagement with the elongate member. 2. A clamp or connector as claimed in claim 1, comprising a deformable annular seal (22) associated with the gripping means for sealing between the structure and the elongate member. 3. A clamp or connector s claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the structure comprising two parts (14, 14a; 53, 41a; 14, 61) one of which parts provides the inclined surface, and means (31, 32) for moving the two parts relative to each other to effect the more firm engagement. 4. A clamp connector as claimed in claim 3, in which each part (14, 14a) has a said inclined surface and associated gripping means. 5. A clamp or connector as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the griping means comprises a gripping element (24) extending the full angular extent of the surface of the elongate members viewed axially in use. 6. A clamp or connector as claimed in claim 5, in which the gripping element comprises two separate, overlapping gripping members (44, 44a). 7. A clamp or connector as claimed in claim 5, in which the gripping element comprises a substantially annular member (72) with confronting end faces (73a, 74a) on spaced end regions (73, 74) when unstressed, the end regions being chamfered (73b, 74b) to provide a co-operable surfaces on overlapping of the end regions in use. 8. A clamp or connector as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the gripping means comprises a surface inclined to the axis (78) and slidably co-operable with the inclined surface of the structure. 9. A clamp or connector as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the gripping means is circumferentially contractible and expansible and axially deformable. 10. A clamp or connector as claimed in any preceding claim dependant on claim 2, in which the structure comprises a housing part and an annular member (19, 55) engaging the seal axially. 11. A clamp or connector as claimed in claim 10, in which the structure inclined surface (18) is on the housing part (14, 14a) and/or the annular member (19) .

Inventors: EMMETT ROBERT, WALMSLEY OWEN, EMMETT, ROBERT, WALMSLEY, OWEN
Applicants: EMMETT ROBERT, HYDRA TIGHT LTD, WALMSLEY OWEN, EMMETT, ROBERT, HYDRA-TIGHT LIMITED, WALMSLEY, OWEN
Application year: 1993
Main classification: F16L23
IPC codes: F16L21, F16L23