Patent GB-1494553-A (GB)
Title: Quick release coupling socket member
IPC: F16L37/00
Filed: 1975-01-17
Abstract: 1494553 Pipe couplings LEGRIS FRANCE SA 17 Jan 1975 [17 Jan 1974] 2149/75 Heading F2G A quick release coupling socket member for mounting a pipe 3 in a connector 1 comprises an 0-ring 5 disposed in a bore 4 of a housing, at least two collets 12, 12a each having a radially inner ridge 17 to engage the outer wall of the pipe 3 and a radially outer rounded portion 11, a sleeve 7 mounted in the connector 1 serving to retain the collets 12, 12a and to engage the rounded portions 11 of the collets 12, 12a, allowing them to pivot thereabout in order to selectively occupy a jamming position, in which the ridges 17 engage the pipe 3, and a radially withdrawn position allowing free passage of the pipe 3 therethrough. In a first embodiment the sleeve 7 may be force fitted and crimped or may be screwthreadedly engaged in a bore 6 of the connector 1 and has a frustroconical radially inner surface 10 bearing against the barrel shaped rounded outer portion 11 of the collets 12, 12a which, as shown in Fig. 2, are constructed from a ring of wedge-shaped cross-section having diametral slits 13, 13a, the two resulting semicircular segments being connected by a relatively weak zone 14 of material designed to fail after relative displacement of the collets 12, 12a in the joint such that they act independently thereafter. The pipe 3 is thus fully inserted into a socket 19, slidably mounted in the sleeve 7, contacting a frustroconical surface of the collets 12, 12a and pushing them radially outwards into the withdrawn position whereafter the pipe 3 is pulled in an extracting direction whereupon the collets 12, 12a rock on their rounded outer portions 11, the ridge 17 biting into the outer wall of the pipe 3 to resist retraction thereof. To withdraw the pipe 3 the socket 19 is pushed toward the connector 1, the camming surface 18 of the socket 19 contacting the frusto-conical surfaces of the collets 12, 12a to push them radially outwardly to the withdrawn position. The assembly of sleeve, socket, collets and seal may, prior to mounting in a connector, be mounted on a mandrel to form a cartridge for ease of handling. In a second embodiment the sleeve 7 may be omitted and a modified socket mounted slidably within the bore 6 having an axial slit and a planar end surface against which the collets, being of similar configuration to those of the first embodiment but of modified cross-section, bear. In a third embodiment a bore of the connector 1 receives both the 0-ring 5 and the end of a tubular body, secured therein in a similar fashion to the sleeve 7, having two chordal slits in which are engaged gripping elements formed by two chordal collets bearing on the inner surface of a spring-loaded tubular member slidable on a portion of the tubular body protruding from the connector and having a frustoconical inner surface to retain the modified collets when in the jamming position and having a region of larger inner diameter which, when in a retracted position, allows the collets to reach the withdrawn position. In a final embodiment a sleeve secured in a bore of the connector has a convex inner surface co-operating with a concave outer surface of the collet which incorporate gripping tails allowing the jamming and withdrawn positions to be achieved by manual action.