Patent GB-917617-A (GB)
Title: Self-sealing pipe coupling
IPC: F16L37/34
Filed: 1961-04-05
Abstract: 917,617. Pipe couplings. AEROQUIP A.G. April 5, 1961 [April 18, 1960], No. 12260/61. Class 99(1). A coupling comprises first and second bored, interconnectable body members 10, 46, a valve 32 movably mounted within the member 10 and cooperable with a valve seat controlling the flow of fluid therethrough, first means, e.g. a shoulder 74 on the member 46 engaging the valve during movement of the members in a coupling direction toward each other opening the valve, and second means, such as balls 70, carried by the member 46 engaging the valve during movement of the members in the uncoupling direction away from each other, closing the valve. As shown, the member 10 is screw-threaded internally for a tubular valve seat support 24 closed by a head 26 and having a number of ports 28, a tip 30 on the head serving as an abutment for a valve sleeve 32 biased on to the lip by a spring 34; an 0-ring 36 seals the sleeve with respect to the member. The member 46 comprises an adapter sleeve 52 screwed on to a body part 46 and a spider 60 supporting a spring-loaded valve 62, the internal diameter of the sleeve being reduced in the region 64 to provide a seating for the valve. The sleeve has an annular portion 68 which supports a number of radially movable balls 70 and includes a groove 74 in which is disposed an 0-ring 72. A nut 76, rotatably mounted on the sleeve and having a thread of large pitch to engage a corresponding thread on the member 10, carries an actuating sleeve 82 fixed to the nut by a key 84 co-operating with an annular groove in the nut so that the sleeve is permitted to move axially with respect to the nut; a hexagonal nut surface 85 in sliding engagement with a hexagonal recess 88 in the sleeve prevents relative rotation between the sleeve and nut. A spring 86 biases the sleeve outwardly of the nut, and the recess 88 is of a size as to receive the hexagonal portion 18 of the member 10. In coupling the members 10, 46, the screw-threads 20, 80 are partially engaged so that the end of the valve 32 contacts the shoulder 74 of the member 46; the rib 40 on the valve sleeve 32 displaces the balls 70 radially outwardly and as the members 10, 46 are brought into closer engagement, the balls 70 are engaged by tapered surface 90 of the body 10 and are moved radially inwardly into the recess 38. Continued movement of the members 10, 46 toward each other by rotation of the nut causes the planar surfaces of the head 26 of the valve 32 and the valve 62 to abut so that the valves are unseated. During the final stages of connection the sleeve 82 engages the portion 18 of the body 10 and is caused to move to the right as seen in the figure such axial movement continuing until the recess 88 aligns with the portion 18 to permit the spring 86 to bias the sleeve to the left to encompass the portion 18 and look the sleeve and nut and member 10 against relative rotation. To disconnect the member the sleeve 82 is pulled away from the member 10 to disengage the recess 88 from the portion 18 in order that the nut 76 may be rotated. To ensure that the valve sleeve 32 completely closes, the surface 44 of the body 10 maintains the balls 70 within the recess 38 so that the engagement of the balls with the shoulder 42 pulls the valve to the closed position. In a modification, the coupling member 92 has a ring-like portion 104 into which is screwed a sleeve 106 radially slotted at 108 through which slots extend the arms 124 of a spring- loaded ring 122, the valve sleeve 110 being biased by a spring 112 on to a seat 96. The coupling member 128 includes a ring portion 140 in which are retained a number of radially movable balls 142. In connecting the members, the balls 142, after clearing the rib 111 of the sleeve 110, engage the ring 122 so that the latter compresses the spring 126 until the balls are aligned with and move into the recess 118 whereby the ring 122 moves to a position to maintain the balls in the recess. Specification 832,705 is referred to.