Patent Publication Number: US-2019186668-A1

Title: Tee connector

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The current disclosure is directed to a connecting tee, or tee connector with grooved ends for connecting to other components. Connecting tees are commonly used in a number of industries for splitting and/or combining fluid flow. A connecting tee can comprise a reducing tee, in which one of the three end connections of the tee is of a different size than the two other ends, or the three end connections of the connecting tee can be the same size such that all of the flow connections have the same size openings. Connecting tees are utilized commercially for a number of different applications, including but not limited to oil and gas, plumbing and other industrial applications. As a result, connecting tees are exposed to a number of different pressures and must be designed to withstand certain high pressures to prevent failures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the connecting tee of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the connecting tee of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section view of the connecting tee of the current disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a view of a prior art connecting tee. 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     The current disclosure in one embodiment provides a connecting tee. The connecting tee has a rise and a run and an inner surface defining a flow path therethrough. The connecting tee has at least one raised portion on the inner surface thereof that extends radially inwardly into the flow path. In one embodiment the at least one raised portion may comprise three bumps or raised portions on the inner surface of the connecting tee that extend radially inwardly into the flow path of fluid flowing in the connecting tee. 
     An embodiment of the current disclosure may also include a plurality of grooves. The plurality of grooves may include first and second grooves in an outer surface defined on the run of the connecting tee and a third groove defined in the outer surface on the rise of the connecting tee. The first, second and third raised portions are located proximate first, second and third grooves such that the raised portions are aligned with the grooves. The raised portions on the inner surface are thus next to, or adjacent a groove on the outer surface of the tee connector. First, second and third raised portions have first, second and third lengths which span the first, second and third groove lengths of first, second and third grooves respectively. 
     In an additional embodiment, a connecting tee has a rise and a run. An inner surface of the connecting tee defines a flow path therethrough. An outer surface defines a periphery at a transition between the rise and run. The transition between the rise and the run is arcuate in a longitudinal direction and in a vertical direction such that there are no flat portions around the entire periphery of the transition between the rise and the run. The outer surface has a plurality of grooves and in one embodiment has three grooves thereon configured to connect the connecting tee to a pipe component at the ends of the rise and run. In one embodiment the connecting tee has first and second grooves on the run and a third groove on the rise, each configured to connect to a pipe component. Openings at the first and second ends of the run and at the end of the rise may in one embodiment be configured to have the same size openings thereon and configured to connect to pipe components of the same size. 
     The connecting tee of the current disclosure is an advance over prior art tees in that it will achieve a higher burst or failure pressure than a prior art tee that utilizes the same material and has the same or very nearly the same dimensions. 
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
     A connecting tee  10  has a run  15  and a rise  20 . Rise  20  is connected to run  15 . Run  15  has first end  22  and second end  24 . A first opening  26  is defined at first end  22  and a second opening  28  is defined at second end  24 . An end  30  of rise  20 , which may be referred to as the rise end  30  defines a third opening  32 . Connecting tee  10  is configured at each of the first, second and third ends  22 ,  24  and  30  to be connected to a pipe component. For example, each end may be connected to a straight piece of pipe, a coupling, elbow or any other fitting used to communicate fluid flow thereto. 
     An inner surface  34  defines a flow path  36  through the tee  10 . Flow path  34  extends longitudinally through run  15  and vertically through the rise  20  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Connecting tee  10  may be utilized to combine flow paths or to divide flow paths depending upon the application and use thereof. The connecting tee  10  of the current disclosure may be utilized in any number commercial industries including but limited to oil and gas, power petrochemichal, firewater and other industrial applications. Inner surface  34  is a generally smooth surface that has a plurality of raised portions or bumps  38  thereon that interrupt the smooth inner surface  34 . Raised portions  38  extend radially inwardly into flow path  36 . Raised portions  38  may include first and second raised portions  40  and  42  on inner surface  34  in run  15 , and a third raised portion  44  on inner surface  34  in rise  20 . First, second and third raised portions  40 ,  42  and  44  have lengths  41 ,  43  and  45  respectively, and are positioned at, or near ends  22 ,  24  and  30  respectively. 
     An outer surface  46  defines a periphery  47  of connecting tee  10 . Connecting tee  10  includes a transition  48  between the rise  15  and run  20 . Transition  48  is arcuate around the entire periphery thereof. In other words, there are no flat portions thereon. Transition  48  includes a longitudinal transition  50 , which is the transition in a longitudinal direction between the rise  15  and the run  20 . Transition  48  likewise includes a transition portion  52 , which is the vertical transition in the direction between the rise and the run. There is no flat spot at transition portions  50  or  52  or anywhere on the periphery  47  of transition  48 . As explained in detail below, prior art connecting tees with the same size ends on the rise and run have flat spots in the transition that affect the strength and integrity of the tees. 
     Outer surface  46  includes a plurality of grooves which may comprise first, second and third grooves  54 ,  56  and  58 . First and second grooves  54  and  56  are positioned on run  15  at or near first and second ends  22  and  24  and third groove  58  is positioned on rise  20  at or near rise end  30 . First groove  54  has length  60 , second groove  56  has length  62  and third groove  58  has length  64 . 
     Grooves  54 ,  56  and  58  defined in outer surface  46  are defined in radially outwardly extending portions of the outer surface which may be referred to first, second and third shoulders  66 ,  68  and  70 . Grooves  54 ,  56  and  58  are positioned at first, second and third ends  22 ,  24  and  30  respectively. 
     Each of raised portions  40 ,  42  and  44  extend radially inwardly to a maximum height which may be, for example, heights  72 ,  74  and  76  respectively. As non-limiting example, the raised parts may have a height that is for example, about 0.03 to about 0.10 inches. Raised portions  42 ,  44  and  46  are positioned adjacent grooves  54 ,  56  and  58  respectively and thus are aligned therewith. Raised portions  42 ,  44  and  46  span the length of the corresponding groove with which it is aligned such that the overall length  41  of raised portion  40  spans length  60  of first groove  54 . Length  43  of second raised portion  38  is such that it will span length  62  of second groove  56 . Finally, length  45  of third raised portion  44  will span the length  64  of third groove  58 . The length of the raised portions may be, for example three to four times the length of the corresponding groove, but in any case will at least span the length of the corresponding groove. The raised portions associated with the grooves are intended to lower material stresses in the groove area—thus increasing the pressure to fail over connecting tees without this feature. The raised portions structurally reinforce the groove area to better and more safely resist external loads on the tee assembly and reduce the likelihood that external forces applied to the tee assembly might damage the tee structurally. Since the connecting tee  10  would include three separate “connections”, the structural enhancement herein described would create a safer product less likely to fail due to the combined stresses imparted due to alignment issues and loads applied to all three connections. 
     The combination of features set forth herein provides for more efficient use of material and provides additional strength over prior art connecting tees. Connecting tee  10  will thus have a higher burst pressure than prior art. For example, a prior art casting made of ASTM A536 Grade 65 45 12 Ductile Iron with a 4 inch diameter at each of the first, second and third ends, might have a burst pressure of a approximately 3200 psi. In contrast, a connecting tee  10  of the current disclosure made from the same material can have as high as a burst pressure of 3900 psi. The connecting tee  10  of the current disclosure essentially moves the failure point of current prior art tees and as a result adds additional strength. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a prior art tee  100  has a rise  102  and a run  104  and includes a transition  106 . Transition  106  comprises a transition  108  along the longitudinal direction and a transition  110  in the vertical direction from the rise  102  to the run  104 . As is apparent, the prior art tee  100  has a flat portion  112  which often is a generally triangular flat portion as depicted by the dashed lines  114  in the figure. The tees in the prior art have a tendency to fail at or around the dashed line in  FIG. 4 , which essentially circumscribes the flat portion in the prior art tee  100 . The tee  10  of the current disclosure will generally fall along what is typically known as the casting split line. That line is depicted by the dashed line  80  in  FIG. 2 . As a result, the burst pressure is much higher than with current designs. The engineering principal behind all of this has to do with how the pressure containing device is loaded or stressed. With a flat surface, some of the force becomes a combination of tensile and bending stress. With rounded shapes, the forces are mostly either tensile or compressive, therefore the stress level is lower, and hence the part fails at a higher pressure. 
     Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present invention readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described for purposes of the present disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention.