Producing the same.
Year: 1886

page_text: Producing the same.
I ANDREW NERVA RANKIN of Jamaica, in the County of Queens and State of
New York, United States of America, Lawyer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to pipe-joints, and to the art of producing the same; and
its object is to provide a substantial and economical means of uniting sections of
ordinary metal pipe, one to another, and also a reliable method of effecting
the same.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in
which like features are indicated by like letters,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a section of ordinary cast iron pipe;
Figure 2 is an end view and Figure 3 a side view of the detachable collar used in
perfecting the joint; Figures 4 and 5 are similar views of a modification of the
collar; Figure 6 is a side elevation of a section of pipe showing the collar in
position with its side extension in contact with the soft metal packing band;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of two sections of pipe showing the
appearance of my joint when perfected; Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view
of a section of pipe showing special features hereinafter described, and Figure 9,
is a plan view of the wrought iron band with dovetail recess and dovetail tongue.
My present invention is intended to be applied to pipe having a smooth exterior
surface, as contradistinguished from pipe having its body grooved or recessed; and
it contemplates the employment of sections of pipe provided at one end with an
enlarged mouth, or socket, having straight or parallel interior walls, or walls
increasing in size from the mouth to the base, but in no case decreasing or tapering
from the mouth to the base of such socket; see the unused socket of Fig. 7; while
the other end is of the same general diameter as the body of the pipe, and may
or may not have a bead at its extreme end, and is commonly termed the
spigot end.
The usual method of forming the joint between two such sections of pipe, after the
spigot end of one section has been inserted into the socket of the companion section,
is to force in a slight packing of hemp, or the like, to prevent the molten lead
from running into the interior of the pipe, a suitable band being used at the
mouth of the socket to prevent the molten lead from running to waste; and the
ID 077

page_text: molten lead is then poured into the space between the spigot end and socket
until said space is filled. Then, to perfect the joint a calking iron and hammer are
employed the effect of which operation is to crystalize the lead, and, consequently,
weaken the packing.
Molten lead, in cooling, uniformly shrinks toward its centre, so that, according
to this law, the lead packing, when applied in a molten state, in the manner
described, does not adhere to the inner walls of the socket, but, hugs the spigot
end, and hence the necessity for the use of the calking iron. But aside from the
deleterious effect upon the packing by the use of the calking iron, the calking
operation produces but a very slight contact of the body of the lead packing with
the interior of the socket, usually just around its mouth. The result is that when
such a joint is deflected, from any cause, in any direction, the lead, having lost its
elasticity from being crystalized under the action of the calking iron, will readily
separate from contact with the mouth of the socket, and thus cause the joint
to leak.
A more serious objection to this style of joint is found in the fact that the
deflecting of the pipe, after the formation of the joints, often results in the breaking
of the enlarged mouths, or sockets, which causes very serious damage.
By my invention, I propose to overcome the above-mentioned objections.
In carrying out my invention, I mold a band of lead, or other suitable soft metal
or composition, c, around the pipe A at or near its spigot end, as shown in figure 1
of the drawings. To accomplish this, I make use of a mold of the required shape,
which is constructed in such a way that a portion of the rear end of the band, say
about one-third of its width, will not adhere to the pipe. The reason for this will
be presently explained. After the mold is filled with lead, or other suitable soft
metal, in a molten, or fluid, or semi-fluid state, sufficient time is allowed the
metal to harden before removing the mold. In the process of hardening, as already
explained, the soft metal shrinks toward its own centre, and thus effects a
permanent, positive union between the band c and pipe A, except at the rear end
of the band, where the mold prevents contact between the band and pipe.
In the construction shown in figures 1 and 6 the packing band c is straight or
untapered, and its dinmetor is a little smaller than the bore of the socket of the
companion section of pipe, while its breadth is just sufficient to accomplish its
work, but leaving a space, or air chamber, behind it, as shown in figure 7. The
pipe A is shown provided with the usual bead b, at its spigot end-but the presence
or absence of this feature is not material to the success of my invention.
My method of perfecting the joint between two sections of pipe, of the
character described, is as follows: The spigot end of one section, provided with the
soft-metal packing-band c, is inserted into the socket of a companion section, and
the detachable collar de, shown in figures 2 and 3, constructed with a side-
extension g whose diameter or cross-section is a little less than that of the bore of
the socket of the companion section of pipe, is placed in position around the spigot
end, so that the front edge of such side-extension g will bear against the packing-
band c, as shown in figure 6. If found more convenient, the collar de may be
placed upon the spigot end of the pipe before the said end has been inserted into
the socket of the companion section of pipe. And, to insure the proper centering
of the spigot end in the socket, I may make use of one or more set-screws passing
through the side of the collar and operating in a well-known manner to center the
spigot in the socket. When the parts are properly adjusted, a hydraulic jacking
device, of suitable construction, or its equivalent, is applied to exert pressure upon
the back of the collar d e, with the effect of upsetting the rear end of the soft-
metal packing-band and forcing it in close contact with the walls of the socket, by
friction. This produces a dovetail joint when the socket increases in diameter
from its mouth toward its base. After the joint has been thus perfected the collar
is removed,
It will be seen, that, by the use of the collar with its side-extension, a pressure
upon and around the whole circle of the packing-band c is obtained simultaneously;

page_text: and that the crystalization and consequent weakening of the packing, as induced
by the use of a calking-iron and hammer, are entirely obviated.
My joint, when inade according to the method above explained, will present the
appearance shown in figure 7. It will be observed that back of the packing-
band c, within the socket, in this view of the perfected joint, there is a vacant
space, the object of which is to permit the pipe to deflect in any direction, to
considerable extent, without liability of the body of the pipe coming in contact
with the edges of the mouth of the socket. It is thus I avoid a serious objection to
the commonly employed joint; since, as usually made, with the calking-iron and
hammer, the lead fills up entirely the mouth of the socket and permits no
deflection of the pipe without loosening the packing, and oftentimes breaking the
socket.
The detachable side-extension collar de is preferable made in two parts, as
shown, and provided with flanges ƒ whereby it may be readily attached to, or
detached from, the pipe. It may, however, be made in more than two parts, or it
may be made in one continuous flexible piece. The side-extension g of the
collar de may also be made in a number of pieces, so as to have thicker and thinner
plates in emergencies.
The modification of the detachable collar d e shown in figures 4 and 5, needs
no special explanation, its distinguishing feature consisting in making the side-
extension g of the same diameter as the rest of the collar-the diameter of the
whole being a little less than the diameter of the bore of the socket of the pipe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of forming a pipe-joint, which consists in casting a band of soft
metal of equal diameter throughout its circumference on the spigot end of a metal
pipe, then inserting said pipe into a companion section having a bell mouth, and
finally upsetting the packing band so as to make it adapt itself to the walls as
described.
2. A metal pipe, the surface of which is smooth, having permanently secured
upon its spigot end a packing band of lead, or other suitable soft metal, the outer
circumference of which is of equal diameter throughout its breadth, in combina-
tion with a socket or bell, the inner walls of which are inclined, substantially as
described.
3. A metal pipe, the surface of which is smooth, having a packing-band of lead,
or other suitable soft metal, which for about two-thirds of its breadth is permanently
secured upon the spigot end, substantially as described.
4. A detachable upsetting device for use in perfecting the herein described cold-
packed-pipe-joint consisting of a sectional collar having side extension g, substan-
tially as described.