IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN THADEUS TITUS of N° 786 Harrison Street in the City and County
of San Francisco, State of California in the United States of America Inventor,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS
FOR PIPES AND HOSE," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements made in interlocking couplings for joining
together lengths of pipe or hose, and my improvements consist in certain novel
construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out,
producing a simple and efficient locking device, also certain other construction and
combination of parts producing an improved coupling for uniting lengths of pipe
and other tubular conductors both flexible and inflexible, as hereinafter set forth.
In the construction and production of my said improvements I form a coupling
in the usual way, of a male part or half and a female part or half of tubular shape
the two ends adapted to join by being inserted one within the other. Provision is
made on the opposite or outer ends of the parts for permanently securing to them
the ends of the pipe or hose.
In the female part of the coupling I form several slots opening through its
periphery into the inside space, into which slots are fitted lugs or locking catches,
one in each slot, and all the lugs united at the back or outer side to a ring or band
that is fitted loosely around the body and over the slots in such manner that it
is free to turn upon this part and by such rotation upon this part it serves to throw
the lugs or catches from one end to the other of their slots in either direction
according to the direction in which the ring is turned. The ring or band is
confined between flanges on the female part, and the periphery of the ring is
notched or roughened to insure a firm grasp of the hands, or there are cavities or
depressions provided to engage the jaw of a wrench or "spanner" where con-
siderable force is required for setting up the parts of the coupling tightly together.
The male part of the coupling being tubular to properly fit into the female part
is provided with slots or recesses in the outside, running transversely or at right
angles to the length of the coupling.
Guide slots are carried longitudinally from the inner end of the male part into
its transverse slots through which guide slots the locking lugs of the female part
are directed into the transverse recesses, when one part is slipped into the other

page_text: part of the coupling. These recesses are furnished with an inclined face along one
side, and the corresponding face or edge of the locking lugs is inclined so that by
the movement of the lugs along the slots when the ring is rotated there will result
a drawing up of the two parts of the coupling together and a close joint between
the end of the male part and the seat provided for it in the bottom of the female
part is produced.
This joint is made more complete by interposing a packing in the usual way
between the two parts.-A locking catch is applied to the rotating ring to hold it
from turning backwards when the parts are united.
To locking couplings for joining pipes and hose together under conditions where
it is subject to rough handling and dropping down upon pavements and hard
surfaces I apply a cushion or fender to protect the body of the coupling from
fracture and injury.
This cushion is formed of heavy rings or bands of rubber or some other similar
comparatively soft material placed around the body of the coupling against the
flanges or projecting parts of the metal body and with suitable projection beyond
the edges of these metal parts to present soft or yielding cushion like edges for
contact with bodies and surfaces.

page_text: I JOHN THADEUS TITUS, of N° 786 Harrison Street, in the City and County of
San Francisco, State of California, in the United States of America, Inventor, do
hereby declare the nature of this 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 improvements made in interlocking couplings for joining
together lengths of pipe or hose, and my improvements consist in certain novel
construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and pointed out,
producing a simple and efficient locking device; also certain other construction and
combination of parts producing an improved coupling for uniting lengths of pipe
and other tubular conductors both flexible and inflexible as hereinafter set forth.
In the construction and production of my said improvements I form a coupling,
in the usual way, of a male part or half and a female part or half, of tubular
shape, the two ends adapted to join by being inserted one within the other..
Provision is made on the opposite or outer ends of the parts for permanently
securing to them the ends of the pipe or hose.
In the female part of the coupling I form several slots opening through its
periphrey into the inside space into which slots are fitted, lugs or locking catches,
one in each slot, and all the lugs united at the back or outer side to a ring or band
that is fitted loosely around the body and over the slots in such manner that it is
free to turn upon this part and by such rotation upon this part it serves to throw
the lugs or catches from one end to the other of their slots in either direction,
according to the direction in which the ring is turned.
The ring or band is confined between flanges on the female part, and the
periphrey of the ring is notched or roughened to insure a firm grasp of the hands,
or there are cavities or depressions provided to engage the jaw of a wrench or
spanner where considerable force is required for setting up the parts of the
coupling tightly together.
The male part of the coupling being tubular to properly fit into the female part
is provided with slots or recesses in the outside running transversely or at right
angles to the length of the coupling.
Guide slots are carried longitudinally from the inner end of the male part into
its transverse slots through which guide slots the locking lugs of the female part
are directed into the transverse recesses when one part is slipped into the other
part of the coupling. These recesses are furnished with an inclined face along one
side, and the corresponding face or edge of the locking lugs is inclined so that by
the movement of the lugs along the slots when the ring is rotated there will result
a drawing up of the two parts of the coupling together and a close joint between
the end of the male part and the seat provided for it in the bottom of the female
part is produced. This joint is made more complete by interposing a packing in
the usual way between the two parts..
A locking catch is applied to the rotating ring to hold it from'turning backwards
when the parts are united..

page_text: To locking couplings for joining pipes and hose together under conditions where
it is subject to rough handling and dropping down upon pavements and hard
surfaces I apply a cushion or fender to protect the body of the coupling from
fracture and injury.
This cushion is formed of heavy rings or bands of rubber or some other
similar comparatively soft material placed around the body of the coupling
against the flanges or projecting parts of the metal body and with suitable
projection beyond the edges of these metal parts to present soft or yielding cushion
like edges for contact with bodies and surfaces.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a general outside view of the coupling interlocked.
Figure 2 is a cross section taken longitudinally through the center.
Figure 3 is an outside view of the male part of the coupling.
Figure 4 is an end view of such part.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the female part of the coupling.
Figure 6 is an end view of such part.
Figure 7 is a plan of the revolving ring with locking lugs.
Figure 8 is a section through such part at the line x-y.
A. is the male half or part and B. the female half or part of the coupling. C. is
the sleeve portion each part to which the end of the pipe or hose is permanently
joined in any suitable manner. In the female part is a seat for a packing d.
against which the end of the male part A. is pressed when the parts are locked.
The width of this seat should be proportioned to the thickness of the metal at the
end of the male part.
E. E. are the slots in the body of the female part, and G. G. are the locking lugs
or catches, placed within the slots and movable from end to end therein. H. is the
loose turning ring to which these lugs are united and F. F. are the flanges between
which the ring is confined.
I. I. are the slots or recesses in the face of the male part A. of the coupling
and J. J. are the cross slots or passages through which the locking lugs slide to
enter the slots I. when one part is inserted into the other part. These slots J. also
constitute seats for stationary lugs or projections K. that are fixed on the inside of
the female part B. at points within the outer edge or end of the coupling and
between this end and the line of the locking lugs G. The lugs K. are set at
intervals around the inside space to register with and slip easily into the
longitudinal slots J. of the male part.
They are used to prevent rotation of one part on the other when the coupling
is joined together. They are set in line with the end of the slots E. so that when
the movable lugs G. are thrown to that end of their slots, the two sets of lugs will
be brought into line to readily enter the slots J. The position of the slots E. on
the male part is such that when the end of that part is sealed against the packing,
the lugs G. are altogether within the slots, and will move around as the ring H. is
turned, at such time the lugs K. are resting in the longitudinal slots J.
The slots or grooves I. have one edge inclined as at ex and the corresponding
edges of the lugs G. to engage these inclines are wedge shaped as at g. The
movement of these wedge shape lugs along the slots as the ring is revolved will
draw the two parts together.
The ring E. is milled, roughened notched or otherwise finished to afford a
good grasping surface. It may also have cavities as h* to take a spanner
wrench.
In this construction I have employed three sets of grooves and locking lugs, but
this number may be varied as circumstances may require without affecting the
character of my invention, as the essential features therein are the stops or fixed
lugs, the grooves J. the locking lugs G. G. and the grooves or ways E. the first
mentioned parts for the purpose of holding the parts from revolving one on the
other and the last named parts for locking the parts together,

page_text: To prevent the ring H. from turning back of itself it may be necessary in some
cases to apply a catch or lock, and for such purpose I set a spring pin m. into a
socket in the ring with a spring n. beneath it to hold the end against the face of
the flange F. in which are notches or detents f
On applying sufficient force to turn the ring the catch will ride out of the notch
but at other times the ring will be held.
The cushion or fender which I apply to the coupling consists of heavy rings or
bands of rubber or some other suitably yielding material, although I prefer to
make them of rubber. One ring is fixed on each side of the projecting rim or band
of the coupling or those parts which are exposed to blows and injury from contact
with bodies and surfaces.
These projecting rings are fixed to the body of the coupling and are of suitable
thickness to present edges beyond the metal. Where couplings of such character
are used on fire hose these cushions are of particular value in preventing injury of
the coupling.
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. A hose coupling consisting of the part A. having the longitudinal grooves e.
and the part B. into which the part A. is adapted to enter, a seat b. projections g.
movable lugs. or projections h. and a revolving ring H. to which the lugs h. are
secured as a means of throwing the lugs.
2. The combination of the part A. provided with the grooves e. f. e. f. with the
part B. provided with the projections g. 9. and the movable ring H. provided with
the projections h. h.
3. In a two part coupling the part A. provided with the grooves described, the
part B. having the circumferential slots 63 and lugs g. and the lugs h. substantially
as described.