Improvements in and relating to Joints or Couplings for Pipes or Tubes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Joints or Couplings for Pipes
or Tubes.
I, JOSEPH EVANS, of the firm of Joseph Evans and Sons, of Culwell Pump Works,
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Hydraulic and General Engineers and
Ironfounders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object means whereby pipes or tubes formed plain
throughout, that is without sockets or flanges and without screw threads for the
reception of such, and without enlarged or flared ends (being in fact plain cylindrical
tubes from end to end) may be joined or coupled together, or to the plain end of
another pipe or tube, in a thoroughly fluid-tight and secure manner.
The
"
The joint or coupling forming the subject of this invention comprises a short barrel,
which may be conveniently made of cast iron, of which the middle portion fits just
easily around the pipes or tubes to be joined and of which each extremity is formed
as a socket. A pair of glands is used in combination with the barrel, each gland
being made to fit just easily around a pipe or tube and having a part to enter within
one of the sockets. A fluid-tight joint is made by passing a gland over the end of
each pipe or tube and inserting the ends of the pipes into the barrel and then drawing
up and tightening the glands against packings inserted within the sockets.
glands may be drawn up and tightened against the packings by means of bolts passing
each through a flange or lug formed on each gland or formed respectively on a gland
and on the barrel or a socket theroof. The pipes or tubes are provented from "creeping"
endways in relation to the joint, by means of gripping pieces carried by the barrel or
glands in such manner that they may be readily tightened up. These gripping pieces
are conveniently formed as taper keys having teeth on their inner faces set, preferably,
in a direction towards their smaller ends, and in such case are fitted so as to be capable
of sliding endways in inclined key ways formed in the bore of the barrel. These key
ways are open at their back or outer ends to the inner ends of the sockets and from
thence their beds incline inwards towards the axis of the barrel the inclination corre
sponding to the taper of the keys. For medium diameter pipes or tubes (say, for
instance, those of four inches diameter) three of these keys, spaced equally around the
circumference, may be used for each pipe or tube end. The keys are inserted in their
key ways after the pipe or tube ends have been inserted in the barrel, and prior to the
packings being inserted and a fluid tight joint made. A plain metal ring is inserted
within each socket (or within one socket at a time) and the glands are screwed against
the outer faces of the rings whereby the inner faces of the rings, bearing against the
back ends of the keys, force the keys forwards in the inclined key ways and wedge
their teeth tightly against or into the surfaces of the pipes or tubes. After the keys
have been tightened up in this manner the glands are drawn back, the rings removed
from the sockets, and the packings inserted and the glands again tightened up to
make a fluid-tight joint. The rings are used to avoid having to make the glands
unnecessarily deep, and are made in halves transversely to allow of their being
removed from around the tubes or pipes after the keys have been tightened up.
It will readily be understood that pipes or tubes which have no enlargement thereon,
and the use of which is rendered convenient by this invention, are most readily packed
for transport, and (when of different sizes) nested into one another.
The invention relates more especially to wrought iron and steel tubes, and in such
cases the additional advantage results in the fact that the tubes may be made con-
siderably lighter than usual owing to their not being weakened by screwing and thus

page_text: oconomy is secured in first cost as well as in transport, and in consequence of their
lightness the tubes are more conveniently handled.
Dated this 8th day of November 1889.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
BODY DELE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Joints or Couplings for Pipes
or Tubes.
I, JOSEPH EVANS, of the firm of Joseph Evans and Sons, of Culwell Pump Works,
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Hydraulic and General Engineers and
Ironfounders, 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 :-
This invention has for its object means whereby pipes or tubes formed plain
throughout, that is without sockets or flanges and without screw threads for the
reception of such and without enlarged or flared ends (being in fact plain cylindrical
tubes from end to end) may be joined or coupled together, or to the plain end of
another pipe or tube, in a thoroughly fluid-tight and secure manner.
Tho joint or coupling forming the subject of this invention is illustrated in
longitudinal section by Figure 1, in side elevation by Figure 2, and in end elevation,
with the gland removed, by Figure 3. A short barrel A, which may conveniently be
of cast iron, is made to fit just easily around the pipes or tubes B to he joined, and is
formed at each end as a packing-box or socket C. A packing gland D, one for each
packing-box, fits easily around the pipe, and for the smaller sizes of pipes it is
preferred to make the portion a of each gland which enters the packing-box to the
depth, or nearly so, of the box. Recesses or inclined key-beds are formed in the
interior of the barrel A to receive wedges or taper keys b. These wedges are, pre-
ferably, formed along their faces which bear against the surfaces of the pipes with teoth
set forwards, as shewn, that is towards their smaller or inner ends. For medium
diameter pipes or tubos (say, for instance, those of four inches diameter) three of these
wedges, spaced equally around the circumference, as shewn by Figure 3, may be used
for each pipe or tube end.
h
In joining up a couple of pipes or tubes, according to this invention, the barrel A
is passed over the two ends to be joined, the wedges are then passed into the open
ends of the packing-boxes and inserted, as far as they can conveniently be by
hand, into their respective recesses or key-beds, and the glands D are then drawn
up, by means of bolts c into the boxes and against the outer or larger ends of the
wedges, and are continued to be screwed inwards until the wedges are forced tightly
"home" with their inner, and preferably serrated, faces tightly gripping or biting
the pipes. These wedges very securely fix the pipes within the barrel A. After the
wedges have been tightened up as described, the glands are drawn back and packing
inserted in the boxes, and the glands then tightened up agaiu to make a fluid-tight
joint.
If it is not desired to make the parts a of the glands as deep as is required for
the purpose of tightening up the wedges in the manner described, such, for instance,
as when pipes or tubes of large dimensions are to be joined together, a ring formed
in halves to admit of its being removed from around the pipe or tube, may he
inserted within the packing-box and the gland be pressed against the outer face of
the ring, whereby its inner face, bearing against the back ends of the wedges will
force them tightly up in place. A pair of rings may be used to tighten up the
wedges at each end of the barrel at the same time, or one set of wedges may be
tightened up and then the other.

page_text: It is preferred to thicken up the metal of the barrel A, as shewn at d Figures 1
and 2, and by broken lines Figure 3, at the parts where the recesses or key beds
are formed.
The wedges or keys should be of steel hardened to give them the best grip upon
the pipes or tubes.
A modification of this invention, in which the wedges or keys are held in recesses
or key-beds formed in the glands instead of in the barrel A, is illustrated by Figure 4,
which is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 1, but shewing only so much of
the joint as is necessary to make the modification clear. The recesses or key-beds to
receive the wedges or keys are formed in from the inner ends of the glands, and
the teeth of the wedges are in this case "set" towards the larger, which are now
the inuer, ends of the wedges. In making a joint according to this modification the
packings are first tightened up, and then the glands are drawn back from the
packing-boxes, the wedges put in place and the glands again tightened up against
the packing, with the result of tightening the wedges upon the pipes or tubes. In
this case the glands may be of malleable cast iron for the purpose of giving them
greater strength to resist the strain of the wedges. The modification, however, in
which the wedges are inserted within the barrel A is the one preferred.
It will readily be understood that pipos or tubes which have no enlargement
thereon, and the use of which is rendered convenient by this invention, are most
readily packed for transport, and (when of different sizes) nested into one another.
The invention relates more especially to wrought iron and steel tubes, and in such
cases an additional advantage results in the fact that the tubes may be made
considerably lighter than usual owing to their not being weakened by screwing and
thus economy is secured in first cost as well as in transport, and in consequence of
their lightness the tubes are more conveniently handled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A joint or coupling for joining together plain ends of pipes or tubes in which
wedg
ges or keys and packings are employed, substantially as described, for the purpose
set forth.
2. In a joint or coupling for joining together plain ends of pipes or tubes, the use
of wedges or keys to firmly fix the ends of the pipes or tubes within a barrel which
surrounds them, or within glands which enter within packing-boxes formed at the
ends of such barrel, substantially as described.
3. In a joint or coupling for joining together plain ends of pipes or tubes, in
which wedges or keys are employed to firmly fix the ends of the pipes or tubes within
a barrel which surrounds them or within glands which enter within packing boxes
formed at the ends of such barrel, forming the faces of such wedges or koys which
bear upon the pipes or tubes serrated or toothed, substantially as described for the
purpose set forth.
4. Joints or couplings, for joining together plain' ends of pipes or tubes, sub-
stantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
5. In making a joint between plain ends of pipes or tubes by the aid of wedges
or keys inserted within a barrel surrounding such ends and having packing boxes
for receiving packings and glands, the use of a divided ring or of divided rings,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of August 1800
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.