IMPROVE- MENTS IN JOINTS OR COUPLINGS FOR UNITING PIPES OR TUBES AND FOR SECURING TUBES IN CONDENSER AND OTHER PLATES."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Atherton, of Euston Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Engincer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN JOINTS OR COUPLINGS FOR UNITING PIPES OR TUBES AND FOR
SECURING TUBES IN CONDENSER AND OTHER PLATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Atherton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd February 1875.
I, JAMES ATHERTON, of Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINTS OR COUPLINGS FOR UNITING PIPES OR
TUBES AND FOR SECURING TUBES IN CONDENSER AND OTHER PLATES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of joints or
couplings for pipes or tubes. These joints are so made that they may
be easily connected or disconnected, and are perfectly, sound at any

page_text: ordinary pressure, without the use of white lead or other cement, or
brazing or soldering.
In practising my said Invention I construct a hollow cylinder or shell
of brass, iron, wood, or other suitable material, which may be circular or
of other form, with belts cast thercon to give additional strength. The
ends of the cylinder are bevilled or inclined inward towards the pipe so
as to contract the opening for the insertion of the said pipe, and so form
recesses into which are forced annular conical india-rubber rings or
other similar packings which may have any desired angle. These rings
or packing are so formed that when internal pressure is applied they
press against the contracted ends of the cylinder and so form a compact
and sound joint. I provide within the cylinder projections or webs to
give rigidity to the tube or pipe; but I dispense with these webs when
it is desired to give elasticity to the joint..
'
The method of using my improved joint is first to introduce the india- 1
rubber or other packing into the said hollow cylinder. I then force
therein the end of the tube or pipe to be coupled. This joint is par-
ticularly adapted to surface or other condenser or refrigerators.
In a modification of the said joint the india-rubber rings or packings
are so made as to withstand external and internal pressure; for this
purpose a metal gland is screwed into a plate pressing tightly against the
packing, thus forming a sound and durable joint with the pipe; or the
joint may be made without the said gland by having a plate recessed to
receive the conical packing, or two plates so secured together as to form
cones for the packing to abut against.
I further modify my Invention by making the joint or coupling with
one end flanged, the other parts being similar in all respects to that first
above described. Or I construct my said joint or coupling with one end
screwed for connecting with an ordinary gas pipe socket. This joint is
particularly adapted for making connections with the ordinary iron a
barrel used in gas and hydraulic fittings; it may be made to form
reducing sockets.
In another modification of my joint or coupling I use cylindrical
rings of peculiar shape and formed of bass, iron, or other suitable
material with flanges cast thereon, whereby they are firmly secured
together by ordinary screw bolts and nuts after being placed on the tube

page_text: or pipe. The said rings have splayed or bevilled edges to receive the
packings or india-rubber rings which are interposed between the two
cylindrical rings and abut against their splayed or bevilled edges. In
this form of my Invention the pipes or tubes to be united have external
flanges.
The method of applying the said joint is to slip one cylindrical ring
over the pipe, the flange is then formed on the end of the said pipe, the
india-rubber or other packing being placed thercon, when the said pipe
or tube is ready for connection by the bolts in the usual manner.
Instead of making the said india-rubber or other packing conical I
may in some instances make it circular, rectangular, or of any other
suitable form..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Atherton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ATHERTON, of Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Atherton, Her special licence that
I, the said James Atherton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Atherton, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINTS
OR COUPLINGS FOR UNITING PIPES OR TUBES AND FOR SECURING TUBES IN CONDENSER
AND OTHER PLATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Atherton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: .
:
.
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Atherton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification:-
'
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of joints or
couplings for uniting pipes or tubes. It is also applicable for securing
tubes in condenser plates and for other purposes. These joints are so
made that they are perfectly sound at any ordinary pressure without
the use of white lead or other cements, or brazing or soldering.
The construction of the said joints, or couplings is clearly illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, by the aid of which I will now proceed
to fully describe the method of carrying the said Invention into

page_text: :
Figure 16 is part of a condenser tube plate with the tubes secured
therein according to my Invention; Figure 17 is a transverse section on
the line y', y', Figúre 16.
Figures 18 and 19 are transverse sections illustrating modifications
of the said Invention as applied to the securing of tubes in a tube
plate.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A is a hollow cylinder or shell of brass, iron, wood, or other suitable
material which may be round or of other form, and which has belts a, a,
cast thereon to give it additional strength. The ends a¹, a¹, are beveled
or inclined inwards towards the pipes B to contract the opening for the
insertion of the said pipes and so form recesses a², a², into which are
forced annular india-rubber rings or other packing b, b, clearly shewn
in Figures 4 and 5.. The said rings have an annular recess 6' and may
be of any desired angle. These rings. or packings are so formed that
when the joint is subjected to internal pressure, they press against the
contracted ends of the cylinder and so form a compact and sound joint.
I provide within the cylinder projections or webs a³, a³, when it is
desirable to give rigidity to the tube or pipe. But when it is necessary
or desirable to give elasticity to the joint I dispense with these
projections.
In using this improved joint I first introduce the india-rubber rings
or packing 6 into the hollow cylinder A, I then force therein the ends of
the tubes or pipes B to be united.
Figure 6 is a modification of the said joint or coupling, in which C, C,
are cylindrical rings of brass, iron, or other suitable material of peculiar
shape, having cast on them flanges c¹, c', whereby they are firmly secured
together by ordinary screw bolts and nuts c². After being placed on the
tubes or pipes D, c, c, c, c, are inclined or beveled surfaces to receive
the packing or india-rubber rings d, d, which I interpose between the
two cylindrical rings C, C; these india-rubber rings abut against the
inclined or beveled surfaces c, c, and the turned up flanges D¹ on
the pipes or tubes D, as shewn.
In applying this joint I slip the cylindrical rings Ċ over the pipes D,
a flange D¹ is then formed on the end of the said pipes and the india-
rubber or other packing d is placed thereon, the pipes or tubes are then
ready for connection by the bolts and.nuts c²; c²; c³, in the usual manner.

page_text: Figures. 13, 14, and 15 are modifications of the said joint or coupling
and its packing.
Figure 13 shows a joint or coupling A having a flange e at its outer
end, the other parts of the joint being somewhat similar to that shown
in Figure 1, with a slightly different formation of the packing ring b. -
Figure 14 shows a joint or coupling wherein the packing rings b
within the chamber of the shell A have beveled edges like that in
Figure 13, and which may be of any desired angle.
Figure 15 shows a joint particularly adapted for making connections
with the ordinary iron barrels used in gas and hydraulic fittings, onc end
of the shell or cylinder A being screwed at f for connecting with the
socket B'; this joint may be adapted to form a reducing socket.
This Invention may be most advantageously adapted for the joints of
the tubes of surface or other condensers and refrigerators, and other
apparatus which have tubes secured in plates for the passage of fluids.
The india-rubber rings or packings being so shaped that they will
withstand both external and internal pressure.
In Figures 16 and 17, the tube plate A' is provided with a series of
conical holes for the reception of packing rings b, which fit and bind
against the surfaces a². The covering plate A' has corresponding holes
therein, countersunk, and their surfaces a press firmly against or upon
the packing 6 when the same is inserted in the tube plate; but in some
instances I may dispense with the covering plate A².
Figure 18 shows the packing 6 secured in the tube plate by a screw
gland a³..
Figure 19 shows both ends of packing and the conical holes in the
tube plate, and the covering plate formed with equal angles.
In applying my joint or packing to condenser tubes I first introduce
the tube B through the tube plate A¹ and force the joint or packing b
upon the tube, thereby filling up the conical recess a³ in the tube
plate A. Then the outside or covering plate A2 (when a covering plate
is used) is firmly secured by screws or bolts g or by other suitable means,
thus making the joint sound against internal and external pressure.
In Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 I have shewn the sectional form of
rings or washers d which I may employ for my improved joints, but

page_text: Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings;
London.
JAMES ATHERTON. (L.S.)