Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
D
We, EUGENE VERNAUDON, JULES VERNAUDON, CHARLES D'ESPINE and EDWARD
ACHARD, all of Paris in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of the present invention is the improvement of flexible tubes and hinged
or articulated joints of conduits which will be readily understood from the following
description.
In the suction or discharge pipes of pumps used for drainage and other purposes
necessitating the formation of channels in metal or other material it is indispensable
that such pipes should have articulated joints so that they should be able to intercalate
with the main channels.
For these articulations it has been proposed to use metallic elbows which have not
given satisfactory results. Contractors for public works give preference to flexible
pipes or tubes in leather, india-rubber, cloth or other material but these flexible tubes
especially as discharge conduits, are not sufficiently durable. These flexible tubes are
fitted to the extremities of the brass or iron pipes uniting two pipes and permitting
A metallic hoop
them whilst thus connected to be placed at an angle to each other.
or collar is placed round each joint which is further strengthened by a collar at the end
of the metal tube and a cleat at the end of the flexible tube. In a short time
however these flexible joints wear out splitting or cracking generally near the collar
which attaches them to the metal tube owing to the absence of sufficient external
support.
In order to obviate this inconvenience we provide these flexible joints with a metallic
covering sustaining the outer surface at all points of their circumference and length.
But to render the application of this covering feasible and useful it is necessary that
the covering itself should be capable of following all the windings and changes of
form of the inner tube in all its positions. We have attained this result by employing
for these coverings a metallic fabric formed by interlacing metallic helices or spirals

page_text: screwing one helix into another and so forming a fabric of which all the constituent
elements or helices possess great freedom of motion with regard to each other. We
may use for these coverings all kinds of metallic fabrics formed by interlacing metallic
helices or spirals whether these spirals be formed cylindrical like spiral springs or
oval or flat. Or the fabric may be flattened after manufacture by rolling. Or the
spirals may be secured together by pins or brooches forming a common axis for two
spirals.
The metallic fabric above described is employed by us to form around flexible
junction pipes a carapace or covering for either the interior or exterior or both. For
this purpose the fabric is bent into a tube which is thus composed of a series of spirals
screwed into one another each spiral forming an elementary ring of the pipe. The
great mobility of the spirals thus interlaced gives to a pipe thus formed the facility of
lengthening or shortening itself to an extent to the sum of the "play" which exists
amongst all the elementary rings of the pipe; besides these elementary rings being
able to place themselves at an angle one to the other it will be readily understood that
the pipe originally straight can assume a curved form by the successive inclinations
of each spiral upon its neighbour. The pipe thus constructed can therefore follow
the bendings of the flexible junction pipes when enveloping and protecting the same
in every position. The junction pipe being supported at all points by the metallic
covering will be protected from being cut or from other serious accident besides which
the sides of the junction pipe will be relieved from the strains of compression
and tension which will be borne by the covering and thus strengthened the tube
will not be liable to stretch and tear in the usual manner.
The junction of the ends of the metallic fabric which form the tube is effected either
by placing together the two edges of the fabric and uniting them by sewing or in
causing them to overlap each other and rivetting them together with one or more rows
of rivets or by other suitable means.

page_text: necessary that the covering itself should be capable of following all the windings and
changes of form of the inner tube in all its positions. We have attained this
result by employing for these coverings a metallic fabric formed by interlacing
metallic helices or spirals of any suitable section screwing one helix into another and
so forming a fabric of which all the constituent elements or helices possess great
freedom of motion with regard to each other. We may use for these coverings all
kinds of metallic fabrics formed by interlacing metallic helices or spirals whether these
spirals be formed cylindrical like spiral springs or oval or flat. Or the fabric may be
flattened after manufacture by rolling. Or the spirals may be secured together by
pins or brooches forming a common axis for two spirals.
The metallic fabric above described is employed by us to form around flexible
junction pipes a carapace or covering for either the interior or exterior or both. For
this purpose the fabric is bent into a tube which is thus composed of a series of spirals
screwed into one another each spiral forming an elementary ring of the pipe. The
great mobility of the spirals thus interlaced gives to a pipe thus formed the facility of
lengthening or shortening itself to an extent equal to the sum of the "play" which
exists amongst all the elementary rings of the pipe; besides these elementary rings
being able to place themselves at an angle ono to the other will be readily understood
that the pipe originally straight can assume a curved form by the successive inclinations
of each spiral upon its neighbour. The pipe thus constructed can therefore follow the
bendings of the flexible junction pipes when enveloping and protecting the same in
every position. The junction pipe being supported at all points by the metallic
covering will be protected from being cut or from other serious accident besides which
the sides of the junction pipe will be relieved from the strains of compression and
tension which will be borne by the covering and thus strengthened the tube will not be
liable to stretch and tear in the usual manner.
The junction of the ends of the metallic fabric which forms the tube is effected either
by placing together the two edges of the fabric and uniting them by sewing or by
causing them to overlap each other and rivetting them together with one or more rows
of rivets or by other suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of flexible tubes and socket joints the use of metallic fabric
composed of helices or spirals interlaced by screwing one helix or spiral into another
or securing them together by pins or their equivalents so as to form a common axis
for each two spirals substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The employment of flexible tubes of metallic fabric constructed as specified for
the purpose of sheathing or covering various kinds of flexible tubing so as to protect
and strengthen it substantially as specified.
3. A flexible joint for tubes or pipes, consisting of a tube of leather, india-rubber or
other material covered or sheathed inside or outside or both inside and outside with a
metallic fabric of spirals interlaced or secured together by pins or their equivalent and
attached or fixed to the rigid tubes substantially as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.