AN IMPROVED JOINT FOR COUPLING TUBES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1887.
I, FRANK ARTHUR WILLIAMS Shelton Cottage, Albrighton near Wolverhampton
Manager of Tube Works do hereby declare the nature of iny invention for AN IMPROVED
JOINT FOR COUPLING TUBES to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to form a rigid and water tight joint over a ferrule
and is most suitable for thin iron or steel tubes because the joint is made without
weakening the ends of the tubes by cutting worms upon them-The tubes are expanded
at the ends-A metal ferrule is placed between the expanded ends of two tubes-It is
preferred that the ferrule be of the same inside diameter as the inside diameter of the
tubes and that the outside of the ferrule be overlapped by the expanded ends of the
tubes-Loose flanges or loose sockets and nipples should be on the tubes and be shaped
so that when coupled they are drawn against the expanded ends to force them against
the ferrule inside That is to say two tubes are placed for connection over the ferrule
and by means of bolts and nuts the flanges are drawn so as to force the tubes on to
the ferrule or by means of screws or worms the sockets and nipples are drawn with a
similar result-Packing of india rubber, asbestos, hemp lead or any other description
may be used.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1886.

page_text: I, FRANK ARTHUR WILLIAMS, of Shelton Cottage, Albrighton near Wolverhampton,
manager of tube works, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
My invention relates to means of joining together the ends of wrought iron or steel,
or wrought iron and steel, tubes so as to make a secure joint against the pressure of
water or other fluid; and has for its chief object to avoid the expense, and the weakening
of the tubes, occasioned by screwing their ends in the ordinary manner, and, as a
consequence of avoiding the weakening of the tubes, being able to make such tubes of
a required strength of considerably thinner metal than usual.
This invention consists, primarily, in making the joint against an interior ferrule,
preferably of the same internal diameter as the tubes; and for this purpose the ends
of the tubes are expanded to receive the interior ferrule and are drawn towards one
another, and on to the exterior of the ferrule, by means of bolts passing through loose
flanges around the tubes. The ferrule is provided with suitable packing rings, or
jointing material in other form, to enable the joint between it and the expanded ends
of the tubes to be made thoroughly tight, or is provided with cutting edges which cut
into the metal of the expanded ends of the tubes to make a tight joint; or the ferrule
may be provided for such purpose both with packing rings, or jointing material in
other form, and cutting edges. The invention comprises also an arrangement of
internal ferrule with elastically-yielding cutting edges which may be used more
especially when a very high pressure is employed within the tubes; and also an
arrangement of ferrule having annular recesses formed in a central exterior belt into
which the ends of the tubes are butted as the joint is tightened up; and further com-
prises, also, means by which an internal ferrule employed in making a joint between
the ends of two tubes may be fixed firmly within the end of one tube previously to
the connection of the other tube therewith.
This invention will be clearly understood on reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which figure 1 represents, in longitudinal section, a joint, formed, according to this
invention, between the ends of two tubes. Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on
line of figure 1. a a are the tubes having expanded ends b b, c the internal ferrule,
dd loose flanges fitting around the expanded ends, and ee etc. bolts passing through
lugs in both flanges. The section of the ferrule is such as to leave two annular
spaces 6 6 of angular section between the ferrule and the interior of the expanded
ends of the tubes, the central portion of the ferrule being formed as reversed frustra
of cones fitting, when the joint is made, within the expanded ends of the tubes.
Figure 3 is a detached section taken through any point around the circumference of
the ferrule c and shews packing rings ff of india rubber, or other suitable material,

page_text: around the ferrule. The nearer sides of the annular recesses 616¹ are formed, prefer-
ably, at right angles, or approximately so, to the axis of the tubes, so as to form
vertical, or approximately vertical, abutments against which to place the packing rings,
as shewn, and the packing rings are, preferably, formed to the section shewn for
convenience of application.
To make the joint, the ferrule c, with the packing rings therearound, is placed
within the expanded ends bb of the tubes, the shape of the central part of the ferrule
enabling it to be readily placed properly in position with its own axis in line with that
of the tubes; and then the loose flanges d d are drawn tightly towards one another
by means of the bolts, and the expanded ends of the tubes are thus forced tightly
around the ferrule so that the packing rings ff are securely pressed into the annular
spaces between the ferrule and the expanded ends of the tubes, and as such spaces are
completely closed in on all sides, it is impossible for the packing to be forced out by
any amount of pressure and it is also securely prevented from perishing by exposure.
The central part of the ferrule, being formed with broad bearing surfaces fitting within
the expanded ends of the tubes, securely prevents any liability of the packings being
blown out between the ferrule and tubes. Moreover, these packings being placed
against abutments formed at right angles, or approximately so, to the axis of the tubes,
cannot be forced out of place as the joint is being tightened up.
If, from injury in transit or other cause, the expanded ends of the tubes become
slightly distorted in shape, the interior of the flanges bearing around such ends tend
to restore their proper shape and to cause them to fit properly over the ferrule.
The ferrule may, if desired, be formed with sharp edges around its ends, as shewn,
and be itself of such a length, in relation to the length of the part between the abut-
ments, as that such sharp edges will cut into the interior surfaces of the expanded ends
of the tubes, as the joint is tightened up, and make a tight joint with such expanded
ends, and this method of making the joint may be adopted either in combination with
or in lieu of the method of making the joint with the aid of the packing rings.
The ferrule may be made plain, if desired, simply to fit within the expanded ends of
the tubes, and in such case suitable jointing material is first placed around the ferrule
or within the expanded ends of the tubes, or else the expanded ends of the tubes must
be bored out and the ferrule turned to fit therein. Such a modification of the invention
is shewn by figure 4, which is a longitudinal section taken through one side of the
joint. In this modification, as in the modifications also hereinafter described, the parts
corresponding to those shewn by figures 1 and 2 are similarly lettered.
Figures 5 to 10, inclusive, are corresponding views to figure 4, and shew various
modifications of this invention.
In figure 5 the ferrule is shewn as a plain cylindrical ring of metal with a sharp
cutting edge at each end, and without provision for packing or jointing material.
In figure 6 the ferrule is shewn as presenting two cutting edges against the interior
surface of each expanded end of a tube. In this case packing rings also may be
employed, if desired.
In figure 7 the ferrule is shewn as presenting several cutting edges against the
interior surface of each expanded end of a tube.
Figure 8 shews an interior ferrule specially constructed for very high pressures.
The sharp edges ll are capable of elastically yielding inwards under considerable
pressure as the joint is tightened up, and the ferrule is formed so that, previously to
the joint being tightened up, the edges ll first receive the pressure of the expanded
ends of the tubes. The parts at the angles n n are formed thin to allow the edges
to yield inwards in the manner described, and the ferrule is preferably formed
of steel.
When an internal ferrule employed in making the joint between expanded ends of
two tubes is used with cutting edges, but without packing rings or jointing material
in other form, it is preferred to rymer out the ends of the tubes.
In figure 9 the ferrule is shewn as formed with a belt g of T-section, and the ends
of the tubes butt into grooves formed between the head of the belt and the body oi
the ferrule, as shewn. Packing or jointing material is used within the grooves. In

page_text: this modification the main body of the ferrule acts simply to support the interior of
the expanded ends of the tubes against the crushing tendency of the flanges.
In all cases in which an internal ferrule is employed in combination with expanded
ends of tubes and with loose flanges fitting around such expanded ends and drawn
tightly towards one another, such ferrule acts to support the interior of the expanded ends
against the crushing tendency of the flanges, and an internal ferrule may be employed
in such cases for such purpose even though the fluid-tight joint may not be actually
made against the ferrule, such as if, for instance, it is made directly between the butting
ends of the tubes.
A
Figure 10 illustrates a modification which may be employed in lieu of the loose
flanges d d and bolts ee etc. for drawing the ends of the tubes onto the ferrule.
loose screwed socket h, and loose screwed nipple i, are placed around the expanded
ends of the tubes. o is a plain part on the back of the nipple, by which such nipple
may be gripped for screwing up.
Figure 11 is a corresponding view to figure 1, and illustrates means by which an
internal ferrule employed in making the joint between the ends of two tubes may be
fixed firmly within the end of one tube previously to the connection of the other tube
therewith. The ferrule c is formed with an exterior shoulders and a loose flange d' is
slipped over the ferrule and against the shoulder. Loose rings t t are placed around
the expanded ends of the tubes, and the side of the ferrule on which the shoulder sis
formed is first fixed within the end of one of the tubes by means of dog bolts, such as
that lettered u, which catch behind the ring ton the tube and pass through the flange d¹
against the outer face of which nuts on the ends of the bolts are screwed. The other
tube is then fixed on to the ferrule by means of dog bolts such as that lettered u¹
intermediate between those which have been employed to fix the ferrule within the
first tube.
⚫ Figure 12 is an elevation, and figure 13 a plan, of a loose flange, corresponding to
and for the purpose of the flanges dd before described, but made in halves so that it
may be readily placed around a tube after the end thereof has been expanded. The
joints connecting the halves together are rebated, and two of the bolts e pass through
the_joints.
The employment of the modification shewn by figure 11, and also the employment
of the divided flange shewn by figures 12 and 13, affords, as will be obvious, con-
siderable facility in packing tubes intended to be joined together by means of
internal ferrules.
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 joint between two wrought iron or steel tubes (or between a wrought iron and
a steel tube) formed by inserting an internal ferrule having packing rings or jointing
material in other form therearound, or having cutting edges therearound, either in
lieu of or in combination with the packing rings or jointing material in other form,
within expanded ends of the tubes, and drawing such expanded ends towards one
another and tightly over the ferrule by means of loose parts around the ends of the
tubes provided with means by which such parts may be drawn tightly towards one
another, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. An internal ferrule, for employment in combination with expanded ends of
two wrought iron or steel tubes (or of a wrought iron and a steel tube) for the purpose
of making a joint between such tubes, provided with packing rings within annular
recesses of angular section around the ferrule so that as the expanded ends of the
tubes are tightened over the ferrule the packing rings are compressed within spaces
enclosed on all sides so as to prevent their escape under the fluid pressure within the
tubes and prevent them from perishing by exposure, substantially as described.
3. An internal ferrule, for employment in combination with expanded ends of two
wrought iron or steel tubes (or of a wrought iron and a steel tube) for the purpose of
making a joint between such tubes, provided with packing rings within angular
recesses around such ferrule formed in cross section so that as the tubes are tightened

page_text: up over the ferrule the packing rings are compressed against abutments formed around
the ferrule in planes at right angles, or approximately so, to the axis of the tubes,
so that such packing rings cannot escape backwards from the pressure of the expanded
ends of the tubes as the same are drawn together, substantially as described.
4. An internal ferrule, for employment in combination with expanded ends of two
wrought iron or steel tubes (or of a wrought iron and a steel tube) for the purpose
of making a joint between such tubes, and around which recesses are formed near
the ends for the reception of packing rings, having its central part formed as reversed
frustra of cones, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. A joint between two wrought iron or steel tubes (or between a wrought iron and
a steel tube) formed by butting expanded ends of the tubes into annular grooves
formed around the circumference of an internal ferrule and provided with suitable
packing or jointing material, and drawing such ends tightly towards one another and
within the grooves, aforesaid, by means of loose parts around the expanded ends
provided with means by which such parts may be drawn tightly towards one another,
substantially as described and shewn by figure 9 of the drawings herewith.
6. The several modifications of this invention substantially as described with
reference to figures 1 to 8 inclusive, and to figure 10, according to which a joint is
formed between two wrought iron or steel tubes, or between a wrought iron and a
steel tube.
7. In a joint formed between two wrought iron or steel tubes (or between a wrought
iron and a steel tube) by means of an internal ferrule within expanded ends of the tubes,
the means substantially as described with reference to figure 11 by which the ferrule
is or may be fixed within the end of one of such tubes previously to the joint being
made with the other of such tubes.
8. The employment of an internal ferrule in combination with expanded ends of
two wrought iron or steel tubes (or of a wrought iron and a steel tube) as a support
against the crushing tendency of loose parts fitting around such expanded ends and
drawn towards one another in making a joint between such ends, substantially as
described.