Improvements in or relating to Expansion or Telescopic Joints.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Expansion or Telescopic Joints.
1, JOHN P. BURNHAM, of 22nd and Throop Streets, in the City of Chicago, in
the County of Cook, and State of Illinois, United States of America, Engineer,
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 in expansion or telescope joints for steam
pipes or other pipes containing fluids under pressure.
Heretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced in the practical use of
expansion or telescopic joints for steam pipes owing to the tendency, especially in
large pipes, of the steam pressure to separate or force asunder the sections of the
pipe at the telescopic joint, thus producing great strain upon the foundation or
framework to which the separate sections are secured, and often occasioning serious
injury.
The object of my invention is to provide an expansion or telescopic joint of a
simple, durable and efficient construction, that will be self-balanced, so that the
pressure of the steam or other fluid in the pipe will not tend to force the sections
asunder.
To this end my invention consists in providing the two telescopic sections or
members of the joint each with a flange, collar or ring, formed integral therewith
or secured thereto, and of substantially the same area as the pipe, and together
forming in connection with the pipe sections a supplemental chamber which
communicates with the interior of the pipe, so that the steam pressure against these
flanges, collars or rings neutralizes or counteracts that against the interior of the
pipe at the ends thereof.
In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this Specification, and in which
similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a steam
or other pipe containing a telescopic or expansion joint, embodying my invention,
and Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section.
In the drawing A represents a steam pipe and B D are the two members or
sections of the telescopic or expansible joint uniting the sections A' A' of the
pipe A, the one pipe section or member fitting or telescoping within the other.
The inner section or member B is provided with an external flange, ring or collar b,
preferably formed integrally therewith, and the end area of which substantially
equals the area of the pipe A. The outer section or member D of the joint is
provided with a flange, ring or collar d, preferably formed in a separate piece, and
secured to the end of the section D by bolts d'. The section D is also furnished at
its end with an enlargement or bell d to adapt it to surround the flange or collar b on
the inner section B, and thus form in connection therewith and the ring or collar d
a supplemental annular steam chamber E, the cross sectional area of which equals,
or should approximately equal, that of the pipe A. The supplemental steam
chamber E communicates with the interior of the pipe A through an opening b
fortned in the section B. F is the packing, inserted between section B and the
ring d secured to the section D, for the purpose of making the joint steam tight
between the telescoping or sliding parts B, D. F' is the gland adjustably secured
to the ring d by threaded bolts f, so that the packing F may be properly
compressed.

page_text: The bell or enlargement of the outer section or member D is made long
enough to permit the necessary or desired movement between the expansible or
telescopic sections or members B, D of the joint. The flange, collar or ring bon
the section B is provided, or preferably provided, at its periphery with a packing
ring, and a similar packing ring is also preferably provided at the end of
section B. To prevent compression of the air or vapor leading into the
chamber E, formed by the bell or enlargement d², I provide a vent hole or
opening d' through the bell d; thus making this chamber E' open to the atmosphere
at all times.
As the end thrust or pressure of the steam or other fluid in the pipe A against
the section AD tending to separate it from the section A' B is counteracted or
compensated for by the pressure of the steam in the supplemental chamber E
against the ring or collar d which is of substantially equal area and which is
secured to the section A D; and as the like end thrust or pressure against
section AB is in like mauner compensated for or equalized by the pressure
of the steam in the supplemental chamber E against the flange or collar b
rigidly secured to the section B, and of substantially equal area with the
interior of the section A' B, it is obvious that the telescopic or expansion joint
will be self balanced; and that the pressure of the steam or other fluid in the
pipe will not tend to force asunder the two members of the joint, or at least
will not exert any dangerous or injurious strain thereon. It is better to make
the rings, flanges, or collar b d secured to the opposing members B D of the
joint substantially equal in area to the interior of the pipe A or the sections BD
thereof, so that the pressure will be perfectly balanced. But it will be obvious
to those skilled in the art that if these flanges, rings or collars are made
approximately equal in area to the pipe or near enough so that injurious strain will
le prevented, the practical results of my invention will be accomplished, or in part
accomplished. And I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the construction
wherein the area of the flanges or collars bd equals the area of the pipe A or its
sections B, D.
The supplemental steam or fluid chamber E communicating with the interior of
the pipe is preferably annular in form and surrounding the pipe, and its relatively
sliding or telescoping parts are likewise preferably annular in form, as shown in
the drawing. But it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that
the principle of my invention is independent of the particular form or shape of the
supplemental chamber and of the sliding or telescoping parts forming its walls.
The essential thing being that the supplemental chamber shall have a communication
with the interior of the pipe, and that one of its sliding or telescoping parts shall
be secured to one section of the pipe and the other to the other section of the pipe,
so that the pressure of the steam or fluid in the pipe tending to separate the
sections thereof will be counteracted by the pressure of the steam or fluid in the
supplemental chamber tending to separate in the contrary direction the sliding or
telescoping parts forming the walls of this supplemental chamber.
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 :-
1st. The expansible or telescopic joint for steam or other pipes, consisting in the
combination with pipe section B, furnished with flange, collar or ring b, of pipe
section D furnished with flange, collar or ring d, said Hanges, collars or rings bd,
in connection with said pipe sections B D forming a supplemental steam chamber E
of substantially equal area in cross section to said pipe sections, said pipe section B
having an opening connecting said supplemental steam chamber with the interior
of the pipe section, a packing F and a gland F, substantially as specified.
2nd. The expansible or telescopie joint for steam or other pipes, consisting in
the combination with pipe section B, furnished with flange, collar or ring b, of
pipe section D furnished with flange, collar or ring d, said flanges, collars or

page_text: rings 6 d, in connection with said pipe sections B D forming a supplemental steam
chamber E of substantially equal area in cross section to said pipe sections, said
pipe section B having an opening b' connecting said supplemental steam chamber with
the interior of the pipe section, a packing F and a gland F', said section D having
a bell or enlargement d², substantially as specified.
3rd. The expansible or telescopic joint for steam or other pipes, consisting in
the combination with pipe section B, furnished with flange, collar or ring b, of
pipe section D furnished with flange, collar or ring d, said flanges, collars or
rings bd, in connection with said pipe sections B D forming a supplemental steam
chamber E of substantially equal area in cross section to said pipe sectious, said
pipe section B having an opening 6' connecting said supplemental steam chamber
with the interior of the pipe section, a packing F and a gland F', said section D
having a bell or enlargement d, the supplemental chamber E' between said bell
and the inner pipe section D having a vent or opening through the same,
substantially as specified.
4th. The expansible or telescopic joint for steam or other pipes, consisting in the
combination with pipe section B, furnished with flange, collar or ring b, of pipe
section D furnished with flange, collar or ring d, said flanges, collars or rings bd,
in connection with said pipe sectious B D forming a supplemental steam chamber E
of substantially equal area in cross section to said pipe sections, said pipe section B
having an opening 6', conuecting said supplemental steam chamber with the
interior of the pipe section, a packing F and a gland F, said section D having
a bell or enlargement d², said section B having a packing ring 62 at the periphery
of said flange or collar and a packing ring near the end of said section,
substantially as specified.
5th. The expansible or telescoping joint for steam or other pipes, comprising in
combination two telescopic sections or members, a supplemental steam chamber
communicating with the interior of the pipe, substantially equal in area in cross
section to the pipe, and having two relatively sliding or telescoping parts, one
secured to one section of the pipe and the other to the other section of the pipe, to
prevent the pressure of the fluid in the pipe from forcing the sections apart,
substantially as specified.
27 1005
JOHN P. BURNHAM.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.