Improvements in Tube Joints or Couplings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tube Joints or Couplings. ;
We, JOHN BROTHERTON, LIMITED, of Imperial Tube Works, Wolverhampton.
in the County of Stafford, Manufacturers of Metal Tubes and Fittings, and
ENOCH LOVE, of 5 Upper Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Foreman
Mechanic at the said works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of tube joints or couplings in which loose
collars are placed around the tubes and drawn towards one another at a joint by
bolts and thus caused to bear against flanges or enlarged ends of the tubes which
are thereby tightened up to form a joint. Such loose collars must either be placed
around the tubes previously to the flanges or enlargements being formed at both
ends of each tube, or else they must. be formed in parts.so that they can be placed,
around the tubes without being passed over the ends. When, however, such
collars are formed in parts, some. provision has to be made to fasten or hold the
parts together when in place. This has been accomplished in different ways, all, of
which have involved the parts being made to interlock with one another or to halve
into one another in some form, or with flanges, or lugs through which they may be
bolted together, which has rendered them expensive in manufacture, or inconvenient.
in use.
Now, the main object of this invention is to provide means, of a very simple and.
efficient character, whereby the loose collars may be made in parts which are each
mere segments of such collars as might conveniently be used each in one piece if
put around the tubes before both ends of the tubes. were flanged or otherwise.
enlarged, that is to say, which represent such collars cut through in radial lines
and which do not interlock with or overlap one another.
According to this invention, a ring of T-section is used with each pair of collars.
The stalk or web of the T-section forms conveniently a flat ring, and is of an
internal diameter which allows it to be passed over the flanged or enlarged ends
of the tubes. The head of the T-section is of an internal diameter which allows
of the collars just easily entering within it from cach side, respectively. The,
collars are made in plain segmental parts as described, preferably in haives, and.
the parts or halves of each collar are simply placed in position around a tube with:
their inner faces within the T-headed ring, and are tightened up towards the parts.
or halves of the collar at the opposite side. of the ring by bolts. The T-headed.
ring securely prevents the parts or halves of each collar from.opening outwards.
from one another; and the ring is securely prevented, by the web thereof being..
between the collars, from moving out of place.
The T-headed ring above described, in addition to answering the purpose
described, may be used to surround a single packing ring placed between two.
flanged tube ends, to prevent the packing ring being forced out from between the
opposing flanges. In such case, a flange or rim may be formed around the inner
edge of each face of the metal ring, if such is required to give the necessary width
at the inner edge of the ring. The adaptation of the T-headed ring for the double
purpose described, forms an important feature of this invention..
Dated this 18th day of February 1805
STEPHEN WATKINS, -
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in five ones of
We, JOHN BROTHERTON, LIMITED, of Imperial Tube Works, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Manufacturers of Metal Tubes and Fittings, and
ENOCH LOVE, of 5 Upper Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Foreman
Mechanic at the said 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of tube joints or couplings in which loose
collars are placed around the tubes and drawn towards one another at a joint by
bolts and thus caused to bear against flanges or enlarged ends of the tubes which,
are thereby tightened up to form a joint. Such loose collars must either be placed'
around the tubes previously to the flanges or enlargements being formed at both
ends of each tube, or else they must be formed in parts so that they can be placed
around the tubes without being passed over the ends. When, however, such collars
are formed in parts, some provision has to be made to fasten or hold the parts
together when in place. This has been accomplished in different ways, all of
which have involved the parts being made to interlock with one another or to halve
into one another in some form, or with flanges or lugs through which they may
be bolted together, which has rendered them expensive in manufacture, or
inconvenient in use.
Now, the main object of this invention is to provide means, of a very simple
and efficient character, whereby the loose collars may be made in parts which are
each mere segments of such collars as might conveniently be used each in one piece
if put around the tubes before both ends of the tubes were flanged or otherwise
enlarged, that is to say, which represent such collars cut through in radial lines and
which do not interlock with or overlap one another.
The above object is effected, according to this invention, in the manner shewn
by Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings herewith, of which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a tube joint, or coupling of the class
above defined;
.
Figure 2 is a view of the joint shewn by Figure 1 looking endways of the
tubes and
Figure 3 is a detached elevation of the T-headed ring hereinafter described.
A A are the ends of the two tubes which are coupled together, and b bare the
tube flanges. B B are the loose collars which surround the ends of the tubes and
are drawn towards one another and against the outer faces of the flanges b
by means of bolts, such as , to compress the joint ring or packing a which is placed
between the flanges b. The loose collars B Bare divided into segments, preferably
into halves as in the case of the collar shewn by Figure 2. Each portion of the
collar, when the collar is divided into halves as shewn by Figure 2, thus forms a
plain semi-annulus of which the ends c c simply butt against the corresponding ends
of the other semi-annulus, without any overlap. A ring C, which in cross-sectional
shape is T-headed, is placed with the stalk or flat portion thereof between
the opposing faces of the collars B, and with the T-head thereof projecting on
cach side of such stalk around a portion of the thickness of the corresponding
collar B when the collars are pushed up against the flanges b. The T-head of the
ring C is made of such diameter internally as to allow of the collars being entered
just easily therein as they are pushed up against the flanges b; and the T-head i
thus securely prevents the halves or segments of the collars from opening outwards
from one another. The projection of the T-head i on each side of the stalk may,
of course, be made if desired sufficiently deep to surround the entire width of the
collars when the same are tightened up in place; but this is not at all necessary and

page_text: is not recommended, as it of course increases the cost of manufacture. The stalk h
of the T-headed section of the ring C, being between the collars B, securely
prevents the ring C from moving out of place.
+
k
The internal diameter of the ring C must, of course, be such that the ring can
be passed over the flanges b, and it is preferred that the internal diameter shall be
such that the ring can be only just easily slipped over the flanges, so that the inner
edge of the ring will answer the purpose also of the ring e described in our Patent
Specification No. 23,807 of 1894, that is to say, it will prevent the packing.
material from escaping around the edges of the Hanges as the joint is tightened
up; and this adaptation of the ring C for the double purpose of keeping in place
the segments of the loose collars B and of preventing the packing material from.
escaping around the edges of the flanges b, forms an important feature of the
invention. If it is preferred that the inner edge of the ring C, when used to
prevent the escape of the packing material a, shall be wider than the thickness of
the stalk, the modified form of joint of which one side is shewn in section by
Figure may be employed, in which a flange & may be formed around the inner
edge of each face of the ring C; and if the total width of the inner edge of the
ring thus exceeds the distance between the opposing faces of the collars B, when
the joint is tightened up, annular grooves or recesses y may be formed in such faces
of the collars to receive the edges of the flanges k. When a ring C is used of
which portions project into recesses formed in the inner faces of the collars B, the
T-head of the ring may be dispensed with, if desired and the ring may resolve
itself in its simplest form into a short cylinder which surrounds the flanges b, and.
of which the ends project into recesses formed in the faces of the collars B, as the
portions of the ring within the recesses g, by surrounding the portions of the collars
which are bounded by the inner sides of the recesses, prevent the segments of the
collars from opening out. It is much preferred, however, to use a section of ring
having a T-head i which surrounds the adjacent edges of the collars B and thus.
hides the joint.
It will be obvious that if the ring C is required only for preventing the
segments of the collars B from opening out, inward projections from the
head occurring at intervals around the circle may be substituted for
the continuous web or stalk h, or a very shallow stalk just sufficient to keep
the ring properly in place between the collars B B may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
=:
1. For a tube joint or coupling of the class above defined, the combination of
loose collars formed in segments which admit of their being readily placed around
the tubes to be coupled after the ends have been flanged or enlarged, with a ring
which when in place is prevented by the inner faces of the collars from moving
sideways and which is formed with parts which when the collars are pushed up
against the tube flanges surround portions of the collars (or the whole width of the
collars, if desired) and prevent the segments opening out, substantially as
described.
2. For a tube joint or coupling of the class above defined, the combination of
loose collars formed in segments which admit of their being readily placed around
the tubes to be coupled after the ends have been flanged or enlarged, with a ring
which when in place is prevented by the inner faces of the collars from moving
sideways and which surrounds the packing material and prevents it escaping around
the edges of the tube flanges and which is formed with parts which when the
collars are pushed up against the tube flanges surround portions of the collars (or
the entire width of the collars, if desired) and prevent the segments opening out,
substantially as described.
3. For a tube joint or coupling of the class above defined, the combination of
loose collars, such as B, formed in segments, with a ring, such as C, baving a

page_text: portion (or inward projections at intervals in lieu thereof) which when in use
is between the collars, and a head i which surrounds a portion of the width of each
collar (or the whole width, if desired), substantially as described and. shewn. by
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings herewith.
4. For a tube joint or coupling of the class above defined, the combination of
loose collars, such as B, formed in segments, with a T-headed ring, such as C,
having a flat portion , which when in use is between the collars and surrounds the
packing material a and prevents it escaping around the edges of the tube flanges b,
and a head i which surrounds a portion of the width of each collar (or the whole
width,, if desired), substantially as described and shewn by Figures 1, 2 and 3 of
the drawings herewith.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.+
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.