IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGES OLIVIER LOUIS LEPRÉVOST-BOURGEREL, student at the Fine Arts
school of Paris residing in Paris, 58 rue Notre Dame de Lorette, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE COUPLINGS, 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 that class of couplings in which two flanged pipes placed
end to end are held by an independant device which establishes the tightness of the
joint.
My invention is applicable as couplings for pipes for conveying compressed air,
water or any fluid generally.
My pipe coupling is constituted by two halves which are constructed in the
peculiar manner hereinafter set forth.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken through A A. fig. 2, of a pipe coupling
embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side view one half of the coupling fig 2.
Fig. 4 is a top view of the coupling in through B B, fig. 1.
Fig. 5 shows a connecting bolt.
a, b are the two pipes to be coupled. c is an interposed washer of rubber or other
suitable material d, e are the two halves of the coupling, connected by two bolts f
passing through lugs g, g, g, g. One of the bolts may be suppressed and be replaced
by a joint.
The effort exerted upon tightening the two halves against the rounded off edges
of the flanges h, h of the pipes a b may be decomposed into two forces, of which one
is at right angles to the axis of the pipes and the other is parallel to the same axis.
Now the former force, passing through the axis of the pipes is annulled, because it
is exerted similarly against the entire edge of each of the flanges h, h, so that the
latter force only acts to press both pipes against each other. The effort thus
exerted by the coupling is uniform at all points of the said flanges h, h.
Each half d, e forms, in section, a V which is more or less open according to the
point at which the section is taken; for instance, taken half way between the two
ends of each half, the extent of opening of the V will be that shown in fig. 1,
whereas if taken at any other point, the V will be more open, and finally the extent
of opening will be that shown in fig. 3, being the end of the half; that is to say the
inner face of each half forms a vault in and against which the edge of the flange
can bear and come in contact. Upon reference to fig. 2, it will be seen that in all
its horizontal planes the vault corresponds to the circumference which constitutes
the edge of the flange h; by these means, if a thin or a thick washer is interposed

page_text: or if a flange is more or less thick than another, the displacement of the point of
contact will not in any way alter the action of the coupling, the said inner face
being so formed that in whatever horizontal plane it may be looked at in cross
section, it always forms a portion of a circumference the radius of which is the same
as the radius of the circumference constituting the edge of the flange h.
As above described, the coupling is applicable to any sized pipes where the effort
to be exerted for effecting the joint may be conveniently given by hand. For large
sized pipe couplings I however adopt the construction shown in fig. 6.
In this arrangement, the two halves d, e are similar to those previously described,
with the exception that the bolt holes are suppressed and that the two halves are
connected by two metal rings i, i hooked into a cross piece j through which a
screw k passes and bears in a socket or bearing & formed on one of the halves. The
joint is effected by turning the screw k in order to bring the halves against each
other.
The projecting portions n, n of the lower half e serve as guides for the said half
in the rings i 2.
In fig. 7 I have shown the application of the herein described construction of
coupling, to the closing of an open pipe. d, e are the two halves made as
herein before described b is the pipe the opening of which is desired to be closed,
c is a rubber or other suitable washer and m is a disk of rigid material. In this
case the disk takes the place of the other pipe a.
In fig. 8 I have shown new means of obtaining perfect tightness at the joint of
two pipes. These means consist in forming a groove into one of the pipe sufficiently
deep to allow of a rubber or other flexible washer o to be sunk therein at more
than half its thickness. The groove is so formed that the washer o is therein
thightly held and can only be withdrawn by force. The object in view is to
prevent the loss of washers.
The angle formed by the inner face of the halves de to the axis of the pipes
is 45 degrees at the section shown in fig. 1, but it may vary more or less."
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
First a pipe coupling formed of two halves connected, substantially as described,
and constructed in such a manner that their inner faces each form a vault so that
in all horizontal planes, a portion of a circumference is formed, having the sume
radius in all such planes, substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
drawing.
Second the rings i, i, the cross piece j and screw k pressing into a bearing 1, as a
means of connecting and tightening any class of pipe couplings made of two parts,
substantially as described and shown.
Third the herein before described means of securing tighteness of a flanged pipe
joint, consisting of a rubber or other suitable washer o let into a groove in one pipe
flange, the said groove being so formed as to firmly hold the washer and prevent its
separation from the pipe, substantially as described and shown.