Improvements in Tube Joints or Couplings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 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, lo hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of tube joints or couplings which are used for
the purpose of avoiding screwing the ends of the tubes to be joined, and in which
loose collars, placed around the tubes and drawn towards one another at a joint by
bolts, are made to bear against flanges on the tube ends and thus tighten such
flanges against suitable packing material; and the invention has for its object to
devise tube joints or couplings of such character which require each only a single
joint ring of packing material, whatever pressure the joint may be intended to
securely resist.
The above object is effected, according to this invention, by placing a single
packing ring between the two opposing flanges of the tube ends to be joined or
coupled, and surrounding such ring with a metal hoop or ring to prevent the
packing ring being forced out from between the opposing flanges.
According to one form of the invention, the metal hoop or ring aforesaid is
formed separate from the other portions of the joint, and annular projections or
bungs are formed at the inner faces of the loose collars and bear against the flanges
aforesaid without projecting from their edges, and thus clearance is left for the
edges of the metal hoop or ring. The metal hoop or ring is, preferably, of such
width that it is prevented by the faces of the collars from moving far enough in
either direction to leave the edge of the packing ring exposed, and it is preferred
that the width of the metal hoop or ring shall be such that it will always project
considerably beyond the packing on each side.
According to another form of the invention, in which a loose metal hoop or ring
is used around the packing material, and which is for use more especially when
very high pressures are to be resisted, or to enable lighter metal hoops or rings to
be used than might otherwise be deemed desirable under specified conditions, a
circular shoulder is formed on the inner face of each collar which passes as the
joint is tightened up around the metal hoop or ring; and these shoulders by acting
as backings, or supports, around the hoop or ring prevent it becoming broken or
unduly stretched under the pressure imparted to it by the packing material as the
latter tends to expand. A convenient method of formning these shoulders is to
form the inner faces of the collars flush with the back faces of the flanges, with
annular grooves therein into which the edges of the metal hoop or ring pass.
According to a further form of the invention, the metal hoop or ring for
surrounding the packing material may be formed as a rim projecting from the
forward face of one of the flanges, and this rim surrounds not only the packing ring
but also the opposite flange and thus securely prevents the packing ring being
forced out from between the flanges. In this case, the collar which presses at the
back of the flange from which the rim projects may be a plain collar, but the
opposite collar is formed either with a bung to bear against the corresponding

page_text: flange and leave clearance for the edge of the rim, or a groove may be formed in
the face of the collar to receive the edge of the rim.
Dated this 6th day of December 1894.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
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 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 which are used
for the purpose of avoiding screwing the ends of the tubes to be joined, and in
which loose collars, placed around the tubes and drawn towards one another at a
joint by bolts are made to bear against flanges on the tube ends and thus tighten
such flanges against suitable packing material; and the invention has for its object
to devise improved tube joints or couplings of such character which require each
only a single joint ring of packing material, whatever pressure the joint may be
intended to securely resist.
The above object is conveniently effected, according to this invention, by placing
a single packing ring between the two opposing flanges of the tube ends to be
joined or coupled, and surrounding such ring with a metal hoop or ring to prevent
the packing material being forced out from between the opposing flanges, the said
surrounding ring projecting preferably a considerable distance beyond each side of
the packing ring and (more especially in the case of high pressures) being,
preferably, supported around its edges or ends by shoulders or concave circular
abutments formed with the loose collars.
According to a modification of the invention, however, the packing ring is
surrounded by a rim projecting from the forward face of one of the flanges, and
this rim surrounds not only the packing ring but also the opposite tube flange or a
portion of the thickness thereof."
A form of the invention in which the metal hoop or ring, aforesaid, is formed
separate from the other portion of the joint, is illustrated by Figure 1 of the
drawings herewith, which illustrates a joint in section taken through the longitudinal
axis of the tubes.
A packing ring a, of any suitable material, is placed between the flanges 6 of the
tubes A. A metal hoop or ring e, is placed around the flanges b and packing ring a
to prevent the packing material escaping from between the flanges b. The loose
collars B which surround the tubes A are drawn against the outer faces of the
flanges, by means of bolts d, and the packing material a is thus compressed
tightly between the flanges. It is preferred that the ring e shall be of a width
which causes it to project beyond the outer faces of the flanges b, as shewn, and the
collars B are formed with annular projections e which bear against the flanges b.
Annular projections are formed also at the inner faces of the collars B, and the
shoulders or concave circular abutments which the inner sides of these projections
form pass around the outer ends of the ring c as the collars are tightened up.
These shoulders are formed to fit around the ends of the ring e and thus
support the ring against any tendency of the packing material to expand and
fracture it. It is preferred to form the ring e tapering somewhat smaller in

page_text: diameter externally towards each end or side, and to correspondingly incline the
shoulders or faces of the projections which surround the ring as shewn, so that
the collars will tighten themselves more securely around the ring than if the ring
and shoulders were formed parallel. The annular projections e and fare formed,
in effect, in the arrangement illustrated, by forming an annular groovey in the
inner face of each collar B, within which the ends or sides of the ring center, as
the projections extend to the outside of the collars and the flat faces of the
projections e and of each collar are in the same plane. The ring is made of
such width, in relation to the distance between the inner ends of the grooves g,
when the joint is tightened up that it is prevented by the inner ends of the grooves
from moving far enough in either direction to leave the edge of the packing ring
exposed, even if it were otherwise free to move endways.
f
A mortification of the invention, in which the metal ring is formed solid with one
of the tube flanges, is illustrated by Figure 2, which is a corresponding section to
Figure 1. The parts corresponding to those shewn by Figure 1 are similarly
lettered. The ring surrounding the packing material a is formed as a rim
projecting from the inner face of one of the flanges b, and this rim surrounds also,
when the joint is tightened up, a portion of the thickness of the opposite tube
flange b. Both the collars B may be formed with their inner faces plain; or, if it
is desired that the outer edge of the ring cshall project, when the joint is
tightened up, beyond the hinder face of the flange which it surrounds, an annular
groove may be formed in the inner face of the corresponding collar, to admit
thereof.
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. For a tube joint or coupling, the combination of flanged ends on the tubes, a
plain metal hoop or ring formed separately from the other portions of the joint,
tapering preferably smaller in diameter externally towards each end or side, to
surround packing material placed between the flanges, and loose collars surrounding
the tubes and capable of being drawn by means of bolts against the outer faces or
backs of the tube flanges to compress the packing and thus make the joint, said
collars being formed (preferably) with parts which fit, as the joint is tightened up,
around the ends of the metal ring, substantially as described.
2. For a tube joint or coupling, the combination of flanged ends on the tunes, a
metal ring formed as a rim solid with and projecting from one of such flanges of a
diameter and width to surround packing material placed between the flanges, and
to surround also the other flauge or a portion of the thickness thereof when the joint.
is tightened up, and loose collars surrounding the tubes and capable of being drawn
by means of bolts against the outer faces or backs of the tube flanges, to compress
the packing and thus make the joint, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of September 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.