Improvements in Pipe Couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe Couplings.
I, SOLOMON ROBERT DRESSER, of the City of Bradford, in the County of
McKean, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Inventor, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
My invention is an improvement in pipe couplings and consists in the novel
features hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying drawings
which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention,
and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.
Referring to the drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the meeting ends of two sections of
wrought iron or other pipe connected by my improved coupling.
Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view of a portion of a coupling sleeve and packing
ring showing a modified construction.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my coupling applied to the meeting
ends of two pipe sections.
Fig. 2 is a detail view of portions of the two clamping rings or plates, and
one of the clamping bolts.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of one half of a coupling flange embodying a slight
modification of my invention.
Fig. 5 is an end view of the said modified form of flange showing both parts.
The object of my invention is to provide a coupling which will unite the
plain unthreaded ends of very large sizes of pipes, and which will be strong
enough to stand high internal pressures, and which will also allow for a slight
longitudinal movement of the pipes due to contraction and expansion caused by
changes in temperature.
In the drawings (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) A A represent the adjacent ends of two
sections of pipe, said ends being plain or unthreaded and which are united by
my improved coupling.
BB represent the clamping plates and as they are identical in construction a
description of one will suffice for both. Each of these plates is provided on its
inner face with a central cup shaped recess b and a central aperture 6¹ of less
diameter than said recesses, and concentric therewith for the passage of the pipe
section. The portion of the plate between the recess 6 and the outer edge is
ferably cored out as indicated at 62 to lighten the plate.
pre-
with a series of bolt holes 63 preferably four in number which are reinforced to
The plate is provided
trengthen the plate at these points, the walls 6 of the bolt holes extending
utwardly beyond the edge of the plate and inwardly into the cored portion of the
ame, and I prefer also to connect said walls with the walls of the recess 6 by
adial webs 65 as shown, to insure the proper strength of the plate.
The plate B is also provided on its outer side (the side furthest from the
pposing plate of the coupling) with a cylindrical portion or sleeve B¹ which
[Prins Q77

page_text: extends over and around a considerable portion of the pipe. On opposite sides
of this sleeve portion I provide laterally extending flanges B2 B2 which extend
outwardly as far as the outer edges of the plate and are formed integrally there-
with. In order to facilitate placing the plate upon the end of a pipe section the
plate is made in two parts, being divided on a plane parallel with the faces of the
flanges B2 B2 and between the faces of said flanges, so that each part of the
plate is provided with a section of the plate proper and a section of the sleeve
with the flanges extending on each side. In order to secure the parts of the
plate together the parts of the flanges 132 133 are bolted together as shown. I
prefer to provide the flanges on one part of the plate with grooves or recesses 66 66
to receive the squared heads of the clamping bolts 67 67 so that the bolts are pre-
vented from turning while the nuts 68 68 are being tightened. The two parts
of the plate are placed upon a pipe section A adjacent to the end and are clamped
together upon the pipe by the bolts 67 and nuts 68 so that the parts of the plate
are secured together and the plate is clamped upon the pipe section. I prefer,
however, that the coupling plate should not be clamped upon the pipe so tightly
as to prevent the movement of the pipe longitudinally through the plate, and
I have found that the parts of the plate can be forced together upon the pipe
with considerable pressure without preventing this movement of the pipe
under the action of heat and cold, which causes a certain amount of expansion
and contraction in each pipe section.
D represents a packing ring, which is formed of rubber or other suitable
material to fit the cup shaped recess 6 of the coupling plate, and has its exterior
face provided with an annular groove d preferably V-shaped in cross section as
shown. The ring D is provided with a central aperture adapted to fit tightly
over the pipe section A.
F represents the coupling sleeve, which is cylindrical and of an external
diameter slightly less than that of the recess b in the coupling plates and of an
internal diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the pipe. At
each end this sleeve is provided with annular tapering or wedge portions f
V-shaped in cross section which fit within the annular recesses of the packing
rings D and said sleeve is preferably provided interiorly with a central inwardly
extending annular rib f¹ or a series of annularly arranged projections to serve
as a stop for the adjacent ends of the pipe sections. The end portions of the
coupling sleeve and the annular grooves in the packing rings may be rounded
instead of angular if desired, as indicated in Fig. 1.
In assembling the parts of my improved coupling to connect adjacent ends of
two pipe sections A A, one of the coupling plates B is secured to each of said
sections near the meeting ends, as previously described, a packing ring Dis
slipped over each pipe end and into one of the recesses of said plates. The
sleeve is then placed over the meeting ends of the pipe sections and
its annular wedge shaped end portions are made to engage the
annular grooves d d in the packing rings D D. The coupling bolts G G are
passed through the bolt holes 63 from one plate to another and nuts thereon
are turned up, thus drawing the two plates toward each other and clamping the
sleeve F between them. The heads of the bolts G G are preferably square or
oblong and I prefer to provide each coupling plate adjacent to a part of its
bolt holes, with flanges 6 to engage the bolt heads and prevent the said bolts
from turning. In this way part of the bolts (of which there may be any desired
number) can be inserted from each end of the coupling and I am thus enabled
to cast both coupling plates alike.
The coupling plates have a long bearing on the pipe sections owing to the
clamping sleeves and lateral flanges and said plates are adapted to stand very
great strain without bending or breaking. This form of coupling can therefore
be used with great advantage on large sizes of pipe and those subjected to high
internal pressure, and my coupling unites the ends of pipes perfectly without
the necessity of threading or treating the ends of the pipes in any way.

page_text: In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a slight modification of the form of my coupling
plates in which the plate K is provided with the sleeve portion K₁ and
flange K³ as previously described with reference to that shown in Figs. 1, 2
and 3 and in addition thereto with lateral flanges K³ K³ extending from and
beyond the edge of the plate proper and having their forward edges flush with the
inner face of the plate. These flanges K³ K³ are formed integrally with the
edge of the plate proper and with the flanges K2 K2. This coupling is formed
in two parts also and the two parts of flanges K2 K2 are to be united by
bolts as in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The two parts of the flanges
K3 K3 are also to be united by bolts and I prefer to cast said flanges with open
ended slotsk therein as shown in Fig. 4 instead of circular bolt holes to facilitate
the casting of the plates.
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. In a pipe coupling, a coupling plate or ring provided with an aperture for
the passage of a pipe therethrough, and a sleeve portion extending perpendicu-
larly to the main body of said plate or ring, said plate or ring being divided in a
plane passing through said sleeve portion, parallel to the axis thereof, means for
drawing the parts of said sleeve portion together to clamp it frictionally upon a
pipe section, said ring or plate being provided with means for engaging coupling
bolts, substantially as described.
2. In a pipe coupling, a coupling plate or ring provided with means for
engaging coupling bolts, a central pipe receiving aperture, a sleeve portion
extending perpendicularly to the main body of said plate or ring, and lateral
flanges connecting said sleeve portion and the main body of the ring or plate,
said plate or ring being formed in two parts divided in a plane passing through
flanges on opposite sides of said sleeve portion parallel to the faces of said flanges
and clamping devices engaging the parts of said flanges for clamping the sleeve
portion upon a pipe section, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the meeting ends of two pipe sections, of a coupling
plate surrounding each section and provided with clamping surfaces, elongated
longitudinally of the pipe for frictionally engaging the same, means connected
with each of said plates for clamping said surfaces upon the pipe but permitting
the longitudinal movement of the pipe section therethrough, a packing ring in
each of said plates surrounding the pipe section, a coupling sleeve engaging said
rings and devices for drawing said plates together, substantially as described.
4. A pipe coupling comprising among its members a pair of coupling plates
adapted to surround sections of pipes, each plate having the portion engaging the
pipe divided, clamping means for forcing said divided portions together upon the
pipe, a packing ring carried by each of said plates, a coupling sleeve for sur-
rounding the meeting ends of two pipe sections, adapted to engage said
packing rings, and coupling devices for drawing said plates together, substan-
tially as described.
5. A pipe coupling comprising among its members, a pair of coupling plates
each being provided with laterally extending portions, a sleeve portion for sur-
rounding a pipe provided with laterally extending flanges uniting said sleeve
portion and said laterally extending portions, packing rings carried by said
plates, a coupling sleeve adapted to engage said packing rings and to enclose
the meeting ends of two pipe sections and coupling devices for engaging the
aterally extending portions of said plates and drawing said plates together,
substantially as described.
6. A pipe coupling comprising among its members, a pair of coupling plates
ach provided with laterally extending portions, a sleeve portion adapted to
engage a pipe section and lateral flanges connecting said sleeve portion and said
aterally extending portions, said plates being each formed in two parts, divided

page_text: in a plane passing through said flange and parallel with the faces thereof, clamp-
ing devices for engaging said flanges, for clamping the sleeve portion upon a
pipe section, the coupling sleeve, packing rings interposed between said sleeve
and said plates, and coupling devices engaging the laterally extending portions
of said plates for drawing them together, substantially as described.
7. A pipe coupling comprising among its members, a pair of coupling plates,
each plate being composed of two parts provided each with a laterally extending
portion, a semi-cylindrical sleeve portion for engaging a pipe section and flanges
connecting the sleeve portion and said laterally extending portions, said plates
having each a central packing recess, packing rings for said recesses provided
each with an annular groove, a coupling sleeve provided with annular end por-
tions wedge shaped in cross section for engaging the grooves of the packing ring,
and coupling bolts passing through the said laterally extending portions of said
plates for drawing said plates together, substantially as described.
Dated the 11th day of September 1899
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.