An Improved Flexible Joint for Vacuum and Low Pressure Pipes.
Year: 1892

page_text: · Date of Application, 29th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Flexible Joint for Vacuum and Low Pressure Pipes.
I, REGINALD FOSTER WARD of 1 Osborne Avenue in the City and County of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved flexible joint for vacuum and low pressure
pipes by which device metal or other pipes may be connected together with freedom
to bend to a certain extent in any direction at each joint.
To effect my purpose I form or place across the ends of the pipes to be flexibly
connected a bar to which in the one case a double eye may be secured which takes
a cross-shaped centre piece on which another double eye terminating in a single
or double threaded screw with a plain tapered end or fairleader is mounted. An
universal joint is thus formed and in the centre of the bar of the other pipe a bɔss
with a tapped hole corresponding to the screw above mentioned is formed.
The latter pipe can thus be easily brought up to and screwed onto the screw of
the universal joint thus connecting the pipes and although the joint described will
answer my purpose any equivalent devices e.g. ball and socket or swivel joints by
which any two ordinary pipes can be jointed so as to have freedom to form an angle
with one another may be substituted.
Further instead of the screwed jointing described any simple eye and pin or link:
or other jointing may be substituted and instead of a tapped hole in the boss as
described the hole in the boss of the transverse bar may have slots in it into which
corresponding projections on the coupling bar may fit so that a partial revolution
may effect the jointing instead of the screwing process. The coupling bar may
conveniently have a T-head for this purpose so that the slot in the bar of the.
length to be connected may be passed thereover and then partially turned the
position being maintained by the resistance of the spiral as, hereinafter mentioned
tending to keep the T-head and the stops against which it rests in contact and by
the resistance of the sleeve.
There then remains a gap between the pipes which may be about three-quarters
of a pipe's diameter and I secure this by a short tube or sleeve preferably of sheet
india rubber but any strong flexible and impervious but non-clastic material such as
waterproof cloth or leather will answer.
One end of the flexible tube or sleeve may be lashed permanently round the out-.
side of that end of the pipe containing the universal or other joint so that when the
pipes have been connected the tube or sleeve can be drawn forward over the gap
and fastened round the other pipe which for this puropse may have a ring of soft
rubber cemented round it so that the joint between the sleeve and the ring both
being of soft material may easily be made secure or air-tight.
For large pipes a metal band screw tightened and for small pipes a couple of
turns of stout cord tied and tightened by inserting under one of them the ends of a
semi-circular or U-shaped stout wire and twisting the same may be used for ensuring
a good joint between the sleeve and, the ring aforesaid.
The flexible sleeve may be. strengthened for vacuum or suction pipes when
required by the introduction between the pipe ends and within the sleeve' of a spiral
coil or spring. This may be fastened round the same end of the pipe to which the
sleeve is also fastened and its other end may likewise abut against a raised
projection or small flange formed near the other pipe end and on the outer surface
thereof.
These flanges also strengthen pipes against collapse and by stretching the sleeve
aid in excluding the air

page_text: The spiral should be kept uniform by sewing tapes or connections along it so as
to control the distances between each coil of the spiral.
The spiral thus serves to support the flexible sleeve' which is thus prevented from
collapsing when subjected to full atmospheric pressure while both sleeve and spiral
accommodate themselves to the movements or angular positions of the pipes.
When the pressure is internal no internal spiral is required but the sleeve may
then be protected by external or other strengthening rings or cords metal or
otherwise so as to prevent to any internal pressure a sufficient margin of
resistance.
Dated this 27th day of February 1892.
A.. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Flexible Joint for Vacuum and Low Pressure Pipes.
I, RIGINALD FOSTER WARD of 1 Osborne Avenue, in the City and County of
Newcastle on Tyne, Civil 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved flexible joint for vacuum and low pressure
pipes and consists of a joint or coupling for connecting a pair of vacuum or low pressure
pipes in such a manner that they shall have freedom of angular movement between
each other in any direction while preserving their functions of maintaining an air or
watertight passage.
This I do by placing a Hooke's joint or its equivalent at the intersection of the
axes of the two pipes, the joint being carried by crossbars at the end of each pipe,
and being so placed that when the pipes are in the same straight line, there is a
space between their ends sufficient to enable the pipes to be moved through the
required angle before their ends come into contact. The gap is covered and made
air tight by an elastic rubber sleeve or pipe, supported against external pressure
when required by a spiral coil of iron or steel bar.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 shows a section of a pipe joint, the pipes being in line and Figure 2
shows a sectional view at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1 of the same
joint at its extreme angle.
Figure 3 shows two half plans or end views of the double eyes of the Hooke's
joint.
+
Figure 4 shows two views of the centre piece of the Hooke's joint.
Figure 6 shows a sectional view of a modification of the joint shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, Figure 8 being a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 6.
Figure 6 is an end view of the T-headed bar or stem and crossbar shown in
Figs. 6 and 8.
Figures 5 and 7 show devices for fastening the rubber sleeve as hereinafter
described.
Figure 9 is a sectional modification of a pipe joint, Figure 10 being an end view of
same like letters or marks of reference signify like parts in the following
description.
j
Referring to the drawings (Figs. 1 and 2), it will be seen that to effect the
jointing, the subject of this invention, two separate short lengths of pipe A A'
jointed together as shown may be used and inserted at any required joint in a line
of pipes, so that the flexible joint itself is not required to be separated; in this
case the short lengths A. A' terminate in flanges or, formations adapted to be
connected to the flanges or formations of ordinary piping. The flanges shown are
adapted to take a hinged bolt and nut joint.

page_text: The lengths A A' are each furnished with a cross bar A each of which Dars is
fitted with double eyes A³.
It is desirable that the two double eyes of the Hooke's joint should in all cases
be placed in opposite directions relatively to the crossbars as shown, for by this
means the crossbars come into the same line, and thus offer less obstruction to the
waterway, and all surfaces exposed to the water should as much as possible be
rounded to prevent eddies in the current.
The pin 4 of one double eye carries the block 5 of the Hooke's joint and the
pins 6 screwed into the block and pressing against the pin 4 take the eyes of the
opposite double eye.
The spiral coil 7 has one end fastened to each pipe, as shewn. The rubber
sleeve 11 is lashed to each of the lengths of jointing at 12, by simply serving with
wire or whipcord, which makes a perfectly tight joint. The surfaces of the
castings may be serrated where the rubber is secured, to increase the grip.. The
tightness of the sleeve should be adjusted so that as the pipe ends approach each
other in bending, a bight of rubber will naturally fall and be caught between the
coils of the spiral as shown in Fig. 2 and the distance between the pipe ends should
be so related to the uumber of coils, diameter of steel and thickness of rubber that
the rubber must be considerably compressed before the pipe ends come into actual
contact. The rubber thus forms a buffer in case by carelessness or accident the
pipes are allowed to fall to their extreme inclination with a jerk and possibly with
a heavy overhanging weight of pipes.
The coils should be made of ample strength to resist the unbalanced pressure
of the atmosphere when the joint is at an extreme angle and I find that for 12-inch
pipes, inch round Siemen's steel or to square bar is a suitable strength.
:
The arrangement for connecting and disconnecting the pipes at the flexible joint
as shown in Figs. 5 to 8 differs only from the form already described (1) in the
castings being adapted to rivet on to the sheet-iron pipe (2) in more rapid
methods being provided for connecting the Hooke's joint, the coil and the sleeve.
One of the eyes of the Hooke's joint has now a stem 20 cast on it with T projec-
tions 21. This stem can be passed through a suitably shaped hole 22 in the
crossbar of the other pipe and secured by being turned a quarter round. The coil
is fastened only at one end 25: the other carries a projecting pin 23, which, when
the pipes have been turned on each other the quarter turn just mentioned (which
should bring the two crossbars into line) will spring into a hole in the pipe, as
shown, and will prevent the pipes turning further. The sleeve is shown served
with wire at one end 26 only. Where rapidity of connection is required, the
curved clamps 24 shown in Figs. 5 and 7 are perhaps better than serving.
In certain cases, such as when a line of pipes has to be laid for temporary
pumping purposes over uneven ground, where a much less angle of bend will
suffice than is provided for in Figures 1 and 6 and where also the great strength
necessary to provide against the wrenching action of a length of hanging pipes
is not required, the design shown in Fig. 9 will be found very applicable.
In this case the crossbars e e' are shown with flanges secured by rivets or tap
bolts to the ring-shaped pieces d d and this plan may, if preferred, be adopted
instead of single castings in the class of joints shown in Figs. 1 to 8.
A ball and socket jointing is shown here of a somewhat peculiar form: the
crossbar e has cored out of a swelling in its middle a doubly tapered polygonal
hole e² and the surfaces of the crossbar at each end of the hole are segments of a
sphere whose centre is the centre of the middle, i.e., the smallest part of the
hole.
.
The bar which passes through this hole is prismatic, where it is in the hole,
to prevent rotation and at one end of the hole the bar is enlarged (at e³) with a
concave spherical surface fitting that of the crossbar.
At the other end, the bar is secured by a nut e¹ with a similar spherical bottom.
The bar is fitted with the same device of T-head as described in reference to
Figs. 6 and 8. The gap between the pipe ends is much narrower than in Figs. 1 to 8

page_text: and if an increased thickness of sleeve be used, the coil may in some sizes be
dispensed with.
The drawings throughout represent vacuum or suction pipes, these being the
most difficult and probably the most usual cases for the application of this inven-
tion. The strengthening of the sleeve against a light internal pressure may be
effected by an external sleeve of canvas or plaited or knitted rope and where a
heavier internal pressure is to be applied, the sleeve may be strengthened by a
wrapping of rope or wire or wire rope round the rubber.
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:
1. The improved flexible joint for vacuum and low pressure pipes consisting in
the provision at the ends of the pipes to be joined of crossbars provided with
double eyes to form a Hooke's joint or with a ball and socket or equivalent
jointing in combination with an elastic sleeve designed to cover the gap formed
between the pipe ends, the said sleeve being supported in the case of vacuum pipes
by a spiral coil, the several parts being arranged and adapted to operate in the
several cases substantially as and for the purposes hereinabove described and
illustrated.
2. The combination or arrangement of parts forming the improved flexible
jointing for vacuum and low pressure pipes substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 26th day, of November 1892.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.