Improvements in Flexible Pipe Couplings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
GUMELNIE OFEUITIATION.
Improvements in Flexible Pipe Couplings.
I, EDWARD FLITCROFT ROBERTS, of Rochester, County of Monroe, State of New
York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the sanie is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in a certain improved form of flexible pipe coupling, herein-
after described and claimed.
In the drawings ;
Figure 1, shows a perspective view of one form of my pipe coupling in position;
Figure 2 is a side view of a similar coupling in which the details differ slightly
from Figure 1, and the jaws are not fully interlocked;
Figure 3, is a perspective view of one part of the muff coupling employed with
certain details not shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of my improved ball and socket joint;
Figure 5, is a longitudinal section of a pipe end and the parts forming a swivel
joint therefor;
Figure 6, is a perspective view of the spring thimble.
My invention is designed to be principally employed in coupling the steam pipes
on railway cars.
A is a steam pipe on one car, and B that on another. They are presumably
placed not at the centre of the car, but to one side thereof so that when two cars
are coupled together the said steam pipes will be diagonally opposite one to the
other.
C, C are two universal ball and socket joints by which the pipe elbows D, D',
are connected to the steam pipes A, B. The pipe elbows D, D¹, are bent nearly or
quite at right angles at two points, and have their lower ends connected together in
a swivel joint by a suitable two-part muff coupling having interlocking jaws. The
said muff coupling is composed of the two parts M, M', which have jaws J, J and
suitable internal lips or shoulders S. These latter overhang the circular collars f,
on the pipe ends P, and consequently when the two parts of the muff coupling are
held together by their interlocking jaws the pipe ends are forced together in steam-
tight contact, and yet are at liberty to turn one upon the other thereby forming a
swivel joint. The ends of the jaws J, J¹, are bevelled at jj to facilitate their inter-
locking action. In the modification shown in Figure 3, there are ratchet teeth L. on
certain jaws and corresponding spring pawls 0, upon the opposing faces of the
parts M M. These spring pawls have suitable projections o, and there are suitable
recesses, into which they may be forced by pressure upon the projection or thumb
piece o.
.
The collars, on the pipe ends P, may be solid thereon, or they may be turned on
suitable sleeves F, which are screwed on the pipe ends, as shown in the preferred
construction in Figure 5. These sleeves have handles H, H' by which the pipe ends
may be conveniently handled when heated and by which the sleeves F, may be
screwed back and forth to insure a tight joint with the muff coupling. These handles
may be on opposite sides of the pipe ends, as shown in Fig. 1, or upon the same
side as shown in Figure 2, according to whichever arrangement may be proved more
satisfactory. A ring E, as shown. in Fig. 5 may also be screwed over the end of
pipe and against the sleeve F. This ring has a bevelled face e against which a
packing ring, I, having a correspondingly bevelled face i fits. Over these rings there
slips the spring thimble K, which has the inwardly projecting lip k, which engages
with the packing ring I, and by means of the spring pressure which it exercises
upon the surface of the ring E holds the packing ring against the face of the latter.
The outer face of the packing ring I, is a straight or plane face.
ID 01

page_text: "
The two parts M M', of the muff coupling may have handles h h' by which they
can be rotated, and the interlocking action produced, as shown in Figure 2, or one
of these parts, as, M, may be screwed or cast solid on the pipe, or otherwise rendered
incapable of rotation while the part M is left free to rotate. In this case, as
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the two parts of the muff coupling may be disengaged
by rotating the one part by means of a chain ¹¹, attached to its handle.
In the ball and socket joint, illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 the end of the pipe
elbow D terminates in a ball W perforated at w to permit the passage of steam. This
ball is enclosed in the cylindrical socket Y and the joint is rendered steam tight by
the two part packing of Babbitt metal, or other suitable substance V V The
cylindrical socket Y, has the thread y and the longitudinal ratchet teeth y¹. The
cap Z screws down on the end of the socket Y, and compresses the two parts V VI
of the packing together thereby taking up any wear which may have resulted from
the use of the joint. The cap Z, is kept in any position of adjustment by the
spring pawl which is attached to it, and engages with the notches or ratchet teeth
on the socket Y.
The method of operation of my invention is clear. The play given to the pipe
elbows D D by means of the two ball and socket joints CC, and the swivel joint by
which their lower ends are connected enables the coupling to adjust itself to any
position of the cars within the limits of the construction. When the coupling is to be
uncoupled the jaws upon the parts M M of the muff coupling are disengaged by
rotating one or the other, or both, of said parts. If the modification shown in
Figure 3 is employed it may be necessary to press back the spring pawl O by means
of the thumb piece or projection o, or the ratchet I may be V shaped so that the
spring pawl will slip over them when sufficient power is applied, but would not permit
the jaws to unlock under ordinary circumstances. When one of the parts as M, is
incapable of rotation, a pull on the chain connected to the other part, which chain
may lead to the car platform, or may be attached to the car itself, will result in
uncoupling the connecting parts. Wear in the ball and socket joints C, C, is taken
up by means of the screw cap as already explained.
The construction shown in Figure 5 furnishes an efficient and convenient swivel
joint for coupling the ends of the pipes together inasmuch as the pressure obtained by
forcing the bevelled jaws on the two-parts of the muff coupling into engagement
compresses the two packing rings I and forces them tightly into the recesses formed
by the bevelled face of the ring E and the surrounding thimble K. The two packing
rings are forced together and do not turn one upon the other, but each turns upon the
smooth metal face of the ring E, thereby reducing wear and insuring at all times a
tight joint. The use of the elbow pipes D, DI, affords room on the end of the pipe P,
to attach the various parts illustrated, which form a simple and convenient swivel
coupling. Moreover the use of the said elow pipes gives a complex and varying
motion to the ball and socket joints whereby the latter are worn evenly and can be
kept tight.
Another advantage resulting from this construction is that the interposition of the
four elbows between the points of attachment to the two cars, allows the parts of the
coupling to spring a little and take up any sudden jar due to the unequal motion of
said cars.
Furthermore the cap Z, may be made so as to nearly enclose the ball W, and the
packing V V, may nearly surround the same, thus insuring ample bearing surfaces
and a tight joint, while at the same time the coupling has ample play inasmuch as the
principal motion of the ball is that of revolution about an axis coincident or nearly
coincident with the axis of the cylindrical socket. In any construction in which the
end or face of the socket is parallel with the end of the car, the cap Z, must be cut
away to permit of the necessary motion and the joint C is thereby weakened and the
bearing surfaces correspondingly reduced.
It should be understood that whenever I use the phrase "axis of a ball and socket
oint"in this Specification, or in the claims, I refer to that axis of the ball which is
perpendicular to the plane, of the cap which keeps the ball in the socket.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A flexible pipe coupling comprising two universal joints, two pipe elbows, each
of which is supported at its upper end in one of the universal joints, together with a
swivel joint which connects the lower ends of said pipe elbows together, the axis of
said swivel joint, and the axes of the adjacent sections of pipe elbows, substantially
coinciding each with the other, substantially as described.
2. A universal joint coupling for pipes comprising the following parts in com-
bination vs. the ball, the cylindrical socket with exterior notches the two part packing
for the socket and the screw cap for the socket, together with the spring pawl which
is attached to the cap and engages with the notches on the socket, substantially as
described.
3. In a swivel joint for pipe couplings, the two pipe ends each provided with
bevelled faces, the two packing rings having plane faces on their outer sides but
bevelled to fit the pipe ends on the inner sides, a thimble which fits over each pipe
end and its packing ring, and a two part muff coupling which holds the ends of the
pipes together, substantially as described.
4. In a swivel joint for pipe couplings, the two pipe ends each provided with
bevelled faces, the two packing rings having plane faces on their outer sides but
bevelled to fit the pipe ends on the inner sides, a spring thimble which fits over each
pipe end and its packing ring with a yielding pressure and which has an inwardly
projecting circular lip which holds the packing ring, and a two part muff coupling
which holds the ends of the pipe together and compresses the packing rings upon the
same, substantially as described.
5. A flexible pipe coupling comprising two ball and socket joints, two pipe elbows
each of which is supported at its upper end in one of the ball and socket joints,
together with a swivel joint which connects the lower ends of said pipe elbows
together, said ball and socket joints being so arranged that their axes are normally
perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the plane of motion of the swivel joint,
substantially as described.
.-.
AT
-
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per. F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.