IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS OR COUPLINGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Heap, of the Oldham Road Tool Works,
Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Tool Maker and
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS OR
COUPLINGS."
Sealed the 5th November 1858, and dated the 6th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Heap at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1858.
I, WILLIAM HEAP, of the Oldham Road Tool Works, Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the County of Lancaster, Tool Maker and Machinist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS OR COUPLINGS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of joint or coupling for
metal pipes, whereby a more efficient and simple joint is obtained than those
ordinarily in use.
According to this Invention, when applied to soft metal, a nut or loose collar,
having an external screw thread formed upon it, is first passed on to each of
the pipes to be joined together; the two contiguous ends of the pipes are then
expanded in any convenient manner, and an internal screw-threaded ring or
ferrule is passed on to one of them. The two ends of the pipes are now

page_text: brought in contact by screwing the ring or ferrule on to the opposite collar,
so as to form a flush or jump joint, and they are then forcibly tightened up or
drawn together by further screwing, by means of a spanner, the two loose
collars into the ring or ferrule above referred to. No packing is required in
this joint other than a little white paint between the ends of the two pipes.
In applying this Invention to iron and other hard metal pipes, the externally
screwed collars are screwed on to the ends of the pipes to be joined in place of
being loose thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Heap in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HEAP, of the Oldham Road Tool Works, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster, Tool Maker and Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Heap, Her special license that I, the said William
Heap, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Heap, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PIPE JOINTS OR COUPLINGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Heap, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Heap, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-

page_text: My said Invention relates to a peculiar form of joint or coupling for metal
pipes, whereby a more efficient and simple joint is obtained than those
ordinarily in use.
According to this Invention, when applied to soft metal, a nut or loose collar
having an external screw thread formed upon it, is first passed on to each of
the pipes to be joined together; the two contiguous ends of the pipes are then
expanded in any convenient manner, and an internal screw-threaded ring or
ferrule is passed on to one of them. The two ends of the pipes are now
brought in contact by screwing the ring or ferrule on to the opposite collar, so
as to form a flush or jump joint, and they are then forcibly tightened up or
drawn together by further screwing (by means of a spanner) the two loose
collars into the ring or ferrule above referred to. No packing is required in
this joint other than a little white paint between the ends of the two pipes..
In applying this Invention to iron and other bard metal pipes, the externally
screwed collars are screwed on to the ends of the pipes to be joined in place
of being loose thereon.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents an external elevation
of my improved pipe coupling as applied to soft metal pipes; and Figure 2 is
a longitudinal vertical section of the same. A, A, are two lead pipes, and
5 B, B, are the loose collars or conical rings, which are slipped over the pipe
ends previous to expanding such ends, as shewn in Figure 2. These collars
or conical rings fit accurately over and bear against the expanded ends or
flanges of the pipes, and are formed with external screw threads, which screw
into the corresponding internal screw threads of the loose ring or ferrule C..
o In connecting two lead or other soft metal pipes according to my Invention,
the collars or conical rings B, B, are placed loosely on the ends of the pipes,
and the ends are then forced out or expanded by inserting therein the tapered
or conical end a of the plug or tool D, shewn at Figure 3, leaving the pipes
projecting, slightly however, beyond the inner faces of the collars, which.
5 projection is to be flattened out to form a flange, as shewn at b, by the flat
part c of the plug. The internal screwed ring or ferrule C is now to be
screwed on to the collars, and the whole is tightened effectually by screwing
up the collars in opposite directions by means of two spanners, which fit on to
the hexagonal portions d, d, of the collars.

page_text: Figure 4 is an elevation, and Figure 5 a section of the coupling as applied
to the junction of two iron or other comparatively hard metal pipes. In this
case the collars or conical rings B, B, are screwed on to the contiguous ends
of the two pipes, in place of being fitted loosely thereon, and having the ends
of the pipes expanded; and when the ring or ferrule C has been screwed on
to the collars, the latter are screwed up in opposite directions, as before
described, so as to bring their inner faces into close contact, a little red or
white lead being previously interposed, if necessary, to render the joint per-
fectly tight.
Figure 6 is an elevation, and Figure 7 a section of a combined coupling for
connecting an iron or other hard metal and a lead or other soft metal pipe
together. This coupling is simply a combination of the modifications herein-
before described, the soft metal pipe being expanded, and the hard metal pipe
screwed at the end for the reception of their respective rings or collars B, B¹,
the whole being tightened by screwing up the face of the ring B' against the
flange formed on the end of the lead or soft metal pipe.
The great advantages attendant upon the use of the forms of pipe coupling
herein before described and referred to are, the abolition of solder, which in
itself is of great importance, especially in the making of lead or lead and iron
pipe joints, and the operation can be performed in a few moments by any
unskilled hand, whilst the only tools requisite are the plug D and a pair of
spanners.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my said Invention; and I may here
observe, that I am aware that pipe joints or couplings have been previously
made by placing loose collars on the ends of the pipes to be joined, one of such
collars only being made with an external screw thread to receive an ordinary
screw coupling, and therefore I lay no claim to such an arrangement; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of pipe joints or coupling,
as herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of coupling or connecting the ends of pipes by
employing two collars having external screw threads formed upon them, which
collars are fitted loosely upon or are screwed on to the ends of the pipes to be

page_text: joined, and are afterwards drawn together for the purpose of tightening the
joint by the aid of an internally screwed ring or ferrule, as herein-before
described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Heap, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 3rd day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM HEAP. (L.S.)