IMPROVEMENTS IN UNIONS OR JOINTS FOR CONNECTING METALLIC PIPES AND TUBES
Year: 1885

page_text: I THOMAS BIRTWISTLE of 15 Market Street Burnley in the County of Lancaster
Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UNIONS OR JOINTS FOR CONNECTING METALLIC PIPES AND TUBES," to be as
follows:-
An essential feature of this union or joint consists in the use of a loose internal
bush or ring corresponding inwardly and outwardly with the diameter of the pipes
or tubes to be united. The bush or ring may be of copper, brass, or other suitable
metal which, when submitted to heat, is capable of greater expansion than that of
the socket or other parts composing the union or joint.
The bush or ring is loosely placed within the socket and forms, when compressed
between the opposed facings of the ends of the pipes or tubes to be united, a firm,
durable and reliable joint or packing. which, when heated, will expand more freely
than the socket in which it is inserted, whereby the union or joint will be
considerably tightened when under the pressure of hot water and steam. Another
desirable advantage this union or joint possesses, is that the usual annular recess
formed in the socket by the ends of the pipes not abutting each other is obviated.
Or, instead of the loose bush or ring, the socket may be formed with an annular
swell or projecting ring about midway in the socket, so that the joining ends of the
pipes, when inserted, will abut against the swell or ring, thereby forming an
unbroken thoroughfare or passage through the tubular system.
The pipes or tubes may be screwed or chased at their extremities that they may
be screwed into the socket and the joint perfectly made.
Or, the bush or ring described in the foregoing description may be inserted
between flanges at the junction of the pipes which may be firmly drawn together
by bolts and the joint secured.
100
THOMAS RICHMOND,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Unions or Joints for Connecting Metallic Pipes
and Tubes.
I, THOMAS BIRTWISTLE of 15, Market Street, Burnley, in the county of
Lancaster, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UNIONS OR JOINTS FOR CONNECTING METALLIC PIPES AND
TUBES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
An essential feature of this union or joint, consists in the use of a loose internal
bush, ring or ferrule corresponding, inwardly and outwardly, with the diameter of
the pipes to be united.
This ring, bush or ferrule may be of copper, brass or other suitable metal, which,
when submitted to heat, is capable of greater expansion than that of the socket or
other parts composing the union or joint. The said ring, bush or ferrule is loosely
placed within the socket, and forms, when compressed between the opposed facings
of the pipes or tubes, a firm, durable and reliable joint or packing, which, when
heated, will expand more freely than the socket in which it. is inserted, whereby
the joint or union will be considerably tightened when under the pressure of hot
water or steam.
Another desirable advantage this union or joint possesses is, that the annular
recess, as in the ordinary mode of coupling by the ends of the pipes being
insufficiently drawn together, is obviated.
Instead of the loose ring, bush or ferrule the socket may be formed with an
annular projection midway in the socket, so that the joining ends of the pipes,
when inserted, will abut against the projection, thereby forming an unbroken
thoroughfare through the tubular system.
The ends of the pipes screw into the socket, by a right or left hand thread or
both, and the joint perfectly made. Or, the metal ring, as above described, may
be inserted between the adjoining ends of flange pipes, which may be drawn
together by bolts.
--
And in order that my invention may be properly understood, and readily carried
into practical effect, I have hereunto attached the accompanying drawings:
a represents the straight socket coupling used for uniting two pipes to make their
tubular portions continuous; b is a ferrule or ring of metal, which is inserted
within the socket, into which the adjoining ends of the pipes c and d screw and
abut against the ends of the ferrule. When in combination with couplings, which
unite the ends of pipes conveying fluids in an highly heated condition, the ferrule
is preferably made of an alloy of copper 16 oz lead 7 oz tin oz, as it will expand
in excess of the iron coupling or socket, in which it is inserted, and consequently
will tighten the joint, when under the influence of hot water or steam.
For gas or water pipes, I prefer to make the ferrule of an alloy of zinc 16 and
tin 2. Both these alloys are sufficiently ductile to allow the pipe ends to indent or
embed themselves into the ferrule, to form an air steam or water tight packing,
which fills up the usual annular recess between the adjoining ends of the two pipes.

page_text: e is another form of socket having a rim, annular projection, or lining f¹ to form
an abutment near each end of the socket with a thin intervening ring f³, which
may be made from one or other of the alloys or metallic compounds above
mentioned.
The two socket couplings above described may with advantage be provided with
flats and shoulders of a nut like appearance, that a screw key or wrench may be
used, instead of tongues, to tighten the joint. The ends of the pipes screw into
the socket, one with a right and the other with a left hand thread, so that in
tightening or moving the socket rotatively, the pipe ends will tighten equally, and
their disconnection will be expeditiously effected by the rotation of the socket the
reverse way.
G and H are angular and branch sections of couplings, each with a metal lining
or bush g¹ or h¹; the lining being left short at the ends to form abutments for the
ends of the pipes with an intervening ring g² or h² made of one or other of the
above compressable metals. I and J are angular and branch sections, with swelled or
socket ends, into which the ends of the pipes screw and abut against the end of the
socket with an intervening ring of metal, as in the above arrangement.
and are flange pipes, drawn together by bolts with an intervening metallic
ring m between the flanges for the purpose above described.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
Firstly. The application of a loose bush, ring or ferrule within the socket of a
straight, angular or bent section of coupling, substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
Secondly. A loose metal ring as a packing for the junction ends of flange pipes,
substantially as specified.
Thirdly. A projecting rim, bush or lining fixed within a straight angular or bent
section of coupling, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
THOS. RICHMOND,
Agent for the Applicant.