Improvements in Ball and Socket Self-adjusting Joints for Pipes and Tubes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1899-Accepted, 22nd July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball and Socket Self-adjusting Joints for Pipes
and Tubes.
I, GODFREY HARTER, of 16, St. Oswald's Avenue, Cullercoats. in the County
of Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
The objects of my invention are to provide a perfectly reliable flexible con-
necting joint, or joints, in a line, or lines, of steam or other fluid pipes or tubes,
having self-adjusting angular movement in any direction, so as to obviate
straining and breaking of the pipes or their flanges, due to expansion of pipes
themselves, or of boiler, engines, &c., to which they may be connected, or to
relative movement of either from any cause such as vibration of engines, flexi-
bility of hull structure in marine application, or where the points of attachment
may have separate movements as in locomotive or traction engines, and has
special reference to steam or feed pipes under the very high pressures now pre-
vailing.
On the accompanying drawings my invention is shewn in some of the different
modifications in which it may be practically applied which will sufficiently explain
the principle of its action, which is that of the ball and socket, but arranged so
that the load due to internal pressure does not come on the surfaces of the ball
and socket themselves, but on external pivoted bolts, or stays thereby reducing
the resistance to movement considerably, and also providing for steam-tightness
by a separate and independent packed gland, and the joints being so connected
as to secure them from being blown asunder.
On Sheet 1 is shewn a joint allowing angular adjustment in any direction, the
load due to internal pressure being taken by external connecting bolts in con-
junction with a "gimbal ring Fig. 1 being a section in line of the axis,
Fig. 2 an end section on a- of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a plan partly in section.
On Sheet 2 is shewn a modification allowing angular adjustment in one plane
only, for which purpose the "gimbal" ring is dispensed with, Fig. 1 being a
section on line of the axis, Fig. 2 an end section on - Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a
plan partly in section.
On Sheet 3 Fig. 1 shews one form of adapting my invention as an expansion
joint in a line of pipes, but I may provide for effecting this by several modifica-
tions in the arrangement of the working parts to meet various cases.
The same letters indicate the same or equivalent parts on all the figs. where
such parts occur.
Referring to Sheet 1, A is the hollow ball piece, B the socket piece fitted
with a packed gland C, D D are two stay bolts fitted with nuts for preventing the
ball piece from being blown (or forced) out of the socket by the pressure of the
steam, connecting the ball piece A freely to the gimbal" ring E at the
points El E, so as to allow movement in one plane on either side the centre line,
indicated by the radial lines Fig. 1. The gimbal" ring E is pivoted at the
points F¹ to the socket piece B (Figs. 2 and 3) and allows movement in the
61

page_text: other direction at right angles, clearance space being allowed between it and the
socket piece for the purpose.
This form of my invention having double adjust-
ment, as shewn of about 15° on each side the axis, is intended for very high
pressures, as is also the form shewn on Sheet 2, and I may in both cases supple-
ment the tightness of the packing in stuffing box by water grooves cut round
the inside of the face of socket B, at *, or this face may be lined with some
suitable metal or alloy or asbestos, &c., or there may be a separate renewable
neck ring G, as shewn Fig. 1, Sheet 2, of the same or different material to the
rest of the socket, which ring may be fitted with water grooves. This ring may
either fit close into the socket piece or be turned to a smaller diameter on the
outside so as to allow slight lateral movement, while still maintaining good
metallic contact between it and the ball.
Referring now to Sheet 2, A is the hollow ball, B the socket piece fitted with
the packed gland C, D D are the two connecting bolts flexibly connected to the
socket piece B at the points B1 B2. This modification only allows movement in
one plane of about 150 more or less on each side as may be required in different
cases.
Referring to Sheet 3, Fig. 1 shews partly in section, a double ball piece A,
flexibly connected to separate socket pieces B B₁ by the bolts or stays D, and
forming an elbow joint, the extent of angular movement being indicated by
the full and dotted lines respectively. It will be understood that this is one form
only in which my invention may be adapted as an expansion joint, as various
modifications may be made to meet different cases, the essential action being
the same.
I may also in some cases use the "gimbal" ring so as to provide for
adjustment in two planes as on Sheet 1, thus combining an expansion joint
with adjustment against distortion from various causes in both planes. Although
I prefer the stays or bolts, connecting the ball piece and socket. piece, to be
screwed bolts with nuts, as shown, as being adjustable, they may be made in
the form of flat links secured to one piece by tap bolts, and with a loop to take a
projecting stud on the other piece or in other modified forms.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
"
First. The improvements in ball and socket self-adjusting joints for high
pressures providing for movement in any direction and for packing the joint
steam tight, comprising external bolts or stays, which take the entire thrust of
the internal pressure, flexibly connected between the ball piece and a "gimbal
ring pivoted upon the socket piece; a stuffing box formed
the socket piece
upon
around the ball piece packed by a gland; substantially as described and shewn
on Sheet 1, or the modification in which movement is provided for in one plane
only without the "gimbal" ring; substantially as described and shewn on
Sheet 2.
Second. The improvements in such ball and socket joints consisting of the
various parts in combination, viz.: external bolts or stays D flexibly connected
between the ball piece A and the socket piece B, either to a "gimbal" ring E
pivoted on the socket piece (Sheet 1), or direct to pivots thereon without the
gimbal" ring (Sheet 2); a stuffing box on the socket piece around the ball
piece packed by a gland C with or without additional means for securing steam
tightness at point * (Fig. 1 Sheet 1) or on (Fig. 1, Sheet 2); substantially as
described and shewn.