IMPROVEMENTS IN SPHERICAL JOINTS FOR PIPES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMTEELE
I, JOHN THOMSON, of 147 East Milton Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPHERICAL JOINTS FOR PIPES" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction of spherical
pipe joints, and especially to provide a joint which whilst allowing of lengths of
pipe being placed at a slight inclination to each other, can be tightened up at
any time.
My improved spherical pipe joint is shown on an explanatory sheet of drawings
which is hereunto appended, figure, 1, being an inside elevation of a half-ring
forming a portion of the external part of the joint; figure, 2, representing the two
half-rings bolted together, and figure, 3, being a section of the complete spherical
joint.
The joint comprises spigot and faucet parts, 4, 5, of spherical shape which may
be formed on the ends of pipe lengths of any length, and with or without flanges,
but which are delineated as formed on short flanged pieces, 6, 7, which can be
bolted to ordinary flanged pipe lengths. The faucet part, 5, on the piece, 7,
extends to the middle of the joint and is formed with a flange, 8, to which is.
bolted a ring, 9, made in halves which are bolted together after being put round
the spigot piece, 6, 4. The ring, 9, is internally a continuation of the concave
spherical form of the interior of the faucet part, 5; and, preventing the withdrawal
of the spigot, 4, completes the ball-and-socket arrangement. The external part of
the spigot, 4, is turned or made as truly spherical as practicable; and the interior
of the ring, 9, is made with a narrow projecting strip, 10, at its outer edge which
is made as close a fit as practicable to the outer spherical surface of the spigot, 4;
but the ring, 9, is not in contact with the flange, 8, of the faucet part, 5, when the
parts are first put together space being provided to allow of subsequent tightening
up. For the purpose of making the joint water-tight, grooves, 11, 12, are formed
round the interiors of the ring, 9, and of the faucet part, 5, and rings of lead are
placed in these grooves; whilst a ring, 13, of gutta percha or other suitable
compressible material is placed at the inner part of the joint between the faucet
part, 5, and the ring, 9, the corners of these parts being there turned off to make
SAAM for it

page_text: In the event of the joint becoming imperfect from any cause, as for example
from unequal strains acting whilst the pipes are being laid or arising subsequently
through subsidence or change of position, tightness can be restored by screwing up
the bolts fixing the ring, 9, to the faucet part, 5, the compressible ring, 13,
allowing of this being done.
When the pipe lengths are not flanged but made with ordinary spigot and faucet
ends, the ring, 9, does not require to be in halves, and can be made in a single
piece.
Pipes having my improved spherical joint can be laid through or under water
and the joints can be tightened up at any time if required."
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I proceed to ascertain the distinctive feature
of novelty thereof by declaring that what I claim is :-
In a spherical pipe joint, making the outer part partly by a ring secured to the
main faucet part by bolts and capable of being screwed up, combined with the
application of packing rings of lead in grooves in the ring and in the main faucet
part, as herein before described.
".