Improvements in Pipe-couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pipe-couplings.
We, ALBERT EDWARD DART, of No. 27, Church Street, in the Town of Pascoag,
in the County of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, Brass Finisher, and
HERBERT SUMNER CROMBIE, of No. 1, Ingalls Street, in the City of Woburn, in
the County of. Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, Manufacturer, both in
the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention has for its object to provide a union-coupling for pipes of
various kinds in which the packing-ring will be held more securely than hereto-
fore, and may be easily removed and replaced by another of the same or different
substance. A further object of the invention is to enable the two members of
the coupling to be moved out of alignment without disturbing the packing or
causing leakage at the joint. To this end the invention consists in a coupling
comprising two opposing members, one having a convex, and the other a concave
face, held together by a nut or by means of flanges and bolts, and a concavo-
convex packing interposed between said members, whereby a perfectly tight
joint is secured, the members of which can be moved out of alignment without
producing leakage, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved union-coupling.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a modified form of our coupling.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
In Figs. 1 and 2 of the said drawings, A represents the male member of the
coupling which is provided with a convex face a, and B represents the female
member having a concave face 6 which forms a seat for the packing to be here-
after described, said members being interiorly threaded to receive the corre-
sponding threaded ends of the pipes c, d, which are connected by means of the
coupling. C is the coupling-nut which is interiorly threaded as usual at e, the
female member B being correspondingly threaded to engage the threaded portion
of the nut, while the male member is provided with a flange f having an outer
convex or bevelled bearing surface 10 against which rests the correspondingly
curved or concave interior surface of the inwardly projecting flange g of the
coupling nut C, which thus holds the two members A, B, together in such manner
as to permit of a movement of the one upon the other in the arc of a circle if
thrown or moved out of alignment by accident or design.
Between the opposing convex and concave faces of the members A, B, is placed
a concavo-convex packing-ring which is preferably fitted within a shallow
recess formed in one of the members, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby it is held
firmly in position without liability of displacement under any movement in the
arc of a circle of the opposing convex and concave faces of the two members,
perfect security being thus afforded against leakage in case the pipes connected

page_text: by said coupling should be thrown out of alignment, or it should be found
necessary to connect them when not in a perfectly straight line.
The packing between the two members may, if desired, consist of two concavo-
convex packing-rings placed together, each packing-ring being fitted into a
recess in the face of the member against which it rests, and said packing-rings
being adapted to slide one upon the other when the two members of the coupling
are moved out of alignment. This duplex packing is well adapted for use when
the coupled pipes are employed to convey ammonia or acids, in which case the
packing-rings would be formed of lead or other suitable substance free from
liability to become corroded by the liquid passing through the pipes.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification of our invention, which may be preferred
in some cases as it admits of a greater range of movement in the arc of a circle
of one member upon the other. In this example the opposing faces of the two
members of the coupling are provided respectively as before, with convex and
concave faces, but instead of being held together by a coupling nut, as previously
described, they are connected by means of flanges k, m, spaced apart, and bolts n,
the flange k being formed integral with the female member B, while the flange m
consists of an independent annulus or ring loosely slipped over the outer end of
the male member A, and taking a bearing against its flange or shoulder f, the
surface of which is convex, and forms a seat for the correspondingly concaved
or bevelled inner periphery of the ring-shaped flange m. The packing-ring does
not extend between the flanges k, m, which are spaced apart when held by the
bolts n, and consequently the packing does not in any manner interfere with the
free movement in the arc of a circle of one member upon the other when moved
out of alignment, which movement can be effected without producing any leakage
whatever, which would surely occur under like circumstances with the ordinary
flange-coupling in common use. Heretofore in connecting two pipes with a
flange-coupling, if the flanges did not happen to abut squarely against each other,
it has frequently been customary to turn off one or both faces at an angle to
insure the proper fit, but with our improved construction this is entirely un-
necessary, as a perfect joint can be effected without leakage, owing to the
capability of moving one member of the coupling upon the other in the arc of a
circle in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. A union-coupling for pipes, comprising two opposing members, one having
a convex, and the other a concave face, means for coupling said members together,
whereby they are permitted to move independently of each other in the arc of a
circle, and a readily removable concavo-convex packing-ring interposed between
said two members, substantially as described.
2. A union-coupling for pipes comprising two opposing members, one having
a convex, and the other a concave face, means for coupling said members to-
gether, whereby they are permitted to move independently of each other in the
arc of a circle, and a concavo-convex packing-ring interposed between said two
members, and fitted readily removably within a recess in the face of one of said
members, and held from lateral displacement thereby, substantially as described.
3. In a pipe-coupling, the combination of two opposing members, one having
a convex, and the other a concave face, and one of said members having a flange
or shoulder forming an outer convex bearing surface, a readily removable concavo-
convex packing-ring interposed between the opposing faces of the two members,
means for preventing lateral displacement of the packing-ring, and a coupling
device for holding said members together in such manner as to permit them to
move independently of each other in the are of a circle, said coupling device
having a bearing surface fitting over the convex bearing surface of the flange or
shoulder of one of said members, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a pipe coupling, the combination of two opposing members, one having
a convex, and the other a concave face, and one of said members having a flange
formed integral therewith, and the other member being provided with a shoulder
having an outer convex or bevelled bearing surface, and a detachable flange or
ring fitting over and movable upon said convex bearing surface, said flanges
being spaced apart, a concavo-convex packing-ring interposed between said
members, and bolts passing through the stationary and movable flanges for
holding the two members of the coupling together, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of July 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.