Patent ID: 6969481

Claim:
A method for producing a pipe end socket made of thermoplastic material, the pipe end socket having a circumferential bead and a sealing ring form-fittingly engaging an inside of the bead, the sealing ring comprising a sealing part and a support part, which comprises the steps of preforming the pipe end socket at a deformation temperature corresponding at least to a softening temperature of the thermoplastic material, with an inner diameter of the circumferential bead exceeding a desired final inner diameter while the rest of the pipe end socket is widened to a dimension smaller than an outer diameter of the sealing ring; introducing the sealing ring into the preformed circumferential bead after the pipe end socket has been cooled to below the softening temperature; elastically compressing the sealing ring to a dimension in which the smallest diameter of the sealing ring corresponds to the widened dimension of the rest of the pipe socket, the sealing ring being introduced in an inclined position relative to the socket axis until it assumes a straight position and is reformed upon engaging the circumferential bead; further cooling the pipe end socket after the sealing ring has been introduced to a temperature below the softening temperature, the cooling temperature causing a predetermined shrinkage; and pressing the pipe end socket into a final shape determined by the shrinkage.