Patent ID: 7618071

Claim:
An integral bell, pipe-to-pipe restraint system capable of both joining and sealing a female belled plastic pipe to a mating male plastic pipe having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the restraint system comprising: a formed-in-place sealing ring comprising a circumferential elastomeric body, the sealing ring being integrally pre-installed within a groove formed in a belled end of the female pipe as a part of a belling operation during manufacture of the belled end of the female pipe; a separate formed-in-place companion gripper mechanism for the elastomeric sealing ring which allows movement of the mating male pipe relative to the female belled end opening in a first longitudinal direction but which restrains movement in a second, opposite relative direction, the companion gripper mechanism also being pre-installed within the groove formed in the belled end of the female pipe as apart of a belling operation during manufacture of the belled end of the female pipe, the separate companion gripper mechanism comprising a rigid metal ring with gripping teeth, the metal ring being slit at one point in the periphery thereof; and wherein the sealing ring is intentionally provided with an excess of elastomeric material over and above that which would be necessary for establishing a seal with the mating male pipe under existing pressure conditions, the excess material serving to energize the action of the separate gripper ring in engaging the external surface of the male pipe.