Patent ID: 7513537

Claim:
A connection for assembly of pipe, the connection comprising: a first pipe having a female end; a second pipe having a male end; said female end having an inner surface, an internal annular shoulder, a nose face and an outer surface; said male end having an inner surface, an external annular shoulder, a nose face and an outer surface; a first plurality of protuberances circumferentially and longitudinally spaced relative to each other about the inner surface of said female end; a second plurality of protuberances circumferentially and longitudinally spaced relative to each other about the outer surface of said male end; wherein said circumferential spacing forms a circumferential array comprising at least one longitudinal column on both the inner surface of said female end and the outer surface of said male end; said internal annular shoulder and said external annular shoulder being each shaped so as for each said internal shoulder and each said external shoulder to receive a mating nose face, wherein at least one said internal shoulder and/or external shoulder and its corresponding mating nose face are shaped to substantially entrap said nose face within the shoulder to substantially restrain radial movement; said plurality of circumferential arrays aligned such that said plurality of protuberances are accepted by a mating pipe end when said male and female pipe ends move longitudinally relative to each other for forming a connection, wherein the male and female ends engage upon any rotation of one pipe relative to the other pipe wherein such rotation causes said protuberances of the male end and said protuberances of the female end to move circumferentially with respect to each other, and wherein the nose face of the male end engages the internal annular shoulder of the female end and the nose face of the female end engages the external annular shoulder of the male end such that compressive loads on the male end and the female end are borne substantially by the shoulders; and at least one and/or both of said first and second protuberances embodies at least one interference dimension that causes the protuberance to displace a mating protuberance surface.