Patent ID: 7828339

Claim:
A coupling assembly joining pipe elements to one another end-to-end, said coupling assembly comprising: a first ring fixedly attached to an end of one of said pipe elements, said first ring receiving and surrounding said one pipe element and having an outwardly facing circumferential groove therein; a first sealing member positioned within said groove of said first ring and extending circumferentially therearound; a second ring fixedly attached to an end of another of said pipe elements, said second ring receiving and surrounding said other pipe element and having an outwardly facing circumferential groove therein; a second sealing member positioned within said groove of said second ring and extending circumferentially therearound; a band receiving and surrounding said first and second rings, said band having an inwardly facing surface sealingly engaged with said first and second sealing members, said band having first and second end faces oppositely disposed; and a plurality of separate first end plates attached to said first end face, and a plurality of separate second end plates attached to said second end face, said separate end plates being attached to said end faces using a plurality of threaded fasteners extending between said separate end plates and said end faces, said separate end plates projecting radially inwardly from said band in overlapping engagement with said first and second rings thereby retaining said pipe elements in end-to-end relation within said band.