Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to a pipe-coupling for
connecting a pipe such as a drain-pipe to a header or for
connecting one header to another.
~ 'rench patent Application No 79 11979 (now
patent ~o 2,456,280) describes a pipe-coupling for
connecting a drain-pipe to a header, in which provision
is made for an elbowed connecting-pipe and for a clip which
is adapted to fit tightly around the header in order to
receive the connecting-pipe, said connecting-pipe being
provided with an orifice which is intended to be positioned
opposite to a corresponding orifice of the header.
The bottom generator-line of the connecting-pipe
is tangent to the top generator-line of the header, with
the result that the difference in height between the bottom
portion of the connecting-pipe and the top portion of the
header is practically zero.
This type of pipe-coupling ofEers the advantages
mentioned in the patent cited above. However, it is found
that this arrangement cannot prove satisfactory in the
particular case in which the fall of water or head
available between the streams of water of the pipe and of
the header is too small to permit the possibility of
connecting said pipe to the upper portion of the header.
It is consequently impossible in such a case to obtain a
suita~le connection with the top portion of the header.
The object of the invention is to solve this
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proble~ by providing a pipe-coupling which can be utilized
sati.sfactorily in the case under consideration, that is to
say with a head of wa~er or height of fall which is
smaller than the diameter of the header while remaining
~3reater than the difference between the radii of the two
plpes.
The pipe-coupling contemplated by the invention
comprises a member for connecting the pipe to the header,
and a clip adapted to fit over the header and to receive
the connecting-member.
In accordance with the invention, the clip is
inclined laterally with respect to the header and the
connecting-member is provided with a truncated end-piece
in order to ensure that the cross~section planes of the
two ends of said connecting-member form a dihedral angle
of less than 90 degrees. This accordingly makes it
possible to vary the angle of incidence of the pipe with
respect to.the header as a function of the angular position
of the clip and of the angular orientation of the connect-
ing-member on the clip.
Thus a connection can be established with a low
height of fall between the streams of water of the two
pipes, this being achieved by increasing the depth of
overlap of the incident pipe to a corresponding extent.
This result is obtained by reducing the dihedral
angle formed by the cross-section planes of the two ends
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of the lateral connecting-member to a value which is
smaller than 90 degrees.
Under these conditions, the value of the height
of fall between the water streams of the pipes to be
coupled may vary as a function of the angle of slope
given to the clip at the moment of positioning of said
clip on the header.
Other features of the invention will be more
apparent upon consideration of the following description
and accompanying drawings, wherein :
- Fig. l is an exploded view in perspective
showing a first embodiment of the pipe-coupling in
accordance with the invention ;
- Fig. 2 is a side view in half-section and
half-elevation showing the pipe-coupling after the clip
has been placed in position on the header and after the
connecting-member has been inserted in the clip ;
- Fig. 3 is a view in half-section and half-
elevation showing the pipe-coupling and the header, the
clip being in the top position on the header ;
Fig. ~ is a view which is similar to Fig. 5
and shows the clip and the connecting-member in the bottom
position on the header ;
- Fig. 5 is an axial horizontal sectional view
of a second embodiment of the pipe-coupling in accordance
with the invention ;
_~ _
- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pipe-
coupling of Fig. 5 in third-angle projection and showing
the interior of the end-piece of said pipe-coupling.
The pipe-coupling illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4
is intended to e~uip drain-pipe systems, especially for
agricultural drainage.
Said pipe-coupling comprises a member 1 for
connecting a pipe (not illustrated but consisting of a
drain-pipe, for example) to a header 4. The coupling
further comprises a clip 3 which is adapted to fit tightly
around the header 4 and to receive the connecting-member 1.
The clip 3 (of the type described in the French
patent cited earlier) has a circular cross-section and is
provided with two curved wings 3a having the intended
unction of elastically gripping the header 4.
Finally, the clip 3 is provided with an orifice
5 having an outer collar which is adapted to receive the
end-piece of the connecting-~ember 1 and with an inner
collar 6, the header 4 being provided with an orifice
having the same diameter as that of the orifice 5.
In accordance with the invention, the clip 3 is
inclined laterally with respect to the header 4 and the
connecting-member 1 is provided with a truncated elbowed
end-piece 2 which is adapted to fit by latch engagement
within the outer collar 10 of the clip 3.
To this end, the collar 10 is provided with
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internal latch enga(3ement claws (not shown in order not
to complicate the drawing unduly) which are similar to
tne latch engagement.claws described in the patent c.ited
earlier and which are capable of engagement wi~hin a
corresponding annular groove 20 of the truncated end-
piece 2.
Said end-piece is truncated immediately after
the start of the elbow as shown in particular in Fig. 2,
with the result that the cross-section planes o~ the two
ends of the member 1 form a dihedral angle of less than
90 degrees.
Correlatively, the end-piece 2 is so designed
as to obtain a variation in the inlet slope by rotating
the lateral connecting~member 1 in the clip 3.
Moreover, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, it
is possible to vary the angular position of the clip 3 on
the header 4 between a top position (shown in Fig. 3) and
a bottom position (shown in Fig. 4). In each possible
angular position of the clip 3 or in other words in respect
of the different available values of head or height of fall,
the connecting-member 1 can be oriented angularly in such a
manner as to be inclined at an angle of slope which is
compatible with a correct flow.
For example, in Fig. 3, the angular position
of the clip 3 is adapted to a height of fall H equal to
the difference in diameters of the pipes 1 and 4.
On the other hand, in Fig. 4, the angular
position of the clip 3 is suited only to a height of fall
h equal to the difference in radii of the pipes 1 and 4,
these two values of height of fall being limiting values.
The reduction in height of fall between the
streams of water in the two pipes (drain-pipe and header-
pipe 4) increases the depth of overlap of the incident
pipe to a corresponding extent.
In a second embodiment of the pipe-coupling
which is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the drain-pipe (not
shown) has a cross-sectional area which is smaller than
that of the orifices of tAe clip 3 and of the header-pipe.
The end-piece 11 of the lateral connecting-member 9 is
flared-out and has an annular zone 12 which is inclined at
an angle ~ with respect to the axis X-X of the member 9.
In consequence, the cross-sectional area of the
outlet orifice of the truncated end-piece 11 is sub-
stantially larger than the cross-sectional area of the
front cylindrical portion 9a of the connecting-member 9.
By way of indication without any limitation being implied,
the angle ~ can have a value of the order of 20 to 30
degrees as a function of the difference between these
cross-sectional areas.
Thus the truncated end-piece 11 has an internal
sloping surface 13 over which the thin incident streams
of water flow prior to entry into the header-pipe.
The above-mentioned inclined sloping surface 13
corresponds to an angle of bend of the connecting-pipe
which is suf~icientl~ small to prevent any interference
with the flow of water streams in the event of slantwise
admission. This result is due to optimum utilization of
the flared-out portion oDtained by increasing the cross-
sectional diameters provided for flow of water between the
incident connecting-pipe and the orifice of the clip 3.
In consequence, the use of the pipe-coupling
thus provided at the mid-section of the header or in other
words in the lowermost position illustrated in Fig. 4
calls for orientation of the connecting-pipe 9 in the
direction of flow of the header and ensures that the
direction of flow of the incident streams of fluid is
closer to the direction of flow of the fluid streams
within the header than in the case of an admission of
fluid at right angles to the header.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments
described in the foregoing and can accordingly extend to
alternative forms of construction. Thus the bend angles
of the truncated end-pieces 2 and 11 can ~ary within
fairly broad limits. Furthermore, it i5 possible to
..
construct a pipe-coupling of this type for the purpose of
connecting one header to another, in which case the first
header constitutes the incident connecting-pipe.
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