Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PIPE CONN~CTIONS.
This invention relates to pipe connections of a
type not re~uiring the use of solder or other flowable
sealant and not requiring the use of flux.
Heretofore, there have been two types of pipe
connections, known as capilliary joints and as
compression joints. The capilliary joint is made by
heating a close fitting pipe connection between two
pipes, the connection containing an internal ring of
solder, whereby the solder, which is a lead alloy, melts
and flows between the wall interstices thereafter
cooling to solidify and make a fluid-tight connection.
The forming of this type of connection has disadvantages
in that it re~uires heat, normally in the form of a blow
lamp, to melt the solder. This operation is a fire
hazard. Also, the solder since it contains lead has
health hazards. Further, to make the connection, it is
necessary to use flux which is corrosive to metal and
damaging to the hands of the user, and if the flux is
not fully used up during the heating process, it remains
in the connection and, like the solder, has health
hazards. A pre-requisite for the success of this type
of connection is that the wall surfaces at the
interstices are to be clean, and no water has to be
flowing in the pipe. The compression joint consists of a
ring or olive of brass or copper being compressed
between a threaded part of a connection housing and a
compression nut which shrouds the threaded part of the
housing. Under compression the olive which can have a
camfered cross-section, defor~s to bite into the pipe so
tnat a fluid-tight connection is formed. This connection
while it has not the disadvantages of the capilliary
joint does have its own disadvantages which have in fact
caused the capilliary joint, despite its disadvantages,
to become the more popular and widely used. The
disadvantages of the compression joint are ones of costs
to produce and labour costs to fit, apart from the fact
that it is bulkier and therefore more noticable than the
capilliary joint. Also, there is the problem-that, at
least for domestic requirements, the pipes to be
aesthetically pleasing have to be fitted near to walls
or in corners. This means that there is limited access
for a spanner or like tool to turn the nuts onto the
threaded parts of the housings, and therefore it takes
longer to tighten and form each connection.
An object of the present invention is to provide
means to make pipe connections which obviate or mitigate
the aforesaid disadvantages.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the present
invention is a method of connecting two pipes together
in end-to-end relationship comprising forming one pipe
with a socket end and the other pipe with a spigot end,
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the socket end being provided with an annular portion of
increased diameter and being of a malleable material,
providing an annular element in the connection between
the two mated pipes and crimping the socket end around
the element and the spigot end to form a fluid-tight
connection.
Also accordingly, a second aspect of the present
invention is means to make pipe-to-pipe connections
comprising a pipe for use with others of its kind, the
pipe having a socket end to receive a spigot end of the
pipe to be connected therewith, the socket end being
provided with an annular portion of increased
diameter and being of a malleable material capable of
being crimped around said spigot end of the mated
pipe, there being an annular element provided within the
connection.
Further accordingly, a third aspect of the present
invention is a pipe assembly formed from a plurality of
pipes fitted in end-to-end relationship with means to
make pipe-to-pipe connections each comprising a pipe
being provided with a socket end to receive a spigot end
of the pipe to be connected therewith, the socket end
being provided with an annular portion of increased
diameter and being of a malleable material capable of
being crimped around the spigot end of the mated
pipe, there being an annular element of compl-ementary
shape provided within the connection to seat inside of
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the annular portion of the socket, each socket end being
crimped around and to said complementarily shaped
annular element of the respective mated spigot end.
Preferably, the annular portion of each socket end
is of convex cross-section and the top surface of the
annular element is of complementary convex cross-
section.
Preferably also, the annular element is a
complementarily shaped annular portion provided on the
spigot end of the respective pipe. The annular portion
of each spigot end is preferably formed of an annulus
tight-fitted thereover. Alternatively, the portion of
complementary shape is swaged in the spigot end of the
pipe.
Alternatively, the annular element is an annulus
located internally within the annular portion of each
socket end, the socket end being adapted to hold the
annulus in said position.
The annulus is preferably made of metal or of
natural or synthetic rubber.
Preferably further, in the case of a metal
annulus, one or two compressible rings are provided
between the portions of the spigot and socket ends in
each pipe connection. The one ring may preferably be
seated at or adjacent to the outer end of the annular
element, and the two rings may preferably be seated at
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or adjacent to the outer and inner ends of the annular
element. Alternatively, the one ring may be seated in or
adjacent to the portion of the socket end. The ring may
preferably be of compressible natural or synthetic
rubber material and may suitably be an O-ring.
Further accordingly, a fourth aspect of the
present invention is a pipe assembly formed from fitting
alternately a plurality of pipe lengths each having both
ends formed as spigot ends, and a plurality of short
pipes forming connectors, both ends of each connector
having a socket end with an annular portion of increased
diameter, the socket ends being of a malleable material
capable of being crimped around a spigot end of a mated
pipe length, there being an annular element of
complementary shape provided within each connection to
seat inside the annular portion of the socket end with
each socket end being crimped around and to said
complementarily shaped annular element of the respective
mated spigot end.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a pipe
connector for use in connecting two or more pipe lengths
together in end-to-end relationship in which a socket
end is provided at each end, each socket end having an
annular portion of increased diameter and being of a
malleable material capable of being crimped around a
spigot end of a pipe length when fitted thereinto. The
connectors may preferably be of any desired shape such
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as straights, curves, or T-pieces.
The annulus is preferably an olive in which a
series of cuts are made inwardly from one edge of the
olive. The cuts are preferably V-shape and extend
towards the opposite edge. The outer surface of the edge
in which the cuts are provided is preferably pared or
tapered towards the inner surface. The inside surface of
the olive is preferably provided with one or more
peripheral gripping elements. The elements each
preferably extend inwardly proud of the inside surface
and preferably has a sloped face and sharp face. The
cuts preferably impinge into and through the or at least
one of the gripping elements. The olive is preferably
formed from a pre-cut length of a strip of material to
be formed into the olive shape prior to beingpositionedin
the annular portion of a respective socket end.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be
described, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe connectionaccordingtoa first embodiment of the present invention
between a socket end and a spigot end of two mated
pipes, part of the socket end being cut away for
clarity;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pipe connection shown
in Fig. 1;
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Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a pipe
connection according to a second embodiment, showing
three pipes connected together by a connector;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a connector to
a larger scale showing both ends formed as socket ends
with one partly crimped to hold an annular element in
position, the element not being shown;
Fig. 5 is a detail of one socket end shown in
Fig. 4 with part cut-away to reveal an annular element
and a compressible ring in position; and
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an annular
element to a larger scale.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in a
first embodiment a pipe 10 of malleable material is
provided with a socket end 12 and a spigot end 14, the
socket end 12 being swaged to recelve the spigot end 14
of a mating pipe in end-to-end relationship.
The term 'swaged' is used herein and in the claims
to include the process of increasing in diameter an
annular portion of an end of a pipe or pipe connector by
mechanical means or by the increase being formed as part
of a casting.
The socket end 12 has a portion 16 of increased
diameter and the spigot end 14 has a complementary
shaped portion 18. The portion 16 of increased diameter
is of annular convex section and the outer surface of
portion 18 is of annular complementary convex section.
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The portion 18 is desirably formed of an annulus in the
form of an olive fitted over the spigot end 14 of each
pipe 10.
In use, a pipe assembly is formed from a plurality
of pipes 10 fitted in end-to-end relationship with the
portion 18 of each spigot end 14 seating inside the
portion 16 of the socket end 12 of a mated pipe. The
outer end of the portion 16 of each socket end is then
crimped around said portion 18 of each mated spigot end
14 to form a fluid-tight connection.
In a modification, the portion 18 is swaged in the
spigot end of each pipe 10.
Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, a second embodiment
is shown in which a pipe connector 40 of malleable
material is used to connect three pipes 10. The pipe
connector 40 as shown in Fig. 3 is a T-piece, but could
be a straight piece as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or a
curve (or corner or knuckle) piece to connect two
lengths of pipe. The connector 40 has three ends, each
fashioned as a socket end 12. Each socket end 12 is
provided with an annular portion 16 of increased
diameter and internally concave. The spigot end 14 of
each pipe 10 has a corresponding annular portion of
increased diameter and externally complementary convex
to mate with a portion 16.
In use, the pipe assembly is fitted together using
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one T-piece connector 40 and the three pipes 10 with
each end to be mated fitted with an annulus or olive 18.
After being mated, the connections are crimped to form
fluid-tight connections.
In a preferred modification of this second
embodiment, the connectors are provided with an annulus
18 of metal already fitted internally into each annular
portion 16 of a socket end. In this modification, each
end of a pipe 10 can be fitted into a socket end of the
connector without first having to have an annulus fitted
or a portion swaged into it. The outer end of the
portion 16 of each socket end is partially crimped
circumferentially or radially or rolled to hold the
annulus 18 therein while not impeding entry of a spigot
end of a pipe 10. Alternatively, the annulus 18 is
otherwise secured in the annular portion 16, for example
by adhesion.
In each of the above embodiments, a compressible
ring 42 can be provided to seat between the portions 16,
18 when fitted together. The ring 42, which is a rubber
O-ring, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 seated in a groove
provided in the outer surface of annular portion 18. The
ring 42 need not be so positioned and can be positioned
in front of (as shown in Fig.5) or leading the portion
18 in the direction of the pipe being mated or at the
rear or trailing the portion 18. Two rings 42 can be
provided one at the front edge and one at the trailing
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edge of the annular portion 18. Also in the alternative,
the ring 42 can be seated in the portion 16. The ring 42
can be of a natural or synthetic rubber material, and
may be of a shape other than an O-ring.
Referring to Fig. 6, the olive 18 of metal is
provided with a series of cuts 50 which are made in one
edge thereof. The cuts 50 are V-shape and converge into
a slot shape towards the opposite edge as shown. The
outer surface 52 of the edge in which the cuts 50 are
provided is pared towards the inner surface as shown.
The inside surface 54 of the-olive is provided with one
or more peripheral gripping elements 56 (one only being
shown). Each element 56 extends inwardly proud of the
inside surface 54 and has a sloped face 58 and a sharp
face 60. The cuts 50 impinge into and through the
elements 56 as shown.
In use, the annulus 18 above-described is
advantageous since it requires a minimum amount of
effort to crimp the socket end of a pipe connector
compared to a non-cut annulus. The annulus can be
located in the portion 16 with the cuts 50 facing
towards or away from the open socket end.
The olive 18 may be formed from a pre-cut length
of strip material having a formation on one side to
serve as a gripping element and being provided with cuts
above described extending from one side towards the
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other side.
Any suitable means for crimping the outer end of
portion 16 of a socket end 12 can be used and desirably
can be of the type described and shown in my UK Patent
Application No. 8~15643.5 publishedNovember7, 1990,
Variations and other modifications can be made
without departing from the scope of the invention above
described.
