Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PIPE ADAPTER FLANGE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to pipe adapters for joining pipes
of different sizes. More particularly, this invention relates
to adapters for joining high-density polyethylene pipe to
ductile iron, P.V.C. or steel pipes, or pipe sections, or to
other I.D.-controlled pipes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
By custom and convention, high-density polyethylene pipe
is O.D.-controlled. That is to say, the capacity of high-
density polyethylene pipe is specified by its outer diameter.
However, ductile iron, P.V.C. and steel pipe is I.D.-
controlled; their capacities are specified by their inner
diameters. Heretofore, there was no convenient means for
reliably joining high-density polyethylene pipe to these other
pipes.
To illustrate the difficulty, for a given capacity
requiring a 12 inch ductile iron pipe, the 12 inch ductile
iron pipe would have a 12 inch nominal O.D. and a 12.58 inch
I.D. but a comparable high-density polyethylene pipe would
have a nominal O.D. of 16 inches and an I.D. of 12.444 inches.
In order for high-density polyethylene pipe to be used to join
with ductile iron, P.V.C. or steel pipe, some form of adapter
must be employed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to provide an
adapter flange system for use in joining O.D.-controlled pipe,
such as high-density polyethylene pipe to I.D.-controlled
pipe, such as ductile iron, P.V.C., or steel pipe. More
generally it is an object of this invention to provide an
adapter flange system for use in joining pipes of different
sizes. The system of this invention is designed to adapt and
join two flanged sections together.
In brief, this invention comprises a pipe adapter flange
coupling system for joining two flanged pipe section ends.
The system comprises an adapter ring constructed to be
positioned between the flanged pipe section ends, first
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clamping means for clamping one flanged pipe section end to
one side of the adapter ring, and second clamping means for
clamping another flanged pipe section end to another side of
the adapter ring. The pipe adapter flange coupling system
adapter ring is generally circular and has inner and outer
circles of bolt holes, at least the inner of which is
threaded. The first clamping means includes a compression
ring constructed to bear against one flanged pipe section end,
a plurality or threaded bolts extendable through the
compression ring and into the outer ring of bolt holes in the
adapter ring. (These bolts are either threaded into the bolt
holes or extended through the bolt holes and capped with
threaded nuts, depending on the configuration of the adapter
ring, whereby the flanged pipe section end may be clamped to
the one side of the adapter ring..) The second clamping means
comprises a plurality of threaded bolts extendable through
another pipe section end and threadable into the inner ring of
blot holes in the adapter ring whereby the other flanged pipe
section end may be clamped to the other side of the adapter
ring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a plan view of an adapter ring used in the
system of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section view of the adapter flange
system of this invention used to join a polyethylene pipe
section to a ductile iron pipe section; and
Figure 3 is a an exploded view of the Figure 2 assembly
illustrating the relative sizes and arrangement of the adapter
flange system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
When joining pipe sections of different specifications,
such as high-density polyethylene pipe 10 to ductile iron pipe
12, the adjacent pipe section ends will be provided with
integral flanges, such as at 10a and 12a, respectively. These
adjacent pipe section ends could actually be flanged pipe
ends, or they could be the flanged end of valve body and a
flanged pipe end, or the flanged end of a coupling such as an
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elbow or tee, and a flanged pipe end. In other words, the
adjacent flanged pipe ends can be associated with any device
commonly used in a piping system, the important feature
required of the pipe end being an integral flange, such as lOa
or 12a. The required integral flange may actually be cast or
molded into the pipe end during fabrication of the pipe
section or it may be added to the pipe section and permanently
secured thereto as by bonding or welding. Hereinafter, these
are termed "flanged pipe section ends" and this term in
intended to encompass the above examples as well as any other
equivalent examples.
As shown in the Figures, the pipe adapter flange coupling
system of this invention comprises an adapter ring 14 that is
located between the two flanged pipe section ends 16 and 18,
clamping means 20 to clamp one of the flanged pipe section
ends, i.e. 16, to one side of the adapter ring 14, and
clamping means 22 to clamp the other of the flanged pipe
section ends, i.e. 18, to the opposite side of the adapter
ring 14. In the preferred form of the invention as depicted
in the drawings, the high-density polyethylene pipe end
section 10 and its flange lOa will be larger than the ductile
iron pipe end section 12 and its flange 12a. In the case of
the high-density polyethylene pipe end section, clamping means
20 comprises a compression ring 24 and a plurality of
fasteners 26. Compression ring 24 is designed to slip over
the polyethylene flanged pipe section end to clamp that end
between the adapter ring 14 and the compression ring 24. The
plurality of fasteners 26 clamp pipe flange lOa to adapter
ring 14. In the case of the ductile iron pipe end section,
clamping means 22 comprises a plurality of fasteners 28 that
clamp pipe flange 12a to adapter ring 14.
Fasteners 26 are preferably provided as threaded steel
bolts that are inserted through bolt holes 24a in compression
ring 24 and are threaded into threaded holes 14a in adapter
ring 14. Threaded holes 14a are positioned as an outer circle
of holes as shown in Figure 3. Fasteners 28 are preferably
provided as threaded steel bolts that are inserted through
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bolt holes 12b in pipe end section flange 12a and are threaded
into threaded holes 14b in adapter ring 14. Threaded holes
14b are positioned as in inner circle of holes as shown in
Figure 3.
Compression ring 24 and adapter ring 14 are fabricated
from a hard, durable material such as steel. Since the
ductile iron pipe flange 12a is also fabricated of ductile
iron, no compression ring comparable to compression ring 24 is
required. The fasteners 28 may be applied directly to the
iron flange 12a without the intermediary of a compression
ring. Should the assembly involve a pipe section fabricated
from P.V.C. or like material, clamping means 18 might include
a compression ring similar to compression ring 24, so that the
bearing force of fasteners 288 would be applied to that
compression ring rather than directly to the P.V.C. flange.
Appropriate fluid seals are applied to each side of
adapter ring 14, fluid seal ring 30 having a circle of bolt
holes 3Oa matching the outer bolt hole circle in ring 14 and
fluid seal ring 32 having a circle of bolt holes 32a matching
the inner bolt hole circle in ring 14.
Adapter ring 14 is provided with an inner diameter that
is about the same size of the inner diameter of the smaller of
the two adjacent pipe end sections, that of ductile iron pipe
section 12 in the case of the embodiment shown in the Figures.
The outer diameter of adapter ring 14 is great enough to
accommodate the outer ring of bolt holes. Consequently, for a
given range of pipe specifications, a variety of adapter ring
sizes would be provided, each adapter ring having an inner and
outer diameter tailored to match a given pipe specification.
Adapter ring 14 and its associated fluid seals , 30, 32, are
the only elements of the system that intervene between the
flanged sections to be joined or coupled together. The
thickness of the adapter ring need only be sufficient to hold
the fasteners and to provide the necessary rigidity to insure
an appropriate seal between the two flanged sections. The
function of adapter ring 14 is not that of a sealing gasket;
rather its function is to provide a simple and compact means
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of joining two differing-sized flanged sections. It is in
effect an anchor to which the two flanged coupling means 16,
18 are secured.
Compression ring 24 is provided with an inner annular
face 24b having an inner diameter only sightly larger than the
outer diameter of the pipe section that it encircles. Annular
face 24b has a radial width sufficient to bear against pipe
end flange lOa to transfer the clamping load of fasteners 26
to flange lOa so as to seal flange lOa against the immediately
adjacent seal ring 30a. The ring of bolt holes 24a lays
radially outward from the annular face 24b.
The pipe adapter flange assembly of this invention is
compact and does not require much space between the flanged
pipe section ends. For pipe nominal sizes ranging between 4
inches and 54 inches, the thickness of adapter ring 14 would
typically vary between 0.625 inches to 1.70 inches. In
applications where there is enough distance between the outer
and inner circle of bolt holes 14a, 14b, the outer circle of
bolts holes 14a may be unthreaded, and bolts 26 would be
extended completely through the adapter ring 14 and capped
with threaded nuts. The adapter ring 14 shown in Figure 1,
with bolt holes 14a open to the periphery, would be suitable
for use where the outer circle of bolt holes 14a were
unthreaded and the bolts 26 were to be extended completely
through the adapter flange. Where the outer circle of bolt
holes 14a are threaded, they would be surrounded with material
and would appear as shown in Figure 2 and not as shown in
Figure 1. The outer periphery of the adapter flange shown in
Figure 1 is as it might appear if cast. It is a production
option to flame cut the adapter flange from a blank.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described herein, variations in the design may be made. The
scope of the invention, therefore, is only to be limited by
the claims appended hereto. The embodiments of the invention
in which an exclusive property is claimed are defined as
follows:
