GB2060799A - Pipe connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a connector device for use in forming joints for pipes or other tubular members, comprising a hollow nut (18) having a partially internally threaded bore (14) adapted in use to engage an externally threaded hollow spigot (6) a resiliently compressible sleeve (26) having a leading lip portion (28) and a trailing, profiled, lip portion (32), the leading lip portion (28) being receivable with the mouth portion (10) of the spigot bore, a split ring member (36) adapted to engage the trailing profiled lip portion (32), the nut (18) being screwed onto the spigot (6) so as to compress the sleeve member (26), at least one protuberance (34) being provided on the trailing edge (32) of the sleeve (26) to prevent firm engagement of the split ring (36) therewith during assembly prior to compression of the sleeve occurring, said ring (36) being provided with an inturned flanged trailing edge (43) adapted firmly to contact the pipe (32) when in the assembled condition. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Connector device The invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to connector devices for pipes or other- hollow tubular members.

It is frequently necessary to form a leakproof joint between end portions of two pipes or to connect a pipe for example to a valve device mounted in a wall or other support, such as a hot-or cold-water tap, for a sink or bath, or a ball-valve for a cistern or other tank. It is desirable that the connected device to be used should be suitable whether the pipe is flexible or rigid and should preferably be capable of dis-assembly without damage so that it may be re-used.

The invention provides a connector device for use in forming joints for pipes or other tubular members, comprising a hollow nut having a partially internally threaded bore adapted in use to engage an externally threaded hollow spigot having a longitudinal passage provided with an internal annular channel formed adjacent to a mouth portion of the passage, a resilliently compressible sleeve having a leading lip portion and a trailing, profiled, lip portion, the leading lip portion being receivable within the mouth portion of the spigot bore, a split ring member adapted to engage the trailing profiled lip portion so that in use the ring member and the sleeve are mounted in a pipe with the leading lip portion of the sleeve adjacent an extreme end portion of the pipe, the nut being screwed onto the spigot so as to compress the sleeve member, at least one protuberance being provided on the trailing edge of the sleeve to prevent firm engagement of the split ring therewith during assembly prior to compression of the sleeve occurring, said ring being provided with an inturned flanged trailing edge adapted firmly to contact the pipe when in the assembled condition.

Advantageously the trailing lip portion of the sleeve may be provided with a plurality of spaced-apart protuberances which engage the split ring, and said ring being provided with a contour suitable to be received within an unthreaded, frusto-conical portion of the bore of the nut. The hollow spigot may form a part of an adapter member which may be mounted in a wall or other support surfaces or may be provided with a second spigot so that the connector device is capable of joining together the end portions of two pipes. It may be arranged that the pipes are of the same or different diameters, according to the dimensions of the spigots of the connector device.

In assembly, it is important to ensure that the leading lip portions of the sleeve member are clamped in a liquid-tight manner against the pipe end and the sleeve member compressed prior to gripping engagement of the trailing end with the split ring within the nut, to avoid damage to the resilient sleeve member by the rotation of the nut.

In one example of the invention, the leading lip portions of the sleeve member may be tapered. The mouth portion of the spigot bore will therefore be flared in order to receive the tapered lip portion, the angle of the flare and of the tapering being selected to achieve maximum sealing efficiency.

In alternative example, an O-ring seal may be provided adjacent the profiled, or flared, mouth portion of the spigot member.

In all examples, the split ring member will be compressed by the nut being tightened, and, as the ring member closes and tightens on the trailing portion of the sleeve, the sharp inner edge of the split ring will firmly contact the pipe, causing, if the material of the pipe is 'soft enough, an annular indentation.

There now follows a detailed description of two examples of a connector device according to the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings:~ Figure 1 is an exploded view of one side of a double connector device according to the invention, showing a pipe end portion; Figure 2 is a plan view of a split ring of the device of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a similar view of a sleeve member of the device of Fig. 1; Figure 4 shows a part-sectional view of a second connector device; and Figure 5 shows a side view of parts of said second device.

Fig. 1 shows a connector device suitable for use in joining together two pipes and comprises an adapter member 2 having two hollow spigot members 4, 6. It will be understood that in this example the right hand side only of the connector device is device described, and the left-hand, although not shown, is substantially identical. Alternatively, in another example not shown, the adapter member may be mounted in a cistern wall and form an inlet to a ball valve, in which case, the left hand side of the device is not provided.

The hollow spigot member 6 has an internal annular channel 8, a mouth portion 10 of which is flared. The member 6 is externally threaded at 12, the thread engaging with an internal thread 14 provided on a bore 16 of a nut 18. A plain portion of the bore 16 is provided with a frusto-concial portion 20. The nut is mounted on a pipe 22, the extreme end portion 24 of which is received in the channel 8 of the spigot member 6. The pipe may be rigid or as in the present example, of flexible plastics material.

Mounted on the pipe 22, adjacent its ex treme end portion 24, is a resiliently compressible sleeve member 26. In the present example, the member 26 is made of polybutylene, but it will be understood that it may be made of rubber or any suitable resilient plastics material. A leading tapered lip portion 28 of the sleeve member 26 is received in the flared portion 10 of the spigot channel 8. The sleeve member 28 has an intermediate cylindrical portion 30 and a trailing tapered portion 32.

Five protuberances 34 are provided at spaced intervals around the portion 32, as may be seen in Fig. 3.

A split ring 36 having a gap 38 has an annular recess 40 and a tapered external surface 42, so that when the nut 18 is screwed onto the spigot member 6, the split ring is interposed between the trailing lip portion 32 of the sleeve member 26 and the frusto-conical portion 20 of the nut above..

The tapered surface 42 has an inturned sharp edge 43.

When the connector device is assembled and the nut 18 is screwed onto the spigot member 6, the leading tapered lip portion 28 is forced onto contact with flared portion 10 of the spigot bore and is compressed into sealing engagement with the pipe. The protuberances 34 initially prevent firm gripping contact of the trailing lip portion 32 with the split ring 36 which is itself in contact with the frusto-conical portion 20, until the sealing effect of the leading lip portion 28 is established and the sleeve member 26 commences to be compressed. Continued rotation of the nut 18 causes the eventual firm contact of the surface 32 with the ring 36 which reduces in effective diameter under the compressive force exerted on it by the portion 20, the gap 38 closes, and the ring grips the sleeve member in a manner not dissimilar to that of a collet.The sharp edge of the tapered surface 42 of the ring causes slight indentation in the plastics material of the pipe 22.

Simple rotation of the nut 18 to unscrew it from the spigot member 4 will dis-assemble the connector device and release the pipe.

The device may then be re-used.

In a second example of a device according to the invention, an L-shaped connector device 40 is to be used for connecting two pipes 42 and 44. The two arms of the L-shaped device are identical in construction. Each arm therefore comprises an externally threaded hollow spigot 46 having an annular groove 48 in which is received an O-ring seal 50, with a space for slight axial movement to avoid tolerance problems. Adjacent the seal 50 is an end face 52 of a sleeve 54, corresponding in function to the sleeve member 26 mentioned above and having a trailing tapered portion 56 bearing eight protuberances 58. An annular flange 60 is also provided which in the assembled condition abuts the end face of the externally threaded portion of the spigot 46.

A split ring 62 is provided which is identical to the split ring 36 described above. The ring 62 has a gap 64, so that when a nut 66 is screwed onto the spigot 46, the ring is interposed between the tapered portion 56 of the sleeve 54 and a frustoconical portion 68 of the bore of the nut 66. Thus the pressure exerted by the nut through the portion 68 compresses the ring radially in the same manner as the ring 36 is compressed, closing the gap 64 so that a sharp inner edge 70 of the ring impinges firmly against the outer surface of the pipe 44. Where this pipe is of flexible material, it will be understood that the edge 70 may bite into the pipe wall to a small extent, limited by the closure of the gap 64, causing an annular indentation.

The protruberances 58 will act to prevent firm gripping contact of the ring 62 in the trailing portion of the sleeve 54 until the nut 66 is almost fully home.

Claims (9)

1. A connector device for use in forming joints for pipes or other tubular members, comprising a hollow nut having a partially internally threaded bore adapted in use to engage an externally threaded hollow spigot having a longitudinal passage provided with an internal annular channel formed adjacent to a mouth portion of the passage, a resiliently compressible sleeve having a leading lip portion and a trailing, profiled, lip portion, the leading lip portion being receivable within the mouth portion of the spigot bore, a split ring member adapted to engage the trailing, profiled lip portion so that in use the ring member and the sleeve are mounted on a pipe with the leading lip portion of the sleeve adjacent an extreme end portion of the pipe, the nut being screwed onto the spigot so as to the compress the sleeve member, at least one protruberance being provided on the trailing edge of the sleeve to prevent firm engagement of the split ring therewith during assembly prior to compression of the sleeve occurring, said ring being provided with an inturned flanged trailing edge adapted firmly to contact the pipe when in the assembled condition

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bore of the nut has an un-threaded frustoconical portion providing a region of reduced diameter adapted to receive the ring therein during assembly of the connector, continued tightening of the nut forcing the ring inwards of said area of reduced diameter.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ring is provided with a frusto-conical trailing portion receivable within said area of reduced diameter.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frusto-conical trailing portion of the ring is provided with a sharp edge capable of firm contact with the pipe.

5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spigot forms part of a spigot member having at least one further spigot to which a second pipe may be attached.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the mouth portion of the bore of the spigot is outwardly flared and the leading lip portions of the sleeve is tapered, the tapered lip portions being received within the flanged mouth portion of the bore.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein there is provided an 0ring seal positioned between the leading lip portion of the sleeve member and received within the mouth portion of the spigot bore.

8. A connector device for use in forming joints for pipes or other tubular members, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings.

9. A connector device for use in forming joints for pipes or other tubular members, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings.