Pipe coupling and anchoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11885447-B2
Application number	US-202217702183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

A coupling and anchoring system for coupling lengths of pipe and anchoring the lengths of pipe to a structure comprise a pipe coupling having an external peripheral groove defined by axially facing axial clamp engaging surfaces, said groove receiving an anchoring clamp. The anchoring clamp has corresponding axial coupling engaging surfaces for engaging the axial clamp engaging surfaces of the pipe coupling to restrict axial movement of the pipe coupling when the anchoring clamp is fastened to the structure. The anchoring clamp is formed from arced bands having laterally extending connecting portions and laterally extending arced elements. The laterally extending connecting surfaces and arcs combine to form dual fastener openings for optionally receiving fastening elements perpendicular and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe coupling for optionally anchoring the system to perpendicular and parallel portions of the structure. The internal arc radius of the arced bands is comparable to the outer diameter of the external peripheral groove with the laterally extending connecting portions radially remote from the groove so that connection of the laterally extending portions prevents over tightening of the clamp. The coupling has an hour-glass cross section with the peripheral groove located axially interposed between the pipe stops and the clamp engaging surfaces such that the pipe lengths would not be axially coincident with the external groove.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A coupling and anchoring system for fluidly coupling a first length of pipe to a second length of pipe and anchoring the lengths of pipe to a structure, said coupling and anchoring system comprising:
a pipe coupling extending along a coupling longitudinal axis and having a first pipe opening for receiving the first length of pipe along the coupling longitudinal axis and a second pipe opening for receiving the second length of pipe, said pipe coupling having an external peripheral groove located axially intermediate the first pipe opening and the second pipe opening, said external peripheral groove defined by a first axial clamp engaging surface which axially faces a second axial clamp engaging surface with the external peripheral groove formed therebetween;
an anchoring clamp for fastening to the structure, said anchoring clamp having a first axial coupling engaging surface which is axially opposed from a second axial coupling engaging surface, wherein the anchoring clamp is axially sized to be received by the external peripheral groove with the first axial coupling engaging surface of the anchoring clamp engaging the first axial clamp engaging surface of the pipe coupling, and the second axial coupling engaging surface of the anchoring clamp engaging the second axial clamp engaging surface of the pipe coupling to restrict axial movement of the pipe coupling when the anchoring clamp is fastened to the structure; and
wherein the first pipe opening and the second pipe opening are sized to receive the first and second pipe lengths, respectively, and wherein the first pipe opening has, at a first pipe stop axial position, a first radial pipe stop extending radially inwardly from a first side wall of the first opening for abutting contact with a longitudinal end of the first length of pipe to prevent further insertion of the first length of pipe into the first opening, and, the second pipe opening has, at a second pipe stop axial position, a second radial pipe stop extending radially inwardly from a second side wall of the second opening for abutting contact with a longitudinal end of the second length of pipe to prevent further insertion of the second length of pipe into the second opening; and
wherein the external peripheral groove is located axially interposed between the first and second pipe stop axial positions and axially interposed between the first and second axial clamp engaging surface.

2. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the anchoring clamp is formed of two or more arced bands, each arced band having a central arc portion interposed between laterally extending connecting portions, said laterally extending connecting portions overlapping with laterally extending connecting portions of adjacent arced bands to connect adjacent arced bands together and assemble the anchoring clamp about the external peripheral groove with each central arc portion forming an arc segment of the anchoring clamp when the anchoring clamp is assembled about the external peripheral groove;
wherein each of said arc bands has a radially inner side comprising an inner concave surface of the corresponding center arc portions.

3. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 2 , wherein the two or more adjacent arced bands comprise two substantially identical arced bands with the central arc portion forming about 180° of the arc segment of the anchoring clamp and said laterally extending connecting portions extending laterally from opposed ends of the central arc portion for connecting the two substantially identical arced bands about the external peripheral groove of the pipe coupling.

4. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 3 , wherein assembly of the anchoring clamp about the external peripheral groove by connecting the overlapping laterally extending connecting portions combines the central arced portions to define an internal clamp diameter of the anchoring clamp, said internal clamp diameter being comparable to an outer diameter of the external peripheral groove of the pipe coupling,
wherein the laterally extending connecting portions extend laterally from the central arc portion and are radially separated from the internal diameter of the anchoring clamp such that the internal clamp diameter is unaffected by compression connecting forces applied to overlapping lateral extending connecting portions.

5. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 2 , wherein each of the arced bands further comprise at least one laterally extending arc element having an inner concave element surface on the radially inner side of said arced band and extending laterally from one of the laterally extending connecting portions;
wherein when the adjacent arced bands are connected to assemble the anchor clamp about the exterior peripheral groove, the inner concave element surfaces of at least two of the laterally extending arc element face each other to form at least one axial channel which is parallel to the coupling longitudinal axis and defines an axial opening for axially receiving a fastening mechanism in a longitudinal direction parallel to the coupling longitudinal axis to fasten the anchoring clamp to a perpendicular portion of the structure perpendicular to the coupling longitudinal axis.

6. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 5 wherein the two or more adjacent arced bands comprise two substantially identical arced bands with the central arc portion forming about 180° of the arc segment of the anchoring clamp and said laterally extending connecting portions extend laterally from opposed ends of the central arc portion for connecting the two substantially identical arced bands about the external peripheral groove of the pipe coupling; and
wherein each of the two substantially identical arced bands further comprise two laterally extending arc elements, each of the laterally extending arc elements having their inner concave element surface on the radially inner side of said arced band and each laterally extending arc element extending laterally from a corresponding one of the laterally extending connecting portions;
wherein when the adjacent arced bands are connected to assemble the anchoring clamp about the exterior peripheral groove, each of the laterally extending arc elements face a corresponding laterally extending arc element of the adjacent arc band to form two axial channels each parallel to the coupling longitudinal axis and diametrically opposed on the anchoring clamp, with each axial channel defining a corresponding axial opening for axially receiving the fastening mechanism, in the longitudinal direction parallel to the coupling longitudinal axis to fasten the anchoring clamp to the perpendicular portion of the structure perpendicular to the coupling longitudinal axis.

7. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 6 , wherein each of the laterally extending connecting portions further comprise at least one perpendicular fastener receiving opening arranged perpendicular to the coupling longitudinal axis and arranged to align with corresponding perpendicular fastener receiving openings of overlapping laterally extending connecting portions of adjacent arc bands during assembly of the anchoring clamp about the peripheral groove, said perpendicular fastener receiving openings sized to receive fasteners for applying compression connection forces to connect the adjacent arced bands and assemble the anchoring clamp about the peripheral groove.

8. The coupling and anchoring system as defined in claim 7 , wherein the perpendicular fastener receiving openings of the laterally extending connectin

Assignees

• Ipex Tech Inc

Inventors

• Littlefield Jeffrey Vincent

Classifications

• F16L3/1091 Primary

  with two members, the two members being fixed to each other with fastening members on each side · CPC title

• F16L21/065

  tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pins · CPC title

• F16L3/1016 Primary

  the members being joined by means of two screws · CPC title

• F16L21/002

  Sleeves or nipples for pipes of the same diameter; Reduction pieces (F16L27/00, F16L37/00 take precedence; with elastic sealing rings F16L21/022) · CPC title

• F16L25/12

  Joints for pipes being spaced apart axially · CPC title