Patent Application
20160084412
The disclosure relates generally to coupling barrels and, more particularly, to fabricated single body coupling barrels.
Numerous types of coupling barrels with various types of sealing cavities exist in the market, with two types of sealing cavities being the AWWA C219 and the AWWA C111. The AWWA C219 cavity is typically produced from a single unit of material and is cast with a beveled sealing surface allowance at each end or is fabricated with flared ends into couplings of various sizes. Further, a traditional coupling barrel with an AWWA C219 cavity does not have wings for containing a seal in a coupling assembly to produce an air and/or water tight seal as the C111 cavity does.
An aspect of this disclosure relates to a fabricated coupling barrel roll-formed to produce cast cavity (e.g., an AWWA C111 cast cavity) using a single unit of material. The coupling barrel includes lips and wings extending from a wall of the coupling barrel.
Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a fabricated coupling assembly that simulates cast cavities and utilizes a gland or cast, either cast or fabricated, that conforms to specifications as well. In an embodiment, the gland retains a seal in a cavity located between the outer diameter of a pipe and the lips and wings of the coupling barrel. In a further embodiment, the gland includes at least one spigot that retains the seal in the cavity. Use of the seal results in an air and/or water tight seal between the coupling barrel and the outer diameter of a pipe. The coupling barrel disclosed herein provides a cost effective and more reliable alternative to typical cavity casted coupling barrels.
A further aspect of this disclosure relates to a method of producing a coupling barrel roll-formed to produce cast cavities and wings using a single unit of material.
Additional features and advantages of this disclosure are described below. This disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures, systems, and processes for carrying out the same purposes of this disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent implementations do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features, which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of this disclosure.
The particular features and advantages of this disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify corresponding aspects throughout.
The detailed description set forth herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various aspects of this disclosure by way of illustration. While these various aspects are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments and implementations may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented. Moreover, references to a singular embodiment may include plural embodiments, and references to more than one component may include a singular embodiment, for example.
According to an aspect of this disclosure, a coupling barrel 100 is described with reference to
In various embodiments, the single unit of material used to produce the coupling barrel 100 may include metal, metal alloy, plastic, or any other material suitable to perform the characteristics of the coupling barrel 100 disclosed herein. The single unit of material may further be measured and cut to a shape that, when roll-formed, produces a coupling barrel 100 as described herein. Further, in another embodiment, the single unit of material may be roll-formed prior to being cut into the shape of a coupling barrel 100 as described herein. The single unit of material may be flat or substantially flat prior to being roll-formed into the coupling barrel 100.
The coupling barrel 100 may have any shape capable of being produced by roll-forming techniques. Such shape of the coupling barrel 100 may be dictated by the shape of the pipes to be coupled to the coupling barrel 100. In an embodiment, the coupling barrel 100 may have a circular or substantially circular shape.
The wall 102 may be configured to define a small cavity measured from a first point on the wall 102 to a second point on the wall 102 distal from the first point. In an illustrative embodiment, a length, or in some embodiments a diameter, of the small cavity may equal a length, or in some embodiments, a diameter of the wall 102 measured from first and second points located on an interior surface of the wall 102. In another embodiment, the length or diameter of the small cavity may equal a length or diameter of the wall 102 measured from first and second points located on an exterior surface of the wall 102. In yet another embodiment, the length or diameter of the small cavity may equal a length or diameter of the wall 102 measured from a first point on the interior surface of the wall 102 to a second point located on the exterior surface of the wall 102. According to an embodiment, the small cavity may have a length or diameter equal or substantially equal to 24 inches. In yet another embodiment, the small cavity may have a length or diameter greater than about 24 inches, but less than about 48 inches.
A lip 104 may angularly extend from each edge of the wall 102, thereby defining cavities (e.g, AWWA C111 cavities). According to multiple embodiments, the lips 104 may be uniform in size and/or shape. However, the lips 104 may be unequal in size and/or shape without departing from the scope of this disclosure. According to various embodiments, the lips 104 may extend from edges of the wall 102 at equal angles. However, the lips 104 may also extend at unequal angles without departing from the scope of this disclosure. According to an embodiment, such angular extension of a lip 104 may be measured between a plane of the wall 102, extending along the interior surface of the wall 102 between both edges of the wall 102, and a side of the lip 104. In an illustrative embodiment, one or both of the lips 104 may extend from the wall 102 at an angle in the range of about 20 degrees to about 30 degrees. According to multiple embodiments, one or both of the lips 104 may extend from the wall 102 at an angle equal to or substantially equal to 20 degrees, 25 degrees, or 30 degrees.
According to other embodiments, each lip 104 may be configured to define an AWWA C111 cavity measured from a first point on a lip 104 to second point on the same lip 104 distal from the first point. In an illustrative embodiment, a length, or in some embodiments a diameter, of the AWWA C111 cavity may equal a length, or in some embodiments, a diameter of a lip 104 measured from first and second points located on an interior surface of the lip 104. In another embodiment, the length or diameter of the AWWA C111 cavity may equal a length or diameter of a lip 104 measured from first and second points located on an exterior surface of the lip 104. In yet another embodiment, the length or diameter of the AWWA C111 cavity may equal a length or diameter of a lip 104 measured from a first point on the interior surface of the lip 104 to a second point located on the exterior surface of the lip 104. According to multiple embodiments, the AWWA C111 cavity may have a length or diameter equal or substantially equal to 14 inches, 16 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, 24 inches, 30 inches, 36 inches, 42 inches, or 48 inches.
Wings 106 may angularly extend from edges of the lips 104. According to multiple embodiments, the wings 106 may be uniform in size and/or shape. However, the wings 106 may be unequal in size and/or shape without departing from the scope of this disclosure. According to various embodiments, the wings 106 may extend from edges of the lips 104 at equal angles. However, the wings 106 may also extend at unequal angles without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The wings 106 may extend from the lips 104 at an angle that results in the wings 106 being in horizontal alignment with a plane of the wall 102 that extends along either the interior or exterior surface of the wall 102 between the two edges of the wall 102.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, a coupling assembly 300 is described with reference to
The coupling barrel 302 may have any shape sufficient to fit around a pipe 312. According to an embodiment, the coupling barrel 302 has a circular shape. The coupling barrel 302 may further have all the components and attributes of the coupling barrel 100 described with reference to
The pair of glands or casts 304 may be located proximate or abut edges of the coupling barrel 302. According to an embodiment, the pair of glands 304 may be located proximate or abut wings of the coupling barrel 302. The pair of glands 304 may be formed to have any shape and each gland 304 may have a spigot 404 having any shape capable of surrounding a pipe 312 when the pipe 312 is inserted through the gland 304. Each gland 304 may also have partially protruding regions 502 that extend outwardly away from the spigot 404. The partially protruding regions 502 may be formed to have any shape and may have holes 504 located therethrough. The holes 504 may be shaped to allow fasteners 306 therethrough. The fasteners 306 may be any fastener capable of drawing each of the glands 304 closer together. Such fasteners 306 may include mechanical fasteners, such as bolts, threaded bars with nuts, and screws, for example.
According to another embodiment, one gland 304 may have unthreaded holes 504 located through its partially protruding regions 502 and the other gland 304 may have threaded holes 504 located entirely or partially through its partially protruding regions 502. Fasteners 306, for example, bolts or screws, may be used to pull or draw the glands 304 toward each other.
Each gasket 402 of the pair of gaskets 402 may be located in a simulated cavity defined by the coupling barrel 302, a spigot 404 of a gland 304, and the outer edge of a pipe 312. In an embodiment, the simulated cavity may be defined by sides of a lip (which defines the AWWA C111 cavity) and a wing of the coupling barrel 302, a spigot 404 of a gland 304, and the outer edge of a pipe 312. The gaskets 402 may be of any shape and/or size sufficient to provide an air and/or water tight seal between the elements that define the simulated cavity in which each gasket 402 is located. According to an embodiment, each gasket 402 may have a surface equal in shape and/or size to the outer edge of the pipe 312, another surface equal in shape and/or size to the spigot 404 of the gland 304, and a further surface equal in shape and/or size to the surface of the coupling barrel 302 that it contacts. In another embodiment, the surface of the coupling barrel 310 may include sides of a lip (which defines the AWWA C111 cavity) and a wing.
According to an aspect of this disclosure, an air and/or water tight seal is produced when the fasteners 306 are manipulated to provoke the glands 304, and simultaneously the spigots 404, closer to each other. Thereby, each gland 304 becomes closer to the coupling barrel 302, and in some embodiments a lip and a wing of the coupling barrel 302. The gaskets 402 may thereby shift and/or maneuver within the simulated cavity until surfaces of the gaskets 402 sufficiently contact the surfaces that define the simulated cavity to produce the air and/or water tight seal.
A method 600 of producing a coupling barrel of this disclosure is described with reference to
This disclosure is in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
