Claims
- 1. A fluid conduit coupling for removably holding a tube therein comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, at least one spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying axially outward from said seal, said teeth having a twist when subjected to an axial outwardly directed and rotational force for allowing the unscrewing and removal of a tube inserted in said coupling, said gripper ring held in said outer housing to preclude rotational movement of the gripper ring, and said spacer bushing being secured in said internal bore.
- 2. The coupling of clam 1, said gripper ring lying against the axially inner side of the spacer bushing and against the seal.
- 3. The coupling of claim 1 including a second gripping ring located axially of said first gripper ring, said first and second gripper rings being separated by a spacer bushing.
- 4. The coupling of claim 3, wherein said spacer bushing separating said first and second gripper rings is a second spacer bushing.
- 5. The coupling of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes an end bushing welded to said outer housing.
- 6. The coupling of claim 1, said gripper ring having a flat on its circumference, said spacer ring having a flat on its circumference, and said flats engaging a mating flat protrusion in the internal bore of said outer housing.
- 7. The coupling of claim 5, said internal bore having circumferentially spaced inner ribs, said end bushing having circumferentially spaced tube guide ribs.
- 8. The coupling of claim 1, said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 9. The coupling of claim 1, said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 10. The coupling of claim 1, wherein said tube is an existing tube of a conventional threaded compression coupling having a compression ring on the tube, and wherein the spacer bushing is secured in the internal bore by an end bushing having a inwardly tapering surface, whereby the compression ring is left intact on the tube and the tube is pushed into the coupling until the tube passes the O-ring and the compression ring abuts the inwardly tapering surface of the end bushing.
- 11. A fluid conduit coupling comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, a spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a first gripper ring located axially outward of the seal and having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying adjacent said spacer bushing, said teeth arranged for providing a twist when subjected to simultaneous rearward axial and rotational forces, a second gripper ring also having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, and means for securing said spacer bushing in said internal bore.
- 12. The coupling of claim 11 wherein said securing means includes an end bushing welded to said outer housing.
- 13. The coupling of claim 11, each said gripper ring having a flat on its circumference,
said spacer ring having a flat on its circumference, and said flats engaging a mating flat protrusion in the internal bore of said outer housing.
- 14. The coupling of claim 11, said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said first gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 15. A fluid conduit coupling comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal in said bore, a spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a first circular continuous gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said teeth protruding into said bore for holding a tube against axial movement, said gripper ring mounted against rotation, at least one additional gripper ring also having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, and said spacer bushing and gripper rings being held in said internal bore.
- 16. The coupling of claim 15, said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said first gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 17. The coupling of claim 15, wherein the teeth of each of said gripper rings are arranged for providing a twist when subjected to simultaneous rearward axial and rotational forces, a second spacer bushing in said bore, both said spacer bushings having circumferentially spaced internal grooves, the gripper teeth of said first and second gripper rings are fitted within the grooves of the first and second spacer bushings, respectively.
- 18. The coupling of claim 17, wherein the configuration of the gripper rings in the bore are an axially inner seal, then an outward first gripper ring, then an outward spacer bushing, then a next outward second gripper ring, then a second spacer bushing.
- 19. The coupling of claim 17, wherein the configuration of the gripper rings in the bore are an axially inner seal, then an axially outward first spacer bushing, then an axially outward first gripper ring lying against the first spacer bushing, then an axially outward second spacer bushing then an axially outward second gripper ring lying against the second spacer bushing.
- 20. A fluid conduit coupling comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, a spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying adjacent the axially outer side of said spacer bushing, said teeth having a twist when subjected to an axial outwardly directed and rotational force for allowing the unscrewing and removal of a tube inserted in said coupling, means for securing said spacer bushing in said internal bore, and said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 21. A fluid conduit coupling comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, a spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying adjacent the axially outer side of said spacer bushing, said teeth having a twist when subjected to an axial outwardly directed and rotational force for allowing the unscrewing and removal of a tube inserted in said coupling, means for securing said spacer bushing in said internal bore, said internal bore having circumferentially spaced inner ribs. said end bushing having circumferentially spaced tube guide ribs, and wherein said spacer bushing securing means includes an end bushing welded to said outer housing.
- 22. A fluid conduit coupling for removably holding a tube therein comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, a spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying adjacent the axially outer side of said spacer bushing, said teeth having a twist when subjected to an axial outwardly directed and rotational force for allowing the unscrewing and removal of a tube inserted in said coupling, said gripper ring held in said outer housing to preclude rotational movement of the gripper ring, said spacer bushing being secured in said internal bore, and said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves.
- 23. A fluid conduit coupling for removably holding a tube therein comprising:
an outer housing having an internal bore with a circumferential side wall, a seal support surface in said bore, a seal engaged in said support surface, a spacer bushing retaining said seal in said support surface, said spacer bushing having an axially inner side and an axially outer side, a gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said internal bore, said gripper ring lying adjacent the axially outer side of said spacer bushing, said teeth having a twist when subjected to an axial outwardly directed and rotational force for allowing the unscrewing and removal of a tube inserted in said coupling arranged for providing a twist when subjected to simultaneous rearward axial and rotational forces, said gripper ring held in said outer housing to preclude rotational movement of the gripper ring, said spacer bushing being secured in said internal bore, and said spacer bushing having circumferentially spaced grooves, the gripper teeth of said gripper ring aligned and fitted within said grooves, said internal bore having circumferentially spaced inner ribs, said end bushing having circumferentially spaced tube guide ribs, and wherein said spacer bushing is secured in said internal bore by said end bushing welded to said outer housing.
- 24. The method of replacing the conventional threaded compression fitting from a metal valve of the type having a compression ring pressed tightly onto a pipe, comprising removing the compression fitting and pipe from the valve, pushing the free end of the pipe with the compression ring intact into a valve having an axially inward O-ring seal, an axially outer gripper ring having radially and axially inwardly protruding circumferentially spaced gripper teeth having inner edges protruding inwardly into said valve and an end bushing having an inwardly tapered surface, pushing the pipe and valve axially relative to one another until the end of the pipe passes through the O-ring seal and the compression ring abuts the tapered surface of the end bushing.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the valve has at least two gripper rings separated by spacers, and where in the step of pushing the end of the pipe into the valve includes pushing the end of the pipe past both gripper rings.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US99/31049 |
Dec 1999 |
WO |
|
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/216,376, filed Dec. 18, 1998; and 09/425,909, filed Oct. 21, 1999, and claims the benefit of PCT/US99/30149, filed Dec. 17, 1999, all now pending, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09570846 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10266935 |
Oct 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09216376 |
Dec 1998 |
US |
Child |
09570846 |
May 2000 |
US |
Parent |
09425909 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09570846 |
May 2000 |
US |