Coupling for plastic pipe having segmented interlocked clamping rings

Claim 1

A COUPLING FOR THE AXIALLY JUXTAPOSED AXIALLY ALIGNED ADJACENT END ZONES OF A PAIR OF SECTIONS OF PLASTIC PIPE HAVING RADIAL INDENTATIONS PREFORMED IN THEIR OUTER PERIPHERIES IN MARGINAL ZONES INSET AXIALLY FROM THEIR ADJACENT END EDGES, SAID COUPLING COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A SEALING RING OF RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL AND INWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL SHAPE SLEEVED OVER AND STRADDLING THE JOINT BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE SECTIONS, A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS OF RIGID MATERIAL SEPARABLE FROM THE PIPE SECTIONS AND DISPOSED IN TWO COMPLETELY ANNULAR SEPARATE ASSEMBLIES EACH COMPRISING PLURAL SEGMENTS HAVING THEIR ENDS ENGAGED IN RADIAL JOINTS, SAID ASSEMBLIES COOPERATING IN JUXTAPOSED SIDE BY SIDE RELATION TO PROVIDE A COMPOSITE RING HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERAL CHANNEL SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO THE RADIAL AND AXIAL OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE SEALING RING AND ENGAGED THEREWITH AND HAVING RADIALLY INSTANDING INTEGRAL PROJECTIONS EACH SEATED IN ONE OF SAID PIPE SECTION INDENTATIONS, COMPLEMENTAL INTERLOCKING LUG AND SOCKET MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE AXIALLY JUXTAPOSED SEGMENT FACES OF THE TWO ANNULAR ASSEMBLIES SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO RESTRAIN THE SEGMENTS OF EACH ASSEMBLY AGAINST RADIAL SEPARATION FROM EACH OTHER AND INTERENGAGEABLE ONLY IN A RELATION IN WHICH THE TWO ASSEMBLIES ARE INTERLOCKED IN A RELATIVELY STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP OF THE RADIAL END JOINTS OF THE ASSEMBLY SEGMENTS, AND MEANS EXERTING AXIAL COMPRESSION ON THE TWO ASSEMBLIES TO MAINTAIN THEM AXIALLY CLAMPED TOGETHER AND KEEP THE JOINTS OF THE SEGMENTS THEREOF IN SAID STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP.