Coupling having annularly arranged u-shaped gripping members retained against movement in sleeve

Claim 1

A COUPLING OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR PIPE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING: AN OUTER HOUSING FORMED IN A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS EACH HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING WALL TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE SIDES IN AN INTEGRAL FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARD TOWARD THE PIPE; MEANS FOR CONNECTING ADJOINING ENDS OF SAID HOUSING SEGMENTS TO DRAW THEM TOGETHER AROUND THE PIPE; AN INNER SHELL FORMED IN A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SEGMENTS DISPOSED INSIDE SAID HOUSING, SAID SHELL HAVING A CENTRAL WALL SECTION CONFORMING TO AND ENGAGING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF THE HOUSING AND INTEGRAL WITH A PAIR OF SPACED WALL SECTIONS EACH SPACED INWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID FLANGES ON THE HOUSING AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARD FROM SAID CENTRAL WALL SECTION TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR RECESS BETWEEN SAID SPACED WALL SECTIONS AND AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN EACH SAID SPACED WALL SECTION AND THE ADJOINING FLANGE; SEALING MEANS IN SAID ANNULAR RECESS AND CONFINED THEREBY IN CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE PIPE AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF; AND A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING ELEMENTS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APART WITHIN EACH ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN A HOUSING FLANGE AND A RADIALLY EXTENDING WALL SECTION OF THE INNER SHELL, EACH GRIPPING ELEMENT BEING OF U-SHAPED IN A CROSS SECTION TAKEN IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENSION OF THE PIPE, THE TWO LEGS OF THE U-SHAPE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND ENGAGING THE PIPE AT THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEGS AND ENGAGING THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE U-SHAPE TO PRESS THE ELEMENT AGAINST THE PIPE, SAID GRIPPING ELEMENTS EACH HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE PIPE TO THE POINT OF SAID ENGAGEMENT OF SAID GRIPPING ELEMENT WITH THE HOUSING, SAID SHELL HAVING INTEGRAL SHOULDER MEANS ENGAGING THE GRIPPING ELEMENTS TO PREVENT CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOVEMENT OF THE GRIPPING ELEMENTS RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING.