Pipeline coupling

Claim 1

A COUPLING COMPRISING TUBULAR INNER CONDUIT MEANS HAVING A REAR END PORTION, A FORWARD CYLINDRICAL END PORTION, AND AN INTERMEDIATE ANNULAR, PERIPHERAL INTERLOCK PORTION BETWEEN SAID END PORTIONS, THE INTERLOCK PORTION INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PROTRUSIONS, SAID PROTRUSIONS HAVING FRONT SURFACES EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM SAID FORWARD END PORTION AND LONGITUDINALLY CONVEX OUTER BACK SURFACES EACH CONVERGENTLY EXTENDING INWARD FROM THE FRONT SURFACES TO SAID REAR END PORTION, SAID COUPLING ALSO COMPRISING A TUBULAR OUTER COUPLER CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID INTERMEDIATE AND FORWARD END PORTIONS AND HAVING A REAR END PORTION, A FORWARD END PORTION, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION BETWEEN SAID FORWARD AND REAR END PORTIONS OF THE OUTER COUPLER, SAID BACK SURFACES HAVING A COMMON CENTER OF CURVATURE LOCATED ON THE AXIS OF THE CONDUIT MEANS AND IN A PLANE WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS AND WHICH PASSES THROUGH SAID FORWARD END PORTION, SAID OUTER COUPLER ALSO HAVING AN ANNULAR RIB PROJECTING RADIATLY INWARD FROM THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE OUTER COUPLER TOWARD SAID FORWARD END PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, SAID RIB HAVING AN INNER EDGE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FROM SAID FORWARD END PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND RIB OF THE OUTER COUPLER AND SAID FRONT END PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS PROVIDING AN ANNULAR GROOVE WHICH SURROUNDS SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND COMMUNICATES WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF THROUGH AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE REAR END PORTION OF THE OUTER COUPLER AND THE FORWARD END PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, A CHEVRON-TYPE SEAL RING SEATED WITHIN THE GROOVE AGAINST SAID RIB AND HAVING AN OUTER LIP AGAINST THE OUTER COUPLER AND AN INNER LIP AGAINST SAID FORWARD END PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, SAID LIPS HAVING A V-SHAPED SPACE THEREBETWEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTER COUPLER AND CONDUIT MEANS, THE OUTER COUPLER ALSO HAVING A CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE PROJECTING AXIALLY FORWARD FROM SAID RIB IN SURROUNDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID PROTRUSIONS, THE OUTER COUPLER ALSO HAVING A PLURALITY OF FLANGES PROJECTING RADIALLY INWARD FROM SAID INNER SURFACE AT THE FORWARD END PORTION OF THE OUTER COUPLER, SAID FLANGES HAVING INNER ARCUATE EDGES ENGAGING THE BACK SURACES OF CORRESPONDING PROTRUSIONS ON THE CONDUIT MEANS SO THAT UPON AXIAL MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE COUPLER AND CONDUIT MEANS, SAID EDGES OF THE FLANGES SLIDE OVER AND REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE BACK SURFACES OF THE PROTRUSIONS.