High pressure fittings

Claim 1

A PIPE FITTING FOR JOINING PIPE SECTIONS END TO END OVER A RANGE OF MISALIGNMENT, COMPRISING, A FIRST PIPECEIVING SECTION HAVING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS AN ANNULAR SEALING PIECE, SAID SEALING PIECE ENGAGING A RADICAL FACE ON SAID FIRST PIPE-RECEIVING SECTION FORMING A COUPLING AFFORDING RADIAL COMPONENTS OF MOTION, AN ANNULAR SOCKET PIECE TO RECEIVE THE SEALING PIECE, SAID SEALING PIECES HAVING OPPOSED, INNER AND OUTER FACES GENERALLY INCLINED IN THE SEME DIRECTION TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE FITTING, THE FACE OF THE SEALING PIECE BEING CONVEXLY ROUNDED ON A RADIUS SWUNG FROM A POINT ON THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, AND CLAMPING MEANS TO PRESS THE FIRST PIPE-RECEIVING SECTION AND THE SEALING AND SOCKET PIECES INTO SEALING ENGAGEMENT, SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING A CLAMPING MEMBER OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST PIPE SECTION AND ENGAGING THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SOCKET PIECE, SAID OUTER SURFACE ON THE SOCKET PIECE BEING ROUNDED CONVEXLY ON A RADIUS SWUNG FROM A POINT ON THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, SAID POINT BEING SPACED AXIALLY FROM THE CENTER OF CURVATURE OF THE ROUNDED CONICAL EDGE OF THE SEALING PIECE, WHEREBY THE FITTING IS RENDERED RIGID WHEN CLAMPING IS EFFECTED BY SAID CLAMPING MEANS.