Boltless flexible pipe joint

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE JOINT FOR COUPLING BALL AND SOCKET TYPE PIPE SECTIONS TOGETHER, COMPRISING A BALL MEMBER HAVING A SPHERICAL OUTER SURFACE ON THE END OF ONE PIPE SECTION AND A SOCKET MEMBER ON THE ADJACENT END OF ANOTHER PIPE SECTION PARTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID BALL MEMBER, SAID SOCKET MEMBER BEING OF BELLED, OPEN END CONFIGURATION AND HAVING AN ANNULAR FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE OPEN END THEREOF, SAID FLANGE HAVING A FRONT FACE COPLANAR WITH THE OPEN END OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER, AN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED REAR FACE AND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LOCKING SLOTS IN THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, AN ANNULAR CAVITY IN THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER POSITIONED AXIALLY INWARDLY OF THE BELLED OPEN END THEREOF, A DEFORMABLE ANNULAR GASKET SEATED IN SAID CAVITY IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SPHERICAL OUTER SURFACE OF THE BALL MEMBER AND SAID CAVITY, AN ANNULAR LOCKING STRUCTURE MOUNTED ON SAID BALL MEMBER HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE WHICH INCLUDES A SPHERICAL PORTION COMPLEMENTARY TO AND NORMALLY SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM THE SPHERICAL OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BALL MEMBER AND AN ANGULAR PORTION EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID BALL MEMBER AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE MAXIMUM INTENDED DEFLECTION ANGLE OF THE JOINT THE MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF SAID INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE BEING LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID BALL MEMBER, SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A RADIALLY EXTENDING WALL PARALLEL TO THE RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER AND AN AXIALLY EXTENDING WALL HAVING AN INNER DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID FLANGE, SAID AXIALLY EXTENDING WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LOCKING LUGS EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREFROM AND BEING ADAPTED TO OVERLAY AND ENCIRCLE THE FLANGE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER AFTER PASSAGE OF SAID LOCKING LUGS THROUGH THE LOCKING SLOTS OF SAID FLANGE, SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FLANGE TO BRING SAID LOCKING LUNGS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REAR FACE OF SAID FLANGE AND THEREBY LOCK THE JOINT AGAINST AXIAL SEPARATION, BUT PERMITTING LIMITED RADIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID FLANGE AND SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE, AND AN ANNULAR LOAD-TRANSFERRING SURFACE ON SAID ONE PIPE SECTION ADJACENT SAID BALL MEMBER ADAPTED TO ABUT THE ANGULAR PORTION OF THE INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE WHEN THE JOINT IS FULLY DEFLECTED, WHEREBY SAID LOCKING STRUCTURE IS MOVABLE IN A RADIAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE FLANGE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER SO AS TO APPLY A COMPRESSIVE STRESS TO SAID SOCKET MEMBER WHEN THE JOINT IS FULLY DEFLECTED.