Power operated releasable pipe coupling

Claim 1

A RELEASABLE PIPE COUPLING FOR COUPLING A PAIR OF PIPES TOGETHER IN END-TO-END RELATIONSHIP WITH SEALING PRESSURE BETWEEN THEM COMPRISING A LATCH-SUPPORTING MEMBER EMBRACING THE FIRST PIPE AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREON FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT ON AND RELATIVE THERETO, ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE SECOND PIPE, A PLURALITY OF LATCH FINGERS PIVOTED TO THE LATCH-SUPPORTING MEMBER AT POINTS DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE FIRST PIPE AND ADAPTED TO BE MOVED PIVOTALLY INTO LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE SECOND PIPE TO LATCH THE TWO PIPES IN ALIGNED AND ABUTTED RELATIONSHIP, AN ANCHORAGE ON THE FIRST PIPE, AND THRUST MECHANISM COMPRISING A COLLAPSIBLE TOGGLE STRUT LINKAGE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LATCH-SUPPORTING MEMBER AND THE ANCHORAGE, AND DRIVING MEANS ACTING ON THE TOGGLE STRUT LINKAGE AND ARRANGED WHEN ACTUATED TO STRAINGHTEN THE TOGGLE STRUT LINKAGE AND THEREBY TO MOVE THE LATCH-SUPPORTING MEMBER AXIALLY ALONG AND RELATIVELY TO THE FIRST PIPE IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE SECOND PIPE, WHEREBY THE ACTUATION OF THE THRUST FROM THE SECOND PIPE, LATCH FINGERS ARE IN LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE SECOND PIPE APPLIES EQUAL AND OPPOSITE THRUST COMPONENTS TO THE TWO PIPES RESPECTIVELY VIA THE ANCHORAGE AND THE ABUTMENT MEANS TO PROVIDE SEALING PRESSURE BETWEEN THE ABUTTED PIPE ENDS.