Protective rings for pipe coatings

Claim 1

A LENGTH OF THREADED PIPE COMPRISING: A FIRST SECTION HAVING EXTERNALLY THREADED PIN PORTIONS; A SECOND SECTION HAVING A BOX PORTION OR COUPLING INTERNALLY THREADED SO AS TO RECEIVE THE THREADS OF SAID PIN PORTION AND BE THREADEDLY ENGAGED THEREWITH, SAID THREADS STARTING AT A POINT INWARD OF THE TERMINAL END OF SAID BOX PORTION, THEREBY PROVIDING A SMOOTH INNER CYLINDRICAL WALL ADJACENT SAID TERMINAL END HAVING A DIAMETER NO LESS THAN THE ROOT DIAMETER OF SAID INTERNAL THREADS, . SAID BOX PORTION OR COUPLING BEING OF TUBULAR CONFIGURATION DEFINING AN OUTER WALL, AN ANNULAR END GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID OUTER WALL, AND SAID INNER WALL PARALLEL TO SAID OUTER WALL, AND, A REMOVABLE PROTECTIVE RING FITTING AGAINST SAID END AND AGAINST AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH SDAID INNER AND OUTER WALLS ADJACENT SAID END, BUT LEAVING SAID THREADS UNCOVERED, SAID RING PROTECTING SAID PIN PORTION AGAINST DAMAGE UPON MAKEUP OF THE PIPE LENGTH, AND REMAINING ON SAID LENGTH AFTER MAKEUP OF SAID SECTIONS.