Pipe coupling with packing actuated restraining ring

Claim 1

IN A PIPE COUPLING INCLUDING A COUPLING MEMBER FORMED WITH A SOCKET HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION AND AN END WALL, A PIPE END INSERTED IN THE SOCKET WITH SUBSTANTIAL ANNULAR CLEARANCE WITH A PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION OF THE SOCKET, AN ANNULAR FLEXIBLE SEALING MEMBER OF RESILIENT COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, U-SHAPE IN RADIAL CROSS SECTION, EMBRACING THE PIPE END AND ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SOCKET PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION, WITH THE OPEN SIDE OF THE SEALING MEMBER FACING THE INSIDE OF THE SOCKET SO THAT THE PRESSURE MEDIUM FLOWING THROUGH THE PIPE COUPLING WILL FORCE THE SEALING MEMBER INTO TIGHT SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PIPE END AND WITH THE SOCKET PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION; AND MEANS ENGAGING THE CLOSED SIDE OF THE SEALING MEMBER RETAINING THE SEALING MEMBER AGAINST DISPLACEMENT OUT OF THE SOCKET BY THE PRESSURE OF THE MEDIUM: SAID RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A SINGLE ANNULAR DISK OF RIGID MATERIAL, HAVING AN APPRECIABLE AXIAL THICKNESS, POSITIONED IN SAID SOCKET, OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID SEALING MEMBER, WITH SOME RADIAL CLEARANCE WITH THE PIPE END AND WITH SOCKET PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION; AND CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING SAID DISK TO SAID COUPLING MEMBER FOR TILTING OF SAID DISK THROUGH A RELATIVELY SMALL ANGLE; WHEREBY THE PRESSURE OF SAID MEDIUM ON SAID SEALING MEMBER WILL TILT SAID DISK SO THAT EDGE PORTIONS OF ITS INNER PERIPHERY WILL EXERT A GRIPPING ACTION UPON SAID PIPE END; SAID DISK BEING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RING; SAID SOCKET PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION HAVING A SMALL CORSS SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR APERTURE THERETHROUGH; SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT FINGER INTEGRAL WITH SAID DISK AND EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM AND, WITH A RELATIVELY SMALL CLEARANCE, THROUGH SAID APERTURE, THE PORTION OF SAID FINGER OUTWARDLY OF SAID SOCKET BEING BENT TOWARD SAID PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION AND AWAY FROM SAID END WALL AND SERVING AS MEANS FOR TILTING SAID DISK, BY PIVOTING OF SAID FINGER ABOUT AN EDGE OF SAID SMALL CROSS SECTION APERTURE, INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRIC PLANE TO PROVIDE FOR DISASSEMBLY OF SAID COUPLING.