Pipe joint

Claim 1

A pipe joint comprising a main body, an incomplete ring having a cut-out portion in its circumference and arranged to be fitted in an annular groove formed on the surface of a pipe to be joined which annular groove has a depth of about one-half the diameter of said ring, an axially extending sleeve having a forward end of an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said ring and located outwardly from said ring and rearward end of an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe and extending in the axial direction away from said ring, the inner diameter at the rearward end of said sleeve continuing for a portion of the axial length of said sleeve to a first position spaced axially from the forward end of said sleeve, a first inner surface on said sleeve extending from the first position in the axial direction outwardly from the inner diameter to a frusto-conically shaped surface diverging toward the forward end of said sleeve, a second inner surface on said sleeve extending from said first inner surface toward the forward end of said sleeve and converging inwardly from the end of said first inner surface toward the axis of said sleeve and having a surface configuration substantially similar to the surface of said ring, a third inner surface on said sleeve extending from the end of said second inner surface to the forward end of said sleeve and said third inner surface diverging outwardly from the end of said second inner surface and having a frusto-conically shaped surface, a first outer surface on said sleeve positioned outwardly opposite said first inner surface and having a frusto-conically shaped surface diverging toward the forward end of said sleeve with said first outer surface disposed substantially parallel with said first inner surface, a second outer surface on said sleeve extending from said first outer surface to the forward end of said sleeve and having a frustoconically shaped surface with an angle of divergence relative to the axis of said sleeve which is less than the similar angle of divergence of said first outer surface, said sleeve having a third outer surface extending from its rearward end toward its forward end and spaced axially from said first outer surface on said sleeve, said third outer surface having a frusto-conically shaped surface diverging outwardly from the rearward end toward the forward end, said main body having a first end disposed in laterally enclosing relationship about the rearward end of said sleeve and said main body extending axially from its first end in the direction opposite to the forward end of said sleeve, said main body having an inner surface at its first end disposed in contact with the third outer surface of said sleeve and said inner surface of said main body having a frusto-conically shaped surface converging in the axial direction away from the first end of said main body, an axially extending clamping member enclosing said sleeve and the first end of said main body and disposed in contact with the forward end of said sleeve and in threaded engagement with said main body, said clamping body having an inner surface in contact with the forward end of said sleeve and said inner surface of said clamping body having a frustoconically shaped surface diverging outwardly in the axial direction extending toward said main body, and by threading said clamping member onto said main body and forcing it in the axial direction toward the rearward end of said sleeve, said inner surface on said clamping body bends said second inner surface on said sleeve inwardly into intimate contact with the surface of said ring and said third inner surface inwardly into intimate contact with the surface of the pipe adjacent said ring and said third outer surface on said sleeve is pressed against said inner surface on the first end of said main body.