Strain-limiting connector

Claim 2

A strain-limiting connector comprising; a support member having an outer surface thereon; a removable object mountable in tightly clamped relation against said support member; a body of substantially rigid deflectable material mountable on said support member in a predetermined maximum internally stressed condition including gripping means for engagement with said removable object; and stop means on the body in spaced relation to said gripping means and being disposed in predetermined precisely outwardly spaced relation from said outer surface upon engagement of said gripping means with the removable object for delayed engagement of said stop means with said outer surface only after subsequent deflective movement of said body toward the support member to limit fuRther deflection of said body to said predetermined maximum internally stressed condition.

Claim 3

The strain-limiting connector of claim 1 wherein said removable object is a tubular member having a shouldered head thereon adapted to be engaged by said gripping means.

Claim 4

The strain-limiting connector of claim 2 wherein said body is an arcuate flange section having a semicircular recess defining a ledge grippingly engaging said shouldered head.

Claim 5

The strain-limiting connector of claim 3 including fastener means mountably associated with said support member for holding said arcuate flange section against said tubular member.

Claim 6

A strain-limiting connector comprising; a support structure having a substantially flat outer face thereon; a tubular member having an elongated axis and being mountable in axially outwardly extended tightly held relation against said support structure and having a shouldered head thereon; a circular flange having a central aperture adapted to receive said tubular member therethrough; a counterbore circumscribing said aperture forming a shoulder within said flange; fastener means releasably connecting said flange to said support structure; and stop means on said flange defining a predetermined axial clearance with respect to said structure face when said shoulder is seated against the shouldered head of said tubular member upon a pretightened loading of said fastener means but contacting said structure face when a predetermined fully tightened loading condition is applied to said fastener means so that the development of internal stresses in said flange is limited even though said fastener means are thereafter loaded beyond said fully tightened condition.

Claim 7

A strain-limiting connector comprising; a support structure having a substantially flat outer face thereon; a tubular member having an elongated axis and being mountable in axially outwardly extended tightly held relation against said support structure and having a shouldered head thereon; a circular flange having a central aperture adapted to receive said tubular member therethrough; a counterbore circumscribing said aperture forming a shoulder within said flange; fastener means releasably connecting said flange to said support structure; and stop means on said flange defining a predetermined axial clearance with respect to said structure face when said shoulder is seated against the shouldered head of said tubular member upon a pretightened loading of said fastener means but contacting said structure face when a predetermined fully tightened loading condition is applied to said fastener means so that the development of internal stresses in said flange is limited even though said fastener means are thereafter loaded beyond said fully tightened condition.

Claim 8

The strain-limiting connector of claim 5 wherein said circular flange comprises at least two arcuate flange sections of similar shape.

Claim 9

A strain-limiting connector comprising; a housing having an outer surface with an internal passage opening on the surface and a plurality of threaded bores opening on the surface in substantially circumscribing relation to the passage; a tubular member having an internal passage in aligned relation with said internal passage of said housing and including a shouldered head forming a bearing surface thereon, said tubular member providing a counterbore within said shouldered head; seal means disposed in the counterbore; a pair of arcuate flange sections having semi-circular recesses collectively defining a central aperture and a counterbore forming a bearing surface thereon with a plurality of bolt holes defined therein and a face spaced away from said housing surface; a plurality of bolts insertable through said bolt holes into said threaded bores; and stop means on said section face and extending toward said housing in spaced relation therefrom to provide a predetermined clearance between said stop means and said housing surface when the bolts are pretightened to hold said section bearing surface against said tubular member bearing surface and said seal means in engagement with said housing surface, and when the bolts are fully tightened to a predetermined loading condition said stop means contacting said housing surface so that the development of internal stresses in said flange sections is limited even though said bolts are loaded beyond the fully tightened condition.

Claim 10

A strain-limiting connector comprising; a housing having an outer surface with an internal passage opening on the surface and a plurality of threaded bores opening on the surface in substantially circumscribing relation to the passage; a tubular member having an internal passage in aligned relation with said internal passage of said housing and including a shouldered head forming a bearing surface thereon, said tubular member providing a counterbore within said shouldered head; seal means disposed in the counterbore; a pair of arcuate flange sections having semi-circular recesses collectively defining a central aperture and a counterbore forming a bearing surface thereon with a plurality of bolt holes defined therein and a face spaced away from said housing surface; a plurality of bolts insertable through said bolt holes into said threaded bores; and stop means on said section face and extending toward said housing in spaced relation therefrom to provide a predetermined clearance between said stop means and said housing surface when the bolts are pretightened to hold said section bearing surface against said tubular member bearing surface and said seal means in engagement with said housing surface, and when the bolts are fully tightened to a predetermined loading condition said stop means contacting said housing surface so that the development of internal stresses in said flange sections is limited even though said bolts are loaded beyond the fully tightened condition.