Stab-type coupling joint

Claim 1

A stab-type coupling joint for connecting an end portion of a smooth wall pipe to a fitting or another pipe, said coupling joint comprising: a body member having a passageway therethrough, stop means in said passageway to limit insertion of the smooth wall pipe, a bore defining a portion of said passageway and having a diameter to receive the smooth wall pipe, said bore terminating at its end away from said stop means in an outwardly flaring frusto-conical surface, said body member having a cylindrical exterior configuration on the end portion which receives the smooth wall pipe; a tubular member having a bore extending from one end thereof with the bore having a diameter sufficient to telescopingly receive the cylindrical end portion of said body member, said last-mentioned bore terminating in an inwardly extending annular shoulder having an inner diameter at least as great as the diameter of the smooth wall pipe; a frusto-conical gripper ring having spaced slots extending from its smaller end to define gripper fingers, the smaller end of said gripper ring having a diameter less than the diameter of the smooth wall pipe; said annular shoulder of said tubular member and said frustoconical surface of said body member defining a frusto-conical space receiving said frusto-conical gripper ring when said body member and said tubular member are telescoped together; means to lock said body member and said tubular member together against axial movement relative each other so as to retain said gripper ring in position while permitting relative rotation between the body member and the tubular member, said lock means including an annular groove in the bore of said tubular member, an annular groove on the cylindrical portion of said body member which cooperates with the groove of said tubular member to define an annular passage, and a ring-like element positioned entirely within said annular passage for locking the tubular member and the body member against axial movement but permitting their relative rotational movement; and, a first sealing means sealingly positioned between the bore of said tubular member and the cylindrical end portion of said body member and a second sealing means between said tubular member and the exterior of the smooth wall pipe, said second sealing means being positioned outwardly of said gripper ring whereby it sealingly engages said tubular member along with said smooth wall pipe on a portion of the same not previously engaged by said gripper ring.