Separable coupling between two tubes and its production process

Claim 2

Process for the production of a separable coupling between a first tube and a second tube, comprising using a tube which is composed of a thermoplastic material having a plastic memory which dilates under the effect of heat and retains its dilated form after cooling as the first tube, introducing an end portion of the first tube into a first part of a bore of a sleeve of an elastomer material, the bore having a diameter at the most equal to the external diameter of the second tube, the sleeve being encompassed by means defining a hollow cylindrical body harder than the sleeve and having at an end of the body adjacent the first tube an abutment for longitudinally retaining the sleeve, which abutment has an edge defining a free passage for the first tube, heating said end portion of the first tube in the sleeve so that said end portion dilates and thus radially compresses the sleeve and assumes a diameter which is such that said dilated end portion extends radially outwardly beyond said edge of the abutment whereby the first tube is retained axially against movement in the body and sleeve in both directions, and inserting an end portion of the second tube in a second part of the bore axially adjacent said first part.

Claim 3

Process according to claim 1, in which the elastomer material is a silicone rubber.

Claim 4

Process according to claim 1, in which the abutment is of metal and is heated by induction so as to heat indirectly the end portion of the first tube.

Claim 5

Process for the production of a separable coupling between a first tube and a second tube, comprising using a tube which is composed of a thermoplastic material irradiated with electrons and having a plastic memory which dilates under the effect of heat and retains its dilated form after cooling as the first tube, introducing an end portion of the first tube into a first part of a bore of a sleeve of an elastomer material, the bore having a diameter at the most equal to the external diameter of the second tube, the sleeve being encompassed by means defining a hollow cylindrical body harder than the sleeve and having at an end of the body adjacent the first tube an abutment for longitudinally retaining the sleeve, which abutment has an edge defining a free passage for the first tube, heating said end portion of the first tube in the sleeve so that said end portion dilates and thus radially compresses the sleeve and assumes a diameter which is such that said dilated end portion extends radially outwardly beyond said edge of the abutment whereby the first tube is retained axially against movement in the body and sleeve in both directions, and inserting an end portion of the second tube in a second part of the bore axially adjacent said first part.

Claim 6

Process for the production of a separable coupling between a first tube and a second tube, comprising using a tube which is composed of a thermoplastic material irradiated with electrons and having a plastic memory which dilates under the effect of heat and retains its dilated form after cooling as the first tube, introducing an end portion of the first tube into a first part of a bore of a sleeve of an elastomer material, the bore having a diameter at the most equal to the external diameter of the second tube, the sleeve being encompassed by means defining a hollow cylindrical body harder than the sleeve and having at an end of the body adjacent the first tube an abutment for longitudinally retaining the sleeve, which abutment has an edge defining a free passage for the first tube, heating said end portion of the first tube in the sleeve so that said end portion dilates and thus radially compresses the sleeve and assumes a diameter which is such that said dilated end portion extends radially outwardly beyond said edge of the abutment whereby the first tube is retained axially against movement in the body and sleeve in both directions, and inserting an end portion of the second tube in a second part of the bore axially adjacent said first part.

Claim 7

A coupling for separably coupling a first tube and a second tube, comprising a sleeve of elastomer material defining a throughway bore, means defining a hollow cylindrical body which encompasses the sleeve and is harder than the sleeve and has at a first end of the body an abutment for axially retaining the sleeve, the abutment having an edge defining a free passage for allowing the first tube entry into the bore of the sleeve before final assembly of the first tube with the sleeve and body, the bore of the sleeve having in the free state of the sleeve in the body and before introduction of the first and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the second tube, the first tube being of a thermoplastic material of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an end portion which is engaged in a first part of the bore and is in an expanded state which is a result of application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portion having such diameter that it puts the sleeve in a radially compressed state in said first bore part and extends radially beyond said edge of the abutment whereby said end portion of the first tube is axially retained in the sleeve in both directions, the second tube being separably engaged in a second part of the bore axially adjacent said first part of the bore, and a metal stop ring engaging the second tube spaced from an end thereof, the second tube being of a thermoplastic material of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an intermediate portion which is engaged with the metal stop ring and is in an expanded state which is a result of application of heat to said intermediate portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded intermediate portion having such diameter that it puts the sleeve in a radially compressed state in said metal stop ring.

Claim 8

A coupling for separably coupling a first tube and a second tube, comprising a sleeve of elastomer material defining a throughway bore, means defining a hollow cylindrical body which encompasses the sleeve and is harder than the sleeve and has at a first end of the body an abutment for axially retaining the sleeve, the abutment having an edge defining a free passage for allowing the first tube entry into the bore of the sleeve before final assembly of the first tube with the sleeve and body, the bore of the sleeve having in the free state of the sleeve in the body and before introduction of the first and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the second tube, the first tube being of a thermoplastic material of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an end portion which is engaged in a first part of the bore and is in an expanded state which is a result of application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portion having such diameter that it puts the sleeve in a radially compressed state in said first bore part and extends radially beyond said edge of the abutment whereby said end portion of the first tube is axially retained in the sleeve in both directions, the second tube being separably engaged in a second part of the bore axially adjacent said first part of the bore, and a metal stop ring engaging the second tube spaced from an end thereof, the second tube being of a thermoplastic material of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an intermediate portion which is engaged with the metal stop ring and is in an expanded state which is a result of application of heat to said intermediate portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded intermediate portion having such diameter that it puts the sleeve in a radially compressed state in said metal stop ring.

Claim 9

A coupling device for separably coupling a series of first tubes and a series of second tubes, the first tubes being composed of a thermoplastic material; comprising sleeve means of elastomer material defining throughway bores for respectively receiving the first tubes in a first part of the bores and the second tubes in a second part of the bores axially adjacent said first part of the bores, means defining a hollow body which at least partly surrounds the sleeve means to position them in parallel relation and is harder than the sleeve means and has at a first end of the body a transverse portion extending transversely of the bores of the sleeve means, the transverse portion defining a plurality of apertures which are coaxial with but of smaller size than the bores so as to constitute abutments for axially retaining the sleeve means, the apertures affording the corresponding first tubes a free passage so as to allow the first tubes to enter the corresponding bores before final assembly of the first tubes with the sleeve means and body, the bores of the sleeve means having in the free state of the sleeve means in the body and before introduction of the first tubes and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the corresponding second tubes the first tubes being of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an end portion which is engaged in the first part of the corresponding bores and is in an expanded state which is a result of the application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portions of the first tubes having such diameter that they put the sleeve means in a radially compressed state in said first part of the bores and extend radially beyond the corresponding apertures whereby said end portions of the first tubes are axially retained in the sleeve means in both directions, the second tubes being separably engaged in the second part of the corresponding bores.

Claim 10

A coupling device for separably coupling a series of first tubes and a series of second tubes, the first tubes being composed of a thermoplastic material; comprising sleeve means of elastomer material defining throughway bores for respectively receiving the first tubes in a first part of the bores and the second tubes in a second part of the bores axially adjacent said first part of the bores, means defining a hollow body which at least partly surrounds the sleeve means to position them in parallel relation and is harder than the sleeve means and has at a first end of the body a transverse portion extending transversely of the bores of the sleeve means, the transverse portion defining a plurality of apertures which are coaxial with but of smaller size than the bores so as to constitute abutments for axially retaining the sleeve means, the apertures affording the corresponding first tubes a free passage so as to allow the first tubes to enter the corresponding bores before final assembly of the first tubes with the sleeve means and body, the bores of the sleeve means having in the free state of the sleeve means in the body and before introduction of the first tubes and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the corresponding second tubes the first tubes being of a type having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat and having an end portion which is engaged in the first part of the corresponding bores and is in an expanded state which is a result of the application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portions of the first tubes having such diameter that they put the sleeve means in a radially compressed state in said first part of the bores and extend radially beyond the corresponding apertures whereby said end portions of the first tubes are axially retained in the sleeve means in both directions, the second tubes being separably engaged in the second part of the corresponding bores.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 6, further comprising, at an end of the body opposed to said first end and integral with the body, a plate defining a plurality of second apertures corresponding to and coaxial with the bores and allowing the passage of the second tubes, said plate retaining the sleeve means in the body.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 6, in which the second tubes are of a material of the same type as the first tubes and there is provided a second plate defining a plurality of second apertures, the second tubes extending through the respective second apertures and having a portion which is in an expanded state which is a result of the application of heat to said portion of the second tubes sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded portions of the second tubes thus retaining the second tubes in the second apertures.

Claim 13

A coupling device for separably coupling a series of first tubes and a series of second tubes, comprising sleeve means of elastomer material defining throughway bores for respectively receiving the first tubes in one part of the bores and the second tubes in a second part of the bores axially adjacent said first part of the bores, means defining a hollow body which at least partly surrounds the sleeve means to position them in parallel relation and has at a first end of the body a transverse portion extending transversely of the bores of the sleeve means, the transverse portion defining a plurality of apertures which are coaxial with but of smaller size than the bores so as to constitute abutments for axially retaining the sleeve means, the apertures affording the corresponding first tubes a free passage so as to allow the first tubes to enter the corresponding bores before final assembly of the first tubes with the sleeve means and body, the bores of the sleeve means having in the free state of the sleeve means in the body and before introduction of the first tubes and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the corresponding second tube, the first tubes being composed of a thermoplastic material of a type irradiated with electrons and having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat, the first tubes having an end portion which is engaged in the first part of the corresponding bores and is in an expanded state which is a result of the application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portions of the first tubes having such diameter that they put the sleeve means in a radially compressed state in said first part of the bores and extend radially beyond the corresponding apertures whereby said end portions of the first tubes are axially retained in the sleeve means in both directions, the second tubes being separably engaged in the second part of the corresponding bores.

Claim 14

A coupling device for separably coupling a series of first tubes and a series of second tubes, comprising sleeve means of elastomer material defining throughway bores for respectively receiving the first tubes in one part of the bores and the second tubes in a second part of the bores axially adjacent said first part of the bores, means defining a hollow body which at least partly surrounds the sleeve means to position them in parallel relation and has at a first end of the body a transverse portion extending transversely of the bores of the sleeve means, the transverse portion defining a plurality of apertures which are coaxial with but of smaller size than the bores so as to constitute abutments for axially retaining the sleeve means, the apertures affording the corresponding first tubes a free passage so as to allow the first tubes to enter the corresponding bores before final assembly of the first tubes with the sleeve means and body, the bores of the sleeve means having in the free state of the sleeve means in the body and before introduction of the first tubes and second tubes a diameter which is at the most equal to the diameter of the corresponding second tube, the first tubes being composed of a thermoplastic material of a type irradiated with electrons and having a plastic memory and capable of expanding upon application of heat, the first tubes having an end portion which is engaged in the first part of the corresponding bores and is in an expanded state which is a result of the application of heat to said end portion sufficient to activate said plastic memory, said expanded end portions of the first tubes having such diameter that they put the sleeve means in a radially compressed state in said first part of the bores and extend radially beyond the corresponding apertures whereby said end portions of the first tubes are axially retained in the sleeve means in both directions, the second tubes being separably engaged in the second part of the corresponding bores.