US4070045A — Separable connection for conduit segments conveyi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 363 words

In a separable connection between a pair of elongate conduit members, through which extend longitudinal flow passageway means for conveying a fluid under pressure, the flow passageway means in the conduit members requiring substantially precise alignment and a fluid-tight seal between conduit members when they are properly connected; the improved separable connection comprising, in combination: the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members each including an abutment face lying transverse to the axis of the flow passageway means and surrounding a terminus of the flow passageway means; a compressible seal means surrounding a terminus of the flow passageway means in one of the pair of conduit members at each separable connection defined between a pair of conduit members; flange means and socket means, on respective adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members, arranged to effect initial telescoping therebetween to planarly align the axes of the flow passageway means in the pair of conduit members, with the abutment faces spaced apart slightly and the seal means uncompressed; and cam means on said adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members for simultaneously forcing the planarly aligned axes of the flow passageway means into substantially precise axial alignment while axially compressing the compressible seal means between the abutment faces on the pair of conduit members, to provide a fluid-tight seal for the flow passageway means at the separable connection, said cam means including a bored sleeve means provided on one of the pair of conduit members, the longitudinal axis of the bored sleeve means lying parallel to the abutment face of the one conduit member and lying skew of, but in a plane perpendicular to, the axis of the flow passageway means; the other of said pair of conduit members providing an abutment leg with a cam surface thereon that is positionable laterally adjacent the bored sleeve means; and an elongated drive pin arranged for selective slidable entry into the bore of said bored sleeve means and arranged to be selectively forced laterally into sliding and driving engagement with the cam surface on the abutment leg, to thereby move the abutment leg and said other conduit member relative to the one conduit member.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 363 words

In a separable connection between a pair of elongate conduit members, through which extend longitudinal flow passageway means for conveying a fluid under pressure, the flow passageway means in the conduit members requiring substantially precise alignment and a fluid-tight seal between conduit members when they are properly connected; the improved separable connection comprising, in combination: the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members each including an abutment face lying transverse to the axis of the flow passageway means and surrounding a terminus of the flow passageway means; a compressible seal means surrounding a terminus of the flow passageway means in one of the pair of conduit members at each separable connection defined between a pair of conduit members; flange means and socket means, on respective adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members, arranged to effect initial telescoping therebetween to planarly align the axes of the flow passageway means in the pair of conduit members, with the abutment faces spaced apart slightly and the seal means uncompressed; and cam means on said adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members for simultaneously forcing the planarly aligned axes of the flow passageway means into substantially precise axial alignment while axially compressing the compressible seal means between the abutment faces on the pair of conduit members, to provide a fluid-tight seal for the flow passageway means at the separable connection, said cam means including a bored sleeve means provided on one of the pair of conduit members, the longitudinal axis of the bored sleeve means lying parallel to the abutment face of the one conduit member and lying skew of, but in a plane perpendicular to, the axis of the flow passageway means; the other of said pair of conduit members providing an abutment leg with a cam surface thereon that is positionable laterally adjacent the bored sleeve means; and an elongated drive pin arranged for selective slidable entry into the bore of said bored sleeve means and arranged to be selectively forced laterally into sliding and driving engagement with the cam surface on the abutment leg, to thereby move the abutment leg and said other conduit member relative to the one conduit member.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein the abutment face is planar and lies in a plane that is inclined at a slight angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 62 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein the abutment face on one of the conduit members is provided with a depressed annular groove surrounding the terminus of the flow passageway means, and the compressible seal means is an "O"-ring that is positioned in said groove with a lateral portion of said "O"-ring projecting outwardly of the plane of the abutment face.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 80 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein one of the pair of conduit members serves as a portion of a device for conditioning the fluid passing through the flow passageway means, said one conduit member having a pair of abutment faces formed thereon and lying in planes inclined at an angle such that projections thereof intersect, and the second of each pair of conduit members, that define the separable connection, carrying the compressible seal means for said separable connection.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 73 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein said cam means includes a set of planar cam elements on the telescoping portions of the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members for forcing the pair of abutment faces toward each other, to effect compressing the compressible seal means with substantial force, as the telescoping portions are moved relative to each other in a direction to effect further telescoping beyond said initial telescoping.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

A separable connection as in claim 5 wherein the elements of said set of cam elements includes inclined planar surfaces associated with each abutment face but spaced therefrom.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 72 words

A separable connection as in claim 6 wherein the abutment face is planar, and lies in a plane that is inclined at a slight angle to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means, and each inclined, planar surface, cam element associated with the abutment plane being inclined to the reference plane at a greater angle than the angle of incline of the abutment face.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 57 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein the driven abutment leg provides an inclined cam ramp extending laterally thereof in a direction to be engaged and cammed by the free end of the elongated drive pin as the pin is thrust from one portion of the sleeve means toward a second portion of the sleeve means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 48 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein the abutment leg is mounted relative to its associate conduit member to define a laterally elongated, open-sided, sleeve-like seat for slidably receiving therein the drive pin that moves the abutment faces of the pair of conduit members toward each other.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 90 words

A separable connection as in claim 5 wherein one of the pair of conduit members has a pair of elongated spaced flanges projecting from the abutment wall thereof, the spaced flanges and abutment wall together defining said socket means, and said set of planar cam elements including inclined cam surfaces provided adjacent the extended ends of the flanges and within a plane lying transverse to the flanges, said cam surfaces facing the associated abutment wall on the conduit member and serving as part of said set of planar cam elements.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 43 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein one of the pair of conduit members has a pair of spaced bosses with axially aligned bores therethrough, projecting from the abutment wall thereof, the aligned bores adapted to slidably receive said elongated drive pin.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 124 words

A separable connection as in claim 5 wherein one of the pair of conduit members has projecting therefrom both (a) a pair of spaced parallel walls with cam surfaces thereon, and (b) a pair of spaced bosses with aligned bores therethrough; the parallel walls and abutment wall defining said socket means; the other of said pair of conduit members having (c) oppositely extending wedge-shaped lands thereon bounded by cam surfaces spaced from the abutment wall thereof to provide said flange means, and (d) an abutment leg, with cam means thereon, of a size for entry between the pair of spaced bosses and at an attitude for driving engagement thereof by said elongated drive pin slidable axially of the aligned bores through said spaced bosses.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 71 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein one of the pair of conduit members is part of a piece of relatively complex equipment constructed for handling a wide range of volumes of fluid flow therethrough, and the other of the pair of conduit members being a relatively inexpensive connector with flow-passageway means therethrough constructed to adapt the range of flow volumes that will be passed through the relatively complex equipment.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 16 words

A separable connection as in claim 13 wherein the relatively inexpensive connector is a single-ended connector.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 47 words

A separable connector as in claim 13 wherein the relatively inexpensive connector is a single-ended connector with flow-passageway means therethrough of a selected size that is reduced relative to the size of the flow-passageway means in the piece of complex equipment to which the single-ended connector secures.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 42 words

A separable connection as in claim 1 wherein said bored sleeve means include two spaced portions, and said abutment leg is of a size and arrangement to slidably move in the space between said two spaced portions of the bored sleeve means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 242 words

In a separable connection between a pair of conduit members through which extend flow passageway means for conveying a fluid under pressure, the flow passageway means in said conduit members requiring substantially precise alignment and a fluid-tight seal between conduit members when they are operatively connected, the adjacent abutment faces of said conduit members lying in parallel planes that are inclined to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means that are aligned when the conduit members are operatively connected, and with compressible seal means carried by at least one of the conduit members and extending beyond the inclined face thereof toward the inclined face of the other conduit member; the improvement comprising, in combination: telescoping connection means carried by the respective adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members to permit relative movement of said conduit ends in opposite directions transverse to said longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means, a first set of planar cam elements operatively associated with the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members and arranged for forcing said adjacent faces toward each other to compress the compressible seal means when movement is effected in one of said opposite directions; and a second set of cam elements operatively associated with said adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members for selectively effecting an operative connection, or for permitting separation, of the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 242 words

In a separable connection between a pair of conduit members through which extend flow passageway means for conveying a fluid under pressure, the flow passageway means in said conduit members requiring substantially precise alignment and a fluid-tight seal between conduit members when they are operatively connected, the adjacent abutment faces of said conduit members lying in parallel planes that are inclined to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means that are aligned when the conduit members are operatively connected, and with compressible seal means carried by at least one of the conduit members and extending beyond the inclined face thereof toward the inclined face of the other conduit member; the improvement comprising, in combination: telescoping connection means carried by the respective adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members to permit relative movement of said conduit ends in opposite directions transverse to said longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means, a first set of planar cam elements operatively associated with the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members and arranged for forcing said adjacent faces toward each other to compress the compressible seal means when movement is effected in one of said opposite directions; and a second set of cam elements operatively associated with said adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members for selectively effecting an operative connection, or for permitting separation, of the adjacent ends of the pair of conduit members.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 44 words

A connection as in claim 17 wherein the first set of planar cam elements lie in planes that are inclined to said perpendicular reference plane at a greater angle than the angle of incline of the planes in which the abutment faces are located.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 143 words

A connection as in claim 17 wherein the second set of cam elements includes bored sleeve means on one of the conduit members with the axis of the bore thereof spaced from and lying in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the flow passageway means; the other conduit member providing an abutment leg with a cam surface thereon aligned laterally of the bored sleeve means to permit of said telescoping movement without interference between the leg and the sleeve means, and an elongated drive pin for selective slidable entry into the bore of said bored sleeve means and arranged to be selectively forced laterally into sliding and driving engagement with the cam surface of the abutment leg to move the abutment leg and other conduit member into an operative position and with said seal means compressed to effect a fluid-tight seal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1981-01-23	1981-07-25	1982-01-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1985-01-23	1985-07-25	1986-01-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1989-01-23	1989-07-25	1990-01-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Separable connection for conduit segments conveying a fluid under pressure

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