Articulated ball connector for use with pipeline

Claim 1

An apparatus for connecting two pipes together, comprising: (a) a spherical ball having an axial passage therethrough and adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a first pipe; (b) a receptacle means having an axial passage therethrough and formed of a female cavity having a surface matching that of said ball which surface is less than a hemisphere and which encircles said ball by at least 180 degrees, said receptacle means adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a second pipe; (c) clamping means for holding said ball in said receptacle means and aligning the axial passages thereof to enable fluid communication between the first and second pipes; (d) said clamping means securing said ball in said receptacle means by clamping said ball on its outer surface at a location on said ball on the exposed side opposite the hemisphere in said receptacle means and wherein said clamping means includes: (1) a circular first ring around said ball having a diameter enabling it to contact said ball without passing over said ball; (2) an external protruding lip on said receptacle means; and (3) means for locking said ring to said lip wherein said locking means comprises (4) an encircling second ring having a pair of spaced, internally directed shoulders which are spaced to encircle and abut said first ring and said lip in a side-by-side relationship.

Claim 2

An apparatus for connecting two pipes together, comprising: (a) a spherical ball having an axial passage therethrough and adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a first pipe; (b) a receptacle means having an axial passage therethrough and formed of a female cavity having a surface matching that of said ball which surface is less than a hemisphere and which encircles said ball by at least 180 degrees, said receptacle means adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a second pipe; (c) clamping means for holding said ball in said receptacle means and aligning the axial passages thereof to enable fluid communication between the first and second pipes; (d) said clamping means securing said ball in said receptacle means by clamping said ball on its outer surface at a location on said ball on the exposed side opposite the hemisphere in said receptacle means and wherein said clamping means includes: (1) a circular first ring around said ball having a diameter enabling it to contact said ball without passing over said ball; (2) an external protruding lip on said receptacle means; and (3) means for locking said ring to said lip wherein said locking means comprises (4) an encircling second ring having a pair of spaced, internally directed shoulders which are spaced to encircle and abut said first ring and said lip in a side-by-side relationship.

Claim 6

An apparatus for connecting two pipes together, comprising: (a) a spherical ball having an axial passage therethrough and adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a first pipe; (b) a receptacle means having an axial passage therethrough and formed of a female cavity having a surface matching that of said ball which surface is less than a hemisphere and which encircles said ball by at least 180 degrees, said receptacle means adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a second pipe; (c) clamping means for holding said ball in said receptacle means and aligning the axial passages thereof to enable fluid communication between the first and second pipes; (d) said clamping means securing said ball in said receptacle means by clamping said ball on its outer surface at a location on said ball on the exposed side opposite the hemisphere in said receptacle means; (e) wherein said ball is spherical and is symmetrically centered about the axial passage therethrough; (f) said receptacle means having a spherical cavity which contacts a portion of said ball and enables said ball to rotate about its center to accommodate misalignment of the first and second pipes; (g) a tubular member concentric about the second pipe connected to said receptacle means; (h) a second, larger tubular member concentric about the first concentric tubular member; (i) a piston snugly received in the space between said first and second tubular members; (j) means closing off the space adjacent to said piston for introducing pressure fluid against one side of said piston for forcing said piston toward said ball and said receptacle means; (k) an appended, tapered sideskirt attached to said piston and directed toward said ball; (l) an expandable ring having first and second diameters, said second diameter being smaller than the first diameter, and said ring being provided with a tapered, exterior surface and which slidably fits within said skirt and which shrinks from the first to the second diameter; (m) first and second parallel shoulders on said ring protruding inwardly; (n) a floating and encircling ring which comprises a portion of said clamping means and is around said ball and contacting the back side thereof as defined by a diameter of said ball wherein said receptacle means is unable to pass over the diameter and wherein said floating ring is also unable to pass over the diameter of said ball; (o) an exposed groove in said floating ring on the exterior and a surface conforming with said ball to enable said floating ring to seat on said ball and by so doing define a plane perpendicular to the axial passage therethrough and which ring moves to angles other than the perpendicular angle; (p) said groove receiving one of said shoulders on said ring therein; (g) an external lip around said receptacle means which is grasped by the remaining of said shoulders to secure said floating ring adjacent to said receptacle means, said shoulders tapering to wedge said rings toward one another and said shoulders further locking said ball in a fixed position relative to said receptacle means; and (r) means for positioning said floating ring against said ball.

Claim 7

An apparatus for connecting two pipes together, comprising: (a) a spherical ball having an axial passage therethrough and adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a first pipe; (b) a receptacle means having an axial passage therethrough and formed of a female cavity having a surface matching that of said ball which surface is less than a hemisphere and which encircles said ball by at least 180 degrees, said receptacle means adapted to be joined in fluid communication with a second pipe; (c) clamping means for holding said ball in said receptacle means and aligning the axial passages thereof to enable fluid communication between the first and second pipes; (d) said clamping means securing said ball in said receptacle means by clamping said ball on its outer surface at a location on said ball on the exposed side opposite the hemisphere in said receptacle means; (e) wherein said ball is spherical and is symmetrically centered about the axial passage therethrough; (f) said receptacle means having a spherical cavity which contacts a portion of said ball and enables said ball to rotate about its center to accommodate misalignment of the first and second pipes; (g) a tubular member concentric about the second pipe connected to said receptacle means; (h) a second, larger tubular member concentric about the first concentric tubular member; (i) a piston snugly received in the space between said first and second tubular members; (j) means closing off the space adjacent to said piston for introducing pressure fluid against one side of said piston for forcing said piston toward said ball and said receptacle means; (k) an appended, tapered sideskirt attached to said piston and directed toward said ball; (l) an expandable ring having first and second diameters, said second diameter being smaller than the first diameter, and said ring being provided with a tapered, exterior surface and which slidably fits within said skirt and which shrinks from the first to the second diameter; (m) first and second parallel shoulders on said ring protruding inwardly; (n) a floating and encircling ring which comprises a portion of said clamping means and is around said ball and contacting the back side thereof as defined by a diameter of said ball wherein said receptacle means is unable to pass over the diameter and wherein said floating ring is also unable to pass over the diameter of said ball; (o) an exposed groove in said floating ring on the exterior and a surface conforming with said ball to enable said floating ring to seat on said ball and by so doing define a plane perpendicular to the axial passage therethrough and which ring moves to angles other than the perpendicular angle; (p) said groove receiving one of said shoulders on said ring therein; (g) an external lip around said receptacle means which is grasped by the remaining of said shoulders to secure said floating ring adjacent to said receptacle means, said shoulders tapering to wedge said rings toward one another and said shoulders further locking said ball in a fixed position relative to said receptacle means; and (r) means for positioning said floating ring against said ball.