Coupled pipes and sealed unions therefor

Claim 1

In a piping system for handling fluid under relatively high pressure, the combination of a first tubular member having a longitudinal axis; a pipe having a first end and a second end, the second end of the pipe being substantially fixed in a position offset from the axis of the first tubular member; and a connector coupling the first tubular member to the pipe, the connector comprising a female member rigidly secured to said first tubular member and having a fluid-conducting bore concentric with the longitudinal axis of the first tubular member and terminating in a transverse annular outwardly extending shoulder which faces away from the first tubular member, a right circular cylindrical inner sealing surface which is of larger diameter than the fluid-conducting bore and extends away from said shoulder, a transverse annular end face, and an outer surface which is threaded adjacent said end face; a male member rigidly secured to and coaxial with the first end of the pipe and comprising a fluid-conducting bore of substantially the same diameter as the first bore of the female member, a nose portion dimensioned to be received within the space defined by the sealing surface of the female member and having an end face capable of engagement with said shoulder of the female member, a transverse annular outwardly projecting flange spaced from the end face of the nose portion by a distance such that, when the end face of the nose portion engages said shoulder of the female member, the flange will be at least immediately adjacent to the end face of the female member, and an annular outer surface portion extending from the flange to the end of the male member opposite the nose portion, said nose portion further including a transverse annular outwardly opening groove, a sealing ring seated in said groove, and an outer surface portion extending from the groove to the flange and tapering at a small angle from a larger diameter at the groove to a smaller diameter at the flange, the outer surface portion of the nose portion between the groove and the end face of the nose portion being of such shape and dimensions as not to come into interfering contact with the sealing surface of the first rigid annular member when the male member is tilted at a predetermined small angle relative to the axis of the female member; a nut member comprising an internally threaded tubular portion in threaded engagement with the externally threaded portion of the female member, and a transverse annular inwardly projecting flange spaced from the end face of the female member, the flange of the male member extending outwardly into the space between the inwardly projecting flange of the nut member and the end face of the female member; the inwardly projecting flange of the nut member having a plurality of threaded through bores spaced apart circumferentially of the flange and directed toward the flange of the male member; and a plurality of screw members engaged each in a different one of the threaded bores of the flange of the nut member and having their inner ends in engagement with the adjacent face of the flange of the male member; the male member being tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the female member at an angle not exceeding said predetermined small angle; the angle of tilt of the male member and the space between the end face of the female member and the flange of the nut member being such that a first radial portion of the flange of the male member is in engagement with the end face of the female member, a second radial portion of the flange of the male member which is diametrically opposite said first radial portion is in engagement with the flange of the nut member, and a radial portion of the end face of the nose portion of the male member which is axially aligned with said first radial portion of the flange of the male member is in engagement with the shoulder of the female member; all forces applied to the pipe by the connector being ineffective to stress the pipe in a bending mode to any substantial extent regardless of the fact that the second end of the pipe is laterally offset from the axis of the first tubular member.