Metal seal ball joint coupling assembly

Claim 1

An adjustable coupling device for releasably interconnecting confronting ends of first and second fluid carrying conduits, said device comprising: a bell flange attached to the confronting end of one of said conduits, said bell flange having a lip and an arcuate, internal sealing surface adjacent said lip and a recess extending inward longitudinally from said arcuate sealing surface; a sealing flange, having an inner end and an outer end, attached to the confronting end of the other of said conduits which is sized to be received within said bell flange and has an outer surface with a peripheral abutment spaced from said inner end thereof; a sleeve mounted on the end of said sealing flange and having a curved outer surface facing toward said outer end of said sealing flange and an inner surface engageable with said abutment to limit the inward movement thereof; a normally flat sealing ring mounted on said sealing flange adjacent said sleeve and having peripheral edges engageable with said arcuate sealing surface of said bell flange and said surface of said sealing flange when said flanges are drawn together; and an abutment means adjacent said inner end of said sealing flange for preventing removal of said sealing ring and said sleeve therefrom; a nut on said sealing flange threadably connected to said bell flange, said nut having a curved inner surface facing toward said inner end of said sealing flange and engageable with said curved outer surface of said sleeve to urge said peripheral edges into said sealing engagement and to prevent outward movement of said sleeve and to allow an angular adjustment of the axes of the conduits at said coupling device, said sleeve, bell flange, nut and sealing ring being longitudinally adjustable along said sealing flange from a position where said inner surface engages said abutment to a position where said sealing ring engages said abutment means.