FIELD OF iNVENTiOM

10001 1 TIx? present invention relases u.» a grippcr elemeru particularly useful IVsr pipe Use filings, MyTC partkuiarJy, the tmesSion pumdus a grip demcssf which cass be used m pipe Ii SK' fillings artd coτiψiύigs, for griping plasl.k' i>r metal pipes, ^B- ;my uf.htT material .

BACKGROUND OF THE INV ENTION

I Qf $02] Wliile- in the past all piping was sαcuk of metal, usually itieuti, today plaMic piping is in widespread uie and has been fsnisd suilitblft for many ftppJiciuiήEiϋ, PJasi.ii; pipϋs iixe vvitk'ly used for The pmfecTion oi ^" eteαric cables, sewage, draissage aad, where The pipe cϋatiteTer is small for waser uitties condiUnus Ux'i'C is little or no xnlctnal pri-'ϋiiR ¹ , aad in mA cxposeti u> solar Ktdhaϋon., ^' ilk' present inventitm teiales fjajiituhulv Iu iπterusediate size piping, lypically the 30 to 2t.K3 mm range. Many prior an desigrss ;ue suitable i ^' Vu ¹ piρe.s ursdcr about 5π mm, while Iht over 200 fimge is. served weSJ by band clamps. ^'' I he present ήtvenuuπ refers to a g ripper ϊoot where the sfl!5ie clamp can be isselulty applied to fittings earning metal OF plastic pipes.

[L'003] Λ.s .far as the pit'.sctil j«vcaikm ss concent if. ■ should be noted thai not oni> ^: stxs ineutls hsrctcf than pktsϋcs, bin also rnctals have a Yoxsng's Mcidtslus about H) ssπses hiahcr ώsji plasties.. Thiss if ;s pointed tool is pressed onto the omsJite of a plastic; pipe the tisot will ^realer depiw.- than if die same tijol arui Jwrce was apphotl ι« a pijx: having the satBc ϋitαensiwts. Vhua a priυr anS ps|x* c«>«p!tng fof csatϊspie Hitt table inr n 3 ^1' stect pipe wi ll bp latisiiHahk* lVsr a .V ^" pip-c tsf the .satϊitϊ wall thickness when mads of a pJasfk ¹ .

1000-1] 7 ^" hese ^uch as rtituvπal feeding as past of is EuanuiacUiπϋg pmciϊvs. TSiy grip unit h u^i-fu^ fnr fading ihwt isKikrrial to a press wS»ch nielal ailiclos and js.i os.h(.'5 ^k .tin- inaiϊ.ui;κiumij> ankles made hxrni ϊn&ieήiϊh other thasi snetals. iOOiϊri ] 'Hit." Is lowing, brief rervsew v.f ΠXCTΪI; US puteirch sui sssvsssϊifiEtt uf lhc sfak* of (he ars.

K)ϋO6] ng a sπernhcM whirls h asialfy α -πspsessiblt; 50 SRMSI xut axial tWcc separahm' 0κ' pφtss. Due io <s complex oufer iibape two di fferent degrees of compression are available, in hitler so handle both plaijϊic and sk-ϋl pifϊfs. HOVTCVCS tht.TL? is ÷κ>n:^ (kmbt Evgarditig svifittitsn uf sUtfi pipes .as the retainer member does iios penetrate ϊhϋ t^ser skin of she pipe.

[{.0)71 IX'Morc ti ill. claim in LlS Patent &o. 6, H.i6.02y thai their de-sign of pipe coupliβg has iiϊSjjrovL'd |Mj.ll-ι>iJt ivjiistaiiϋt" Snr plasi:ϊc asni Ww steel pip:s. ^' OK Iwk ring usod I'CL.JU.EΓC.S sϋverai slots IVtr slϊdeably snpporung sndividiϋd snipper segrueRts, which am t lahsscd to t'ffe.ci Ά pCfirtt'Mifig rest failing srip against she pijx: ersd. Λ* _> said sripricr tn;jk.!.-s line contact with a steel pipe very high pressure would be requited to penetrate the pipe surface.

J(KJOS] Λ similar disadvantage is, presens in the cwupling dhclαsed by Kalsechos ct aJ, io US Pattml EK). is provided by cfessts pressed into the pip ήαg.. which i* ,-t complex and costly smiαuiv.

KX)Oy I The i.o:iΩp3e:s. pij.« o.suplisig disclosed by KksbJasoR, Jr. in MS Paten? 00.6,565, 123 features the wdl-k«ow<i asiitl-ϊiKJverncRt tvmical Uκ:k. VK design inclacks a bok having an jsxis nmgemiaS u> the pijxw lx ^b t.r)|; Jk ¹ Id m the coupiinκ inu'tπted to liftύt lilt' t ^' orctϊ applied by the clamp col tar. The tn>1( thus svqtrires adjαstiTscnS wNcπ se? io a hard materia! while a St)Ii material is being gripped and also when s,eϊ t»> a snft πiatesial p!{xi white a hard material is he* tig gripjied. ihc feκ»lt wilj be w.-τtiiigly asJjustetl

KKJOlϋj isαum el ai, ptυpose a high gπp t:oup!in ^» in US l*i_u;M Appljcauon No.

20(12/010 i OSO. ^' Iliis design requires ϋuchinina and oae of the pipϊ ends, wttieh is irnpracticai in she field and even in the faeiΛϊ'y is diffic ult long pipes.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION fOOOl ! ] In view of ihh si;Uf *tf UJ*. ¹ fttt it is, tiitw I SIK* ϋ! ^r tlκ* ϋhjtxis of ϊhe pwseπt invention u> obviate the disatlvania^es of prior an gripping device* ΛHU tϋ provide a de\ ice vvhit'h is stiilubSe for gripping both iiKΛai atκl JIJKSΪ.ES. ¹ itcrns. Jf(X ⁾ O L 21 is is ;t fun her object of the present tnvenUϋn to provide a pipe fining, particularly a pipe coiφiusg Mv.h\a improved pull-out resistance, unhmig a plurality of the grip elomrais des-mbed in tho prcst'tit

|000I 3j Y«t a farther ϋhjtxt is to pmviijc a pipe coupling which h suitahif withom aUjusf tnectb for b<*ih meiaf ans.L ply.sUc piping.

SUMMAIRY OF THE INVENTION

|Q00 l.4j ^" HSU prestiΩt invention achieves the above ύbjeots by providing ft grip elemt-m comprising a wedge- like ssructurt* a m$K&l piaw. ihe exposed outer surface jhavof being prøvkW witli an array of and UHUH gripping icctlx said krge sixlis pn>JLXϋsig ffiϋit she surface of sάiύ ΏK'\Λ) plate fiϋihec ihan said small tecih.

Jj ⁽ X ⁾ OlS] in a preferred esiibo^smesit of #ιe ptvsεfif invearioo there is pixivkk'd a yπp ring for a pipe, said grip dag comprising an outer ring retainisg several spaceO-apatt grip elenicnis disϊrjhuied arowjid the bine? circumfeivnco of said grip ring, the teeth of said grip element .and ihc wa3I oT uiusl £>tip riaif lies m a conical plane. fOOUI 6j In it niosl pretetTCd embodiment of r.he present iiiventjon ?.hea ^> is provided pipe fitiing comprising an riuter body, a gπp nag as described irs the previous paragraph and damping means ass».«:iataJ witb said υuter body for pressing said grip nog against the surface of a metal or pksSϊe pt|x;,

|r.HXH 7l IΆ anorhtr prof erred esnbodimcm of the present Jnvtntioa there Is provided a pipe illts ttg being a pj{« coupltug provided with two axially spaced-apajt ckmψ grip rings,

ItK)OUSj It will thus bo teaHaϋό" that the novel grip element of the present invention can he plϋ^tic pipes withouϊ rcqairirφ Any adjusmieni. Hie array of larger iceϋi wi.tl pt'iKtok" ths ^aή\κ<: oJ a pkslic pi^ h.t a depih ^ufficsem h:s prevent a«u! withtlπiwai. Th? smaller itπd thus stnynger fcxUh wdi txjneh ^' atc the stsϊ1 ^" ;ϊce nf a mefai pipe even if the larger teetSi collapse,

|0t ^") 0 L 9 ) 1 :IΪ« grip ck'tnenl ts ntanufactured out of a mwlium-h&rdness sκ;ei alloy by se of ϊ.iϊie or more press tools,.

100020! The gnp demeas ss suitable for ys.<? in fursher appHc&tiortJi.

|0002 ϊ ] The grip riαg dsscrsbtxl caa bn osrtl in cι.aiibiπatj<aιi wiξli various pipe fii tings. KX)0~2j Tht' most important application of the grip ring as seen now h in a pipe cυαpϊiftg iitr isHemicdsaic pipe diameters, w!κ*re il is expected !:hsf Ihe pipes wi lt be stihjwl k> axial forces which may arise ift sendee- Such force* may originate from ύu'πstai vOiiii-.ici.ius). from bending of she pjpt: or from internal iiuid pressure.

100023] The invention will now be described further with τclt'a:πα÷ u> ΪIK* iccompaitymg drawiEigs. which repres-esst bv example pivfeπ-ed eitsbotUmeitfN υi ^' the inveπuon. SU'ucimti] details ate *htswn tstiiy inv a fυtκtamcaιa! ϊsmlersutfsdsβϊ; fht-svof. The ctescrihett exaisples, logeshejr with ih« iisrawiisgs, will iκuke appatsnϊ Ui ifayse skilled in ihe an IKΆV ftϋihcr fi>stm ol ^' ihe t itvenlion may he teali/ed.

BRI£F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[fX)U24] TTC J. 1 is u jx's&pective view of α ]:nvfenvd emhifdiitient of the pip eletntm sα'ii fm uttdemeath, according ro ihe invention;

HX ⁾ U25j 1*10- 2 is a pc ^tXXtK ¹ C wcw Ql lhf satuc crnhoclimeni ^crn fsin ss t*t>ovc:

|t.)fj()26j WG, 3 i*, a pes'i-.jk'€tive view oJ ^' a erip nn^ taifyine nniliipk arϊp Ltk:me«iSi;

|tX *U27 | M G . 4 is an expUxk-d view of is. pipe fiS.U ϋg iπelsadina Ihe giip sing seen in iht' previous fsgure, ffX)02Sj and

(tX'029j FlG, S is a view of a pipe coupling wherein one < >f the C ¹ KiC nun. has boi*n suoiiont'd i*i TCVCΪΪI one of the grip Eings

OETAiLEIJ OESCRIimOΛ ¹ OF PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(tX ⁾ 03O3 Theiv is nf sk*ei. Fϊ(i. I shows Til L! iEi.yrfos of she grip eksitefji when; sll walls 12, 14 16 18 o! ihe ekstfcfjf. ;iiv seen. f.n FfG. 2 the asi'ay of leeth of two ditlerem sisrø is ^eeit The asgied side walls 12, 16 coπvtut the cIciΩcfti Ui hno a w edge- like SΪ EISCIUIC. Hie exposed, top oisk-r suϊfatt' 2(> is a sϊteϊ pktc which is tmesξrat to all four wails. j 0003 1 j ^' \hc grip Mlcmc^i 10 is provided with an array uf large 22 attd small 24 gripping fecϊh. Tin ^; sharp uf all u'eih 22, 24 ( ^" ace the higher ! 4 s»f the Iw s end walls. wish UK: large KVtb 22 projective fiv>m she sυdaee of ι,he (op outer surface ^' 20 tisrthci ihan tiv the smalt itv A ^' 24.,

| ^' O0O32 j With reference to f.he rest of she figures, similar reference fiuαterals haw? bsx:π ti.scs.1 u> identify similar pails.

J00015J FH). 3 ? a grip rm» 2-S, for use i n a pipe fitting tn be described with i'ef ^' €røsee to FlCj, 4, The ring 26 teiaiss* several ϋpace<.l-ar>an grip eletπeiiLS 28 kitsch are radially evCfsJy dislnbuled aroHssd ihe ciaujuifsrerice of the gπp dng. The gsip elements 2S are Kiemical (o the gnp elei.tie.ots K) described wilh reieεt;nce κ> FICJS. i and 2, except thai a iloos ¹ closure 30 is provided.

1000341 Λϊf ihe ϊccϊh 2.2. 24 of the grip ctcmesit face tsnvasϊH rowasids ϊhc ceϋtcr of the nng 26. The toothed s.urfaccs 2tJ together foπn an internal sotfacc wliieb is parallel to the pipe surface x2 and oS ^" a duuwclcr very slteblly larger iban t!κ' \iψc- diaπ»eK'f s,LTti to ϊTC ^' i. 4, Hie floor surfaces 3D of the grip ykments 2H in tonibisuάiort fon a a section of a slice s>f a cony cut parallel to she cnne hase.

IO0O35I One o.f the isdvamage.s of the Oo-i.sr ;>0 is thai rhe structure of ihe grip clcmenB

2;^ is stiv?sgtheπi.5);l then*hy. MnihefTtioa ¹ UK ftfκ>r 30 vvliich ss svihjeclyd Io a high ciitripfcssivc thfc& when in USΛ. ¹ is K ¹ S tβr abk' Kt slide along the c^nivaf J ^' .-tce 52 seen in FICs 5 whes'f s§ is fouttd on tha insuk of the conical nui housing 36. CortscquerifJy less IOΓIJU^ is required lo tighieti the eons c« i aut housing 3ft. .

1000361 Tuniiag now n> FTG. 4 is *eea an exiornally sovweϋ pon.ii.m υf a f-ipc svtcntion rfovico 34 Ibτ ;s p ^fx* fuiirs^ sucti as ;s va lve, sap. p^pc filter, tlυki nseter wad the like. Λ caries] mil huusinf; ?,6 has a central itpentirt.' 3S slighilv {argcr ihω sht pipe 32 io be held Uwsviπ. VVstiicls slots 40 iαr tightening the tius htx^iαg 36 Lire pmvidetl on an outer surface 42. The grip riϋg 26 seen in FΪG. 3 will Ix ¹ isiseϋed over the pipe 32 afier sliis piptj is iixs^ϊiyd iκk> vtperlure 38, An dastomer sasJfc«l 44 is also s-lkt ovei ¹ the pipe 32, The corneal mil housing 36 h then isghtejied oti JO a liu-eacfcti hollow compoftt'sst 46 wbav it cna b^ seuitted by a lock nut 4»S.

H>Q03?S Λ,s iht CiHiical ittsi iHΛtsstϊg 36 i^ tighionctl Elic tilasbstnw g;iskci 44 is cumpivsst'il so sea? the s p^W byhveeo the ihsvaϋed hi.)iK>w 46 aad the oonical nut hαusimg 3.h. As the. satriϋ- H me tba αxueat nut housing 3fS sppties ρa ^> -s,vuni to ihe grip ring 26 and causes the teeth 22, 24 u> peactruie t.ne oincr diafntier of the pipe 32, [0U0B8J Referrms a«w to Fi(I S _> there is depSoied Ji pipy fit sing being a ptpe coupling

50 provided with i\\χι s>;i;i:Hy spseed-apa.it clanjp grip sings 26, υnty one of which in vssibk m UK:. fjgLirc.. Ilκ' cswψcHUMtis 26. 36, 3K. ffϋ. 42. 4ft and 4H aiv ϊhe same iis sfcπ i« the previous Ogure.

[O0O39| ^" The scσps; of the ckficrifxrd invention i^ intendtx! to inckKte all emhtxiimenis coming within the meaning oϊ Use icllowisig cl;iiiτιs. The foftjgojπg exairsples iliusi rait; useful forms i.ή the ifivcnϋtttij but a a? tnti. to he <. ^r nnsidι.trøl as Httiiiiftg its scupe, as thOii* skillod in the ait will ivadilv he awisiv s.hat addiriήiml iuκl n iotli fΪL-εitions of site im-eπiion can: tx ¹ (øriϊiuiaied wiilniut depatting froia Lhe metmmg αl ^' the [oMπwing claiϊis.