AU764756B2

AU764756B2 - Pipe connector

Info

Publication number: AU764756B2
Application number: AU20355/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Day
Original assignee: MILNES Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Milnes Gatic Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-13
Filing date: 1999-03-11
Publication date: 2003-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-11
Also published as: AU2035599A

Description

Regulation 3.2 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT APPLICANT: MILNES PTY. LIMITED NUMBER: PP 2352/98 FILING DATE: 13/ 3/1998 Invention Title: PIPE CONNECTOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: PIPE CONNECTOR Technical area This invention relates to the area of pipe repair and in particular to a method of repairing high pressure water pipes if necessary without disturbing the ground area immediately in the vicinity of the break.

Background to the invention Generally delivery water pipe is underground and therefore any repairs which are required are difficult to access. Typically such water pipes tend to weaken under driveways due to the S passage of vehicles over them and also under trees due to root penetration.

Additionally water pressure is at its greatest during the night when domestic water usage is small and consequently pipes tend to burst at most inconvenient times. Repair is further complicated by the fact that driveways may have to be dug up to locate the break and new pipe may have to be routed around trees to avoid damaging their existing root systems. Rerouting of WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 3 Underground pipe is also required where direct repairs would interfere with any heritage structure.

The existing systems for rejoining broken pipe can therefore involve difficult and disruptive excavation of the broken pipe which may be constructed of materials such as cast iron, asbestos cement and blue PVC which have become distorted with time. There can be difficulties coupling a joiner to such pipes and, in particular, existing joiners will not couple pipes of dissimilar materials and/or diameters.

Outline of the Invention It is an object of this invention to provide a means whereby a pipe may be substituted for an existing broken water delivery pipe and connected to said delivery pipe on either side of the .o break thereby avoiding disruptive excavation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a connector or joiner capable of coupling pipes of different sizes and materials in order to permit connection of said substituted pipe.

S: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of repairing a damaged portion of a pipe of a given diameter, said pipe being termed the second pipe, by positioning a first pipe, having a smaller diameter and two ends, inside the damaged portion of the second pipe and connecting each end of the first pipe to the second pipe, using a joiner at each end of the first pipe, to the second pipe such that the damaged portion of the second pipe has been effectively replaced.

In another aspect of the invention a connector or joiner is provided for joining pipes of dissimilar diameters and/or may be of different materials, which joiner can accommodate minor distortions in the pipes and includes a central body member having a first end fitting for sealing onto a first pipe and a second end fitting for sealing onto a second, larger diameter pipe.

The second end fitting is suitable for use with high pressure water pipe.

o The joiner of the invention is such that a pipe made of a relatively soft material such as polyethylene (PE) may be passed oooo directly through a broken water delivery pipe, for instance under a driveway or under a tree, without disrupting the existing driveway or tree root system. The joiner can then be used to couple this smaller diameter piping to the existing high pressure piig piping.

*r o o It is preferred that the central body member of the joiner be manufactured from a relatively light weight synthetic material and have one end with an internal diameter able to receive a smaller pipe than a water delivery pipe, said end adjoining a shoulder connected to a larger diameter end able to receive the water delivery pipe.

It is further preferred that the end fittings provided fit over the outside of the central body member and be made of some preferably non corrosive metal and be adapted to be connected to one another by bolts or other such devices.

ooo oo It is also preferred that the end fitting which receives the

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smaller diameter pipe is provided with an O ring, preferably of rubber, to provide a seal with it and it is further preferred that the end fitting which receives the water delivery pipe is

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provided with both an 0 ring to seal and a clamp means to firmly

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grip the pipe. This clamp means may be provided by the inclusion of a grip ring within a recess adjacent the outer end of this end fitting which is threaded to receive an annular nut which, when tightens compresses an aperture in the grip ring forcing it to fasten tightly around the water delivery pipe.

WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 6 In order that the invention may be more readily understood we shall describe by way of non limiting example an embodiment thereof, in relation to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures In these drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section of an assembled connector; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the larger end with the component parts separated; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the smaller end with °o« oooo component parts separated;

S

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a modified larger end of the connector as used for high pressure pipes; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view with component parts separated of the modified larger end of the connector; 4 The joiner 10 includes a central body member 20 constructed preferably of an appropriate resilient synthetic material which, while circular in cross section, is stepped by way of a sloping shoulder such that its diameter at a first end 22 is less than the diameter of the bulk of the central member which terminates WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 in a second end 23. The wall thickness is however approximately the same.

This central member 20 is provided with a first end fitting which locates over the smaller diameter end 22 which attaches to a second end fitting 40 on the larger diameter end 23 by means of four bolts 50 (only 2 shown) running parallel to the central member 20 and passing through equally spaced lugs 31 on the first end fitting 30 and through corresponding lugs 41 on the second end fitting 40 and are held in place by tightening nuts 51 on ~bolts o The first end fitting 30 includes an annular metal member 32 which is provided with a shoulder 33 which accommodates the top edge 24 of the first end 22 of the central member and the circular centre of annular member 32 is excised to accommodate .oee.i the entry of the smaller diameter pipe.

Below this shoulder and directed towards the second end fitting the diameter of the annular metal member 32 increases to that of the exterior of the second end fitting 40 to allow them to be bolted together through aligned lugs 31 and 41.

WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 8 Between the top 24 of the first end 22 of the central member and the top of annular member 32 is located an 0 ring 34, a spacer 35 and a split metal grip ring 36 respectively. The role of the spacer is to prevent the grip ring from abrading the sealing 0 ring and the inner face 37 of the grip ring is threaded or otherwise etched to provide a grip around the smaller diameter pipe as the joiner bolts 50 are tightened.

The second end fitting 40 includes a metal member 42 with a ee*e shoulder 43 which is adapted to locate over the larger diameter second end 23 of the central member.

The inner surface 45 of this metal member 42 is provided with a recess for the location of an O ring 44 which is separated by a short distance from an internal recess adapted to receive a grip ring 46. The reason for this separation is to inhibit wear on the O ring.

Once the joiner is attached to both pipes its end fittings are bolted together. As shown in Figures 4 and 5 one end of the inner surface 45 of the second end fitting 40, is threaded 48 to receive an annular nut 47 with an excised central circular area which will receive the larger diameter water delivery pipe.

WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 The arrangement is such that as the nut 47 is tightened the grip ring 46 is forced to tighten around the water delivery pipe and thus fasten firmly about it despite any irregularities or deformities in the pipe itself.

While the 0 rings of the invention are of rubber and the materials used are as previously described it is envisaged that any appropriate materials could be used to manufacture the joiner components provided these were relatively free from corrosion and exhibited the required strength.

It is further envisaged that the joiners of the invention could be provided to connect any desired range of disparate diameter pipes. In addition the concept of the invention could be used in any application where different diameter pipes were to be connected whatever their purpose. The embodiment of the invention described here however has been provided to allow the connection of a smaller diameter pipe to a larger diameter pipe under high pressure.

Whilst we have described herein several specific embodiments of the invention it is envisaged that further embodiments of the invention will exhibit any of, and any combinations of, the WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999 features described and it is to be understood that variations and modifications in this can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

e WP51\BARBARA\MILNES-CON.CAP\12 February, 1999

Claims

1. A method of repairing a damaged portion of a pipe of a given diameter, said pipe being termed the second pipe, by positioning a first pipe, having a smaller diameter and two ends, inside the damaged portion of the second pipe and connecting each end of the first pipe to the second pipe, using a joiner at each end of the first pipe, to the second pipe such that the damaged portion of the second pipe has been effectively replaced.

2. A joiner for use with the method of claim 1 for joining a first pipe and a second pipe wherein the first pipe has a smaller diameter than that of the second pipe, which joiner can accommodate minor distortions in the pipes, and which joiner includes a central body member having a first end fitting for sealing onto the first pipe and a second end fitting for sealing onto the second pipe. oO.o

3. A joiner as claimed in claim 2 in which each of the first and second end fittings o has spaced therein an O ring and a grip ring.

4. A joiner as claimed in claim 2 in which the first and second end fittings can be connected together such that as they are drawn together sealing pressure is applied to each pipe.

5. A joiner as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 in which the second end fitting includes an annular open nut device which can be screwed into a threaded 12 portion of it thereby increasing pressure on the grip ring such that the fitting is suitable for use with high pressure fluids.

6. A joiner as claimed in claim 5 in which the central body member is made of a synthetic material.

7. A joiner as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the central body member and first and second end fittings are separate components.

8. A joiner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 using a joiner as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8. 0 0* 0 0* 0 0 0* o• oO° •coo