Restrained sleeve pipe coupling

Abstract

A restrained sleeve coupling assembly for interconnecting pipe sections includes a generally cylindrical sleeve body with opposed gasket engaging surfaces adjacent opposite ends of the body for receiving fluid sealing gaskets forcibly engaged with the body and opposed end rings which are sleeved over the respective pipe sections to be joined. The end rings include flanges for engagement with elongated tension bolt assemblies to secure the sleeve body, the gaskets and the end rings in assembly with each other. The end rings also include circumferentially spaced bosses and polygonal shaped gripper members disposed in recesses in the bosses and forcibly engageable with the outer surfaces of the pipe sections over which the end rings are sleeved as determined by limited torque bolt assemblies engageable with the gripper members.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A coupling assembly for coupling two sections of substantially axially aligned pipe comprising: 
 a generally cylindrical sleeve body having opposed ends and opposed gasket engagement surfaces thereon;    opposed flexible gaskets engageable with the gasket surfaces on the body and with respective ones of pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly;    opposed end rings disposed in sleeved relationship around respective ones of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, the end rings including circumferentially spaced bosses formed thereon, respectively, and respective pipe gripper members supported at the bosses and operable to grip a section of the pipe over which the end ring is sleeved.    
     
     
         2 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the gasket surfaces on the body comprise opposed, somewhat frustoconical surfaces facing away from each other.  
 
     
     
         3 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 2  wherein: 
 the body includes spaced-apart circumferential radially inwardly projecting ridges delimiting the gasket surfaces, respectively.  
 
     
     
         4 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the gasket surfaces on the body comprise radial grooves.  
 
     
     
         5 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the end rings are engageable with respective ones of the gaskets to form a fluid tight seal.  
 
     
     
         6 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 4  wherein: 
 the end rings each include circumferential rim portions having an end face, respectively, engageable with respective ones of the gaskets.  
 
     
     
         7 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the bosses each include recesses formed therein for receiving the gripper members.  
 
     
     
         8 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 7  wherein: 
 the gripper members include respective gripping teeth thereon for forcible engagement with a surface of a pipe section over which the end ring is sleeved.  
 
     
     
         9 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  including: 
 respective threaded fasteners supported at the bosses and operable to forcibly engage the gripper members to force the gripper members into gripping engagement with the pipe section over which the end ring is sleeved.  
 
     
     
         10 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 9  wherein: 
 the fasteners include limited torque heads formed thereon operable to limit torque exerted on the fasteners, respectively.  
 
     
     
         11 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 1  including: 
 plural elongated fasteners engageable with the end rings for securing the end rings to each other.  
 
     
     
         12 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 11  wherein: 
 the end rings include circumferential flange portions and spaced-apart bolt receiving openings formed in the flange portions for receiving respective bolt assemblies comprising the fasteners.  
 
     
     
         13 . A coupling assembly for coupling two sections of pipe comprising: 
 a generally cylindrical sleeve body having opposed ends including respective opposed gasket engagement surfaces thereon;    opposed flexible gaskets engageable with the gasket surfaces on the body and with respective ones of pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly;    opposed end rings disposed in sleeved relationship around respective ones of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, the end rings including plural circumferentially spaced gripper members thereon and engageable with the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, respectively, the end rings including surfaces formed thereon engageable with the gaskets; and    fastener means interconnecting the end rings for forcibly drawing the end rings toward each other to compress the gaskets between the end rings and the gasket surfaces on the body, respectively, to form a fluid-tight coupling.    
     
     
         14 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 13  wherein: 
 the end rings include circumferentially spaced bosses formed thereon, and respective ones of the gripper members supported at the bosses, respectively.  
 
     
     
         15 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 14  wherein: 
 the bosses each include recesses formed therein for receiving the gripper members, respectively.  
 
     
     
         16 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 13  wherein: 
 the gripper members include respective gripping teeth thereon for forcible engagement with a surface of a pipe section over which the end ring is sleeved.  
 
     
     
         17 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 16  including: 
 respective threaded fasteners supported at the bosses and operable to forcibly engage the gripper members to force the gripper members into gripping engagement with the pipe section over which the end ring is sleeved.  
 
     
     
         18 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 17  wherein: 
 the fasteners supported at the bosses include limited torque heads formed thereon and operable to fail at a predetermined torque exerted on the fasteners to limit torque exerted on the fasteners, respectively.  
 
     
     
         19 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 13  wherein: 
 the fastener means interconnecting the end rings comprise plural elongated bolt assemblies engageable with the end rings, respectively.  
 
     
     
         20 . The coupling assembly set forth in  claim 19  wherein: 
 the end rings include circumferential flange portions and spaced-apart bolt receiving openings formed in the flange portions for receiving the bolt assemblies, respectively.  
 
     
     
         21 . A coupling assembly for coupling two sections of pipe comprising: 
 a generally cylindrical sleeve body having opposed ends including respective opposed frustoconical gasket engagement surfaces thereon;    opposed flexible cylindrical ring shaped gaskets engageable with the gasket surfaces on the body and with respective ones of pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly;    opposed end rings disposed in sleeved relationship around respective ones of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, the end rings including plural circumferentially spaced gripper members thereon and engageable with the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, respectively, the end rings including circumferential surfaces formed thereon engageable with the gaskets, respectively; and    circumferentially spaced bolt assemblies interconnecting the end rings for forcibly drawing the end rings toward each other to compress the gaskets between the end rings and the gasket surfaces on the body, respectively, to form a fluid-tight coupling.    
     
     
         22 . A coupling assembly for coupling two sections of substantially axially aligned pipe comprising: 
 a generally cylindrical sleeve body having opposed ends and opposed first and second gasket engagement surfaces thereon;    a generally cylindrical adaptor body having a gasket engagement surface at a first end thereof and a gasket support surface at a second end thereof;    a first flexible gasket engageable with the first gasket surface on the sleeve body and one of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly;    a second flexible gasket engageable with the second gasket surface on the sleeve body and the gasket support surface on the adaptor body;    a third flexible gasket engageable with the gasket engagement surface on the adaptor body and the other one of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly; and    opposed end rings disposed in sleeved relationship around respective ones of the pipe sections to be coupled by the coupling assembly, the end rings including circumferentially spaced bosses formed thereon, respectively, and respective pipe gripper members supported at the bosses and operable to grip a section of the pipe over which the end ring is sleeved, the end rings also being engageable with the first and third flexible gaskets, respectively, to form a fluid tight coupling.