Hammerless Flow Coupler and Method of Use

Abstract

An improved fluid conduit union and method for hammerless attachment apparatus for hammerless coupling the ends of abutting fluid conduits, such as pipe, hoses, or attachment fitting conduits, comprising a ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly threadedly engaged and fixed on a female fitting at one conduit end and a cylindrical ring-shaped locking assembly positioned around a male fitting at the other conduit end. The ring-shaped locking assembly has a lock ring positionable by a rotatable locking ring nut threadedly engaging the ring-shaped conduit receptacle. Rotation of the locking ring nut translates the lock ring against the male fitting and firmly seats the male fitting at one conduit end to the female fitting at the other conduit end where they are locked in place, all without rotation of either fluid conduit.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for connecting conduit, comprising:
 a) a lock ring having a radially extending flange lock ring flange, said lock ring receiving and encircling a first conduit section having a stabbing surface with a radially extending flange, said radially extending lock ring flange abutting said radially extending flange of said first conduit section;   b) a primary locking ring nut positioned around said lock ring to abut said radially extending flange of said lock ring, said primary locking ring nut having a set of external ring to threads; and   b) a cylindrical ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly threadedly coupled by a first set of internal threads to a second fluid conduit section having a receiving surface engaging said stabbing surface of said a first conduit section, said cylindrical receptacle assembly having a second set of internal threads threadedly mating with said set of external ring threads is of said primary locking ring nut.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first conduit section has a conically configured stabbing surface and said second conduit section has a conically configured receiving seat. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2  wherein said ring-shaped conduit receptacle has a plurality of rotation holes whereby a stud or gripping knob on a torque wrench head may be engaged. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 3  further comprising a plurality of set screws positioned to hold said primary locking ring nut on said lock ring. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 3  wherein said primary locking ring nut has a plurality of internal threads threadedly engaged with a plurality of external threads on said lock ring. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 5  further comprising a secondary locking ring nut having a plurality of internal threads threadedly engaged with said plurality of external threads on said lock ring. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 6  wherein said primary locking ring nut and said secondary locking ring nut have a plurality of rotation holes whereby a stud or gripping knob on a torque wrench head may be engaged. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2  further comprising:
 a) a plurality of radial slots and projections on said primary locking ring nut; and 
 b) a rotatable key engaging said plurality of radial slots and projections on said primary locking ring nut whereby rotation of said key will turn said locking ring nut on said internal threads of said cylindrical receptacle to move said lock ring to abut against said radially extending flange of said lock ring against said radially extending flange of said first conduit section. 
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 2  wherein said locking ring nut has a radially extending flange, said a radially extending locking ring nut flange having a plurality of equally spaced diagonally oriented slots on its outer radial surface and further comprising a rotatable worm gear attached to said cylindrical receptacle assembly, said worm gear engaged with said diagonally oriented slots on said radial outer surface of said locking ring nut flange whereby rotation of said worm gear will rotate said locking ring nut on said internal threads of the cylindrical receptacle to move said lock ring to abut said radially extending flange of said lock ring against said radially extending flange of said first conduit section. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for connecting conduit, comprising
 a) a lock ring having a radially extending lock ring flange, said lock ring receiving and encircling a male attachment sub of a first fluid conduit section, said male attachment sub having a stabbing surface with a radially extending flange, said radially extending lock ring flange abutting said radially extending flange of said male attachment sub;   b) a second fluid conduit section having a female attachment sub, said female attachment sub having a plurality of threads extending along its exterior radial surface and flange receiving surface;   c) a cylindrical receptacle having a plurality of internal threads threadedly engaging said plurality of threads extending along said exterior radial surface of said female pipe sub, said cylindrical receptacle having an outwardly extending radial flange having an edge comprised of a plurality of equally spaced outward scallops, each said outward scallop having a bolt hole;   d) a cylindrical locking ring nut assembly translatably engaging said male pipe sub, said cylindrical locking ring nut assembly having an internal cavity ring segment, an internally extending radial flange engaging said radially extending lock ring flange, and an attachment face, said attachment face of said locking ring nut assembly having an opening having an edge comprised of a plurality of equally spaced inward scallops, each said inward scallop having a bolt hole;   e) wherein said radial flange of said cylindrical receptacle is positioned within said attachment face opening of said cylindrical locking nut assembly and rotated whereby said bolt holes in said outward scallops of said radial flange of said cylindrical receptacle are to aligned with said bolt holes in said inward scallops of said attachment face opening of said locking ring nut assembly;   e) a disc spring washer placed between said locking ring nut assembly and said receptacle assembly; and   f) bolts engaged with said bolt holes in said outward scallops of said radial flange of said cylindrical receptacle and said inward scallops of said attachment face whereby rotation of said bolts will translate said the locking ring nut assembly along said male attachment sub to draw said internally extending radial flange of said locking ring nut assembly against said radial flange of said mail attachment sub to seat said stabbing surface of said male attachment sub against said flange receiving surface of said female attachment sub.   
     
     
         11 . A method for connecting conduit segments, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing cylindrical ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly having a first set of internal threads and a second set of internal threads;   b) providing a first conduit section having a stabbing surface with a radially extending flange;   c) providing a lock ring having a radially extending flange lock ring flange;   d) providing a second conduit section having a receiving surface and a set of external threads on its outer radial periphery;   e) providing a locking ring nut having a set of external ring threads;   f) attaching said first set of internal threads of said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly to said external threads of said a second conduit section;   g) placing said lock ring around said first conduit section and abutting said radially extending lock ring flange to said radially extending flange of said first conduit section;   h) threadedly attaching said set of external ring threads of said locking ring nut to said second set of internal threads of said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly; and   i) rotating said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly thereby moving said lock ring to abut against said radially extending flange of said lock ring against said radially extending flange of said first conduit section.   
     
     
         12 . The method of connecting conduit segments recited in  claim 11 , comprising the additional step of using a torque wrench to provide a desired torque to said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of connecting conduit segments as recited in  claim 12  wherein said step of providing a desired torque includes providing a plurality of rotation holes on said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly whereby a stud or gripping knob on a torque wrench head may be engaged. 
     
     
         14 . The method of connecting conduit segments recited in  claim 1 wherein the step of rotating said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly includes the additional steps of:
 a) providing a plurality of radial slots and projections on said primary locking ring nut;   b) providing a rotatable key engaging said plurality of radial slots and projections on said primary locking ring nut; and   c) rotating said key and thereby turning said locking ring nut on said internal threads of said cylindrical receptacle and moving said lock ring to abut against said radially extending flange of said lock ring against said radially extending flange of said first conduit section.   
     
     
         15 . The method of connecting conduit segments recited in  claim 11  wherein the step of rotating said ring-shaped conduit receptacle assembly includes the additional steps of:
 a) proving a radially extending flange on said locking ring nut, radially extending flange having a radial outer surface; 
 b) providing a plurality of equally spaced diagonally oriented slots on said a radial outer surface of said radially extending locking ring nut flange; 
 c) providing a rotatable worm gear attached to said cylindrical receptacle assembly, said worm gear engaged with said diagonally oriented slots on said radial outer surface of said locking ring nut flange; and 
 d) rotating said worm gear and thereby rotating said locking ring nut on said internal threads of the cylindrical receptacle and moving said lock ring to abut said radially extending flange of said lock ring against said radially extending flange of said first conduit section. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein said stabbing surface of said first conduit section has a conically configured sidewall and said receiving surface of said second conduit section is conically configured to correspond with said stabbing surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16  comprising the additional steps of:
 a) providing a set of internal threads on said locking ring nut; 
 b) providing a set of external threads on said lock ring; and 
 c) threadedly engaging said set of internal threads on said locking ring nut with said external threads of said lock ring. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method recited in  claim 17  comprising the additional steps of:
 a) providing a second locking ring nut having a set of internal threads; 
 b) threadedly engaging said set of internal threads on said second locking ring nut with said external threads of said lock ring; 
 c) providing a plurality of set screws; and 
 d) holding each of said locking ring nuts on said lock ring with said set screws. 
 
     
     
         19 . A fluid conduit union comprising:
 a) a first conduit attachment sub attached to a first fluid conduit, said first conduit attachment sub having with a stabbing end with a radially extending flange;   b) a second conduit attachment sub attached to a second fluid conduit, said second conduit attachment sub having a flange seat and a plurality of external threads;   c) a cylindrical ring-shaped conduit translatably positioned around said first conduit attachment sub, said cylindrical ring-shaped conduit having a plurality of internal threads threadedly engagable with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub;   d) a rotatable lock ring positioned between first and second spaced apart ring plates, said rotatable lock ring and said first and second ring plates translatably positioned around said second conduit attachment sub, said lock ring having a plurality of equally spaced gear teeth on its outer radial surface and a plurality of internal threads threadedly engagable with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub; and   e) a rotatable gear positioned between said first and second spaced apart ring plates, said gear having a plurality of radially extending teeth in rotatable engagement with said spaced gear teeth of said rotatable lock ring.   
     
     
         20 . The fluid conduit union recited in  claim 19  wherein said first and second spaced apart ring plates are comprised of first and second semi-circular plates hingedly affixed together. 
     
     
         21 . The fluid conduit union recited in  claim 20  further comprising an L-shaped lock ring positioned around said first conduit attachment sub, said L-shaped lock ring slideably translatable on said first conduit attachment sub to abut said radially extending flange of said first conduit attachment sub. 
     
     
         22 . The fluid conduit union recited in  claim 21  wherein said rotatable gear is comprised of first and second adjoining gears, said radially extending teeth of said adjoining first and second gears being offset from each other. 
     
     
         23 . The fluid conduit union recited in  claim 22  further comprising a plurality of spacer bars mounted between said first and second spaced apart ring plates. 
     
     
         24 . A fluid conduit union comprising:
 a) a first conduit attachment sub attached to a first fluid conduit, said first conduit attachment sub having with a stabbing end with a radially extending flange;   b) a second conduit attachment sub attached to a second fluid conduit, said second conduit attachment sub having a flange seat and a plurality of external threads;   c) a cylindrical ring-shaped collar translatably positioned around said first conduit attachment sub, said cylindrical ring-shaped collar having a plurality of internal threads threadedly engagable with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub;   d) an L-shaped lock ring positioned between said first conduit attachment sub and said ring-shaped collar, said L-shaped lock ring being slideably translatable on said first conduit attachment sub whereby rotation of ring-shaped collar will threadedly engage said internal threads of said ring-shaped collar with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub said to translate said I shaped lock ring to abut said radially extending flange and seat said stabbing end of said first conduit attachment sub against said flange seat of said second conduit attachment sub;   e) first and second spaced apart ring plates translatably positioned around said second conduit attachment sub, said first and second held in a spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spacer bars;   f) a rotatable lock ring positioned between said first and second spaced apart ring plates, said lock ring having a plurality of equally spaced gear teeth on its outer radial surface and a plurality of internal threads threadedly engagable with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub; and   g) a plurality of rotatable gear drive shafts mounted between said first and second spaced apart ring plates around said rotatable lock ring, each said gear drive shaft having a drive gear with a plurality of radially extending teeth on its outer radial surface in rotatable engagement with said spaced gear teeth of said rotatable lock ring whereby rotation of said rotatable gear drive shafts gears will rotate said rotatable lock ring to threadedly engage said internal threads of said lock ring with said plurality of external threads of said second conduit attachment sub and translate said rotatable lock ring on said second conduit attachment sub to engage and hold said ring-shaped collar on said first conduit attachment sub.   
     
     
         25 . The fluid conduit union recited in  claim 24  wherein said drive gear is comprised of first and second adjoining drive gears, said gear teeth of said adjoining first and second drive gears being offset from each other.