CN101166929A - Pipe clamp with gasketed center rib - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe clamp for connecting pipe ends together to form a gas tight seal. The clamp includes an open band, tightening mechanism, split sealing sleeve, and inner gasket. The band extends circumferentially from a first end to a second end and has a pair of axial ends. The band includes a radially protruding rib located inwardly of the axial ends, and this rib extends at least part way between the first and second ends. The split sleeve is disposed within the band and is located at least within the rib. The gasket is disposed radially within the sleeve such that it is located at least partially within the rib. Each of the pipe ends can have a protruding bead and the clamp can be placed over the two pipe ends during assembly such that the beads engage the gasket within the center rib region of the band.

Description

Pipe clamp including center rib with spacer

technical field

The present invention relates generally to pipe clamps, and in particular to pipe clamps and pipe couplings for joining pipe or other tubular objects together in a telescopic or end-to-end manner.

Background technique

Automotive exhaust systems typically include a tube or duct assembly for conveying engine exhaust gases. Each pipe member is connected to other pipe members to form a complete exhaust system assembly. Typically, such connections are usually either telescopic connections or end-to-end proximity connections. To be effective, the connections formed between these fittings should have a suitable fluid seal to prevent exhaust gas leakage. This connection should also have high mechanical strength and be removable for possible maintenance and repair.

In exhaust systems where pipe components are joined axially in an end-to-end connection, pipe couplings are commonly used. Conventional pipe couplings include bands that are generally circular and terminate in opposing flanges that can be brought together or loosened by fastening components or other fastening mechanisms. Reaction means may be provided between the flanges to evenly distribute the tangential forces exerted on the tube when the band is tightened. Typically, such pipe couplings include an inner split sealing sleeve having mating circumferential ends that engage each other when tightened to create a gas seal. Such an embodiment with a split sealing sleeve is disclosed in US Patent No. 6,758,501, issued July 6, 2004. Ribbed tube couplings are described in US Patent No. 6,877,780, issued April 12, 2005. The entire contents of the above two patents are incorporated herein by reference.

Contents of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a pipe ferrule for connecting two pipes or other tubular bodies, said pipe ferrule comprising an unsealed band, fastening means, a split sealing sleeve and an inner gasket. The band extends circumferentially from a first end to a second end and has a pair of axial ends. The band includes a radially raised rib located inwardly of the axial end, and the radially raised rib extends at least partially between the first end and the second end. The fastening device is connected to the band, and the first end and the second end are pulled together and separated by tightening and loosening of the band. The split sleeve is located within the band and at least within the rib. The spacer is located axially within the sleeve such that the spacer is at least partially within the rib.

The pipe collar can be used in combination with telescoping or adjoining pipe end structures. Preferably, the tube end has a raised circumferential bead, and when the tube end and clamp are assembled together, the tube end and bead fit together under the gasket and fit in the inside the rib of the band hoop. In one embodiment, the ferrule uses a single bolt fastening member that is axially centered to the rib of the ferrule. In another embodiment, a fastening device with double bolts is used, wherein the double bolts are each located on opposite axial sides of the central rib.

Description of drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals represent the same elements, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pipe clip constructed according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pipe clamp of Figure 1 aligned with a pair of telescoping pipe ends for fitting over the pipe ends;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pipe clip of Figure 1 loosely fitted to the end of the pipe;

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along a horizontal plane extending through the axis of the pipe clamp and pipe end assembled in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pipe coupling constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is another perspective view of the pipe coupler of Figure 5, wherein the pipe coupler is aligned with a pair of telescoping pipe ends for fitting over the pipe ends;

Figure 7 is a perspective view opposite to that shown in Figure 6, and shows an alternative embodiment of the pipe coupling shown in Figure 5, wherein the pipe coupling includes notches that align with the pipe ends. Buttons are aligned to provide relative rotational orientation of the pipe ends to the pipe clamp;

Figure 8 is the same perspective view as shown in Figure 6, except that the pipe coupling is loosely mounted on the pipe end;

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the pipe coupling shown in Fig. 5, showing various components of the pipe coupling;

Figures 10 and 11 are enlarged partial cross-sectional views showing alternative embodiments of the gasket, sleeve, and band of the pipe coupling with the relative dimensions of the center rib of the pipe coupling and the bead on the pipe end space between pipe ends is allowed;

Figure 12 is a side view showing the configuration of the tube end, wherein the locking pin and notch arrangement is used to angularly position the tube ends together when assembled, while the button is used to position the tube clamp relative to the tube end;

Figure 13 is a top view of a pair of tube ends showing the tube locking pins protruding from Figure 12 to notches on the connecting tubes;

Fig. 14 is the same side view as shown in Fig. 12, only including a button to enable the positioning of the pipe clamp relative to one of the pipe ends without defining the angular orientation of the other pipe ends;

Figure 15 is a side view of an alternative tube end construction using two buttons for engaging the tube clamp to set the relative orientation of the components, without the use of the detents and notches on the tube end ;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a pipe clip of the present invention constructed in accordance with a third embodiment;

Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view of the pipe clip shown in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of a pipe coupling constructed according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 19 is a top view of a complete ring gasket for use in the embodiment shown in Figures 16-18;

Figure 20 is a side view of the spacer shown in Figure 19; and,

Figure 21 is an enlarged view of a detail of the axial end of the gasket shown in Figure 19 .

Detailed ways

The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, including pipe clamps and pipe couplings that may be used in the exhaust system of a vehicle engine. As the specification has described, it should be understood that the present invention can be used in many different applications and realized in a wide variety of embodiments. For example, the invention can be used not only for pipe clamps clamped around overlapping pipes connected in a telescoping fashion, but also for pipe couplers secured around adjoining pipes connected in an end-to-end connection. The term "pipe clamp" as used herein generally refers to pipe couplings and pipe clamps. Furthermore, the terms "axially", "angularly" and "radially" refer to directions relative to the cylindrical tubular shape of the illustrated pipe coupling and pipe clamp, thus "axial direction" is along the direction of the tubular shape. The axis extends, "radial direction" is extending radially away from the axis, and "angularly" refers to the position of various points on the circumference of the "pipe clamp".

Referring to accompanying drawings 1-4, the pipe clamp 10 is designed to firmly join two telescopically connected pipes together, thereby establishing a contact surface without gas leakage, and the pipe clamp 10 generally includes: a band 20, a fastening device 22, casing 24 and gasket 26. Band 20 is a thin flat metal strip forming an open loop and includes a main body portion 30 . The main body portion 30 has a pair of opposing flanges 32 and 34 at each end. When tightening the pipe clips, the fastening device 22 is used to bring the flanges 32 and 34 together so that the entire pipe clip assembly is tightened around a pair of pipe ends. Similar to band 20, sleeve 24 and spacer 26 are also flat belt components in the form of split loops, and these components are sized such that spacer 26 fits within sleeve 24 and sleeve 24 fits within band 20. . It should be understood that while the particular embodiment shown herein includes the components described above, other components may be added to or removed from the pipe clip 10 to suit the particular application in which the pipe clip is used.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the band 20 is designed to surround the telescopic connection of the tubes A and B circumferentially. The main body portion 30 includes a radially raised central rib 40 , a pair of annular side walls 42 and 44 , and a pair of transition portions 46 and 48 . Central rib 40 is bounded by annular sidewalls 42 and 44 and transition portions 46 and 48 and surrounds body portion 30 circumferentially with a uniform axial width. The axial width of the central rib 40 may be substantially larger or smaller than that shown in this embodiment, depending on the particular application in which the pipe clamp is used. The central rib 40 terminates circumferentially at each end of a transition portion 46 and 48 that tapers toward the main body portion 30 . The central rib 40 is designed to conform and cooperate with a pair of circumferential ribs or beads 60 and 62 located near the ends of the tubes A and B. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, preferably, beads 60 and 62 are located inwardly at the ends of tubes A and B, respectively. The width of the central rib 40 is selected according to the location of the beads 60 and 60 relative to the two tube ends, among other factors, so that the beads can be located within the central rib when the tube ends are brought together in the coaxial telescoping position. . This is shown in FIG. 3 , where the pipe ends are located in the loosened pipe clamp 10 in a telescopic connection.

Flanges 32 and 34 are integral parts of opposite ends of band 20 and are folded back away from each other to form a pair of radially raised rings 70 and 72 each having inner and outer legs . Each inner strut includes opposed profiled abutment surfaces 74 and 76 that engage opposite sides of the fastening device component. As best seen in FIG. 1 , the formed abutment surfaces 74 and 76 are shaped and sized to engage complementary formed portions of the fastening device 22 . Similarly, each flanged outer leg includes an opposing shaped abutment surface 78 and 80 for mating with various components of the fastening device 22 . When the fastening device 22 is tightened, the outwardly biased flanges 32 and 34 come together so that the plurality of contoured abutment surfaces 74-80 of the flanges mate with corresponding surfaces of the fastening device, as will be described in more detail below. .

The fastening device 22 generally includes a formed reaction member 90, a semi-circular rear plate 92, a combination of nut and bolt fastening members 94 and 96, and utilizes a single bolt construction to maintain the clamp 10 in a fastened position. Reaction member 90 generally has a double-lobed configuration and, when fastening device 22 is tightened, reaction member 90 fits between abutment surfaces 74 and 76 such that aperture 100 lines up with apertures 98 , 102 , 104 . The semicircular rear plate 92 usually adopts a semi-cylindrical shape, which refers to the shape of a cylinder cut in half by a plane passing through the central axis of the cylinder, and the semicircular rear plate 92 includes a plane 108 and a formed adjoining surface 110 . The contoured abutment surface 110 contacts and mates with the abutment surface 80 of the flange 34 , however, the nuts and bolts are interchangeable so that the surface 110 can contact the surface 78 on the flange 32 . The bolt 96 is preferably a T-bolt having a semi-circular head 112 extending axially to distribute the fastening load through the flange, and the bolt 96 preferably has a shank extending through the holes 98-104. 114. As shown in the embodiment of the pipe coupling shown in FIGS. 5-9 , the reaction member 90 and/or the semicircular back plate 92 can be provided with a recessed portion to accommodate the central rib 40 . In addition, the notched portion has a depth selected according to the height of the central rib 40 so that when the bolt is sufficiently tightened, the reaction member and/or rear plate engage the central rib and provide a radially inward force to Aids in locking down sleeves and gaskets on pipe ends. The nut 94 is tightened against the rear plate 92 (with or without washers) distributing the tightening force through the axial width of the flange 34 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other fastening arrangements may also be used, including those that do not utilize reaction components.

Sleeve 24 is preferably an open annular member designed to sit within central rib 40 and receive spacer 26 , and includes mating ends 120 and 122 , and tapered side walls 124 and 126 . The circumferential separation of the mating ends 120 and 122 is chosen such that when the pipe clamp 10 is sufficiently fastened to the pipe end, the two mating ends almost engage each other but still leave a distance of eg 1-20 mm between them. Sleeve 24 has a shape and size complementary to central rib 40 and is held between tapered side walls 42 and 44; row together. Although the sleeve 24 is shown here as having largely the same width as the central rib 40, it is also possible to provide the sleeve 24 with an axial width greater than the width of the band 20 itself. This results in sleeve 24 having one or more side walls that project outwardly and away from band 20 . Sleeve 24 may also have a smaller width than that shown relative to the width of band 20 . To position the sleeve 24 in a desired rotational position within the band 20, the sleeve may include a detent (not shown) that aligns with a notch or opening (not shown) in the band. out). Other known or recently developed structures for aligning these components can be used. Additionally, other types of mating end configurations may be used, such as the tongue and groove configuration disclosed in the aforementioned US Patent No. 6,758,501.

(来自于Flexitallic公司，公司网址www.flexitallic.com)、不锈钢、或其它的衬垫方法，例如使用径向地从其表面向内延伸的密封卷边形成的薄钢。可以将垫片26定位于套管24内，从而使得垫片的配合端134和136成角度地偏移于套管的配合端120和122，并且在一些情况下改善了管夹的气体密封性。垫片或者通过由于其自身弹性而产生的向外“弹力”而附着于套管内，或者通过粘合剂、锁销或者其他机械连接方式而确定地连接于套管。此外，尽管在图中示出的垫片占据了整个中心肋区域，但是垫片26还可以在轴向上变短或者轴向地延伸到肋区域的外面。Gasket 26 is preferably an open-ring member of a relatively soft material and fits within sleeve 24, being compressed during tightening to form a relatively satisfactory seal between tubes A and B. The embodiment shown here has a consistent axial width and thickness and is designed to be received between sleeve sidewalls 124 and 126 . Spacer 26 preferably includes straight mating ends 134 and 136, and a circumferentially separated portion such that mating ends 134 and 136 are barely engaged when pipe clamp 10 is sufficiently tightened. The mating ends 134 and 136 may also be tapered to allow for a slight overlap at the ends without (substantially) increasing the thickness of the shim at the overlap. Due to the relatively soft nature of the gaskets, when a sufficient fastening force is applied to mating ends 134 and 136, they flow into each other to fill any gaps therebetween. Of course, other mating end configurations could be employed, including tongue and groove configuration mating ends such as those used for the gaskets shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 , 7 and 9 . Various suitable gasket materials are known to those skilled in the art, including fiberglass, graphite-based materials (e.g. graphite with iron embedded), vermiculite,

(from Flexitallic, Inc., www.flexitallic.com ), stainless steel, or other gasketing methods, such as thin steel formed using sealing beads extending radially inwardly from its surface. Spacer 26 may be positioned within sleeve 24 such that mating ends 134 and 136 of the spacer are angularly offset from mating ends 120 and 122 of the sleeve and, in some cases, improve the gas tightness of the clamp. . The spacer is either attached inside the sleeve by an outward "spring force" due to its own elasticity, or is positively attached to the sleeve by adhesive, detents, or other mechanical attachment means. Furthermore, although the spacers are shown in the figures to occupy the entire central rib area, the spacers 26 could also be shortened axially or extend axially outside the rib area.

Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 , once the clamp 10 is tightened, the sidewalls 42 and 44 of the central rib 40 constrainingly retain the sleeve 24 , spacer 26 and beads 60 and 62 within the confines of the central rib. This provides enhanced pull-apart strength to the clamps on non-ribbed couplings and clamps. The height of the central rib 40 and beads 60, 62 on the tube end can be selected as desired or desired for a particular application; however, preferably, the height is large enough to provide the desired amount of pull strength, but not so large Difficulties arise when fitting the pipe ends in loose couplings. According to acceptable tolerances during production and design requirements, the axial width of the central rib 40 can be made to be slightly shorter than the width of the interval between the curls 60 and 62 when the pipe ends are in telescopic connection, so that at the pipe ends Sidewalls 42 and 44 are engaged with beads 60 and 62, respectively, during a period in which the fastening force of 20 becomes axially compressive contact for helping to further seal the connection. As an option, the width of the central rib 40 can be greater than the minimum axial length for accommodating the beads 60 and 62 so that the tube ends may have axial spacing within the central rib. The beads 60 and 62 can be made to expand radially towards the tube itself, or the beads 60 and 62 can be welded or a separate part bonded to the tube part.

5-11 disclose a second embodiment in the form of a pipe coupling 200 comprising a band 202 , a fastening device 204 , a split sealing sleeve 206 and an internal gasket 208 . Band 202 is an unenclosed band including a cylindrical body portion 210 and a pair of opposing flanges 214 and 216 . Flanges 214 and 216 extend from the body portion to form a ring at their radially outermost portions. The fastening device 204 is used to bring the flanges 214 and 216 together when fastening the coupling on a pair of adjoining pipe ends A and B. The split sealing sleeve 206 is disposed radially within the band 202 and includes a pair of mating circumferential ends 222 and 224 that engage each other and form a seal when the band is tightened. The mating ends 222 and 224 of the split sealing sleeve 206 are angularly offset from the flanges 214 and 216 such that when the mating ends are brought together during tightening of the band, a gas seal is formed at the mating ends.

Band 202 and split seal sleeve 206 each include radially raised central ribs 230 and 232 . Central ribs 230 and 232 are defined by a pair of tapering side walls 234 and 236, respectively. Sidewalls 234 and 236 each extend radially outwardly and slightly axially toward each other. Extending between the sidewalls 234 and 236 of the central rib are respective cylindrical tubular members 238 and 240 having a uniform diameter and having an overall axial length of approximately three inches of the coupling 200. One-third of the axial length. The axial length of the radially raised center ribs 230 and 232 can be substantially larger or smaller than the above-mentioned dimensions, depending on the particular application in which the coupling is used. The central rib is designed to cooperate with a pair of beads 250 and 252 at the ends of tubes A and B joined together. As shown in Figure 6, these beads are located inwardly at each tube end. FIG. 7 shows the opposite side of the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 6 . The width of the central ribs 230 and 232 is selected according to the position of the crimps 250 and 252 relative to the ends of the tubes A and B so that when the tube ends are abutted together axially, end-to-end, the crimps The edges are all within the central rib. As shown in Figure 8, where the tube ends are in abutting contact within the loosened coupling.

The engagement of the pipe coupler 200 with the crimps 250 and 252 on the pipe ends is in the same manner as described above with reference to the pipe clamp 10 . That is, once the coupler 200 is secured, the sidewalls 234 and 236 of the central ribs 230 and 232 constrainingly hold the beads 250 and 252 within the confines of the central rib. This provides the coupler with increased pull-off strength over couplers without ribs. Apart from this, other considerations for the center rib and pipe bead described above with reference to the first embodiment also apply to the pipe coupling 200 as well.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the coupler components. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 9, the mating ends 222 and 224 of the split seal sleeve 206 define a tongue and groove seal that utilizes A fixed width (non-tapering) central tongue 260 and also utilizes a complementary groove or notch 262 at the other mating end 224 of the sleeve. The circumferential spacing of the mating ends 222 and 224 is selected so that the two mating ends are nearly joined together once the coupler is sufficiently secured on the pipe end. It will be appreciated that the sleeve 206 may also have the same axial boundaries as the axial length of the band 202 , although the axial length of the sleeve can be larger or smaller than the band 202 itself. For example, the bushing may be fully seated within central rib 230 and have nearly the same configuration as spacer 208 shown in FIG. 9 . Other features and alternative configurations (eg, those described above with reference to the first embodiment bushing 24 ) are equally possible for the bushing 206 .

Gasket 208 is designed so that it fits within central rib 232 of split seal sleeve 206 when the coupling is sufficiently tightened, thereby providing a gas seal between the two tube ends. To this end, the gasket 208 of the illustrated embodiment has an axial width approximately equal to the axial width of the central rib 232 and includes an angled lip 268 at each axial end so that when the gasket is When inserted into the sleeve, the two axial lips bear against the side wall 236 of the sealing sleeve. Similar to the bushing, the gasket includes a mating end having a tongue and groove configuration, wherein a groove 272 is defined at one mating end by the circumferential extension of the gasket's two axial ends (lips) 268, A tongue 270 is then defined at the other mating end by the circumferential extension of the central portion of the gasket. Other end configurations for gaskets may be used. For example, as shown in Figure 12 in the aforementioned US Patent No. 6,877,780, the spacers can have straight ends that at least slightly overlap each other when the strap is tightened.

The gasket 208 in the embodiment shown in Figures 5-9 is aligned with the split sealing sleeve 206 such that the gasket's tongue 270 overlies the sleeve's tongue 260. However, the gasket 208 may alternatively be located within the sleeve 206 such that the mating end of the gasket is angularly offset from the mating end of the sealing sleeve, as described above with reference to the first embodiment. The gasket material itself and other features of the gasket 208 may be the same as the gasket 26 of the first embodiment.

Figures 10 and 11 are cross-sectional structural views of the pipe coupling, in which the spacer 280 extends the full axial width of the rib 282 of the sleeve, but excludes the axial end lip. Furthermore, it should also be noted that in this embodiment, the axial width of the rib 282 is greater than the width of the two beads required to accommodate the tube ends, which in this case allows for a 5 mm spacing between the tube ends.

The fastening device 204 can have the same basic structure as the fastening device 22 of the first embodiment except as described below. Thus, the fastening means 204 includes a reaction member 284 , a semi-circular rear plate 286 and a pair of nut and bolt fastening members 288 which pass through holes in the flanges 214 , 216 and the reaction member 284 . The flange itself comprises integral portions of opposite ends of the band 202 bent in half away from each other to define a pair of radially raised rings. This allows each flange to have an inner leg and an outer leg, and as shown, the central rib 230 extends to the lower (radially inner) portion of each leg. Flanges 214 and 216 include opposing abutment surfaces on their inner legs, and when the band is tightened, these abutment surfaces engage opposite sides of reaction member 284 therebetween. The nut is tightened (by a washer) against the back plate 286 which distributes the tightening force along the axial width of the flange. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other fastening arrangements may also be used, including fastening arrangements that do not utilize reaction components.

9, to accommodate the respective central ribs 230 and 232 of the strap 202 and the sealing sleeve 206, both the reaction member 284 and the semicircular rear plate 286 include central depressions, or notched portions 290 and 292, as shown in FIG. . These notches allow the aforementioned components to fit over the central rib 230, thus eliminating the need to increase the height of the flange. This simplifies the outline of the coupling as a whole. As shown in Figure 5, the bolts have semicircular T-bolt heads 294 that extend axially toward the central rib 230 to distribute the fastening load through the flange, but these heads terminate at the central rib, Therefore there is no mutual interference between the head and the central rib. The notch depth of the reaction member 284 and/or the notch depth of the rear plate 286 can be selected according to the height of the central rib 230 so that when the bolt is sufficiently tightened, the reaction member and/or rear plate engage the central rib and Provides a radially inward force to help lock the sleeve and gasket on the tube end.

One advantage of the two-bolt fastening 204 over the single-bolt construction 22 presented in the first embodiment is that the bolts apply their maximum belt tension to each side of the central ribs 230 and 232, thus The axially inward location of the bead (rather than at the bead itself) provides better clamping pressure against the tube end. This helps to provide a good tube end gas seal and improves pull strength.

For applications where it is necessary or desirable to control the insertion depth of the tube end, and/or to set one or both (or mutual) rotational orientations of the tube relative to the coupler, the coupler 200 includes notch 296 on the tube end to engage with a corresponding button 298 on the end of the tube. An example of this approach is shown in FIG. 7 , and FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment that includes all the features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 , 6 , 8 , and 9 . The construction of the buttons and notches and their use are fully described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0099001 A1, which was published on May 12, 2005 and assigned to the applicant of this provisional application. The entire contents of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0099001 A1 are incorporated herein by reference. With or without the latch, button and notch features of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0099001 A1 can be used; alternatively, the latch can be used as disclosed in the above published application and buttons without any need for coupling and bushing notches. Other methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

12-15 illustrate various telescoping tube end configurations that can be used to provide a desired alignment of the tube ends with each other and/or with the ferrule. As shown in FIG. 12 , tube end A includes a reduced diameter male portion 302 extending from the end surface of tube A to a radially extending bead 304 . Male portion 302 includes a notch 306 extending axially from the end surface of tube A. As shown in FIG. Tube end B includes a radially inwardly projecting detent 308 along a radially outwardly extending bead 310 interposed axially between detent 308 and the surface of the tube B end. Notches 306 and detents 308 are sized to interfit, as shown, to fix the relative angular orientation of the two tubes. The locking pin and notch structure is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 . The tube end A further comprises a radially raised button 312 such as the same button 298 shown in FIG. 7 . As mentioned above, the button 312 can be used in conjunction with a pin or notch on the ferrule to help place the ferrule at the junction of the two pipe ends. 13 is an end view of notch 306 engaged with detent 308 showing that detent 308 can protrude inwardly from male portion 302 a distance.

In Fig. 14, this approach does not use notches and detents, just the button 312, and this configuration allows the ferrule to be oriented on pipe end A without restricting the relative angular orientation of pipe end B. Figure 15 depicts a structure in which a second button 314 is used, which may be used with a ferrule as shown in Figure 7, or with components such as the latch shown in the aforementioned US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0099001 A1 use. The position of the button relative to the pipe end can vary depending on the specific needs of the application and whether a pipe ferrule with one bolt or two bolts is used. At this point, it is worth noting that although a two-bolt pipe clamp can be used as a pipe coupling to join two adjoining pipe ends together, it can also be used for The overlapping (stretching) connections shown. An advantage of a telescoping connection with the disclosed gasketed ferrule is that, in vehicle exhaust applications, this configuration allows the use of graphite gaskets without the need for direct exposure of the graphite material to exhaust gases.

A third embodiment 318 is shown in Figures 16 and 17, in which the pipe clamp may be constructed according to the first embodiment 10, except that: (1) the terminating end of the folded-back portion of the band has a notch to accommodate the center rib, wherein said terminating end defines a flange; (2) a split sealing sleeve does not use a tongue and groove mating end, but has a pair of upwardly facing flanges at its axial end to secure it remain in place within the band; and (3) the gasket is a complete ring (annulus) rather than an unclosed ring. Pipe clamp 318 includes unenclosed band 320 , fastening device 322 , split sealing sleeve 324 and gasket 326 . Like the first embodiment, the unenclosed band includes a main body portion 330 and a pair of flanges 332 and 334 extending integrally through the main body portion 330 to form the flanges 332 and 334, wherein the main body portion 330 extends radially inwardly and outwardly to a pair of respective Rings 336 and 338, where body portion 330 is folded upon itself to form inner and outer struts. The outer struts 340 and 342 each have a terminating end 344 and 346 in the form of a notch sized to accommodate the central rib 348 of the strap 320 . The remainder of the strap 320 and the fastening means 322 can be the same as described above in relation to the first embodiment.

The split sealing sleeve 324 is an unclosed ring comprising a central rib 350 extending axially between a pair of side walls 352 extending radially inwardly from the central rib and terminating in the short shaft of the sleeve. to paragraph 354. A radially outwardly projecting edge 356 extends from the axial segment 354 and defines the axial boundary of the sleeve. At each axial end of sleeve 324 , sidewall 352 , axial segment 354 , and edge 356 collectively define a groove 358 for retaining the sleeve within band 320 . In particular, the main body portion 330 of the band 320 includes an axial extension 360 on either side of the central rib 348 and the groove 358 snaps to the extension 360 when the sleeve 324 is inserted into the band 320 . This mating relationship can be seen at 362 in FIG. 16 . The unclosed loop configuration of sleeve 324 is defined by a pair of mating ends 364 and 366, which in this embodiment are straight axially extending ends; however, a tongue and groove connection or other engagement Constructs can be used instead.

Figure 18 shows a fourth embodiment 400 in which the same strap 402 as the strap 202 in the second embodiment and the same fastening device 404 as the fastening device 204 in the second embodiment are used, whereas The difference is that the reaction device 484 and the rear plate 486 each have a pair of notches 492 instead of a single notch. Recesses 492 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the reaction components and the rear plate so that these components can be fitted to the strap 402 in either of at least two rotational positions. This helps to minimize misfitting and potential loss of grip performance of the hoop.

The pipe coupling 400 includes a split sealing sleeve 406 that fits completely within the center rib 430 of the band 402 . The sleeve 406 includes two side walls 436 forming a pocket in which the gasket 408 is seated. Spacer 408 is the same as the full ring spacer 326 of the third embodiment. 19-21 show further details of the shim 326 used in the third embodiment and the shim 408 used in the fourth embodiment. As mentioned above, the gasket is a complete (closed) ring of gasket material seated in a central rib or groove in the sealing sleeve. The gasket preferably includes a first bevel 470 on the outer surface of the two axial ends, and a second, smaller bevel 472 on the inner surface of the two axial ends. These are shown in the enlarged view shown in FIG. 21 . Gaskets can be made of flake graphite and preferably have a density of 70-130 lbs/cf (pounds per cubic foot), with 130 lbs/cf being preferably the maximum density at the desired full clamping pressure. More preferably, the aforementioned density is in the range of 73-110 lbs/cf. The higher end values of the density range allow larger clamping loads to be transferred through the shim. Suitable spacers are available from EGC Enterprises of Chardon, OH at www.egc-ent.com , or Coniston Profiles of Merseyside England at www. conistonprofiles.co.uk . Such spacers can also be used in combination with the first two embodiments.

Although the specific dimensions used for the pipe collar vary with the application, in a preferred embodiment of the exhaust pipe of a vehicle engine, the pipe end has a bead that protrudes from 1 mm to 1.5 mm from the pipe surface, and these The bead can be formed using, for example, segmentally expanded fingers for I/O processing. Band and bushing center ribs are 4mm deep and spacers are 3mm thick.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not the invention itself, but one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is only defined by the claims that follow. Furthermore, statements contained in the foregoing description refer to specific embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or limiting the terms used in the claims unless that term or wording is specifically defined above. Various other embodiments and various modifications and variations to the above-disclosed embodiment will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Various other embodiments, modifications and changes are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

When used in the specification and appended claims, when used in connection with an item or other item of one or more components, the terms "for example", "such as" and "such as", the verb "to comprise", "Has", "comprises" and their other verb forms are each to be considered indefinite, ie these terms are not considered to exclude other, additional elements or items. Other terms are to be interpreted using their broad reasonable meanings, unless the context requires a different interpretation.

Claims (13)

1. A pipe collar connecting two tubular bodies, comprising: a band extending circumferentially from a first end to a second end and having a pair of axial ends, the band including radially raised ribs located inwardly at the axial ends and extending at least partially over the between the first end and said second end; a fastening device, connected to the strap, to draw and separate the first end and the second end by tightening and loosening the strap; a split sleeve within said band and within at least said radially raised rib, said split sleeve extending circumferentially from a first mating end to a second mating end; and, A spacer is located axially within the split sleeve such that the spacer is at least partially within the radially raised rib. 2. The pipe collar of claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said band each include radially extending flanges, each of said flanges having a a pair of holes aligned in a row, the fastening means comprising a single nut and bolt fastening member and a back plate, the bolts extending through the aligned holes on the two flanges, and the back plate, And extend to the corresponding nut, so that the tightening of the nut on the bolt brings the flanges together through the back plate. 3. A pipe collar as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fastening means further comprises a reaction member located between said flanges. 4. The pipe collar of claim 2, wherein said bolt includes a bolt head and a shank, said bolt head and said rear plate extending a sufficient axial distance such that The flange distributes the force from the fastening means. 5. The pipe collar of claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said band include radially extending flanges, said flange being formed in an integral end portion of said band , each of said end portions is self-folding such that said flange has an inner leg and an outer leg. 6. The ferrule of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes a first mating end and a second mating end, the first mating end and the second mating end are circumferentially spaced such that when the tight When the securing device is fully tightened, the mating ends nearly engage each other, but do not substantially touch each other. 7. The pipe collar of claim 6, wherein the gasket includes a first mating end and a second mating end, the first mating end and the second mating end of the gasket being circumferentially spaced such that when When the fastening means is fully tightened, the mating ends nearly engage each other, but do not substantially overlap each other. 8. The ferrule of claim 1 wherein said radially raised rib, said sleeve and said spacer are all of generally the same axial width. 9. The pipe collar of claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said band include radially extending flanges, each of said flanges having a a pair of holes aligned in a row, said fastening means comprising a pair of nut and bolt fastening members and a back plate, said bolts extending through the aligned holes in said two flanges, and the back plate, and extends to the corresponding nuts so that the tightening of the nuts on the bolts brings the flanges together through the back plate; inside the notch. 10. The ferrule of claim 9, wherein said fastening means further comprises a reaction member located between said flanges, wherein said reaction member has a notch, said split sleeve at least partially inside the notch. 11. The pipe collar of claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said band include radially extending flanges, said flange being formed in an integral end portion of said band , each of said end portions is self-folding such that said flange has inner and outer legs; and said raised rib of said band extends at least to said inner and outer legs of each flange lower part of . 12. The ferrule of claim 1, wherein the gasket comprises a full ring of graphite material. 13. The ferrule of claim 12, wherein the gasket has a density in the range of 70-130 lbs/cf.

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