GB2032035A

GB2032035A - Pipes having a connecting end formation

Info

Publication number: GB2032035A
Application number: GB7933029A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MOTAPRODUCTS AUTOMOTIVE Ltd
Current assignee: MOTAPRODUCTS AUTOMOTIVE Ltd
Priority date: 1978-09-23
Filing date: 1979-09-24
Publication date: 1980-04-30
Also published as: GB2032035B

Abstract

A pipe 16 for example a vehicle brake pipe, having a connecting formation 17 at one end designed to cooperate with any one of a number of different forms of connecting formation on another pipe or other component, for example with an identical formation or a conventional formation 14, 15 having an outer end face of convex or concave form. The formation is constituted by a radially outwardly projecting flange having a generally convex outer end face comprising an intermediate annular part 19 of planar form and perpendicular to the pipe axis A and inner and outer annular parts 21, 20 of frusto-conical form adjoining the intermediate part. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in pipes This invention relates to pipes for conveying liquids or gases.

In particular the invention is concerned with a connecting formation provided at an end of such a pipe and adapted to co-operate, on connection of the pipe to a component having a passage to communicate with the passage in the pipe, with a connecting formation on the component thereby to provide a liquid- or gas-tight connection of the passages. The said component may be another pipe, the two pipes being connected together by a coupling which exerts a clamping action on the co-operating connecting formations to urge them into sealing engagement, or a part of a connector which connects the pipe to, for example, a tank or other vessel or a manifold and similarly clamps the co-operating connecting formations together.

The invention has been devised in relation to pipes for incorporation in hydraulic braking systems of vehicles and the following description will therefore be confined to this application of the invention. However, it is to be understood that there is no limitation in this regard as the invention is also applicable to pipes for other uses.

Two forms of connecting formations are used in conventional brake pipes, both being formed by shaping an end portion of the pipe to provide the pipe with an outwardly projecting end flange. In one form the flange has an outer end face of convex form and in the other form the flange has an outer end face of concave form. In vehicle braking systems there are pipes connected together by couplings which clamp their cooperating connecting formations together, and pipes connected to hoses and hydraulic cylinders by connectors which likewise clamp the cooperating connecting formations together.

Commercially available brake pipes and connectors have pre-formed connecting formations of the two different forms described above, and as a formation of one form can only be fitted to a formation of the other form problems arise in obtaining matching parts. These problems are aggravated by the fact that some pipe formations have metric dimensions and some have Imperial dimensions, and a connecting formation of one form with metric dimensions will not fit a connecting formation of the other form with Imperial dimensions.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form of pipe connecting formation which is such as to enable the pipe to be connected to a component having a connecting formation of any one of a number of different forms.

A particular aim of the invention is to overcome the above problem of brake pipes by providing a pipe connecting formation which is such that the pipe can be connected to a connector or other pipe having any one of a number of different connecting formations.

According to the invention, there is provided a pipe having at one end thereof a connecting formation constituted by an integral outwardly projecting flange having an outer end face which comprises an intermediate annular part and inner and outer annular parts adjoining the intermediate part, the three parts being concentric with the pipe, at least a portion of the intermediate part being of planar form and disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and the outer and inner annular parts each being of frusto-conical or part-spherical form.

In the case of a brake pipe having a connecting formation of this form, the pipe can be connected to (a) another pipe having a conventional connecting formation with a convex outer end face, said face being engaged by the portion of the outer end face of the formation between the intermediate part and the inner part, (b) another pipe having a conventional formation with a concave outer end face, this face being engaged by the intermediate part of the outer end face of the formation, (c) another pipe having a formation of the same form, the planar portions of the intermediate parts of the outer end faces of the two formations being in face-to-face contact, and (d) a connector having a conventional formation with either a convex or a concave outer end face.

Preferably the inner and outer parts of the outer end face of a connecting formation of a pipe according to the invention are each of frustoconical form. The angle of taper of the outer part may # may be in the range of 60--900, preferably 700 + 30. The angle of taper of the inner part is preferably 900 + 30.

Preferably the intermediate part is wholly planar.

The inner, annular face of the flange adjoining the outer periphery of the pipe may be of frustoconical form.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through one form of brake pipe connecting formation embodying the invention connected to a conventional form of brake pipe connecting formation having a concave outer end face, and FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through a conventional form of brake pipe connecting formation having a convex end face.

Referring first to Figure 2, this shows a hollow cylindrical metal pipe 10 having a conventional connecting formation formed by deforming or flaring an end portion thereof outwardly to provide an outwardly projecting flange 11 having an annular convex outer end face 12. The connecting formation shown in Figure 2 has Imperial dimensions and these are different from the metric dimensions of a conventional formation of the same form.

Figure 1 shows a similar brake pipe 13 having a conventional connecting formation constituted by an outwardly projecting flange 14 with a concave outer end face 1 5. This is formed by first flaring an end portion of the pipe to produce a formation of the form shown in Figure 2 and then deforming the flange inwardly in the axial direction of the pipe. The formation in this case has identical Imperial and metric dimensions.

Figure 1 also shows a brake pipe 16 having a connecting formation 17 according to the invention which has been produced in a similar manner to the conventional formation shown in Figure 1, i.e. by first flaring an end portion of the pipe and then deforming the resultant flange inwardly in the axial direction. The formation is constituted by an outwardly projecting flange 18 having an outer end face which comprises an annular intermediate part 19 concentric with the pipe, this part being planar and disposed in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis A of the pipe, and annular outer and inner parts 20 and 21 also concentric with the pipe and adjoining the intermediate part, the outer part being of frustoconical form with an angle of taper of 700 + 30 and the inner part being of frusto-conical form with an angle of taper of 900 + 30.

The annular inner face 22 of the flange is of frusto-conical form and parallel to the inner part 21 of the outer end face. A short face 23 of cylindrical form concentric with the pipe interconnects the inner face 22 and the outer part 20 of the outer end face.

A pipe with the form of connecting formation 17 shown in Figure 1 can be connected to (a) another pipe having an identical connecting formation, the intermediate parts 19 of the outer end faces of the two formations being in face-toface contact, (b) a pipe having a connecting formation of the form shown in Figure 2 with Imperial dimensions, the convex outer end face 12 of the latter being contacted by the corner formed between the inner part 21 and the intermediate part 1 9 of the outer end face of the formation 1 7, (c) a pipe having a formation as in (b) but with metric dimensions, the convex face likewise being engaged by the corner between the parts 19 and 21, and (d) a pipe having a connecting formation of the form shown in Figure 1, the concave outer end face 1 5 of the latter being contacted by the intermediate part 1 9 of the outer end face of the formation 17.In all these cases the two pipes are connected together by a coupling comprising two complementarily screw threaded parts which embrace the end portions of the pipes and, when screwed together, clamp the two formations together with their relevant faces in sealing engagement.

Figure 1 shows such a coupling connecting together the two pipes illustrated therein. This coupling comprises a hollow bolt 30 having a hexagonal head (not shown) and a stem 13 which is externally screw-threaded except for its free end portion 32 which is plain and of a reduced diameter, the bolt having a bore 33 of circular cross section and of a diameter slightly greater than that of the pipes extending right through the head and stem. The end portion 32 of the bolt stem has a frusto-conical face 34 for engagement with the inner face 22 of the formation 1 7 of the pipe 16.The coupling also comprises a hollow sleeve 35 having a bore of circular cross section, the bore section, the bore comprising a portion 36 of a diameter slightly greater than that of the pipes, a portion 37 which is screw-threaded for cooperation with the screw-threaded portion of the stem 31 of the bolt, and an intermediate frusto-conical portion 38 for engagement with the annular inner face 24 of the formation 14 of the pipe 13 which is also of frusto-conical form. On tightening of the coupling by relative turning of the bolt 30 and sleeve 35, the action of the faces 34 and 38 on the two formations 17 and 14 clamps the latter together.

A pipe with a formation 1 7 of the form shown in Figure 1 can also be connected to a brake hose or hydraulic cylinder by a screw connector having a part provided with a connecting formation to cooperate with the formation 17 irrespective of whether the formation of the connector is of the same form as the formation 17 or either of the conventional forms shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In all cases there is no problem of matching two components from a range of different components.

Claims

1. A pipe having at one end thereof a connecting formation constituted by an integral outwardly projecting flange having an outer end face which comprises an intermediate annular part and inner and outer annular parts adjoining the intermediate part, the three parts being concentric with the pipe, at least a portion of the intermediate part being of planar form and disposed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and the outer and inner annular parts each being of frusto-conical or part-spherical form.

2. A pipe as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the inner and outer parts of the outer end face of the connecting formation are both of frusto-conical form.

3. A pipe as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the angle of taper of the outer part is in the range of 6O#900.

4. A pipe as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the angle of taper of the inner part is 700 + 30.

5. A pipe as claimed in Claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the angle of taper of the inner part is 900 + 3'.

6. A pipe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the intermediate part of the outer end face of the connecting formation is wholly planar.

7. A pipe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner, annular face of the flange constituting the connecting formation is of frusto-conical form.

8. A pipe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the connecting formation is formed by first flaring an end portion of the pipe outwardly to provide an outwardly projecting flange having an annular convex outer end face and then deforming the flange inwardly in the axial direction of the pipe.

9. A pipe as claimed in Claim 1 having a connecting formation substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.