US-12624780-B2 - Mechanical joint restraint with wedge assemblies including collar bolts

US12624780B2US 12624780 B2US12624780 B2US 12624780B2US-12624780-B2

Abstract

A joint restraint assembly for a pipe, the joint restraint assembly including an annular body, and a wedge assembly received within an opening of a wedge housing of the annular body. The wedge assembly includes a bolt including a flange, and a low-friction material positioned between the flange and an interior surface of the wedge housing, which low-friction material is adapted to slidably engage the interior surface during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing. A wedge member is attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member. The wedge member is adapted to engage the pipe.

Inventors

Michael L. Lundstrom

Assignees

EBAA IRON, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20250204

Claims (20)

1 . A joint restraint assembly for a pipe, the joint restraint assembly comprising: an annular body comprising a wedge housing, the wedge housing comprising: a housing block; an opening extending from a radially interior surface of the annular body into at least a portion of the housing block; and an interior surface of the housing block, wherein the interior surface is defined by the opening and inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body; and a wedge assembly received within the opening of the wedge housing of the annular body, the wedge assembly comprising: a bolt comprising a flange; a low-friction material positioned between the flange and the interior surface of the housing block, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the housing block during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing; and a wedge member attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member, wherein the wedge member is adapted to engage the pipe.
2 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of wedge housings including the wedge housing, the plurality of wedge housings being distributed equally about the annular body; and a plurality of wedge assemblies including the wedge assembly, each of the plurality of wedge assemblies being received within a respective one of the plurality of wedge housings.
3 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a cap comprising the low-friction material and positioned on the flange, wherein a top portion of the cap is positioned on an upper surface of the flange adjacent the interior surface of the housing block.
4 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 3 , wherein the low-friction material comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) and/or nylon.
5 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 3 , wherein the cap further comprises a side portion extending from an outer radial edge of the top portion; wherein the side portion of the cap extends around an outer surface of the flange along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the flange; and wherein the side portion of the cap facilitates retention of the cap on the flange.
6 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 3 , wherein the bolt further comprises an upper portion extending above the upper surface of the flange opposite a lower portion of the bolt; wherein the wedge housing further comprises a hole extending through the interior surface of the housing block in communication with the opening of the wedge housing; and wherein the hole is sized such that the upper portion of the bolt extends through the hole and such that the flange is prevented from extending through the hole.
7 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 6 , wherein the cap further comprises a hole extending through the top portion; and wherein the cap is assembled onto the flange such that the upper portion of the bolt extends through the hole in the top portion of the cap and facilitates the retention of the cap on the flange.
8 . The joint restraint assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a coating comprising the low-friction material applied to an upper surface of the flange adjacent the interior surface of the housing block.
9 . A system, comprising: a joint restraint assembly, the joint restraint assembly comprising: an annular body comprising a wedge housing, the wedge housing comprising: a housing block; an opening extending from a radially interior surface of the annular body into at least a portion of the housing block; and an interior surface of the housing block, wherein the interior surface is defined by the opening and inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body; and a wedge assembly received within the opening of the wedge housing of the annular body, the wedge assembly comprising: a bolt comprising a flange; a low-friction material positioned between the flange and the interior surface of the housing block, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the housing block during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing; and a wedge member attached to the bolt so that the flange is positioned between at least a portion of the low-friction material and at least a portion of the wedge member; a first pipe received through the annular body of the joint restraint assembly; and a second pipe comprising an enlarged mouth and an annular flange formed at an end portion of the enlarged mouth; wherein a portion of the first pipe is received within the enlarged mouth of the second pipe; and wherein the annular body of the joint restraint assembly is attached to the annular flange of the second pipe via a plurality of fasteners.
10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising: a packing material positioned around the first pipe and within the enlarged mouth to facilitate sealing engagement of the first and second pipe.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the wedge assembly of the joint restraint assembly further comprises: a cap comprising the low-friction material and positioned on the flange of the bolt, wherein a top portion of the cap is positioned on an upper surface of the flange adjacent the interior surface of the housing block.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the cap further comprises a side portion extending from an outer radial edge of the top portion; wherein the side portion of the cap extends around an outer surface of the flange along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the flange; and wherein the side portion of the cap facilitates retention of the cap on the flange.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the bolt further comprises an upper portion extending above the upper surface of the flange opposite a lower portion of the bolt; wherein the wedge housing further comprises a hole extending through the interior surface of the housing block in communication with the opening of the wedge housing; and wherein the hole is sized such that the upper portion of the bolt extends through the hole and such that the flange is prevented from extending through the hole.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the cap further comprises a hole extending though the top portion; and wherein the cap is assembled onto the flange such that the upper portion of the bolt extends through the hole in the top portion of the cap and facilitates the retention of the cap on the flange.
15 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising: a coating comprising the low-friction material applied to an upper surface of the flange adjacent the interior surface of the housing block.
16 . A method of installing a joint restraint assembly, the method comprising: assembling a wedge assembly of the joint restraint assembly, comprising: threading a wedge member onto a lower portion of a bolt; and positioning a cap comprising a low-friction material onto a flange of the bolt; inserting the wedge assembly into a wedge housing of an annular body of the joint restraint assembly; wherein the wedge housing comprises an interior surface that is inclined with respect to an axial extension of the annular body; and wherein, when the wedge assembly is inserted into the wedge housing: the cap is positioned between the annular flange and the interior surface of the wedge housing, and adapted to slidably engage the interior surface of the wedge housing during relative movement between the wedge assembly and the wedge housing; and an upper portion of the bolt extends through a hole extending through the interior surface of the wedge housing; and threading a nut onto the upper portion of the bolt extending through the hole extending through the interior surface such that the wedge assembly is retained within the wedge housing.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: inserting a first pipe through the annular body of the joint restraint assembly; inserting an end of the first pipe into an enlarged mouth portion of a second pipe; wherein an end of the enlarged mouth portion of the second pipe comprises an annular flange; and attaching the annular body of the joint restraint assembly to the annular flange of the second pipe using a plurality of fasteners.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising: positioning a packing material around the first pipe and within the enlarged mouth portion of the second pipe.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising: pressurizing the first and second pipes; wherein pressurizing the first and second pipes forces the wedge assembly to slide along the interior surface of the wedge housing; and wherein the incline of the interior surface of the wedge housing forces the wedge member downward onto the first pipe as the wedge assembly slides relative to the interior wall of the wedge housing.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein positioning the cap onto the flange of the bolt comprises extending the upper portion of the bolt through a hole extending through the cap and sliding the cap down onto the flange.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, the filing date of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/551,306, filed Feb. 8, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and forms part of the present disclosure. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/425,874, filed Apr. 21, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,922, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and forms part of the present disclosure. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates, in general, to joint restraints, and more particularly, to wedge assemblies that increase the grip of a joint restraint with respect to pipes joined together using the joint restraint. BACKGROUND Some joint restraints are used to connect, seal, and prevent the disengagement of, axially-aligned pipes. In some applications, a first pipe is received within a second pipe, which includes an enlarged mouth, a packing cavity, and a terminal flange. In use, a joint restraint is connected to both the outer surface of the first pipe and the terminal flange of the second pipe, so as to hold the two pipes together. A wedge assembly of the joint restraint facilitates the connection of the first and second pipes by gripping the first pipe in a two-step mechanical action. After the joint restraint is connected to the flange, a twist-off nut of the wedge assembly is tightened to a predetermined torque at which point the wedge assembly is set against the outer surface of the first pipe, providing an initial grip on the first pipe. Upon pressurization of the piping system, the wedge assembly is forced rearward within the joint restraint. As the wedge assembly moves rearward, it is also forced downward (or wedged) by an inclined plane surface of the joint restraint, inducing a radially inward force on the wedge assembly. The radially inward force on the wedge assembly substantially increases the grip of the wedge assembly on the first pipe. Once an initial grip force substantial enough to initiate the slidable engagement between the wedge assembly and the inclined plane surface has been achieved, promoting such slidable engagement may be desirable for one or more reasons such as, for example, improving grip strength and/or reducing the incidence of slippage between the wedge assembly and the pipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a pipe junction assembly including a joint restraint in a partially installed configuration, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the joint restraint of FIG. 1, including a wedge assembly, in an uninstalled configuration, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded view of a portion of the joint restraint and the wedge assembly of FIG. 2, the wedge assembly including a collar bolt and a cap, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 3B illustrates another exploded view of the portion of the joint restraint and the wedge assembly of FIG. 2, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of another portion of the joint restraint of FIG. 2, taken along line 4A-4A of FIG. 2, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 4B illustrates an enlarged view of portion 4B of FIG. 4A, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another portion the joint restraint of FIG. 2, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4A, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pipe junction assembly of FIG. 1, taken along line 6A-6A of FIG. 1, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 6A, but depicting the joint restraint of FIG. 1 in an installed configuration, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 6C illustrates a cross-sectional view similar to that of each of FIGS. 6A and 6B, but depicting the joint restraint of FIG. 1 in an operational configuration, according to one or more embodiments; FIG. 7A illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of the cap of the wedge assembly of FIG. 3A, according to one or more embodiments; and FIG. 7B illustrates the another embodiment of the cap of the wedge assembly of FIG. 7A in an assembled configuration, according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following disclosure provides many different embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various embodiments. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Referring to FIG. 1, a pipe junction assembly 10