US 12,259,069 B2
Compound locking ring for pipe joints
Cameron Anderson Corcoran, Trussville, AL (US); Jerry Gregory Key, Bessemer, AL (US); and Jay Derek Caston, Birmingham, AL (US)
Assigned to United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC, Birmingham, AL (US)
Filed by United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC, Birmingham, AL (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/400,231.
Application 18/400,231 is a continuation of application No. 17/220,623, filed on Apr. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,892,107.
Prior Publication US 2024/0133495 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. F16L 21/08 (2006.01); F16L 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 21/08 (2013.01) [F16L 21/007 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pipe joint system comprising:
a first pipe having a bell end with an outer bell surface, an inner bell surface defining a lug mouth, an arcuate segment cavity, a throat, a protrusion on a cavity-facing side of the throat, and a slot permitting access to the segment cavity;
a second pipe having a spigot end with an outer spigot surface and a weld bead extending circumferentially around the outer spigot surface and positioned toward a front of the segment cavity defined by the inner bell surface; and
at least one ring segment insertable into the slot, the at least one ring segment configured to abut the weld bead and having an outer segment surface substantially molded to engage with the segment cavity, the outer segment surface terminating at a lead edge proximate to the lug mouth and adjacent to the outer bell surface and at a trailing edge proximate to the protrusion on the inner bell surface, wherein the outer segment surface is defined by a first arc segment and a second arc segment, each arc segment having a beginning and an end, wherein the beginning of the first arc segment is at the lead edge, the end of the first arc segment is coterminous with the beginning of the second arc segment, and the end of the second arc segment is at the trailing edge, and further wherein the first arc segment and the second arc segment have distinct radial centers.