GB2156464A - Pipe coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

A fitting comprising an axially extending boss 14 having at least one passage therethrough and which, in use, is receivable in an aperture in a mounting surface, the boss 14 having secured thereto to extend axially therefrom in communication with the or each passage a tail pipe 16, the or each tail pipe 16 having at the end thereof remote from the boss, an integrally formed adaptor portion 23 to enable the or each tail pipe 16 to be connected to a further pipe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tap or like fitting Description of Invention This invention relates to a tap or like fitting which is securable to a mounting surface by means of an axially extending boss having at least one passage therethrough and which boss extends axially through an aperture in the mounting surface and there being at least one tail pipe projecting axially from the boss and being adapted to supply water to the fitting. An example of such a fitting is that commonly known as a Mono-block mixer tap in which two tail pipes project axially from the boss by which hot and cold water is fed to the fitting in separate tubes and the fitting having a single outlet for hot or cold water or a mixture thereof.Such a fitting is secured to a mounting surface, such as a bath or sink, by virtue of providing an external thread on the boss and there being a nut, and washer where required, received on the boss so that the mounting surface is trapped between the nut and the fitting.

Baths and sinks are generally made of a standard size aperture to receive a range of fittings with a common boss size and this boss size is such that it is not possible to provide two tail pipes of the conventional 15 mm, or greater diameter, commonly in use.

Accordingly, hitherto, two smaller diameter tubes, commonly 12 mm diameter, have been provided as the tail pipes and at their lower ends the tail pipes have terminated in a simple plain end of 12 mm diameter.

To connect such tail pipes in a plumbing system it has been necessary for a user of such a fitting to purchase two 12 mm to 15 mm (or 22 mm) connectors and to solder the connectors to the plain ends of the tail pipes at the 12 mm end and to conventional 15 mm (or 22 mm) piping at the other end.

An object of the invention is to provide a tap or like fitting which avoids the need to purchase a separate connector.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a fitting comprising an axially extending boss having at least one passage therethrough and which, in use, is receivable in an aperture in a mounting surface, the boss having secured thereto to extend axially therefrom in communication with the or each passage a tail pipe, the or each tail pipe having at the end thereof remote from the boss, an integrally formed adaptor portion to enable the or each tail pipe to be connected to a further pipe.

Preferably, the or each adaptor portion has an internal diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the part of the tail pipe secured to the boss.

For example, where the boss is provided with two passages and two tail pipes, the tail pipes at the ends thereof secured to the boss may be, for example, of 12 mm external diameter whilst the adaptor portions provide a 15 mm female socket integrally formed with a tail pipe. It is therefore merely necessary to make a connection between a further pipe and the or each adaptor portion as opposed to purchasing a separate adaptor and making two connections thereby saving expense and time.

Conveniently, the adaptor portion is adapted to be soldered to a further pipe, and may be a capillary end feed type adaptor portion which relies on the introduction of solder into the end of the adaptor portion after the further pipe is received therein, or a capillary solder ring type adaptor portion which contains its own solder in a ring in a groove in the bore of the adaptor portion such as that commonly known as a "Yorkshire" type.

However, any other type of adaptor portion may be provided as required such as a mechanical compression ring type.

The or each tail pipe may have a constant diameter throughout the length thereof up to the adaptor portion, or alternatively, the or each tail pipe may comprise a first part having a smaller diameter to be received in the boss, and a second part having a larger external diameter corresponding to the external diameter of the further tube to which it is to be connected.

Conveniently, the boss has an external screw thread thereon with which a nut engages to clamp the mounting surface between the remainder of the fitting and the nut.

Alternatively, the mounting surface may itself have a female threaded bore to receive the male thread on the exterior surface of the boss.

The fitting may comprise a tap such as a mixer tap having Mono-block headwork although the invention is applicable to any other type of fitting particularly where it is required to pass two tubes of a boss of that fitting through an aperture in a mounting surface and to connect further tubes thereto.

the other further tubes having larger external diameters too large to be received within the boss.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fitting in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of the fitting of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the part of the fitting shown in Fig.

2, and Figure 4 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2, but of an alternative fitting in accordance with the invention; Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a fitting 10 comprises a Monoblock mixer tap having a main body 11 through which a pair of tap operating spindles extend, each spindle having a knob 12 or 13 thereon for operation of the taps of conventional form.

The body 11 also has integral therewith an axially extending externally threaded boss 14 having an external diameter corresponding to the diameter of an aperture provided in the mounting surface such as a bath or basin through which the boss 14 in use passes, a nut (not shown) being received on the boss 14 to trap the mounting surface between the nut and the body 11 of the fitting.

The fitting 10 also has a single outlet 15 for a hot and cold water or a mixture thereof.

Hot and cold water are fed to the body 11 via a pair of tail pipes 16 and 17. Pipe 16, in use, conveying hot water into the fitting, and pipe 17, in use, conveying cold water into the fitting.

Each pipe 16, 17, is soldered within a counterbored passage 18, 19, respectively, formed in the boss and extending to the taps associated with the knobs 1 2, 1 3. Each tail pipe 16, 17 comprises a smaller diameter end portion 20 which, in the present example, is of 12 mm external diameter which is received within the wider diameter part of the counterbored passages 18, 19 and secured therein by solder 21. The majority of the length of each tail pipe 16, 17 is of 15 mm diameter as indicated at 22 and at the end thereof remote from the boss 14 there is provided an integrally formed adaptor portion 23 having an internal diameter of 15 mm so as to provide a 15 mm female socket portion to receive therein a conventional 15 mm external diameter plain pipe.The adaptor portions 23 are preferably provided with a groove 24 filled with solder in a conventional manner to provide a capillary solder ring type, commonly known as Yorkshire" type, connection. Alternatively, if desired, the fitting may be unprovided with any such solder retaining groove in which case a separate supply of solder is provided to the end of the adaptor portion when a soldered joint is made to the 15 mm diameter further pipe.

In an alternative arrangement shown in Fig.

4, the tail pipes are of 12 mm external diameter throughout the majority of their length as indicated at 25 and the adaptor portion which is formed integrally at the end of the part 25 remote from the boss 14 again provides a part of 15 mm internal diameter to receive a conventional 15 mm pipe and can again be provided with a solder retaining groove corresponding to the groove 24 shown in Fig. 3.

In the present example the tail pipes are typically of 200 mm length. It will, of course, be appreciated that the above mentioned diameters are nominal dimensions and appropriate clearance is provided to permit of the adaptor portions receiving 15 mm commercially available pipes.

If desired in either embodiment the integrally formed adaptor portions could provide a socket of nominally 22 mm internal diameter to receive commercially available 22 mm external diameter pipe or indeed of any desired internal dimension to suit a desired pipe size.

In the event of a mechanical joint (or separate soldered fitting) being required, instead of the integral adaptor described above, the adaptor portion may be cut off and the required mechanical joint (or soldered joint) fitting applied. In the Fig. 4 embodiment a further modification may be provided in that between the illustrated adaptor portion and the 12 mm diameter part there is provided a relatively short portion of 15 mm external diameter (or 22 mm if desired) whereby a separate female 15 mm (or 22 mm) mechanical (or solder) fitting can be applied to connect the tail pipe to system pipework.

Although in the above example the tail pipes have been described as being connected to the Mono-block fitting by soldering they may be secured by any other desired means.

Although in the above example the case of a Mono-block mixer tap having two tail pipes has been described, if desired the invention may be applied to other fittings having two, or more than two, tail pipes where it is necessary to provide a tail pipe having a reduced diameter portion at the connection to the fitting compared with the diameter required for connection to system pipework.

The invention is also applicable to fittings, for example having only a single tail pipe, where, for convenience, an integral adaptor portion is required even though in such circumstances the diameter of the tail pipe at the point of securing to the fitting may not be smaller than the diameter of the other system pipework to which the fitting is to be connected.

The invention is applicable to a wide range of tap and like fittings including shower controls and other bath, basin, sink, bidet and the like fittings.

Claims (26)

1. A fitting comprising an axially extending boss having at least one passage therethrough and which, in use, is receivable in an aperture in a mounting surface, the boss having secured thereto to extend axially therefrom in communication with the or each passage a tail pipe, the or each tail pipe having at the end thereof remote from the boss, an integrally formed adaptor portion to enable the or each tail pipe to be connected to a further pipe.

2. A fitting according to Claim 1 wherein the or each adaptor portion has an external diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the part of the tail pipe secured to the boss.

3. A fitting according to Claim 2 wherein the or each adaptor portion has an internal diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the part of the tail pipe secured to the boss.

4. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each tail pipe has a constant diameter throughout the length thereof up to the adaptor portion.

5. A fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the or each tail pipe comprises a first part having a diameter to be received in the boss, and, between the first part and the adaptor part, a second part having a larger external diameter.

6. A fitting according to Claim 5 wherein the diameter of the second part corresponds to the external diameter of the further tube to which the tail pipe is to be connected.

7. A fitting according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the second part is of relatively greater longitudinal extent and extends over a majority of the length of the tail pipe.

8. A fitting according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the second part is of relatively small longitudinal extent and extends over less than the majority of the length of the tail pipe.

9. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the adaptor portion is adapted to be soldered to a further pipe.

10. A fitting according to Claim 9 wherein the adaptor portion is a capillary end feed type adaptor portion or a capillary solder ring type adaptor portion.

11. A fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the adaptor portion is adapted to provide a mechanical compression ring type connection.

12. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the boss is provided with two passages and two tail pipes.

13. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bos has an external screw thread thereon with which a nut is engageable to clamp the mounting surface between the remainder of the fitting and the nut.

14. A fitting according to any one of Claims 1 to 12 wherein the boss has an external screw thread thereon to be received in a female threaded bore provided on the mounting surface itself.

15. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fitting comprises a tap.

16. A fitting according to Claim 15 wherein the tap is a mixture tap having a Mono-block headwork.

17. A fitting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A method of connecting a fitting according to Claim 1 to a further pipe comprising the steps of effecting a connection between the or each further pipe and the or each tail pipe.

19. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the or each further pipe is engaged with the or each adaptor portion and said connection effected therebetween.

20. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the or each further pipe is engaged with a separate fitting and the separate fitting is engaged with the adaptor portion and then a connection is effected therebetween.

21. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the the method comprises the steps of removing the adaptor portion and effecting a connection between the or each further pipe and a part of the tail pipe of the same external diameter as the part which is secured to the boss.

22. A method according to Claim 18 wherein the fitting is according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 wherein the method includes the step of removing the adaptor portion and effecting a connection between the or each further pipe and the or each second part.

23. A method according to any one of Claims 18 to 22 wherein the connection which is effected is a soldered joint.

24. A method according to any one of Claims 18 to 23 wherein the connection which is effected is a compression joint.

25. A method of connecting a fitting to a further pipe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

26. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.