Importance

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Abstract

A welding seal assembly for use in joining and sealing two telescoped tubular elements in a lap joint, specifically a tubular pipe in a pipe socket formed in a pipe fitting. The seal assembly comprises a thermoplastic welding sleeve with an embedded electric heating coil for fitting between the pipe and the socket; a mounting collar including a ring-like body that is fitted over the pipe and against the end of the socket element with a thin-walled, compressible flange extending from the body over the outer side of the socket element and overlying the overlapped elements of the joint; an electrical connector in a radially projecting tab on the ring, including electrical contacts connected to the leads of the heating coil; and a clamp ring surrounding the compressible flange and held captive thereon between the tab on the body and detents on the flange. The clamp ring has an outwardly offset section on one side providing generally radial walls that are squeezed together to contract the clamp ring and compress the flange around the joint. The collar, flange and socket tab are injection-molded with the welding sleeve and the embedded coil as mold inserts, and the end of the welding sleeve is bonded to the collar in the molding process.

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First Claim