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A pipe connector has a rigid seal/support ring mounted on its pin. The pin has a nose and external threads extending rearward from the nose. The rigid seal/support ring is fixedly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin farther from the pin nose than the pin threads. The rigid seal/support ring is

A pipe connector has a rigid seal/support ring mounted on its pin. The pin has a nose and external threads extending rearward from the nose. The rigid seal/support ring is fixedly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin farther from the pin nose than the pin threads. The rigid seal/support ring is installed by a shrink- or press-fit and has a tapered exterior seal surface. The box has a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads. The box has a seal surface for engaging the seal surface of the rigid seal/support ring to form an external seal. The box also has a seal surface to form an internal seal with the nose of the pin.

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1. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having external threads;a box having internal threads that mate with the pin external threads;the pin having a nose located at an extreme end of the pin, the nose having a seal surface;the box having a second seal surface that engages the seal surface of the pin

1. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having external threads;a box having internal threads that mate with the pin external threads;the pin having a nose located at an extreme end of the pin, the nose having a seal surface;the box having a second seal surface that engages the seal surface of the pin nose to form an internal seal;a rigid seal/support ring fixedly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin in an interference fit and farther from the nose of the pin than the threads; anda first seal surface in the box for sealingly mating with the rigid seal/support ring to provide bending support and form an external seal. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the rigid seal/support ring is of a different material than the material of the pin. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the rigid seal/support ring has a lower modulus of elasticity than the pin. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the rigid seal/support ring has a conical exterior, and the first seal surface in the box is conical. 5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the rigid seal/support ring has an inner diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the exterior portion of the pin prior to installation of the seal/support ring on the pin. 6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the internal and external threads comprises:load flanks and stabbing flanks joined alternately by crests and roots, wherein the load flanks of the box and pin engage each other when the connector is fully made up;the load flanks being formed at a lesser angle than the stabbing flanks relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the connector; andthe junction of each root with each load flank being formed by a portion of an ellipse that has a major axis that is at a smaller angle relative to the axis of the connector than a minor axis of the ellipse. 7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the box has a reduced outer diameter portion located radially outward from the first seal surface of the box, the reduced outer diameter portion having an axial length greater than an axial length of the first seal surface of the box and an outer diameter that is less than the maximum outer diameter of the box. 8. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having a nose and external threads extending in a first direction from the nose;a metallic seal/support ring rigidly mounted in an interference fit on an exterior portion of the pin, the external threads being located between the metallic seal/support ring and the nose, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface;the metallic seal/support ring having a lesser modulus of elasticity than the pin;a box having a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads;a first seal surface in the box for engaging the seal surface of the metallic seal/support ring to form an external seal; anda second seal surface located farther from the rim than the first seal surface in the box for engaging the pin nose to form an internal seal. 9. The connector according to claim 8, further comprising:a tapered step formed on the pin adjacent to the metallic seal/support ring opposite the threads, the step gradually increasing in diameter from the metallic seal/support ring to an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the metallic seal/support ring to resist movement of the metallic seal/support ring in the first direction when the pin is screwed into the box. 10. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the metallic seal/support ring has an inner diameter prior to installation on the pin that is smaller than an outer diameter of the exterior portion of the pin. 11. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the box has a reduced outer diameter portion located radially outward from the first seal surface of the box, the reduced outer diameter portion having an axial length that is greater than an axial length of the first seal surface of the box and an outer diameter t hat is less than the maximum outer diameter of the box. 12. The connector according to claim 8, wherein each of the internal and external threads comprises:load flanks and stabbing flanks joined alternately by crests and roots, wherein the load flanks of the box and pin engage each other when the connector is fully made up;the load flanks being formed at a lesser angle than the stabbing flanks relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the connector; andthe junction of each root with each load flank being formed by a portion of an ellipse that has a major axis that is at a smaller angle relative to the axis of the connector than a minor axis of the ellipse, the smaller angle of the major axis being an acute angle relative to the axis of the connector. 13. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having a nose and external threads extending in a first direction from the nose;a metallic seal/support ring rigidly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin, the external threads being located between the metallic seal/support ring and the nose, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface;a box having a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads;a first seal surface in the box for engaging the seal surface of the metallic seal/support ring to form an external seal;a second seal surface located farther from the rim than the first seal surface in the box for engaging the pin nose to form an internal seal; anda micro-knurled or roughened surface on the pin underlying the metallic seal/support ring to resist movement of the metallic seal/support ring. 14. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having a nose and external threads extending in a first direction from the nose;a metallic seal/support ring rigidly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin, the external threads being located between the metallic seal/support ring and the nose, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface;a box having a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads;a first seal surface in the box fir engaging the seal surface of the metallic seal/support ring to form an external seal;a second seal surface located farther from the rim than the first seal surface in the box for engaging the pin nose to form an internal seal; andan adhesive inserted between the pin and the metallic seal/support ring to resist movement of the metallic seal/support ring. 15. A pipe connector, comprising:a pin having a nose and external threads extending in a first direction from the nose;a metallic seal/support ring rigidly mounted on an exterior portion of the pin, the external threads being located between the metallic seal/support ring and the nose, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface;a box having a rim and internal threads that mate with the external pin threads;a first seal surface in the box for engaging the seal surface of the metallic seal/support ring to form an external seal;a second seal surface located farther from the rim than the first seal surface in the box for engaging the pin nose to form an internal seal; anda shot-peened region of the pin underlying the metallic seal/support ring to resist movement of the metallic seal/support ring and enhance the fatigue performance of the connection. 16. A pipe connector, comprising:a nose formed on a forward end of a non-upset pipe, the nose having an external seal surface for sealing against a seal surface within a box;external threads formed on the pipe and extending rearward from the nose at a conical taper; anda metallic seal/support ring mourned with an interference fit on an exterior portion of the pipe rearward of the external threads, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface for sealing against another seal surface within the box. 17. The pipe connector according to claim 16, further comprising:a tapered step formed on the pipe rearward of the metallic seal/support ring, t he step gradually increasing in diameter from the metallic seal/support ring to an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the metallic seal/support ring to resist rearward movement of the metallic seal/support ring. 18. A pipe connector, comprising:a nose formed on a forward end of a non-upset pipe, the nose having an external seal surface for sealing against a seal surface within a box;external threads formed on the pipe and extending rearward from the nose at a conical taper;a metallic seal/support ring mounted with an interference fit on an exterior portion of the pipe rearward of the external threads, the metallic seal/support ring being of a lesser modulus of elasticity the pipe, the metallic seal/support ring having a tapered exterior seal surface for sealing against another seal surface within the box; anda tapered step formed on the pipe rearward of the metallic seal/support ring, the step gradually increasing in diameter from metallic seal/support ring in a rearward direction to an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the metallic seal/support ring to resist rearward movement of the metallic seal/support ring. 19. A tapered thread form for a pipe connector, comprising:a load flank formed at first angle relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the connector;a stabbing flank formed at a second and greater angle relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the connector;a crest joining the load and stabbing flanks;a root joining the load and stabbing flanks opposite the crest; andthe root being formed by a elliptical portion of an elliptical surface and a circular portion of a circular surface, wherein the elliptical and circular surfaces join each other tangentially, and the elliptical portion of the root joins the load flank tangentially, and the circular portion of the root joins the stabbing flank tangentially. 20. The thread form according to claim 19, wherein the the elliptical surface has a major axis that is substantially normal to the load flank. 21. The thread form according to claim 19, wherein the elliptical surface has a major axis that is at an acute angle relative to the axis of the connector.