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A two-part housing grips and surrounds a portion of a pipe, with ports at first and second ends of the housing through which the pipe extends. An annular end seal of elastomeric material at each end of the housing provides a seal between the pipe and housing. The end seals each have one slit for all

A two-part housing grips and surrounds a portion of a pipe, with ports at first and second ends of the housing through which the pipe extends. An annular end seal of elastomeric material at each end of the housing provides a seal between the pipe and housing. The end seals each have one slit for allowing the seals to be engaged transversely over the pipe. Each port has an annular recess for enclosing the respective end seals. The cross-sectional area of each end seal in a relaxed condition is greater than the cross sectional area defined between the outer surface of the pipe and the annular recess in the housing when the housing is closed around the pipe, so that the end seals are squeezed between the opposing surfaces of the pipe and housing when the two parts of the housing are secured around the pipe. Face seals extend between the end seals on opposite sides of the housing to seal the intersection between the two housing parts.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A pipe seal assembly, comprising: a housing having end walls and first and second end ports in the end walls of predetermined shape and dimensions configured to grip a pipe extending through the housing; the housing comprising first and second housing parts movable betw

The invention claimed is: 1. A pipe seal assembly, comprising: a housing having end walls and first and second end ports in the end walls of predetermined shape and dimensions configured to grip a pipe extending through the housing; the housing comprising first and second housing parts movable between a closed position enclosing and gripping the pipe and an open position; the first end port having a first annular seal seating recess and the second end port having a second annular seal seating recess; first and second end seals of elastomeric material mounted in the first and second seating recess, respectively, at each end of the housing for providing a seal between opposing surfaces of the pipe and housing; each end seal comprising an annular member having a central opening for engaging over the pipe and an outer surface for engaging an opposing surface of the respective seating recess, and at least one axial slit extending through each end seal between the central opening and outer surface for allowing the seal to be opened at the slit to engage transversely over the pipe; the radial cross-sectional area of each end seal in a relaxed condition being greater than the radial cross-sectional area defined between the outer surface of a pipe and the annular recess in the housing when the housing is closed around the pipe, whereby a sealing pressure is induced between the inner and outer surfaces of the seal and the opposing surfaces of the pipe and seating recess when the housing is closed around the pipe and the seals are in a sealed condition; and first and second side runner seals extending between the end seals on opposite sides of the central opening in the end seals, the side runner seals being adapted to be squeezed between opposing surfaces of the housing parts in the closed position of the housing; the slits being offset from the side runner seals. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each end seal has only one slit. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein each end seal has two slits. 4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the end seals and side runner seals are integrally formed in one piece. 5. A pipe seal assembly, comprising: a housing having end walls and first and second end ports in the end walls of predetermined shape and dimensions configured to grip a pipe extending through the housing; the housing comprising first and second housing parts movable between a closed position enclosing and gripping the pipe and an open position; the first end port having a first annular seal seating recess and the second end port having a second annular seal seating recess; first and second end seals of elastomeric material mounted in the first and second seating recess, respectively, at each end of the housing for providing a seal between opposing surfaces of the pipe and housing; each end seal comprising an annular member having a central opening for engaging over the pipe and an outer surface for engaging an opposing surface of the respective seating recess, and at least one axial slit extending through each end seal between the central opening and outer surface for allowing the seal to be opened at the slit to engage transversely over the pipe; first and second side runner seals extending between the end seals on opposite sides of the central opening in the end seals, the side runner seals being adapted to be squeezed between opposing surfaces of the housing parts in the closed position of the housing; the radial cross-sectional area of each end seal in a relaxed condition being greater than the radial cross-sectional area defined between the outer surface of the pipe and the annular recess in the housing when the housing is closed around the pipe, whereby a sealing pressure is induced between the inner and outer surfaces of the seal and the opposing surfaces of the tube and seating recess when the housing is closed around the pipe and the seals are in a sealed condition; and each seating recess has opposite end walls and a gap is located between each end seal and at least one end wall of the respective seating recess in which the end seal is seated when the housing parts are in the closed position, whereby each end seal is free to distort axially in the respective recess when in the sealed, operating condition. 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each end seal is of generally rectangular cross section in the axial direction. 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein each end seal has generally flat end faces and rounded junctions between each end face and the central opening and outer surface of the end seal. 8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing has a central chamber extending between the end walls, the two housing parts having opposing side rims extending on opposite sides of the chamber between the first and second seal seating recess and adapted for engagement when the housing is in the closed position, the first housing part having a first side runner groove extending along one side rim between the first and second seal seating recesses and a second side runner groove along the opposite side rim extending between the first and second seal seating recesses, the first side runner seal being seated in the first side runner groove and the second side runner seal being seated in the second side runner groove. 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the side runner seals project out of the corresponding side runner grooves when the housing is in the open position. 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the side rims of the second housing part have flat portions facing the respective first and second side runner grooves in the closed position, whereby the side runner seals are squeezed between the respective side runner grooves and opposing flat portions of the second housing part to provide a sealing pressure for sealing the chamber when the housing parts are in the closed position. 11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein each side runner seal is of predetermined transverse dimensions less than the transverse dimensions of the side runner groove in which it is seated when the housing parts are in the closed position, whereby a space is provided between each side runner seal and the respective groove in the closed position. 12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing has at least one transverse tubular port forming a T-shaped junction at a location spaced between the ends of the housing. 13. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising a coupling connected to an outer end of the transverse port for securing to an end of a second pipe extending transverse to the first pipe. 14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the coupling comprises a hose fitting. 15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second housing parts are hinged together on one side of the housing to form a clamshell-like housing. 16. A pipe junction assembly, comprising: a housing having a through bore for engaging over a first pipe and at least one transverse port communicating with the through bore; at least one pipe coupling on the housing connected to the at least one transverse port and adapted to be coupled with a second pipe extending transverse to the first pipe; the housing comprising first and second housing parts movable between an open position and a closed position closing and gripping a portion of the first pipe; the transverse port being located on the first housing part; the through bore having axial end ports of reduced diameter which grip the pipe in the closed position and an enlarged central chamber between the axial end ports, each axial end port having an annular seal seating recess; first and second annular seal members located between the through bore and first pipe at opposite ends of the housing for providing a seal between the pipe and housing, each annular seal member having an outer circumferential surface which seals against an opposing inner surface of the respective seating recess and an inner circumferential surface which seals against an opposing outer surface portion of the first pipe in the closed position of the housing, each annular seal member being squeezed between the opposing outer surface portion of the first pipe and inner surface of the respective seating recess in the closed position and not completely filling the seating recess in an axial direction, whereby each annular seal member is free to distort axially in the respective seating recess in the closed position; and first and second elongate side seal members located between opposing portions of the housing parts on opposite sides of the housing in the closed position for sealing the housing. 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the first side seal member has opposite first and second ends secured to the first and second annular seal members, and the second side seal member has opposite first and second ends secured to the first and second annular seal members at locations spaced from the first and second ends of the first side seal member. 18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second side seal members are formed integrally with the first and second annular seal members. 19. The assembly of claim 16, wherein each side seal member is of circular transverse cross-section. 20. The assembly of claim 16, wherein each side seal member is of generally rectangular cross section. 21. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second annular seal members each have at least one axial slit offset from the junction between the first and second housing parts in the closed position. 22. A pipe seal assembly, comprising: a housing having first and second end ports at first and second ends of the housing; a pipe extending through the housing via the end ports; the housing comprising first and second parts movable between a closed position enclosing and holding a portion of the pipe within the housing, and an open position releasing the pipe, the housing parts having first and second opposing faces configured for engagement in the closed position; each end port being of predetermined dimensions for gripping an outer surface of the pipe and having an enlarged annular cavity; a first annular seal member of elastomeric material seated in the annular cavity of the first end port and having opposing inner and outer surfaces squeezed in a radial direction between the outer surface of the pipe and an opposing surface of the cavity to provide a first end seal which seals the first end of the housing when the housing parts are in the closed condition; a second annular seal member of elastomeric material seated in the annular cavity of the second end port and having opposing inner and outer surfaces squeezed in a radial direction between the outer surface of the pipe and an opposing surface of the cavity to provide a second end seal which seals the second end of the housing when the housing parts are in the closed condition; and each annular seal member having at least one axial slit extending between an inner and outer surface of the seal member which is offset from the opposing faces of the housing parts in the closed position. 23. The assembly of claim 22, further comprising first and second side runner seals each located between the first and second opposing faces of the housing parts in the closed position, the housing having an internal chamber through which the pipe extends, the first side runner seal extending between the first and second annular seal members on a first side of the chamber and the second side runner seal extending between the first and second annular seal members on a second, opposite side of the chamber. 24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the annular seal members and side runner seals are all formed integrally. 25. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first opposing face has a first seating groove in which the first side runner seal is seated and a second seating groove in which the second side runner seal is seated, portions of the second opposing face which face the first and second seating grooves comprising flat surfaces having no indentations, and each side runner seal having opposite surfaces for sealing engagement between the respective seating groove and an opposing portion of the second opposing face. 26. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the housing has an internal chamber in the closed position enclosing a portion of the pipe and at least one tee junction port communicating with the chamber extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the pipe portion within the chamber having at least one hole, and a second pipe is connected to the tee junction port for communication with the first pipe through the hole. 27. The assembly of claim 22, wherein each annular seal member is of generally rectangular cross section in an axial direction. 28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein each annular seal member has opposite end faces and inner and outer cylindrical surfaces extending between the end faces, the junctions between each end face and the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces being rounded. 29. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the pipe is of at least substantially rigid material. 30. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the pipe is a hose of non-rigid material. 31. A pipe repair method, comprising: engaging annular elastomeric end seal members transversely over spaced locations on a pipe via a respective axial slit in each end seal member, the end seal members being positioned on opposite sides of a damaged portion of the pipe; engaging the end seal members in spaced first and second seating cavities at first and second ends of a first housing part with the damaged portion of the pipe extending through a chamber-forming cavity in the first housing part; positioning side runner seals to extend between the end seal members along opposite sides of the chamber-forming cavity at a location offset from the respective axial slits in the end seal members; closing a second housing part over the first housing part and engaging third and fourth seating cavities at opposite ends of the second part over the exposed portions of the respective end seal members, whereby the first and third seating cavities and the second and fourth seating cavities form respective annular seating cavities which contain the end seal members about the pipe; as the second housing part is closed over the first housing part, simultaneously squeezing the annular seal members between the outer surface of the pipe and the opposing surfaces of aligned seating cavities in the two housing parts at the respective ends of the housing to produce a sealing engagement between the outer surface of each seal member and the opposing inner surface of the respective seating cavity and a sealing engagement between the inner surface of each seal member and the opposing outer surface of the pipe to seal the interface between opposite ends of the housing and the pipe while leaving a space in each seating cavity whereby each seal member is free to distort axially while sealing the respective end of the housing; and simultaneously squeezing the side runner seals between opposing side portions of the first and second housing parts to seal the damaged portion of the pipe in the chamber. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of positioning side runner seals to extend between the end seal members comprises locating the side runner seals in first and second grooves extending along side portions of the first housing part located on opposite sides of the chamber such that portions of each side runner seal project outwardly from the respective groove in which it is seated. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of squeezing the side runner seals between opposing side portions of the first and second housing parts comprises squeezing each side runner seal between the respective groove and an opposing flat portion of the second housing part. 34. A method of creating a junction between two pipes, comprising: forming a hole at a selected location in a first pipe; engaging annular elastomeric end seal members transversely over spaced locations on a pipe via a respective axial slit in each end seal member, the end seal members being positioned on opposite sides of the hole location; closing first and second housing parts over the first pipe so that the first pipe extends out through end ports in first and second ends of a housing formed by the closed housing parts and the hole location is enclosed in a chamber in the housing; as the second housing part is closed over the first housing part, squeezing the annular seal members radially between the outer surface of the first pipe and the opposing surfaces of seating cavities in the respective end ports to seal the interface between opposite ends of the housing and the first pipe, and sealing the intersection between the first and second housing parts to seal the chamber; and attaching a second pipe to a tee-junction port in one housing part which extends transverse to the first pipe and communicates with the chamber, whereby the first and second pipes communicate via the hole in the first pipe. 35. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the annular seal members do not completely fill the respective annular cavities in which they are seated when the housing parts are in the closed position.