Coupler for joining plastic and concrete pipe

1. A concrete pipe to plastic pipe coupler comprising

a plurality of sections connected to one another, each having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said sections fabricated to cooperatively surround a plastic pipe of a first outer diameter, each said interior surface being directly adjacent the plastic pipe of a first outer diameter,

at least two brackets, with one bracket being secured to said exterior surface of a section of said coupler adjacent a section of said coupler to which another bracket is secured, said brackets each having a base plate, a pair of sidewall plates attached to said base plate, and a crosspiece having a first end and a second end, each said first end in contacting relationship with one of said pair of sidewall plates, each said second end in contacting relationship with the other of said pair of sidewall plates,

a fastening means engaging a concrete pipe of a second outer diameter,

a connecting element having a first end portion secured to said fastening means and a second end portion secured to said crosspiece.

2. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein each section is corrugated having a plurality of crowns and troughs.

3. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein said sections are connected to each other by hinge means, said sections being of a first thickness, said hinge means being of a second thickness, said first thickness being greater than said second thickness.

4. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein each said base plate is welded to said exterior surface of said section to which it is secured.

5. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein each said base plate is secured by fastening means to said section to which it is secured.

6. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein said sidewall plates each have a slot formed therein, said crosspiece having its opposite ends retained in said slots.

7. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein said base plate has an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being directly adjacent said coupler section, said upper surface having said sidewall plates projecting upwardly therefrom.

8. The coupler according to claim 7 wherein said sidewall plates each have a slot formed therein, said crosspiece having its opposite ends retained in said slots, said crosspiece having a longitudinal axis, said base plate having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis of said crosspiece being generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said base plate.

9. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein at least one section has an aperture formed therein, said aperture having fastening means passing therethrough, said fastening means also passing through the sidewall of the plastic pipe of the first outer diameter, said fastening means securing said section to the plastic pipe of the first outer diameter.

10. The coupler according to claim 1 wherein said crosspiece has an aperture formed therein, said crosspiece having a first surface facing towards said concrete pipe fastening means and a second surface facing away from said concrete pipe fastening means, said connecting element passing through said crosspiece aperture, said connecting element second end portion being secured with fastening means directly adjacent said second surface of said crosspiece.

11. A split coupler component of a concrete pipe to plastic pipe coupler, said split coupler comprising

a plurality of sections connected to one another, each having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said sections fabricated to surround a corrugated plastic pipe,

at least two brackets, with one bracket being secured to said exterior surface of a section of said coupler adjacent a section of said split coupler to which another bracket is secured, said brackets each having a base plate, a pair of sidewall plates attached to said base plate, and a crosspiece having a first end and a second end, each said first end in contacting relationship with one of said pair of sidewall plates, each said second end in contacting relationship with the other of said pair of sidewall plates, said crosspiece having an aperture formed therein.

12. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein each section is corrugated having a plurality of crowns and troughs.

13. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein said sections are connected to each other by hinge means, said sections being of a first thickness, said hinge means being of a second thickness, said first thickness being greater than said second thickness.

14. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein each said base plate is welded to said exterior surface of said section to which it is secured.

15. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein each said base plate is secured by fastening means to said section to which it is secured.

16. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein said sidewall plates each have a slot formed therein, said crosspiece having its opposite ends retained in said slots.

17. The split coupler according to claim 11 wherein said said base plate has an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being directly adjacent said coupler section, said upper surface having said sidewall plates projecting upwardly therefrom.

18. The split coupler according to claim 17 wherein said sidewall plates each have a slot formed therein, said crosspiece having its opposite ends retained in said slots, said crosspiece having a longitudinal axis, said base plate having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis of said crosspiece being generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said base plate.