Coupling with extending parting line
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing a coupling segment including: obtaining a mold having an interior and an exterior, the interior defining an interior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the cavity including a border line at an outermost edge of the cavity; placing a material in liquid form into the cavity in the mold; and removing a coupling segment from the mold, the coupling segment formed from the material, the coupling segment including an outer surface, an inner surface, a first end, a second end, and a parting line extending along the border line of the cavity of the mold prior to removal of the coupling segment from the mold, the parting line offset from a top surface of each end.
1. A method of manufacturing a coupling segment comprising:
obtaining a mold having an interior and an exterior, the interior defining an interior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the cavity including a border line at an outermost edge of the cavity;
placing a material in liquid form into the cavity in the mold;
solidifying the material in the cavity in the mold; and
removing a coupling segment from the mold, the coupling segment formed from the material, the coupling segment including
an outer surface,
an inner surface,
a first end,
a second end,
a first fastener pad protruding proximate to the first end, wherein the first fastener pad comprises a first fastener pad top surface defining a first fastener pad top surface plane,
a second fastener pad protruding proximate to the second end, and
a parting line extending along the border line of the cavity of the mold prior to removal of the coupling segment from the mold, the parting line offset from the first fastener pad top surface,
wherein a portion of the parting line extending around the first fastener pad defines a first fastener pad parting line plane,
and wherein the first fastener pad top surface plane is angled with respect to the first fastener pad parting line plane.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of each fastener pad is an outermost top surface, and wherein the parting line is offset toward a bottom surface of each fastener pad.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold includes two halves, the two halves defining the cavity therebetween, the border line of the cavity defined at a border between the two halves.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of removing the coupling segment from the mold includes:
removing one of the two halves of the mold from around the coupling segment; and
removing the coupling segment from a second of the two halves of the mold along a vertical axis of the coupling segment; and
wherein a surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line and the second of the two halves slopes inwardly from the parting line.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line slopes inwardly from the parting line towards a vertical axis of the coupling segment.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein an upper body surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line slopes inwardly from the parting line towards a vertical axis of the coupling segment, the upper body surface extending around the periphery of the coupling segment.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein an upper curved end surface of an upper body surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line slopes inwardly from the parting line towards a vertical axis of the coupling segment, the upper curved end surface curving around a one of the first fastener pad at the first end of the coupling segment and the second fastener pad at the second end of the coupling segment.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein portions of the parting line extending around each fastener pad are coplanar and form outermost edges along the fastener pads and wherein the outermost top surface of the first fastener pad and the outermost top surface of the second fastener pad are not coplanar when the coupling segment is at rest.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling segment includes a tongue at a first end and a groove at a second end.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first hole rim surface provides a rounded edge to a fastener hole defined in the first fastener pad, and a second hole rim surface provides a rounded edge to a fastener hole defined in the second fastener pad.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein an axially thickest portion of the first end of the segment is positioned between an outermost top surface of the first fastener pad and a bottom surface of the first fastener pad.
12. A method of manufacturing a coupling segment comprising:
obtaining a mold having an interior and an exterior, the interior defining an interior surface, the interior surface defining a cavity, the cavity including a border line at an outermost edge of the cavity;
placing a material in liquid form into the cavity in the mold;
solidifying the material in the cavity in the mold; and
removing a coupling segment from the mold, the coupling segment formed from the material, the coupling segment including
an outer surface,
an inner surface,
a first end,
a second end,
a first fastener pad protruding proximate to the first end,
a parting line extending along the border line of the cavity of the mold prior to removal of the coupling segment from the mold, the parting line offset from a top surface plane of the first fastener pad, a portion of the parting line extending around the first fastener pad defining a first fastener pad parting line plane, the first fastener pad top surface plane angled with respect to the first fastener pad parting line plane,
an upper body surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line sloping inwardly from the parting line towards a vertical axis of the segment, and
a lower body surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line sloping inwardly from the parting line towards a vertical axis of the segment.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mold includes two halves, the two halves defining the cavity therebetween, the border line of the cavity defined at a border between the two halves.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of removing the coupling segment from the mold includes:
removing one of the two halves of the mold from around the coupling segment; and
removing the coupling segment from a second of the two halves of the mold along a vertical axis of the coupling segment, a surface of the coupling segment adjacent to the parting line and the second of the two halves sloping inwardly from the parting line.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coupling segment includes a tongue at a first end and a groove at a second end.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein an outer surface of the tongue slopes inward from a bottom surface of a shoulder of the coupling segment.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein an outer surface of the tongue slopes inwardly from a bottom surface of a shoulder of the coupling segment by at least 6 degrees.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each outer surface of the tongue slopes inward from a bottom surface of a shoulder of the coupling segment.