A free-floating load ring for assembly into a flexible coupling having a convoluted bellows and a surrounding mesh sleeve, the ring captured by the sleeve at an end of the coupling and spacing the sleeve from the bellows when forces are applied to the coupling. Various rings can be added to existing non-load supporting or flexible couplings having no previous rings. The load ring is retained in place by engagement of coupling components with the ring without physical connection of the ring to any coupling component.

An apparatus includes: a mechanically insulating device including a flexible bellows (315) extending between first and second flanges (325, 330) and defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges; a rigid inner sleeve (335) affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending along the bellows passageway in the axial direction; and a shield device (340 including i.a. 342, 344). The rigid inner sleeve has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows. The shield device is at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defines an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the rigid inner sleeve. The shield device is configured to block particulates from entering a region between the flexible bellows and the rigid inner sleeve.

The invention relates to an expansion joint (1) for joining two adjacent parts of a pipe. The expansion joint (1) comprises an expansion bellows (5), an expanded wall (2) and an inner sleeve assembly (8). The expanded wall (2) comprises a first wall part (3) and a second wall part (4), wherein the first wall part (3) and the second wall part (4) are spaced apart from each other axially by an axial gap. The expansion bellows (5) is connected to the first wall part (3) and to the second wall part (4) such that the axial gap between the first wall part (3) and the second wall part (4) is closed and such that the first wall part (3) and the second wall part (4) are connected flexibly. The expanded wall (2) and the inner sleeve assembly (8) limit at least one sealed chamber (9, 10) between each other, and the at least one sealed chamber (9, 10) is filled by a first gas.

Disclosed herein is a gimbal body comprising: an end part (51) for use in welding the gimbal body to a pipe; and a main body (53) attached to the end part (51); wherein: the end part (51) is made of a first material; and the main body (53) is made of a second material that is different from the first material. Embodiments provide a new method of manufacturing a gimbal that allows the use of the most appropriate materials for high temperature and high pressure performance whilst overcoming manufacturing and installation problems experienced by known gimbals constructed with such materials.

A bellows having tweezers-shaped corrugated portions for increasing resistance and restoring force against torsion includes: a first flat part having a flat cylindrical shape; a second flat part having a flat cylindrical shape and disposed opposite to the first flat part; and a plurality of corrugated portions, each having a tweezers shape and disposed between the first flat part and the second flat part, wherein each of the plurality of corrugated portions is sequentially connected to each other, so as to increase resistance and restoring force against torsion.

An expansion joint for flexibly joining two tube segments for producing a tube for an evacuated tube transport system (ETT), wherein the expansion joint includes two annular rims and an annular flexible and airtight sleeve for rendering the expansion joint airtight wherein the sleeve includes two annular bead sections connected by an annular flexible carcass wherein each annular bead section includes a bead wire, and wherein the bead sections are designed to airtightly co-operate with rims that are fixed to the outside perimeter of each of the tube segments, wherein the rims are fixed at, or close to the opening of the tube segments.

A flexible conduit element with an end portion that is designed for attachment to a rigid conduit element. The flexible conduit includes a bellows member, an interlock member, an outer fixing member and a connection nozzle. An attachment portion of the connection nozzle extends beyond the outer fixing member and the interlock member and ends in a flared shape to form a gas-tight seal.

A turbine engine duct assembly including a joint assembly having an outer shroud, a bellows, a flared tube, a backing ring, and a kinematic ring. The joint assembly provides for dynamic movement of the duct assembly during operation of the engine. Such dynamic movement can be resultant of vibrational forces or thermal expansion of the engine. The joint assembly permits such dynamic movement without excessive system stiffness.

A flexible joint assembly for a joint between a first duct and a second duct for providing a flow of fluid, such as bleed air in an aviation implementation. The flexible joint includes a bellows supported by a mounting assembly having a first support and a second support, provided within the interior of the bellows. A rod assembly can operably couple the first support and the second support.

A multiple component hot gas flowing conduit has an elongated, convoluted bellows, an interlock liner, frequency dampers and elastic spacers engaging the dampers and biasing the dampers into respective bellows convolution with no contact of bellows and liner for all operating states of the conduit. Assembly pretension of the interlock liner preferably flattens out the elastic spacers permitting assembly of the liner into the bellows and upon relaxation of the liner, the spacers extend radially outwardly to engage and bias the dampers into the bellows. The bellows is convoluted throughout, or may have convoluted ends with an integral smooth-wall tube therebetween. Components are isolated from abrasion against one another.