MECHANICAL FITTING FOR A PLASTIC PIPE CONNECTION AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

A fitting for a pipe has a cylindrical sleeve and a spigot fitted concentrically within the sleeve. The sleeve is slidable along the spigot in a proximal direction. The sleeve has a gripper ring cavity with a conical bearing surface with a diameter that is smaller at the distal end and a larger at the proximal end. One or more gripper rings fit within the cavity and slidingly engage the bearing surface. The spigot has an outer surface sized to fit within a proximal end of the pipe. The inner surface of the gripper rings and the outer surface of the spigot define an annular space with a first radial width sized to accept insertion of the proximal end of the pipe. When the sleeve is moved with respect to the spigot in the proximal direction toward a sealed position, the rings are inwardly compressed by the bearing surface to grip an outer surface of the pipe. The end of the pipe is drawn into a space between the sleeve and the spigot with radial width smaller than the first radial width.