ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 10 -- United States Patent no. 12,290,969, issued on May 6, was assigned to Zurn Water LLC (Milwaukee).
"Injection molded cold-expansion compression collar" was invented by Gary L. Runyan (Plano, Texas).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A compression collar is manufactured for use in reinforcing an interference fit between an end of a pipe and a fitting. A precursor form is injection molded using a cold-expansion material. The precursor form has a tubular body with an initially closed axial end and a bore that is initially blind formed in the other axial end. Material is removed from the initially closed axial end of the tubular body of the precursor form to form an opening ...