US Patent Issued to United States Pipe and Foundry on Sept. 1 for "Locking segment with logarithmic spiral surface" (Alabama Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1 -- United States Patent no. 12,723,686, issued on Sept. 1, was assigned to United States Pipe and Foundry Co. LLC (Birmingham, Ala.).

"Locking segment with logarithmic spiral surface" was invented by Kenneth J Watts (Alpine, Ala.), Jerry Gregory Key (Trussville, Ala.) and David J. Farr (Woodstock, Ala.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A locking segment is disclosed herein for restraining an outer surface of a spigot of a first pipe to a bell of a second pipe. The locking segment may have a body with an upper surface for contacting the socket of the bell at a contact point, a lower surface with teeth for contacting the outer surface of the spigot, a juncture of the rear ...