A narrow, thin, metal strip is arranged around the periphery of the end portion of at least one of two pipes arranged in axial alignment for forming a coupled joint. The adjacent pipe end portions are provided with circumferential grooves. A coupling surrounds the end portions of the pipes and has radially inwardly extending keys for fitting into the grooves in the pipes. The strip has a groove formation for fitting into and lining the groove formed in the end of the pipe upon which it is arranged. The localized pressure of the key fitted into the strip groove is dispersed through the strip into the adjacent pipe areas which the strip overlies to protect the pipe groove walls and base and the pipe-end portions from being damaged by engagement with the coupling key.This pipe coupling sleeve contemplates the provision of a protective pipe coupling sleeve in the form of a thin, narrow, strip of strong metal, such as stainless steel or the like, shaped as a grooved ring for manually positioning upon the grooved end of a plastic pipe by the pipe installer while applying a pipe coupling. That is, the strip has a pre-formed groove of a size and shape to closely fit into the groove in the plastic pipe and has an integral, narrow band which overlays a narrow, peripheral area of the pipe adjacent to its groove on the side remote from the end of the pipe. The ring-like strip is formed with a split so that it may be manually bent around the pipe end by the pipe installation tradesman just before applying the coupling upon an adjacent pair of pipe ends. The groove formed in the protective strip covers the sidewalls and the base of the groove that is formed in the pipe, while normally leaving exposed the peripheral outer wall surface of the pipe which is located between the pipe groove and the adjacent end of the pipe. That is, the part of the pipe end which is located within the coupling housing and which is engaged by the gasket located within the coupling is bare of the sleeve. More specifically, it is contemplated to utilize the protective sleeve with a conventional coupling with a u-shaped in cross-section housing which receives and holds the conventional gasket that surrounds the adjacent ends of a pair of aligned pipes.
The free ends of the legs of the u-shaped coupling housing are formed as keys for fitting within the grooves of the pipe for locking the pipes and coupling together in the conventional manner. With the sleeve applied upon the pipe end, the inner or free ends of the coupling legs, which form the keys, engage against portions of the wall and base surfaces of the sleeve groove which line the surfaces of the walls and the base of the groove formed in the pipe.
