The Black Ink Team's Guide To Industrial Pipe Fittings (Part 2)
by Black Ink Team
This is a continuation of our guide to industrial pipe fittings, which you can find here. In this section, we will cover adapters, unions, and Olets. Olets are branch connectors which were designed and created by the Bonney Forge Corporation. They allow branches to be forged anywhere along a run pipe, instead of just at one of its ends.
Adapters
Adapters are pipe fittings which are used to convert pipe endings from ‘threaded’ to ‘unthreaded’ (or vice versa). They can also convert pipe endings from threaded to ‘butt weld.’ Threaded means that at the end of the pipe there is a spiraling protrusion of metal which secures it into place when it gets rotated into a pipe or pipe fitting that has the same threading specifications. There are two ‘genders’ of threaded pipe endings: male and female. Male threaded pipe endings have threads on the outside, and female threaded pipe endings have threads on the inside. Adapters come in two types: male and female. Naturally, male adapters have threads on the outside of their threaded end, and female adapters have threads on the inside of their threaded end.
LASCO's PVC Male Adapter
Sanitary Fittings' Butt-Weld Female Adapter
Unions
Union pipe fittings are similar to coupling pipe fittings, which you can learn about by reading part one of this guide. The only difference is, unions are much more difficult to remove after they have been added to a pipe system. Unions are used to connect two pipes of similar bore and Schedule.
LASCO's PVC Union (w O-ring seal)
Weldolet®
A Weldolet® is a branch connector that gets butt welded at both ends. One end gets connected to the side of a pipe or a tank, and the other gets connected to a pipe.
Bonney Forge's Weldolet®
Sockolet®
Similar to a Weldolet®, a Sockolet® is used for making branch connections. The only difference is that the branching end is equipped with a socket, which is a universal connection point for different pipes, gauges, and valves.
Bonney Forge's Sockolet®
Thredolet®
Very similar to a Sockolet®, a Thredolet® offers a way to make branch connections, but the difference is that it has a threaded end instead of a socket.
Bonney Forge's Thredolet®
Elbolet®
Similar to a Weldolet®, an Elbolet® gets butt welded at both ends and is used for making branch connections. The difference is, it is formed so that it can be welded onto the higher-radius side of an elbow connector, so that in effect it makes a ‘T’ connection.
Bonney Forge's Elbolet®
Nipolet®
Similar to a Thredolet®, a Nipolet® gets welded onto the side of a run pipe and used for making branch connections, but the difference is it has male threading instead of female. Furthermore, it has a tapered ending to accommodate for overlapping components. They are specifically used for gauges, valves, and other specialty piping components.
Bonney Forge's Nipolet®
Latrolet®
A Latrolet® is a branch connector that is used to make a 45 degree branch off of a run pipe.
Bonney Forge's Latrolet®
Coupolet®
Similar to a Thredolet®, a Coupolet® gets welded onto a run pipe or a tank and is used for making branch connections. What makes them different is that the latter is used for low-pressure branches, since it has more stress points and can rupture easier.
Bonney Forge's Coupolet®
Sweepolet®
A Sweepolet® is used to grant a branch a large amount of smooth, steady flow. It is contoured to reduce the amount of stress it gets put through.
Bonney Forge's Sweepolet®