AMERICAN STANDARD I) Righi-Hand Thread - Normal direction ror lhread

on pip1;1 a11d !lt11ngs

Pf PE THREAD m) Left"Hand Th,aad - lhis thread i!:! c;utin lhe op•
INTRODUCTION poslle dlr~1io11 and Is usod
fhe U1raaded pipa joiol has baa11 in use for more lh~11
on latt and righ1 nipples and
C~H.rpllngs, A l4;11t,ha11d nipplo
one hundred yearn, During thts por'iod it has proved to fnd coupling may oo ysoo
be en axoallant leal<;prwf conneclion for steel and
1n plac~ of a union coup"ng,
wrwghHron pipe and llttinga. However, its uso has nol
The nlpplas are klentilieo
bean llmitoo lo SIGel and wrought iron. 11 is used today With a color on Iha lefl-hMd
wilh malet\als such as brass, copper, plas\ic, e1c. 1hread and the coupliniis
The lhre-aded joinl is still consldernct lo be an excellanl trnually have, rour shaighl
m&lhod ol ~onl'lecling ~pe lo fittings and Is used for bars on the sloe.
many pip111g insta.llo.lion$.
NOTE.· Special dit}s 1.111d laps are
required lo cut l&fl•hliHid
STANDARPIZATION male and lema1a threads.
The threaded !oint for steal arid wrought-Iron pipe wall-- II is not a general pracli¢e
s!andardized as early iiS HH:) and Is called the Amer- 1o cu1 left•hand lhteads on
ir;an Standard Pipe Throacl. 1h8 job as the nipples and
r.:ouplings ~ r11 .tveilab!e- from
the rnanuraclurcr.
ADVANTAGES OF STANDARDIZATION
a) Pipe can be manufac1ured and lhN'.le.ded in one
country and the 1ittlngt; ,or th& srm'I& ptpe ptoducco in Figure 1
arwlhe1 country.
Length of effective thread
b) Three.c.Jlng lorns (dles and taps) can be standard- C
izoo, again perrniUing manuracture ol toors in variovs Engagement when tight
counlrias. - - - - - T _ _ _ __.
Valves, llanges, rnachlnes, pumps and many other
,es of equipment requtring lnreaded pipe attach-
,,m!s ca11 b-e ptoducoo to a sland11rd in mtiny co,in-
1rios.

TECHNICAL TERMS
An underntandiflg or lhe various lschnica! lerms 1Jsfld
wi!h threads is necessaty. These terms aro ouUlned
TABLE A
below.
a) A,S.P,T. - American Standard Pipe
Thread NOMINAL THREADS LENGTH OF ENGAGEMEHT
DIAMETER PER THERMO (C) WHEN TIGHT (T)
b) N.P.S. - Nominal Pipe Sl.7A ltlCHES ltlCH INCHES ltlCHES
c) A.r.s, - ACll)al Pipe sl lEJ
1 f6 27 0.25 114
d) O.D. - Outside Ditirne\er
1 /4 18 0.40 3/8
e) I.D. - Inside Oiamlilter
318 18 0.41 318
!) Male Thread - Exterior thnmd (ln pire or
lltting 1t2 14 0.53 112
g} Female Thread -- lnternar lhr-ead on rn11ngs or 3/4 9116
14 055
valves
- Nocessary for pipe to lighten 1 11 112 0.68 11t16
h) Thre~d Taper
iril(.) fi(ljng 1 114 11112 0.71 11t18
0 'J hread Pilch - Rehm1:1d to as ihe number
1 112 11 112 0.72 11 t18
oJ threads per inch
I) Thread Ang,e - The angle a1 which !he 2 11 112 0.76 3/4
lhreads am ctJI (60") 1 .14 15/16
2 l/2 8
Rvnr,liig Thread - Tbisi i$ .a loog lhread 1ha\
l'..loes not have any- lapor,
Usually made lt;tak-proor NOTE: Nominal pipe sizes larger lhan 2 1/2 Inch use
with a kir;:kllUI. lhe same p~ch, namely B threads per inch,

-1-
 THREAD ENGAGEMENT Too long a pipe thread allows the pipe to travel too far
Thread engagement is the amount of pipe thread nee• into the fitting. The pipe Is prevented from turning any
essary to make a tigh1 connection between pipe and tit· further when it reaches the end of the thread inside the
ting, Reier to T on Figure 1. fitting. Correct thread engagement of the taper is not
made since mos! of the tapered threads remain outside
For the length ot thread engagement for the various the fitting, This can cause damage to the lit1ing and
nominal diameters of pipes,· refer to T on Table A possible leakage. ·
NOTE: When cuttlng threads on various diameters of
pipe, it ls usual practice to add approximately
two additional threads lo the length of thread Figure 3 Too long a pipe thread
shown ln (T) of Table A,
titting
Example: A 112-lnch diameter pipe ..
Pipe
Engagement when tight ln inches (T)
equals 1/2 inch. Thread length will equal
112 inch plus approximately two additional
lmperiect threads.

THREADS PER INCH

\\\\\\\'
It is possible to cut threads on pipes of different diame-
ters wHh the same die chasers. The following exam-
pres show the nominal pipe diameters that have the
same number of threads per inch,
Too short a plpe 1hread does not allow enough thread
EXAMPLE 1 to enler the fitting. This prevents the proper use of all
1/4-lnch and 3/8-inch nominal pipe size have 18 the threads In 1he fitting and can result in a weakened
threads per Inch. connection and possible leakage.

EXAMPLE 2
1/2-inch and 314-inch nom\nal pipe size have 14 Figure 4 Too short a pipe thread
threads per inch.
r-'itting
EXAMPLE 3
1.:inch, 1 1/4-lnch, 1 1/2-inch and 2-lnch nominal
pipe size have 11 1/2 threads per inch.
EXAMPLE 4
2 1/2•inch nominal pipe slze and larger have 8
threads per Inch.

NOT£: The above examples of threads per inch are

shown in Table A.
Correcl lenglh of pipe thread allows the pipe to enter
the fitting with the proper number of threads. The
Flgure 2 PIPE THREAD thread taper is able lo make a tight connection.

Figure 5 Correct pipe thread

lmoerfect Threa~s

T, • Topee

r
1 ,A. - Th,od An91 e
p. - Pr tch

' Length of Thread

ll !s or !he utmost Importance when threading pipe lo
cut the correct length of thread for a given plpe diame-
NOTE: With the Correct thread engagemenl, approx•
lrnately two imperfect threads should remain
ter. outside the fitting.

PIPE FITTINGS
J AND THREAD ALLOWANCES
IRTRODUCTION
This package has been developed to. show how s\eel
pipe and !lttings are measured lo a given length from
diagrams !or on-the-job Installation. PipBs m_ust be ~ut
to various lengths and threaded for many d1tterent in-
stallations,
DIAGRAMS
In general, piping diagrams as supplied by engine~rs
show measurements as centre to centre. Reier to Fig•
ure 1.
METHODS OF MEASURING
As mentioned, piping diagrams usually give maasu~e•
ments as centre to centre of fittings. However, all pip·
ing measurements are no/ taken from centre to centre
because many have to be taken on the job site when
the pipes are fitted.
ll is important that the learner oo rarniliar wilh the vari•
ous terms used when measuring pipes and Httings,
Figure 3 below shows many of these.

Figure 1

r 31011

Centre to Centre

J' Piping Single Line

I
To convert the centre to centre measurements to aclu- Figure 3
a! length of pipe, it Is necessary to measure the fittings
being used because !he pipe does not travel into the
cenlre of the fitting. Refer lo Figure 2. · ·- Abbreviations of Terms used when measuring pipes
and fittings.
Centre to Back of Pipe - C. to 8. of P.
Figura 2 Centre to Centre - C. to C.
Cantre to Front of Pipe - C, to F. of P.
Centre to Face of Fitting • C. to F. of F,
Face to Face of Fitting - F. to F·. o/ F.
Centre to Back ol Fitting • ·c. to B. of F.
Centre to End of Pipe - C. to E. of P.
End to End of Pipe - E, to E. of P,
Centre to Centre
- . - · ..... ,.~..;,.4 .. _ _ _

THREAD ENGAGEMENT
AND FITTING ALLOWANCE
Pipe Length ---.-.i
Before pipes can be cut and fitted to a given measure-
ment, !he ~fitting allowance·, "thread engagement" and
"pipe diameter" must be known,

TABLES
Amerlcan Standard Pipe Thread tablas are avatlable
Piping Double Une giving the Hlling allowance and thread engagement for
various pipe and fitting diameters.