Hose coupling for suction cleaning apparatus

Claim 1

IN A RELEASABLE COUPLING, THE COMBINATION OF A TUBULAR FEMALE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE INTERIOR SURFACE THEREOF, A MALE MEMBER RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID FEMALE MEMBER, A RESILIENT SPLIT RING ELEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY ENCOMPASSING SAID MALE MEMBER AND HAVING SPACED-APART SURFACE PORTIONS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID RING ELEMENT BEING EXPANSIBLE INTO SAID GROOVE WHEN THE RING ENDS ARE MOVED APART AND SAID MALE MEMBER IS RECEIVED IN SAID FEMALE MEMBER, MEANS FOR PREVENTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RING WITH RESPECT TO SAID MALE MEMBER, A WEDGE ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID MALE MEMBER FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREON, SAID WEDGE ELEMENT HAVING SURFACE PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY FACING SAID RING ELEMENT SURFACE PORTIONS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SURFACE PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING AT LEAST TWO AXIALLY SPACED NOTCHES OF UNEQUAL DEPTH FORMED THEREIN SO THAT SAID SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID ONE ELEMENT ARE ALTERNATELY DIVERGENT AND CONVERGENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER ALONG THE LINE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENT, THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PROJECTION EXTENDING TOWARD SAID ONE SURFACE PORTION OF SAID ONE ELEMENT AT LEAST ONE OF SAID NOTCHES PROVIDING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID ONE ELEMENT PERMITTING SAID RING ELEMENT TO BE CONTRACTED WHEN SAID PROJECTION IS RECEIVED BY SAID ONE NOTCH, A SECOND OF SAID NOTCHES PROVIDING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID ONE ELEMENT WHEREBY SAID RING IS EXPANDED INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR GROOVE WHEN SAID PROJECTION IS RECEIVED BY SAID SECOND NOTCH, SAID PROJECTION AND SAID SECOND OF SAID NOTCHES HAVING INTER-ENGAGING MEANS WHICH RELEASABLY MAINTAIN SAID PROJECTION IN SAID SECOND OF SAID NOTCHES, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WEDGE ELEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID NOTCHES TO THE EXTENT THAT SAID PROJECTION IS AT ALL TIMES DISPOSED AT LEAST PARTLY BETWEEN SAID SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID ONE ELEMENT.