Demountable coupling

Claim 1

IN A QUICK DEMOUNTABLE COUPLING COMPRISING TWO TELESCOPING PARTS HAVING INTERFITTED BEARING SURFACES FORMED THEREON, MEANS ESTABLISHING ENGAGED POSITION OF SAID PARTS, A REARWARDLY FACING INCLINED ANNULAR LOCKING SURFACE INTERSECTING THE INNERMOST OF SAID SURFACES, A PAIR OF SPACED RADIAL WALLS DEFINING AN ANNULAR RECESS WHICH IS FORMED IN THE OUTERMOST OF SAID BEARING SURFACES SO AS TO OVERLIE SAID INCLINED SURFACE, AND A DISCONTINUOUS OVATE SHAPED LOCK RING FOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID PARTS, SAID RING BEING HELD IN SAID RECESS AND BEING FORMED FROM SPRING WIRE HAVING A DIAMETER WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE DEPT OF THE RECESS, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID RING COMPRISING TWO OPPOSITE ARCUATE RESILIENT PORTIONS FORMED THEREON WHICH FORCIBLY BEAR AGAINST SAID INCLINED LOCKING SURFACE WHEN THE COUPLING IS ASSEMBLED, THE OUTSIDE RADIUS OF SAID ARCUATE PORTIONS BEING GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECESS, A THIRD ARCUATE PORTION INTERCONNECTING SAID TWO ARCUATE PORTIONS AND EXTENDING ABOUT ONE RADIAN ALONG THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECESS BETWEEN TWO BEND LINES WHICH MARK A CHANGE OF RING CURVATURE ADJACENT TO THE TWO ARCUATE PORTIONS, THE DEVELOPED LENGTH OF THE RING BEING SUCH THAT THE FREE ENDS THEREOF ARE FORCIBLY HELD BY SPRING STRESS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND IN CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE RECESS WHEN SAID THIRD ARCUATE PORTION IS SEATED UNDER SAID SPRING STRESS AGAINST SAID BOTTOM WALL IN WHICH CONDITION THE AFORESAID TWO ARCUATE PORTIONS ARE MAINTAINED PRESTRESSED BY OUTWARD FLEXURE OF THE ARCUATE PORTIONS WHEN ASSEMBLED IN THE RECESS.