Tube coupling

Claim 1

IN A COUPLING ASSEMBLY TO ENGAGE THE END OF A TUBE, THE COMBINATION OF: A FIRST ANNULAR THREADED COUPLING BODY HAVING A TAPERED INNER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY WALL TO COOPERATED IN THE FORMING OF A SEAL AROUND THE TUBE; A SECOND ANNULAR COUPLING BODY THREADED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST BODY FOR RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE TWO BODIES TOWARDS EACH OTHER BY SCREW ACTION, SAID TWO BODIES BEING SHAPED IN THE REGION OF THEIR JUNCTURE TO FORM WITH THE TUBE AN ANNULAR CAMMING CHAMBER AROUND THE TUBE SPACED FROM THE TUBE END, SAID CHAMBER CONTRACTING AXIALLY WITH SAID SCREW ACTION; AND ANNULAR MEANS TO SURROUND THE TUBE IN SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER INSIDE SAID TAPERED INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF SAID FIRST BODY, SAID ANNULAR MEANS HAVING AN INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL PORTION NEAR ITS OUTER END OF BROKEN SURFACE CONFIGURATION TO GRIP SAID TUBE IN A POSITIVE MANNER IN A REGION SPACED FROM SAID END OF THE TUBE, SAID ANNULAR MEANS BEING RESILIENTLY RADIALLY CONTRACTIBLE FOR POSITIVE GRIPPING ACTION AGAINST SAID TUBE BY SAID WALL PORTION AND ALSO BEING RESILIENTLY AXIALLY CONTRACTIBLE BETWEEN ITS TWO ENDS, THE OTHER END OF SAID ANNULAR MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST BODY TO RESIST AXIAL CONTRACTION OF THE ANNULAR MEANS WHEN THE ANNULAR MEANS GRIPS THE TUBE, SAID ANNULAR MEANS INCLUDING A THIN-WALLED SLEEVE TO OVERHANG THE END RIM OF THE TUBE TO SERVE AS A SEAL BETWEEN SAID END RIM AND SAID TAPERED INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF THE FIRST COUPLING BODY, SAID SLEEVE BEING TAPERED FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID TAPERED WALL, THE ANNULAR WALL OF SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER BEING SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED TO ENGAGE SAID ANNULAR MEANS WITH A CAM ACTION AT AN EARLY STAGE IN SAID SCREW ACTION TO CONTRACT THE ANNULAR MEANS RADIALLY INTO POSITIVE GRIP WITH THE TUBE END TO THEREAFTER CONTRACT THE ANNULAR MEANS AXIALLY TO FORCE SAID TUBE END AXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER END OF THE ANNULAR MEANS FOR SEALING ACTION AT SAID INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL.