cruse

Claim 1

A QUICK-ACTING HOSE COUPLING FOR RECEPTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH A MATING COUPLER ELEMENT, SAID HOSE COUPLING COMPRISING A TUBULAR BARREL HAVING TWO BORES SEPARATED BY AN IMPERFORATE WALL, SAID BORES BEING RESPECTIVELY IN COMMUNICATION NEAR THEIR INNER ENDS WITH THE EXTERIOR OF THE BARREL BY MEANS OF FLUID PASSAGES EXTENDING THROUGH THE BARREL ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WALL, VALVE-FORMING MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON THE BARREL AND ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING AN OPEN POSITION FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FLUID PASSAGES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WALL ACROSS THE EXTERIOR OF THE BARREL, THE OTHER POSITION BEING A CLOSED POSITION FOR INTERRUPTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FLUID PASSAGES, LOCKING MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON THE BARREL FOR RETENTIVELY HOLDING THE COUPLER ELEMENT IN RETAINED ENGAGEMENT WITHIN ONE OF SAID BORES AND BEING ADAPTED, UPON MOVEMENT, TO RELEASE SAID COUPLER ELEMENT, SAID LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A SLEEVE SEPARATE FROM THE VALVE-FORMING MEANS WHEREBY THE VALVEFORMING MEANS CAN BE MOVED OPTIONALLY FROM CLOSED POSITION TO OPEN POSITION AND FROM OPEN POSITION TO CLOSED POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE LOCKING MEANS, SAID SLEEVE BEING IN ENDWISE ABUTMENT WITH THE VALVE-FORMING MEANS WHEN THE VALVE-FORMING MEANS IS IN OPEN POSITION SO THAT, WHEN IN SUCH OPEN POSITION, THE VALVE-FORMING MEANS WILL PREVENT UNLOCKING MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING MEANS, AND STOP-FORMING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BARREL FOR OPTIONALLY PRECLUDING UNAUTHORIZED MOVEMENT OF THE VALVE-FORMING MEANS FROM OPEN TO CLOSED POSITION.