Buckle secured clamp for joining abutting conduits

Claim 1

A COUPLING DEVICE FOR JOINING AND SEALING ABUTTING CONDUIT SECTIONS TOGETHER, COMPRISING A PAIR OF COUPLING HALVES ARRANGED TO ENCOMPASS SAID ABUTTING ENDS OF SAID CONDUIT SECTIONS AND TO BE IN SUBSTANTIALLY ABUTTING CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, EACH COUPLING HALF HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLANGES FORMED INTEGRAL THEREWITH, WITH THE FLANGES IN THE OPPOSING COUPLING HALVES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER WHEN SAID COUPLING HALVES ARE ASSEMBLED ABOUT THE ABUTTING ENDS OF SAID CONDUITS TO FORM PAIRS OF CORRESPONDING FLANGES, THE FLANGES OF EACH PAIR OF CORRESPONDING FLANGES HAVING OPPOSING FIRST SLOTS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE BASES, SAID FIRST SLOTS OPENING INTO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE FLANGES OF EACH PAIR THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID SPACING IS IN THE FORM OF A T-SHAPED SLOT, AND SECOND SLOTS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FLANGES OF EACH PAIR THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST SLOTS THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR LOCKING EACH PAIR OF CORRESPONDING FLANGES TOGETHER, SAID MEANS CONSISTING OF A LATCH BUCKLE MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT THEREIN FOR ENGAGING OVER THE SECOND SLOTS IN THE FLANGES OF EACH PAIR OF CORRESPONDING FLANGES AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING IN SAID T-SHAPED SLOT AND HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID T-SHAPED SLOT SO AS TO EXTEND OVER A PORTION OF SAID LATCH BUCKLE MEMBER THEREBY PREVENTING REMOVAL OF SAID LATCH BUCKLE MEMBER FROM ITS RESPECTIVE PAIR OF CORRESPONDING FLANGES.