Ball pipe joint with composite ball member

Claim 1

A FITTING COMPRISING: A BODY PROVIDED WITH A BORE HAVING AN INNER END DEFINING A SEGMENTALLY SPHERICAL, CONCAVE, ANNULAR SEAT; A SEALING SLEEVE HAVING AN OUTER BALL ADJUSTABLY SEALINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SEAT, AND AN INNER, CONSTRICTIBLE PORTION PROVIDED WITH A RADIALLY INWARDLY PROJECTING ANNULAR TOOTH FOR SEALINGLY BITING INTO A TUBE END COAXIALLY DISPOSED THEREIN, SAID INNER PORTION BEING DEFINED EXTERIORLY BY A FRUSTO-CONICAL, INWARDLY NARROWING OUTER CAM SURFACE; A CAMMING SLEEVE BEING DEFINED INTERIORLY BY A FRUSTO-CONICAL, INWARDLY NARROWING INNER CAM SURFACE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OUTER CAM SURFACE, AND A CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE OPENING THROUGH THE OUTER END OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE TO DEFINE A SHARP ANNULAR EDGE, SAID CAMMING SLEEVE BEING DEFINED EXTERIORLY BY A ROUNDED, OUTWARDLY CONVEX SURFACE; AND A NUT THREADEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID BODY COAXIALLY OF SAID SEAT AND PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL, SEGMENTALLY SPHERICAL, OUTWARDLY CONCAVE SURFACE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CONVEX SURFACE OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE TO URGE THE CAMMING SLEEVE LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY AND RADIALLY INWARDLY AND THEREBY URGE THE INNER CAM SURFACE OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE AGAINST THE OUTER CAM SURFACE OF THE SEALING SLEEVE TO CONSTRICT SAID CONSTRICTIBLE PORTION, SAID CONCAVE SURFACE OF THE NUT HAVING A CURVATURE SIMILAR TO THE CURVATURE OF SAID BODY SEAT, AND SAID CONSTRICTIBLE PORTION OF SAID SEALING SLEEVE BEING ARRANGED TO BE CONSTRUCTED TO HAVE SAID ANNULAR TOOTH BITE FULLY INTO THE TUBE ENE WHEN THE CENTER OF CURVATURE OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE IS DISPOSED AT THE CENTER OF CURVATURE OF SAID SEALING SLEEVE BALL, SAID ANNULAR EDGE OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE BEING ARRANGED TO DIG INTO SAID CAM SURFACE OF THE SEALING SLEEVE TO LIMIT THE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CAMMING SLEEVE TO SAID PISTON WHEREIN IT IS CONCENTRIC WITH SAID SEALING SLEEVE BALL.