Coupling arrangement

Claim 1

A COUPLING BETWEEN TWO CONDUITS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A FEMALE SOCKET MEMBER CONNECTIBLE TO ONE OF THE TWO CONDUITS; (B) A SEALING RING ARRANGED INTERIORLY OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF; (C) AT LEAST TWO INDEPENDENT LOCKING ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN SAID SOCKET MEMBER AND DISTRIBUTED EQUAL ANGULAR DISTANCES ABOUT THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER AND MEANS MOUNTING EACH OF SAID LOCKING ELEMENTS TO SAID SOCKET MEMBER FOR LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO, EACH LOCKING ELEMENT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION ENGAGED BY SAID SEALING RING; AND (D) A MALE MEMBER CONNECTIBLE TO THE OTHER OF THE TWO CONDUITS AND INSERTABLE INTO SAID SOCKET MEMBER, SAID MALE MEMBER HAVING, ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, AN ANNULAR GROOVE WHICH LIES IN A PLANE FORMING A RIGHT ANGLE WITH THE AXIS OF THE COUPLING, SAID GROOVE BEING DIVIDED INTO SECTORS SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY BRIDGE PORTIONS, THEREBEING FOR EACH LOCKING ELEMENT A COMP EMENTARILY DISPOSED GROOVE SECTOR INTO WHICH SECTOR EACH RESPECTIVE LOCKING ELEMENT IS, WHEN SAID COUPLING IS IN COUPLED CONDITION, PRESSED INITIALLY BY THE INHERENT RESILIENCY OF SAID SEALING RING; (E) THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID MALE MEMBER BEING SMALLER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMTER OF THE OUTERMOST END OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER THEREBY TO FORM AN ANNULAR GAP BETWEEN SAID SOCKET MEMBER AND SAID MALE MEMBER TO PERMIT AXIAL MISALIGNMENT THEREBETWEEN AND TO IMPART FLEXIBILITY TO SAID COUPLING.