Tube coupling

Claim 1

A TUBE COUPLING HAVING MEANS PROVIDING FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF AT LEAST ONE TUBE THERETO, SAID COUPLING INCLUDING A TUBE COUPLING BODY HAVING AN EXTERNAL SCREW THREAD AT ONE END AND A WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION AT THE OTHER END, A LOCK RING AXIALLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE COUPLING BODY BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF AND KEYED THERETO AGAINST RELATIVE ROTATION THEREWITH, A NUT THREADED ONTO SAID EXTERNAL THREAD AND HAVING AN ADJACENT END PORTION WITH RATCHET TEETH THEREON, SAID NUT ALSO HAVING A WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION ADJACENT SAID TEETH, A SPRING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID TUBE COUPLING BODY AND SAID LOICK RING FOR URGING SAID LOCK RING TOWARD SAID NUT, SAID LOCK RING HAVING AN END PORTION ON WHICH THERE ARE FORMED RATCHET TEETH ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID NUT RATCHET TEETH FOR LOCKING SAID NUT AGAINST UNTHREADING ROTATION, SAID LOCK RING ALSO HAVING AN ANNULAR PORTION OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID NUT, WHEREBY A WRENCH FITTED TO SAID WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID NUT MAY BE MOVED AXIALLY THEREALONG INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR PORTION ON SAID LOCK RING FOR MOVING SAID LOCK RING TO DISENGAGE SAID TEETH WHEREBY SAID NUT MAY BE UNTHREADED FROM SAID BODY, SAID WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION OF SAID TUBE COUPLING BODY BEING OF A DIAMETER AT LEAST AS GREAT AS SAID ANNULAR PORTION ON SAID LOCK RING WHEREBY A WRENCH MAY BE FITTED TO SAID BODY WRENCH ENGAGING PORTION WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM SAID LOCK RING.