Tube coupling having deforming means

Claim 1

A VACUUM TYPE COUPLING ASSEMBLY FOR COUPLING A TUBE TO A BODY MEMBER COMPRISING: A TUBULAR BODY MEMBER INCLUDING A HOLLOW NIPPLE, AND AN EXHAUST BORE RUNNING THERETHROUGH; A HOLLOW END PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH AND PREJECTING FROM SAID NIPPLE, SAID END PORTION BEING OF LESS OUTSIDE DIAMETER THAN SAID NIPPLE WHEREBY AN ANNULAR SHOULDER PORTION SURROUNDING SAID END PORTION IS PROVIDED ON SAID NIPPLE AGAINST WHICH SAID TUBE MAY SEAT, SAID END PORTION ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR RADIAL RIDGE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FRONT THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SID END PORTION, SAID RADIAL RIDGE ORIGINATING AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SHOULDER WITH SAID END PORTION; A RADIALLY CONTRACTABLE COLLET FOR RECEIVING SAID TUBE SURROUNDING SAID END PORTION IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC SPACED RELTION THERETO, SAID COLLET BEING PROVIDED WITH A FRUSTO-CONICAL OUTER SURFACE OVER A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH WITH THE LARGER DIAMETER END IN ASSEMBLY ABUTTING AGAINST SAID NIPPLE CHOULDER PORTION, LONGITUDINAL SLOTS EXTENDING FROM SAID LARGER DIAMETER END TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF FINGERS ON SAID COLLET, SAID COLLET ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH A RIDGE PORTION DISPOSED IN A RADIAL ARRAY AND PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH FINGER OF SID COLLET, SAID COLLET RIDGE PORTIONS SLOPTING FROM THE END OF THE COLLET AT AN ANGLE NOT GREATER THAN 75*; THE MINIMUM SEPARATION BETWEEN THE RIDGE PORTIONS OF SAID COLLET AND SAID NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE BEING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER IN CONFRONTING RELATIONSHIP AND CONTACTING SAID TUBE; SAID NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE BEING PROVIDED WITH A SIDE OPPOSITE SAID NIPPLE SHOULDER PORTION SLOPING TOWARD SAID SHOULDER PORTION AT AN ACUTE ANGLE BETWEEN 55*-75* IN SIZE AND FORMING WITH SAID NIPPLE SHOULDER PORTION AND SAID RIDGE PORTION A COMPARTMENT FOR TRAPPING SAID TUBE; A CLAMPING RING DISPOSED ABOUT SAID COLLET HAVING AN INTERIOR FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE EXTERIOR FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE OF SAID COLLET AND CONTRACT SAID COLLET RADIALLY INWARDLY UPON AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CLAMPING RING TOWARD THE LARGE DIAMETER END OF SAID COLLET, THE MINIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE AND SAID RIDGE PORTIONS OF THE COLLET BEING LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID TUBE; AND MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID CLAMPING RING IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION TOWARD THE LARGE DIAMETER END OF SAID COLLET; SAID NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE HAVING A SURFACE OPPOSITE FROM SAID SLOPING NIPPLE PORTION, SAID SURFACE BEING AT APPROXIMATELY RIGHT ANGLES WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SID BORE AND SAID TUBE TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY SAWTOOTH SHAPED NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE, WHEREBY SAID TUBE IS PENETRATED BY THE NIPPLE END PORTION RIDGE AND COMPRESSED BY SAID COLLET RIDGE PORTIONS, CAUSING THE TUBE MATERIAL TO BE TRAPPED WITHIN SAID COMPARTMENT AND RESULTING IN THE ATTAINMENT OF HIGH PRESSURE AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE TUBE MATERIAL AND SAID SLANTED SIDE.