Fire-hose mender

Claim 1

A HOSE MENDER FOR FLEXIBLE HOSES HAVING A HOLLOW MAIN BODY SECTION, THE INTERIOR WALL OF WHICH TAPERS FROM A MAXIMUM DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY AT ITS MIDSECRION TO A MINIMUM DIAMETER AT EACH END, A TUBULAR HOSE-ENTERING CHAMBER AT EACH END OF SAID MAIN BODY SECTION, EACH CHAMBER CONTAINING A RIGID MOVABLE CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE HAVING A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING RIM AT THAT END OF SAID SLEEVE WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE MIDSECTION OF SAID HOLLOW BODY SECTION, THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE OPENING IN SAID GREATER THAN THE MINIMUM DIAMETER OF THE OPENING IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID SLEEVE EXTENDING BEYOND THE EDGE OF SAID TAPERED BODY SECTION WHEN SAID RIM IS AT ITS MAXIMUM INWARD POSITION IN SAID MAIN BODY SECTION, AN ELASTOMERIC ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER, WEDGE-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION, INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SLEEVE AND SAID MAIN BODY SECTION, SAID SEALING MEMBER BEING URGED AGAINST THE TAPERED SURFACE OF SAID MAIN BODY SECTION WHEN SAID RIM IS MOVED AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF SAID MAIN BODY SECTION, SAID SEALING MEMBER HAVING A RADIALLY INWARDLY PROTRUDING LIP SEALINGLY POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID RIM AND EXTENDING INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE, AN INSERTED HOSE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SEALING MEMBER AND SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE, THE END OF THE HOSE ABUTTING SAID PROTRUDING LIP SO AS TO PROVIDE A SEAL AGAINST THE FLOW OF WATER THROUGH SAID SLEEVE, SAID SEALING AGAINST THE FLOW OF WATER THROUGH THE END OF THE TAPERED PORTION OF SAID HOSE-ENTERING CHAMBER, AND A RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING TRAVEL-LIMITING MEANS OF LESSER DIAMETER THANTHE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID RIM DISPOSED WITHIN THE MIDSECTION OF SAID HOLLOW MAIN BODY SECTION TO LIMIT AXIAL INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SLEEVE.