Lightweight fluid coupling system

Claim 1

A LIGHTWEIGHT COUPLING JOINING A FITTING SUCH AS AN ELBOW, T OR Y TO A STRAIGHT TUBE, COMPRISING: AN ANNULAR PART HAVING A COUNTERBORE IN ONE END AND SAID FITTING HAVING A BRANCH OF TUBULAR CONFIGURATION SECURED IN SAID COUNTERBORE, SAID TUBE HAVING A FLARED END AND THE OTHER END OF SAID ANNULAR PART FACING THE TUBE FLARE BEING RADIUSED PRODUCING A GENERALLY QUARTER CIRCULAR OUTLINE IN RADIAL SECTION, THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID FLARE BEING RADIUSED GENERALLY SIMILARLY TO SAID ANNULAR PART, THE TUBE BEFORE THE COUPLING IS TIGHTENED MAKING CONTACT WITH SAID ANNULAR PART ONLY AT THE END OF THE FLARE AND ON A LINE ON SAID ANNULAR PART OF LESS DIAMETER THAN THE GREASTEST DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR PART, SAID END OF SAID FLARE "LOOKING" SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE TUBE AXIS BEFORE THE COUPLING IS TIGHTENED WHEREBY WHEN THE COUPLING IS TIGHTENED THE TUBE FLARE MAY BE STRETCHED OVER SAID ANNULAR PART BY PRESSURE APPLIED AT SAID END OF SAID FLARE PRODUCING SURFACE CONTACT THEREBETWEEN, THE RADIUSES BEING SHORTER THAN WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE CENTERS OF THE RADIUSES TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY ON THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID TUBE, A SLEEVE ON SAID TUBE GENERALLY FITTING SAID TUBE EXTERIOR SURFACES AND SAID FLARE, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE CLOSELY FITTING SAID OUTER PORTION OF SAID FLARE WHEREBY IN TIGHTENING OF SAID COUPLING SAID END OF SAID FLARE IS PINCHED BETWEEN SAID SLEEVE AND SAID ANNULAR PART AND SAID FLARE IS DRAWN ONTO SAID ANNULAR PART AND BOTH SAID FLARE AND ABUTTING PORTION OF SAID SLEEVE ARE EXPANDED, SAID ANNULAR PART HAVING A MEDIAL ANNULAR SHOULDER, A GLAND STUD AND A GLAND NUT ONE OF WHICH IS DISPOSED ON SAID SLEEVE AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS DISPOSED ON SAID ANNULAR PART ABUTTING SAID SHOULDER, SAID STUD AND NUT HAVING OVERLAPPED THREADED AREAS WHEREBY SAID COUPLING IS TIGHTENED WHEN SAID STUD AND NUT ARE TORQUED.