Snap action hose fitting

Claim 1

A HOSE FITTING FOR SECUREMENT TO THE END OF A HOSE COMPRISING (A) AN OUTER SLEEVE OF A SYNTHETIC RESIN MATERIAL HAVING AN INTERRUPTED INTERIOR PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF A SIZE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF THE HOSE END TO WHICH THE FITTING IS TO BE SECURED SO AS TO PERMIT SAID SLEEVE TO BE RECEIVED OVER SAID HOSE END, (B) AN INWARDLY EXTENDING RESILIENT ANNULAR FLANGE CAPABLE OF SUBSTANTIAL DEFLECTION WITHIN ITS ELASTIC LIMIT ON ONE END OF SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN INTERIOR SIZE LESS THAN THE EXTERIOR SIZE AND GREATER THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF THE HOSE FOR ENGAGING THE EXTREMITY OF THE HOSE END, AND (C) A RIGID TUBULAR INNER MEMBER INCLUDING (D) A FIRST EXTERIOR PERIPHERAL PORTION DEFINING A TAPERED ANNULAR SURFACE AT ONE END OF SAID MEMBER HAVING A SIZE AT THE EXTREMITY THEREOF DOWNWARDLY OF SAID MEMBER LESS THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF THE HOSE AND DIVERGING INWARDLY OF SAID MEMBER TO A SIZE GREATER THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF THE HOSE AND LESS THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF SAID FLANGE SO THAT SAID TAPERED SURFACE WILL ENGAGE WITHIN A HOSE ENGAGED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND PROGRESSIVELY EXPAND SAID HOSE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY WHEN SAID ONE END OF SAID MEMBER IS INSERTED IN THE HOSE END, (E) A SECOND EXTERIOR PERIPHERAL PORTION ADJACENT SAID FIRST PORTION DEFINING AN INTERRUPTED SURFACE HAVING A SIZE TO RETAIN THE HOSE IN EXPANDED CONDITION IN PRESSURE TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERRUPTED INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE, (F) A THIRD EXTERIOR PERIPHERAL PORTION ADJACENT SAID SECOND PORTION DEFINING A GRADUALLY TAPERED ANNULAR SURFACE HAVING A SIZE AT THE EXTREMITY THEREOF ADJACENT SAID SECOND PORTION LESS THAN THE EXTERIOR SIZE OF SAID FLANGE AND DIVERGING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID SECOND PORTION TO A SIZE GREATER THAN THE INTERIOR SIZE OF SAID FLANGE BUT LESS THAN THE EXTERIOR SIZE OF THE HOSE END SO AS TO EXPAND SAID FLANGE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY WITHIN THE ELASTIC LIMIT THEREOF WHEN SAID MEMBER IS MOVED FARTHER INWARDLY OF A HOSE WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, AND (G) A FOURTH PERIPHERAL PORTION ADJACENT SAID THIRD PERIPHERAL PORTION DEFINING A PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF A SIZE TO RECEIVE THE FLANGE SO AS TO PERMIT THE LATTER TO CONTRACT ADJACENT THERETO WHEN SAID MEMBER IS MOVED FARTHER INWARDLY OF A HOSE WITHIN SAID SLEEVE. (H) SAID FOURTH PERIPHERAL PORTION ALSO DEFINING A TRANSVERSE ABUTMENT SURFACE BETWEEN SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE AND SAID THIRD PORTION TAPERING SURFACE FOR ENGAGING SAID FLANGE AND PREVENTING OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER WHEN SAID FLANGE IS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE, AND (I) MEANS DEFINING A FITTING AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID MEMBER ADJACENT SAID FOURTH PORTION.