Pipe coupling

Claim 1

A CONDUIT COUPLING CONSISTING OF TWO IDENTICAL UNITS, EACH COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING TERMINATING AT ITS FORWARD END IN ALTERNATE FINGERS AND RECESSES FORMING A CONTINUOUS SINUOUS LINE, WHICH LIES IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF THE HOUSING, THE SINUOUS LINES OF THE FORWARD ENDS OF RESPECTIVE HOUSING BEING COMPLEMENTARY SO THAT THE FINGERS OF ONE HOUSING INTERFIT WITH THE RECESSES OF THE OTHER, THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERIES OF RESPECTIVE HOUSING, IN THE VICINITY OF SAID FINGERS AND RECESSES, BEING UNINTERRUPTED AND UNIFORMLY CYLINDRICAL, PROVIDING, WHEN THE UNITS ARE IN INTERFITTING RELATION, A CONTINUOUS UNBROKEN CYLINDER, A CYLINDRICAL GASKET OF RESILIENT, COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL FREELY DISPOSED WITHIN THE FORWARD END OF EACH HOUSING, VALVE SEATS SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD END OF EACH HOUSING, DEFINING THE LIMIT OF REARWARD MOVEMENT OF RESPECTIVE GASKETS THEREIN, THE FORWARD EDGES OF RESPECTIVE GASKETS NORMALLY PROJECTION WITHIN THE AREAS BOUNDED BY SAID FINGERS AND RECESSES AND TERMINATING IN SLIGHTLY REARWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO THE FORWARD EXTREMETIES OF THE RESPECTIVE FINGERS SAID GASKETS LYING IN SURFACE CONTACT WITH THE INNER FACES OF SAID FINGERS, INTERNALLY SEATING VALVES COACTING WITH SAID VALVES SEATS, MEANS NORMALLY CLOSING RESPECTIVE VALVES, SAID VALVES BEING SUPPORTED ON CONCENTRIC VALVE STEMS RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN RESPECTIVE HOUSING, FORWARD PROJECTIONS ON RESPECTIVE VALVE STEMS, TERMINATING ADJACENT THE FORWARD EXTREMITIES OF RESPECTIVE HOUSINGS, AND EACH ALIGNED FOR ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VALVE STEM PROJECTION OF THE OPPOSITE VALVE, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID HOUSINGS ARE JOINED, THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE PROJECTION OF ONE VALVE STEM WITH THE PROJECTION OF THE OTHER, ACTS TO OPEN THE LATTER VALVE, CLAMPING MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID FINGERS AND RECESSES FOR FORCING THE FINGERS AND RECESSES OF RESPECTIVE HOUSING LONGITUDINALLY INTO ENGAGEMENT AND CAUSING THE SIMULTANEOUS EDGEWISE COMPRESSION OF SAID GASKETS, AND EACH OF SAID GASKETS BEING PROVIDED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS WITH AN ANNULAR, NORMALLY INWARD BULGE, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID UNITS ARE JOINED AND THE OPPOSED EDGES OF RESPECTIVE GASKETS ARE IN ABUTMENT, INTERNAL PRESSURE WITHIN THE JOINED HOUSINGS RADIALLY DEFORMS THE BULGES OF RESPECTIVE GASKETS TO EFFECT SEALING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THEIR ABUTTING EDGES AND PERIPHERAL SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE AREA OF THE MATING EDGES OF SAID HOUSINGS.