Indium coated o-ring seal

Claim 1

A LEAK-PROOF CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR JOINING CONFRONTING ENDS OF TWO PIECES OF TUBING COMPRISING: A FIRST MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND A COUNTER-BORE FORMING A FIRST CHAMBER IN ONE END THEREOF AND A SECOND LARGER CHAMBER IN THE OTHER END THEREOF WITH AN INTERIORALLY DISPOSED SHOULDER FORMED BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO AN END OF A FIRST PIECE OF TUBING, THE INTERIOR PERIPHERAL AREA OF THE SECOND CHAMBER OF SAID NUT MEMBER BEING SHAPED FOR RECEIVING THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID FIRST PIECE OF TUBING WITH THE END THEREOF THEREIN WITH THE END FACE OF THE TUBING BEING IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER, SAID FIRST NUT MEMBER HAVING AN EXTERIORALLY DISPOSED AND RADIALLY EXTENDING TERMINAL FLANGE HAVING A FLAT, RADIAL, ANNULAR SEALING SURFACE AT THE ONE END THEREOF AND AN ANNULAR SHOULDER REARWARDLY OF SAID SEALING SURFACE; A SECOND NUT MEMBER BEING A LONGITUDINAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND A COUNTER-BORE FORMING A FIRST CHAMBER IN ONE END THEREOF AND A SECOND LARGER CHAMBER IN THE OTHER END THEREOF WITH AN INTERIORALLY DISPOSED SHOULDER FORMED BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, SAID SECOND NUT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO AN END OF THE OTHER PIECE OF TUBING, THE INTERIOR PERIPHERAL AREA OF THE SECOND CHAMBER BEING SHAPED FOR RECEIVING THE WALL OF THE END OF THE OTHER PIECE OF TUBING THE END THEREOF THEREIN WITH THE END FACE BEING IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER, SAID SECOND NUT MEMBER HAVING A FLANGE ADJACENT, ITS OTHER END, THE PERIPHERY OF THE FLANGE HAVING A SURFACE FOR BEING GRASPED BY A TOOL AND THE EXTERIOR PERIPHERY OF THE MAIN BODY OF THE SECOND MEMBER BEING EXTERIORALLY THREADED THERE-ALONG AND THE SAID ONE END THEREOF HAVING AN ANNULAR PERIPHERAL RECESS IN THE END FACE AND FORMING AN AXIALLY PROJECTING SEAT PORTION, SAID ANNULAR PERIPHERAL RECESS FORMING A REAR, RADIAL, FLAT SEALING SURFACE NORMAL TO SAID AXIALLY PROJECTING SEAT PORTION, SAID AXIALLY PROJECING SEAT PROTION HAVING A UNIFORM CROSS SECTION AND A PERIPHERAL SEALING EDGE AT THE TERMINAL EDGE OF SAID SEAT PORTION; AN INDIUM COATED O-RING DISPOSED ON SAID SEAT AND PROJECTING BEYOND SAID PERIPHERAL SEALING EDGE AND ADAPTED TO NORMALLY ABUT THE FLANGE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID O-RING INCLUDING AN INNER CORE RELATIVELY HARDER THAN THE OUTER INDIUM COATING OF SAID O-RING AND SAID COATING COMPRISING A RELATIVELY DEFORMABLE SURFACE FOR FLOWING WHEN SUBJECTED TO SEALING PRESSURE; AND A THIRD CUP-SHAPED NUT MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END AND AN OPPOSITE END WITH A CENTRAL BORE THERETHROUGH SLIDEABLY RECEIVING SAID FIRST NUT MEMBER THEREIN, THE INTERIOR WALL OF SAID CUP-SHAPED MEMBER BEING COMPLEMENTALLY THREADED WITH RESPECT TO THE EXTERIORALLY DISPOSED THREADS ON SAID SECOND MEMBER, THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF SAID THIRD MEMBER BEING ADAPTED FOR MANIPULATION BY A TOOL, THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID OPPOSITE END BEING SHAPED FOR ABUTTING THE EXTERIORALLY DISPOSED FLANGE OF SAID FIRST NUT MEMBER WHEN THE FIRST NUT MEMBER IS DRAWN TOWARD ABUTTING AND CONFRONTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SAID SECOND MEMBER WITH THE O-RING DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID FIRST MEMBER FLANGE AND SECOND MEMBER RADIAL SEALING SURFACES HAVING RELATIVELY BROAD, OPPOSED ANNULAR SURFACE PORTIONS CLAMPINGLY ENGAGING OPPOSED ANNULAR SURFACES OF SAID O-RING THEREBETWEEN AND SAID SEAT PORTION SEALING EDGE ENGAGING SAID O-RING INWARDLY OF SAID RELATIVELY BROAD OPPOSED SEALING SURFACES WHEN SAID O-RING IS DEFORMED ANNULARLY INWARDLY; WHEREBY SAID FIRST NUT MEMBER, SAID SECOND NUT MEMBER, SAID INDIUM-COATED O-RING AND SAID THIRD NUT MEMBER COMPRISE A UNITARY DEVICE FOR JOINING CONFRONTING ENDS OF TWO PIECES OF TUBING WHEN SAID FLANGE AND SAID OPPOSITE END OF THE THIRD NUT MEMBER CO-OPERATE UPON THREADING OF SAID THIRD NUT MEMBER TO SAID SECOND NUT MEMBER TO DRAWN THE TWO SAID ONE END TIGHTLY AGAINST SAID INDIUM-COATED O-RING DEFORMING IT AND FORMING A PRESSURE-TIGHT SEAL THEREBETWEEN EFFECTIVE AT BOTH NORMAL AND CRYOGENIC PRESSURES AND TEMPERATURES.