Jacketed strip-wound metal hose

Claim 1

JACKETED STRIP-WOUND METAL HOSE HAVING AXIALLY INTERLOCKING HELICAL CONVOLUTIONS IN WHICH EACH CONVOLUTION IS MOVABLE TO A FULLY AXIALLY COMPRESSED POSITION IN WHICH ADJOINING CONVOLUTIONS ARE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER SUCH THAT THERE IS ONLY A SMALL SPACE BETWEEN THE CONVOLUTIONS AT THEIR OUTER SURFACES AND AN AXIALLY EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH ADJOINING CONVOLUTIONS ARE SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE APART, AND A SEAMLESS JACKET OF PLASTIC MATERIAL FITTING SNUGLY ABOUT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID HOSE AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID SPACE BETWEEN ADJOINING CONVOLUTIONS WHEN SAID HOSE IS UNBENT AND IN SAID AXIALLY COMPRESSED POSITION WITH ITS AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT TO PROVIDE A MECHANICAL INTERLOCK BETWEEN THE JACKET AND THE HOSE, WHEREBY AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE JACKET RELATIVE TO THE HOSE IS SUBSTANTIALLY PRECLUDED BY SAID MECHANICAL INTERLOCK AND UPON BENDING OF THE JACKETED HOSE ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS CAN MOVE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER ONLY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BEND AND WRINKLING OF THE JACKET DUE TO MOVEMENT OF CONVOLUTIONS TOWARD EACH OTHER ON THE INSIDE OF THE BEND IS SUBSTANTIALLY PRECLUDED.