Coupling device for connecting precharged fluid lines

Claim 1

IN A COUPLING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING PRECHARGED FLUID LINES, A FIRST COUPLER MEMBER COMPRISING A FIRST TUBULAR HOUSING PROVIDING A FIRST AXIAL PORT IN THE FORWARD END THEREOF AND A LATERAL PORT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS WITH AN INTERNAL FLUID FLOW PASSAGE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PORTS, SEALING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, SAID SEALING MEANS HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION AFFIXED TO SAID HOUSING AND PROVIDING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WALL WHICH IS AXIALLY SHIFTABLE TOWARD THE FORWARD END OF SAID HOUSING WITHOUT DISTURBING SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION, A FIRST VALVE PLUG RECEIVED WITHIN SAID AXIAL PORT, FIRST FRANGIBLE MEANS SEALINGLY SECURING SAID FIRST VALVE PLUG TO SAID FIRST HOUSING, ACTUATING ROD MEANS AXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING WITH THE FORWARD END THEREOF BEARING AGAINST SAID VALVE PLUG AND THE REARWARD END THEREOF BEARING AGAINST THE TRANSVERSE WALL OF SAID SEALING MEANS, SCREW MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE REARWARD PORTION OR SAID HOUSING FOR APPLYING AXIAL PRESSURE TO SAID TRANSVERSE WALL AND THEREBY TO SAID ROD FOR BREAKING SAID FIRST PLUG VALVE LOOSE FROM SAID FIRST HOUSING BY THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID WALL AND ROD, A SECOND COUPLER MEMBER COMPRISING A SECOND TUBULAR HOUSING PROVIDING A SECOND AXIAL PORT ALIGNABLE WITH SAID FIRST AXIAL PORT, A SECOND VALVE PLUG RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SECOND AXIAL PORT, SECOND FRANGIBLE MEANS SEALINGLY SECURING SAID SECOND VALVE PLUG TO SAID SECOND HOUSING, SAID SECOND VALVE PLUG BEING RETRACTABLE WITHIN SAID SECOND HOUSING TO OPEN SAID SECOND PORT WHEN SAID SECOND FRANGIBLE MEANS IN BROKEN, SAID FIRST VALVE PLUG ENGAGING SAID SECOND VALVE PLUG TO BREAK SAID SECOND VALVE PLUG LOOSE FROM SAID SECOND HOUSING BY THE CONTINUED ACTUATION OF SAID SCREW MEANS WITH SAID PLUGS MOVABLE TO A POSITION OPENING A FLUID PATH THROUGH SAID AXIAL PORTS, AND CONNECTING MEANS FOR SEALINGLY SECURING TOGETHER THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND COUPLER MEMBERS WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND VALVE PLUGS IN ALIGNMENT.