Laterally and angularly adjustable tube fitting

Claim 1

A FITTING FOR USE WITH STRAIGHT-ENDED TUBING, COMPRISING: A BODY MEMBER HAVING AN INNER END DEFINED BY AN ANNULAR RADIAL END SURFACE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DEFINED BY AN ANNULAR SHOULDER SURFACE AND A THROUGH BORE OPENING THROUGH SAID INNER END; AN ANNULAR NUT MEMBER HAVING AN INNER END PROVIDED WITH AN AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FACING, RADIALLY INNER PLANA SHOULDER, SAID NUT MEMBER AND BODY MEMBER HAVING COOPERATING MEANS FOR EFFECTING FORCEFUL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHOULDER TOWARD SAID INNER END OF THE BODY MEMBER; A FIRST ANNULAR SEALING RING FORMED OF A SUBSTANTIALLY DEAD SOFT MATERIAL AND HAVING AN AXIALLY OUTER RADIALLY EXTENDING SURFACE SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID INNER END OF THE BODY MEMBER AND IN AXIALLY INNER, PLANAR RADIALLY EXTENDING SURFACE SPACED AXIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID INNER END OF THE BODY MEMBER, THE RADIAL EXTENT OF SAID FIRST ANNULAR SEALING RING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DIMENSION OF SAID ANNULAR SHOLDER SURFACE AND LESS THAN THE RADIAL EXTEND OF SAID INNER END OF THE BODY MEMBER; A SECOND ANNULAR SEALING RING HAVING AN AXIALLY OUTER SURFACE SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAI PLANAR AXIALLY INNER SURFACE OF SAID FIRST SEALING RING, AND AN AXIALLY INNER SPHERICAL SURFACE; A THIRD SEALING RING HAVING A RADIALLY OUTER SPHERICAL SURFACE SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID SPHERICAL SURFACE OF THE SECOND RING, AND A THROUGH BORE INCLUDING AN AXIALLY INNER, CYLINDRICAL PORTION FOR SEALINGLY RECEIVING THE END OF THE TUBE TO BE COUPLED AND HAVING A PLANAR TUBE-STOP SURFACE AT THE AXIALLY OUTER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION; AND A FOURTH SEALING RING HAVING A RADIALLY INNER SPHERICAL SURFACE SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID SPHERICAL SURFACE OF SAID THIRD RING AND AN AXIALLY INNER, PLANAR SURFACE ENGAGED BY SAID SHOULDER OF THE NUT MEMBER, SAID SPHERICAL SURFACE OF SAID THIRD SEALING RING BEING CONTINUOUS AT LEAST IN THE AREAS PROXIMATE TO SAID SECOND AND FOURTH SEALING RINGS, SAID SEALING RINGS, BODY MEMBER AND NUT MEMBER ALL BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT DURING ALL ALLOWABLE ANGULAR AND LATERAL MOVEMENT THEREOF ALL THE SAID SEALING SURFACES REMAIN IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT, WHEREBY SAID THIRD RING MAY BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED AT ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND EACH OF SAID SECOND AND FOURTH RINGS MAY HAVE THE AXIS THEREOF DISPOSED AT ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SPACINGS FROM SAID AXIS OF THE BODY MEMBER.