Universal connecting joint

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE, SAFETY, UNIVERSAL CONNECTING JOINT ADAPTED TO PERMIT LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF A DRILL PIPE CONDUCTOR FROM A NORMAL VERTICAL POSITION, COMPRISING: INNER AND OUTER HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS HAVING AXES WHICH ARE COINCIDENT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE AXIS OF THE DRILL PIPE CONDUCTOR WHEN THE DRILL PIPE CONDUCTOR AND JOINT ARE IN A NORMAL VERTICAL POSITION, SAID INNER MEMBER INCLUDNG AN ANNULAR LOCKING GROOVE ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF, COMPLEMENTARY MATING MEANS ON SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS FOR PERMITTING LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; AN ANNULAR RESILIENT SEALING AND CONNECTING ELEMENT WITHIN SAID OUTER MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE LONGITUDINALLY COMPRESSED AND TEMPORARILY DEFORMED RADIALLY INWARDLY TO ENGAGE AND COOPERATE WITH SAID LOCKING GROOVE IN SAID INNER MEMBER TO ASSEMBLE TOGETHER SAID OUTER MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID INNER MEMBER; AND A PRESSURE OPERATED, REMOTELY CONTROLLED, ANNULAR PISTON MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OUTER MEMBER FOR COMPRESSING SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT INWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKING GROOVE.