US3633944A — Tube coupling

Claim 1

Independent Claim 411 words

A tube coupling comprising a centrally bored body having a rear end and a forward end into which a tube may be received, with the forward end portion of the bore being of greater diameter than the rear end portion; a cup-shaped cap removably fastened to the forward end portion of the body and having a centrally apertured base covering the body forward end; a grab ring formed of thin springy sheet metal shaped as a flat outer flange, clamped between the cap base and body forward end, and with an integral, central frustoconical rearwardly extending portion whose inner free edge defines an annular tube gripping edge; a U-shaped in cross section resilient sealing ring having an outer leg in face-to-face contact with the wall defining the bore forward end portion of said body, an inner leg normally arranged to surround and contact the tube in face-to-face contact, and a base having its forward face arranged in contact with the grab ring; said body further including a forwardly extending annular flange formed homogeneously with said body and surrounding the forward edge of the smaller diameter rear end portion of the bore and extending a short distance into the greater diameter forward end portion of the bore, to thereby define an annular groove between the flange and the wall defining the greater diameter bore portion at the rear base thereof; said flange being wedge-shaped in cross section and extending a short distance forwardly between the legs of the sealing ring to spread the free ends of said legs apart slightly, wherein the free end portion of the outer leg is fitted within said groove, and the free end portion of the inner leg is normally arranged between and slightly compressed by the flange and said tube; whereby a tube may be slipped through the cap base aperture, grab ring and sealing ring to the bore rear end portion for being gripped by said grab ring gripping edge, and so that fluid pressure caused by leaking fluid entering the bore forward end portion forces the sealing ring tube legs apart into tighter contact with the tube and bore wall and tends to force the sealing ring base more tightly against the grab ring so that its frustoconical portion tends to more tightly grip the tube, with said body flange maintaining said sealing ring in concentric position and holding it against twisting and buckling, as well as backing the inner leg against the tube.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 411 words

A tube coupling comprising a centrally bored body having a rear end and a forward end into which a tube may be received, with the forward end portion of the bore being of greater diameter than the rear end portion; a cup-shaped cap removably fastened to the forward end portion of the body and having a centrally apertured base covering the body forward end; a grab ring formed of thin springy sheet metal shaped as a flat outer flange, clamped between the cap base and body forward end, and with an integral, central frustoconical rearwardly extending portion whose inner free edge defines an annular tube gripping edge; a U-shaped in cross section resilient sealing ring having an outer leg in face-to-face contact with the wall defining the bore forward end portion of said body, an inner leg normally arranged to surround and contact the tube in face-to-face contact, and a base having its forward face arranged in contact with the grab ring; said body further including a forwardly extending annular flange formed homogeneously with said body and surrounding the forward edge of the smaller diameter rear end portion of the bore and extending a short distance into the greater diameter forward end portion of the bore, to thereby define an annular groove between the flange and the wall defining the greater diameter bore portion at the rear base thereof; said flange being wedge-shaped in cross section and extending a short distance forwardly between the legs of the sealing ring to spread the free ends of said legs apart slightly, wherein the free end portion of the outer leg is fitted within said groove, and the free end portion of the inner leg is normally arranged between and slightly compressed by the flange and said tube; whereby a tube may be slipped through the cap base aperture, grab ring and sealing ring to the bore rear end portion for being gripped by said grab ring gripping edge, and so that fluid pressure caused by leaking fluid entering the bore forward end portion forces the sealing ring tube legs apart into tighter contact with the tube and bore wall and tends to force the sealing ring base more tightly against the grab ring so that its frustoconical portion tends to more tightly grip the tube, with said body flange maintaining said sealing ring in concentric position and holding it against twisting and buckling, as well as backing the inner leg against the tube.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 50 words

A tube coupling as defined in claim 1, and said groove being deeper in the axial direction than the end portion of the outer leg which is fitted into said groove to form an annular space between the base of the groove and the free end of the outer leg.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 40 words

A tube coupling as defined in claim 1, and including the forward face of the base of the sealing ring being formed in a frustoconical shape corresponding to and receiving in face-to-face contact the frustoconical portion of the grab ring.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 135 words

A tube coupling as defined in claim 1, and said cap being threadedly connected to threads formed upon said body; said cap having a short axially rearwardly directed projection formed upon its rear end near tHe periphery thereof and arranged in the path of a short axially forwardly directed projection formed on the body forward end for interference contact therewith when the cap is almost tightened upon the body, and said projections being forcibly movable relative to and past each other, for forcing one past the other to the final tightened position of the cap relative to the body, and thereby producing an audible sound as they pass each other, the first occurrence of such sound signalling that the final tightened position of the cap has been reached, to thereby prevent overtightening of the cap.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 197 words

In a tube coupling having a centrally bored body having a forward end and a rear end for receiving a tube to be coupled therein and having means within the bore for gripping and securing the tube within the bore, and a cup-shaped cap having internal threads for receiving and threadedly engaging with corresponding threads formed upon the forward end portion of the body, with the cap being centrally apertured to receive a tube inserted into said bore, the improvement comprising: a fixed axially forwardly extending, short projection formed homogeneously on the forward end of the body and a series of circumferentially spaced apart axially rearwardly extending projections formed homogeneously on the rear end of the cap, with the projections arranged in the same rotative path so one of said series strikes the fixed projection upon rotation of the cap to the point where the cap is almost at its final tightened location upon the body, and with the projections producing an audible sound as one is forced over and passes the other, the first occurrence of such sound providing an audible signal that the cap has reached the point of final tightened location upon the body.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 197 words

In a tube coupling having a centrally bored body having a forward end and a rear end for receiving a tube to be coupled therein and having means within the bore for gripping and securing the tube within the bore, and a cup-shaped cap having internal threads for receiving and threadedly engaging with corresponding threads formed upon the forward end portion of the body, with the cap being centrally apertured to receive a tube inserted into said bore, the improvement comprising: a fixed axially forwardly extending, short projection formed homogeneously on the forward end of the body and a series of circumferentially spaced apart axially rearwardly extending projections formed homogeneously on the rear end of the cap, with the projections arranged in the same rotative path so one of said series strikes the fixed projection upon rotation of the cap to the point where the cap is almost at its final tightened location upon the body, and with the projections producing an audible sound as one is forced over and passes the other, the first occurrence of such sound providing an audible signal that the cap has reached the point of final tightened location upon the body.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-01-10	1975-07-12	1976-01-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-01-10	1979-07-12	1980-01-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-01-10	1983-07-12	1984-01-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Tube coupling

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