Fluid line coupling

Claim 2

A fluid line coupling comprising: a. female housing means including a valved conduit and a camming surface; b. reciprocable sealing means carried by said female portion and having a surface adapted to sealingly receive a male portion; and c. male coupling means including a valved conduit and a cam means, said cam means and said cam surface cooperative to effect coupling of said male and female portions, and opening of said valved conduit means in response to straight-line movement in a vertical plane of the male means relative to the female means.

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which: a. said female housing includes a chamber adjacent said valved conduit means; and b. said reciprocable sealing means reciprocates within said chamber.

Claim 4

An apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said sealing means comprises: a. an annular insert having an aperture therethrough; b. sealing means interposed between said chamber walls and said insert; and c. a sealing surface adapted to sealingly receive the male portion.

Claim 5

A fluid line coupling comprising: a. a female portion having a valved element b. a male portion having a valved element therein; c. cooperative camming means on said male and female portions for effecting intercoNnection of said male and female portions and opening of said valve elements, said camming means being operable in response to relative straight-line movement within a given plane between said portions; and d. reciprocable sealing means carried by one of said coupling portions for sealingly engaging both portions throughout interconnecting movement thereof.

Claim 6

A fluid line coupling comprising: a. a female portion having a valved element b. a male portion having a valved element therein; c. cooperative camming means on said male and female portions for effecting intercoNnection of said male and female portions and opening of said valve elements, said camming means being operable in response to relative straight-line movement within a given plane between said portions; and d. reciprocable sealing means carried by one of said coupling portions for sealingly engaging both portions throughout interconnecting movement thereof.

Claim 7

An apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which said female portion comprises: a. an elongated housing, one end thereof containing said valved conduit means and the other end carrying said camming surface.

Claim 8

An apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which: a. said female portion includes a chamber adjacent said valved element; and b. said reciprocable sealing means reciprocates within said chamber.

Claim 9

An apparatus as recited in claim 6 in which said sealing means comprises: a. an annular insert having an aperture therethrough; b. sealing means interposed between said chamber walls and said insert; and c. a sealing surface adapted to sealingly engage the male portion.

Claim 10

A fluid line coupling comprising: a female housing means including a conduit and a sealing means; said sealing means including a spherical concave surface; a first valve means normally biased to a closed position for retaining pressure fluid within the conduit; a second valve means normally biased to a closed position and having an area smaller than said first valve means in communication with the fluid pressure; and a male coupling means having a spherical convex surface on the free end thereof and sealingly engageable with said sealing means and, upon relative movement of the male means towards said female means said male means first sealingly engages said sealing means, then unseats said second valve means and finally unseats said first valve means.

Claim 11

A fluid line coupling comprising: a female housing means including a conduit and a sealing means; said sealing means including a spherical concave surface; a first valve means normally biased to a closed position for retaining pressure fluid within the conduit; a second valve means normally biased to a closed position and having an area smaller than said first valve means in communication with the fluid pressure; and a male coupling means having a spherical convex surface on the free end thereof and sealingly engageable with said sealing means and, upon relative movement of the male means towards said female means said male means first sealingly engages said sealing means, then unseats said second valve means and finally unseats said first valve means.

Claim 12

A fluid line coupling according to claim 8, wherein said male means includes a third valve means normally biased to a closed position, but which opens concomitant with the opening of said second valve means.

Claim 13

A fluid line coupling according to claim 9 wherein the engagement of said male means with said sealing means forms a sealed chamber between said first and third valve means, and the opening of said second valve means admits pressure fluid into said chamber, whereby the pressure fluid assists in opening said first and third valve means.

Claim 14

A fluid line coupling according to claim 10, and further comprising: a camming surface on one of said male and female means; cam means on the other of said last mentioned means; and said camming surface and cam means being arranged so that, with the male means in engagement with said sealing means, movement of one of said male and female means in a vertical plane first causes the second valve means to open and then both said first and third valve means to open.

Claim 15

A female coupling member capable of engagement with a male coupling member having a spherical convex surface on the free end thereof and camming means for completing a hydraulic line comprising: a housing means having one end capable of connection with a portion of the hydraulic line; a valve means within the housing means and normally biased to a closed position; a spherical concave surface formed on the housing means and capable of sealing engagement with said convex surface with the male and female members in aligned position; an extension on the upper side of said housing on the end opposite said one end and extending beyond said convex surface; and a downward depending camming surface formed on the free end of said extension and capable of engagement by said camming means, said male and female members being out of axial alignment with the camming means in initial engagement with the camming surface, said concave and convex surfaces being capable of sealing engagement with said members in said last-mentioned position and said sealing engagement is maintained as said members are mOved toward their axial aligned position, whereby said extension and said camming surface protects said female member when said members are uncoupled and said camming surface cooperates with said camming means to effect coupling of said members.

Claim 16

A female coupling member capable of engagement with a male coupling member having a spherical convex surface on the free end thereof and camming means for completing a hydraulic line comprising: a housing means having one end capable of connection with a portion of the hydraulic line; a valve means within the housing means and normally biased to a closed position; a spherical concave surface formed on the housing means and capable of sealing engagement with said convex surface with the male and female members in aligned position; an extension on the upper side of said housing on the end opposite said one end and extending beyond said convex surface; and a downward depending camming surface formed on the free end of said extension and capable of engagement by said camming means, said male and female members being out of axial alignment with the camming means in initial engagement with the camming surface, said concave and convex surfaces being capable of sealing engagement with said members in said last-mentioned position and said sealing engagement is maintained as said members are mOved toward their axial aligned position, whereby said extension and said camming surface protects said female member when said members are uncoupled and said camming surface cooperates with said camming means to effect coupling of said members.