Tubing coupling

Claim 2

A refrigeration tubing coupling comprising a length of soft, permanently deformable metallic refrigeration tubing, a first fitting body having an opening therethrough for receiving said tubing, said first fitting body having an axial surface and an intersecting radial surface, said axial surface of said first fitting body being cylindrical and said radial surface of said first fitting body being at a right angle to the cylindrical surface, a second fitting body having an opening therethrough, said opening in said second fitting body receiving one end of said tubing extending through said first fitting body, said second fitting body having a shoulder intermediate the ends of the opening therethrough which is engaged by the end of said tubing, said second fitting body having a first peripheral radial surface on one end thereof adjacent said first fitting body, a second peripheral radial surface spaced inwardly from said first radial surface, and a third peripheral axial surface intersecting said first and second radial surfaces and defining a recess adjacent said tubing, a sealing gland of resilient material, said sealing gland being positioned in said recess around said tubing and interposed between the first and second fitting bodies, an annular generally frusto-conical crimping member of permanently deformable metallic material, said crimping member being interposed between said first fitting body and said sealing gland around said tubing, said crimping member having spaced annular wall surfaces which are substantially parallel, an outer annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction axially of the crimping member and is parallel with the longitudinally axis of the tubing and with the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second outer annular corners, and an inner annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction generally axially of the member, forms an acute angle with the axis thereof, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second inner annular corners, the diameter of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member being substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, the inner diameter of the crimping member at the first corner adjacent the second fitting body being substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tubing, and interengaging means between said fitting bodies for drawing said bodies axially relatively toward one another such that initially the first outer corner of the outer peripheral surface of the crimping member adjacent the second fitting body engages the first surface of the second fitting body and the second inner corner of the crimping member engages the radial surface of the first fitting body and thereafter the crimping body is permanently deformed by pivotal action thereof so that the inner peripheral surface of the crimping member moves radially toward the tubing and axially toward the second fitting body to permanently deform the tubing and to compress the sealing gland against the crimping member, the tubing and the second and third peripheral surface of thE second fitting body, the pivot of the crimping member being about said first outer corner and the first surface of the second fitting body and the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body whereby in the assembled position a portion of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member adjacent the second corner thereof is spaced from the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body, said first peripheral surface of said second fitting body abutting the crimping member and clamping the parallel annular wall surfaces of the crimping member against the radial surface of the first fitting body and the radial surface of the second fitting body to limit the axial movement of the fitting bodies relative to one another when said interengaging means is actuated to draw the bodies axially toward one another.

Claim 3

The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing gland comprises an O-ring.

Claim 4

A refrigeration tubing coupling comprising a first fitting body having an opening therethrough for receiving a length of soft, permanently deformable metallic tubing, said first fitting body having an axial surface and an intersecting radial surface, said axial surface of said first fitting body being cylindrical and said radial surface of said first fitting body being at a right angle to the cylindrical surface, a second fitting body having an opening therethrough, said opening in said second fitting body receiving one end of said tubing extending through said first fitting body, said second fitting body having a shoulder intermediate the ends of the opening therethrough which is engaged by the end of a length of tubing, said second fitting body having a first peripheral radial surface on one end thereof adjacent said first fitting body, a second peripheral radial surface spaced inwardly from said first radial surface, and a third peripheral axial surface intersecting said first and second radial surfaces and defining a recess adjacent said tubing, a sealing gland of resilient material, said sealing gland being adapted to be positioned in said recess around said tubing and interposed between the first and second fitting bodies, an annular generally frusto-conical crimping member of permanently deformable metallic material, said crimping member being adapted to be interposed between said first fitting body and said sealing gland around said tubing, said crimping member having spaced wall surfaces which are substantially parallel, an outer annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction axially of the crimping member and is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tubing and with the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second outer annular corners, and an inner annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction generally axially of the member, forms an acute angle with the axis thereof, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second inner annular corners, the diameter of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member being substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, the inner diameter of the crimping member at the first corner adjacent the second fitting body being substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tubing, and interengaging means between said fitting bodies for drawing said bodies axially relatively toward one another such that initially the first outer corner of the outer peripheral surface of the crimping member adjacent the second fitting body engages the first surface of the second fitting body and the second inner corner of the crimping member engages the radial surface of the first fitting body and thereafter the crimping body is permanently deformed by pivotal action thereof so that the inner peripheral surface of the crimping member moves axially toward and radially toward the tubing And axially toward the second fitting body to permanently deform the tubing and to compress the sealing gland against the crimping member, the tubing and the second and third peripheral surfaces of the second fitting body, the pivot of the crimping member being about said first outer corner and the first surface of the second fitting body and the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body whereby in the assembled position a portion of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member adjacent the second corner thereof is spaced from the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body, said first peripheral surface of said second fitting body abutting the crimping member and clamping the parallel annular wall surfaces of the crimping member against the radial surface of the first fitting body and the radial surface of the second fitting body to limit the axial movement of the fitting bodies relative to one another when said interengaging means is actuated to draw the bodies axially toward one another.

Claim 5

A refrigeration tubing coupling comprising a first fitting body having an opening therethrough for receiving a length of soft, permanently deformable metallic tubing, said first fitting body having an axial surface and an intersecting radial surface, said axial surface of said first fitting body being cylindrical and said radial surface of said first fitting body being at a right angle to the cylindrical surface, a second fitting body having an opening therethrough, said opening in said second fitting body receiving one end of said tubing extending through said first fitting body, said second fitting body having a shoulder intermediate the ends of the opening therethrough which is engaged by the end of a length of tubing, said second fitting body having a first peripheral radial surface on one end thereof adjacent said first fitting body, a second peripheral radial surface spaced inwardly from said first radial surface, and a third peripheral axial surface intersecting said first and second radial surfaces and defining a recess adjacent said tubing, a sealing gland of resilient material, said sealing gland being adapted to be positioned in said recess around said tubing and interposed between the first and second fitting bodies, an annular generally frusto-conical crimping member of permanently deformable metallic material, said crimping member being adapted to be interposed between said first fitting body and said sealing gland around said tubing, said crimping member having spaced wall surfaces which are substantially parallel, an outer annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction axially of the crimping member and is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tubing and with the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second outer annular corners, and an inner annular peripheral surface which is flat in a direction generally axially of the member, forms an acute angle with the axis thereof, and is connected to said annular wall surfaces by first and second inner annular corners, the diameter of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member being substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical axial surface of said first fitting body, the inner diameter of the crimping member at the first corner adjacent the second fitting body being substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tubing, and interengaging means between said fitting bodies for drawing said bodies axially relatively toward one another such that initially the first outer corner of the outer peripheral surface of the crimping member adjacent the second fitting body engages the first surface of the second fitting body and the second inner corner of the crimping member engages the radial surface of the first fitting body and thereafter the crimping body is permanently deformed by pivotal action thereof so that the inner peripheral surface of the crimping member moves axially toward and radially toward the tubing And axially toward the second fitting body to permanently deform the tubing and to compress the sealing gland against the crimping member, the tubing and the second and third peripheral surfaces of the second fitting body, the pivot of the crimping member being about said first outer corner and the first surface of the second fitting body and the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body whereby in the assembled position a portion of the outer annular peripheral surface of said crimping member adjacent the second corner thereof is spaced from the cylindrical axial surface of the first fitting body, said first peripheral surface of said second fitting body abutting the crimping member and clamping the parallel annular wall surfaces of the crimping member against the radial surface of the first fitting body and the radial surface of the second fitting body to limit the axial movement of the fitting bodies relative to one another when said interengaging means is actuated to draw the bodies axially toward one another.

Claim 6

The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing gland comprises an O-ring.