Universal coupling

Claim 2

A universal hose coupling comprising: male body means defining an open-ended bell at one end and a projecting externally and circumferentially grooved male element at the other end with a fluid passageway therethrough; female body means defining an external housing portion and having an internal tubular wall portion defining an internal bore; one end of said tubular wall portion of said female body means projecting beyond said housing portion and defining an internal bore operative to axially receive said projecting male element at an interface in circumFerentially sealed relationship with the fluid passageway of said male element open therethrough; a slot through the tubular wall portion of said female body means opening into said internal bore and radially opposite one of said external grooves of said male element when in said sealed relationship; collar means encompassing and slidably carried by said projecting wall portion of said female body for axial reciprocation thereon; stop means limiting the axial reciprocation of said collar means; said collar defining at one end a recess larger than the diameter of said projecting wall portion and having a tubular portion encompassing said projecting wall portion of said female body in sliding relationship adjacent said recess; means biasing said collar means against one of said stop means with said recess registering over said arcuate slot in said tubular wall of said female body means; and fastening means carried in said slot and engageable across said interface with a groove of said male element to maintain a locked relationship; said fastening means comprising an arcuate member substantially conforming in curvature with the outside of said tubular portion of said collar means and having a larger non-conforming seat of curvature within said groove of said male element; and said fastening means being radially movable from said groove on said male element upon sliding said collar means against the other of said stop means whereby to register said recess of said coller means opposite said arcuate slot in said tubular wall portion of said female body means to release said fastening means from interengagement across said interface between said male and female body means.

Claim 3

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 1 in which: stop means includes a pair of axially spaced circumferentially off-set base walls in the periphery of said housing portion; one of said base walls abutting the end of said coller means to limit the release position thereof; and said collar means includes a tooth member at the extended end of a resilient axial tongue member adapted to engage over said other base wall of said housing portion to limit the release position thereof.

Claim 4

A universal coupling in accordance with claim 1 in which: said groove on said male member includes a beveled side wall operative to cam against the under side of said fastening means to move same radially from said groove into said recess upon release of said collar means and withdrawal of said male body means.

Claim 5

A universal coupling in accordance with claim 1 in which: a pair of said fastening means is carried in said slot on opposite sides of said tubular wall portion, each being registerable with said groove in said male element.

Claim 6

A universal coupling in accordance with claim 1 including: a tapered serrated nozzle within said open-ended bell of said male body means having a passageway communicating with said fluid passageway therein and operative to be received within the open end of a flexiblehose; a clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said open-ended bell of said male body means and having a constricting beveled end opening; said clamping ring encompassing said flexible hose in spaced relationshi; a flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its sidewall encompassing said flexible hose; said flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted bevel end opening of said clamping ring; and including a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating elongated slits in the side wall of said flexible ring members whereby the engagement of said clamping ring with said open-ended bell of said male body uniformly compresses said flexible ring member upon said flexible hose in sealed relationship with said serrated nozzle.

Claim 7

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 5 in which: said external housing portion of said female body means defines an open-ended bell; a second tapered serrated nozzle is provided within said tubular wall portion spaced from said bell and operative to be received within the open end of a second flexible hose; a second clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said open-ended bell and having a constricted beveled end opening; said clamping ring encompassing said flexible hose in spaced relationship; a second flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its sidewall encompassing said flexible hose; said flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted bevel end opening of said clamping ring and including a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating elongated slits in the side wall of said flexible ring member whereby the engagement of said clamping ring with said open-ended bell engages said beveled end opening upon said flexible ring member, said uniformly compresses said flexible ring member upon said second flexible hose in sealed relationship with said second serrated nozzle.

Claim 8

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 5 in which: said internal bore of said tubular wall portion of said female body means includes a circumferential valve seat; a hose coupling member associated with said tubular wall portion of said female body means including a second nozzle member operative to be encompassed at one end by a second flexible hose; said second nozzle member including a valve housing at the other end opposed to said valve seat; a check valve member slidably mounted within said valve housing and including a valve stem axially oriented within said valve housing and protruding into said internal bore of said interior tubular wall portion in its closed position against said valve seat; and said male element providing a support member axially aligned with said valve stem of said check valve member; said support registering with said valve stem to move said check valve member from its closed position to an open position upon insertion of said male element into said internal bore of said female body means.

Claim 9

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 7 in which: said valve member provides a flexible valve-seat-engaging surface around said valve stem defined by a reduction therebetween; and includes a plurality of longitudinal axially oriented and circumferentially spaced guide members, the outer surfaces of which are slidably contained within said valve housing and defining a series of passageways about said valve-seat-engaging surface.

Claim 10

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 8 in which: said male element is provided with a circumferential resilient sealing ring for engagement with said internal bore of said tubular wall portion.

Claim 11

A universal hose coupling comprising: male body means defining an open-ended bell at one end and a projecting externally and circumferentially grooved male element at the other end with a fluid passageway therethrough; female body means defining an external housing portion and having an internal tubular wall portion; one end of said tubular wall portion of said female body means projecting beyond said housing portion and defining an internal bore operative to axially receive said projecting male element in circumferentially sealed relationship with the fluid passageway of said male element open therethrough; a tapered serrated nozzle within said open-ended bell of said male body means having a passageway communicating with said fluid passageway therein and operative to be received within the open end of a flexible hose; a clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said open-ended bell of said male body means and having a constricting beveled end opening; said clamping ring encompassing said flexible hose in spaced relationship; a flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its sidewall encompassing said flexible hose; said flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted bevel end opening of said clamping ring; including a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating longitudinal slits extending through the said wall of said flexible ring member whereby the engagement of said clamping ring with said open-ended bell of said male body uniformly compresses said flexible ring member upon said flexible hose in sealed relationship with said serrated nozzle; a second tapered serrated nozzle adapted to fit within and extend from the other end of the tubular wall portion of said female body means and having a passageway communicating therewith and being operative to be received within the open end of a second flexible hose; a second clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said other end of said female body means and having a constricting beveled end opening; said second clamping ring encompassing said second hose in spaced relationship; a second flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its side wall encompassing said flexible hose; said second flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted beveled end opening of said second clamping ring; said flexible ring member having a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating longitudinal slits extending through the side wall of said second flexible ring member whereby the engagement of said second clamping ring with said other end of said female body member uniformly compresses said second flexible ring member upon said second flexible hose in sealed relationship with said second serrated nozzle; and means detachably holding said female body means upon said male element.

Claim 12

A universal hose coupling comprising: male body means defining an open-ended bell at one end and a projecting externally and circumferentially grooved male element at the other end with a fluid passageway therethrough; female body means defining an external housing portion and having an internal tubular wall portion; one end of said tubular wall portion of said female body means projecting beyond said housing portion and defining an internal bore operative to axially receive said projecting male element in circumferentially sealed relationship with the fluid passageway of said male element open therethrough; a tapered serrated nozzle within said open-ended bell of said male body means having a passageway communicating with said fluid passageway therein and operative to be received within the open end of a flexible hose; a clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said open-ended bell of said male body means and having a constricting beveled end opening; said clamping ring encompassing said flexible hose in spaced relationship; a flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its sidewall encompassing said flexible hose; said flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted bevel end opening of said clamping ring; including a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating longitudinal slits extending through the said wall of said flexible ring member whereby the engagement of said clamping ring with said open-ended bell of said male body uniformly compresses said flexible ring member upon said flexible hose in sealed relationship with said serrated nozzle; a second tapered serrated nozzle adapted to fit within and extend from the other end of the tubular wall portion of said female body means and having a passageway communicating therewith and being operative to be received within the open end of a second flexible hose; a second clamping ring axially and threadably engageable with said other end of said female body means and having a constricting beveled end opening; said second clamping ring encompassing said second hose in spaced relationship; a second flexible tubular ring member within said space and having its side wall encompassing said flexible hose; said second flexible ring member having an end edge in juxtaposition with said constricted beveled end opening of said second clamping ring; said flexible ring member having a series of longitudinal elastic elements defined by alternating longitudinal slits extending through the side wall of said second flexible ring member whereby the engagement of said second clamping ring with said other end of said female body member uniformly compresses said second flexible ring member upon said second flexible hose in sealed relationship with said second serrated nozzle; and means detachably holding said female body means upon said male element.

Claim 13

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said open-ended bell of said male body means is provided with a constricting beveled opening around said fluid passageway facing said clamping ring; said flexible ring member includes a second end edge in juxtaposition with said beveled opening of said open-ended bell; and said collar means is operative to compress said end edges of said flexible ring member against both beveled openings.

Claim 14

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 10 wherein: said longitudinal elastic elements comprise a series of reverse looped integral wire members, said slits are defined by the spaces between said loop and said end edge is defined by an upturned portion at the ends of said loops.

Claim 15

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 10 in which: said male body means provides a constricting beveled groove around said passageway facing the constricted beveled end openings of said respective clamping rings; said flexible tubular ring members are longer than the axial distance between said grooves and said beveled end openings; whereby tightening of said clamping ring upon said flexible ring members therebetween compresses and constricts the ends thereof upon said hoses and against said serrated nozzles.

Claim 16

A universal hose coupling in accordance with claim 10 in which: said male body means provides a circumferential seat within said open-ended bell around said fluid passageway and opened to said constricted beveled end opening of said clamping ring; and a ring member on said seat having a conical inner face adapted to constrictively engage the inner ends of said elastic elements about said rubber hose.