Flexible hose coupling

Claim 1

A coupling for flexible hose comprising: a male member and a female member; said male member having a body with a first end formed to engage a hose and a second end formed to telescopically couple internally with a chamber in said female member; said female member having a body with a first end formed to engage a hose and a second end containing said chamber formed to receive said second end of said male member therein, said chamber having a circular cross-section; the outer configuration of said second end of said female member being non-circular; and releasable locking means formed on said male member to engage a specific area on said female member, said specific area lying between said first and second ends of said female member and being immediately adjacent a locking surface formed by an edge of said non-circular body, said locking means comprising a locking device carried by a pair of opposed, hinged arms, said locking device thus being pivotable into and out of locking engagement said locking device being formed of resilient material and including a semi-circular unit comprising an over-center-semi-circular aperature dimensioned to encompass a specific area of said other member adjacent said locking surface, said semi-circular unit and said non-circular second end of the female member being constructed to prevent closing said semi-circular unit over said non-circular second end in the event the male member is not sufficiently seated within said chamber.