Quick disconnect coupling

Claim 1

A hydraulic quick disconnect coupling for the female half of a male-female connection for a flow stream comprising a flow means terminating in a rigid tubular housing having an open end, a fitting slidably mounted in said housing and having a bore sized to receive the male half of said connection when the same is inserted into said open end, a flow path-defining member fixedly mounted in the bore of said housing remote from said open end, said member also being equipped with an axial bore slidably supporting a portion of said fitting and closed at the end thereof remote from said housing open end, said housing and member being equipped with passage means to vent the space between said fitting closed end and said member closed end and in which a pressure means can be coupled to said passage means to provide for remote control of disconnection, a spring outside of said flow stream interposed between said housing and fitting urging said fitting toward a predetermined position, said fitting adjacent said open end being equipped with a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced openings, a ball in each opening for coaction with depression means in said male half to maintain said connection when said fitting is in said predetermined position, said housing adjacent said open end being equipped with a pair of circumferentially extending, axially spaced recesses for selectively receiving said balls, a landed area between said recesses for coaction with said balls when said fitting is in said predetermined position, said fitting being closed at the end thereof remote from said open end and having a single piece portion with two seals contained therein and an internal sliding member made of a single piece, a valve slidably mounted in said fitting, and a flow port in said outer housing intermediate the ends thereof.