Branched hose construction, T-connector therefor and methods of making the same

Claim 1

In a branched hose construction comprising a T-connector having a body portion provided with a pair of substantially oppositely directed legs extending therefrom and an outwardly directed branch leg extending therefrom intermediate said pair of legs, three tubular hoses respectively telescoped onto said legs to be disposed in fluid communication with each other through said T-connector, each said hose having an outer peripheral surface and an annular end surface, said body portion having an external peripheral surface adjacent said legs thereof, said body portion having an annular shoulder adjacent each leg thereof against which said annular end surface of its respective hose abuts and which is of a size that causes said external peripheral surface of that respective hose to substantially mate with and thereby be substantially flush with said external peripheral surface of said body portion that is adjacent that respective hose, an annular clamping means respectively disposed about said hoses and clamping the same against their respective legs of said T-connector, the improvement wherein each said annular shoulder of said T-connector has an outwardly extending projection means thereon and each said hose has said annular end surface thereof deformed around said projection means of its respective annular shoulder by its respective clamping means so as to substantially embed said projection means therein.