Self-flaring tube coupling

Claim 1

A SELF-FLARING COUPLING IN COMBINATION WITH A TUBE, COMPRISING A TUBULAR COUPLING BODY HAVING A FLARED MOUTH HAVING A GIVEN MAXIMUM RADIUS AND A TAPERED NOSE PORTION COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITHIN THE MOUTH AND UPON WHICH AN END OF SAID TUBE IS FLARED; A SLEEVE ASSEMBLY ENCIRCLING THE TUBE INCLUDING A SLEEVE MEMBER AND A RING MEMBER, EACH MEMBER HAVING ABUTMENT MEANS THEREON WITH THE SLEEVE INNER END DEFINING A DEFORMABLE BITING LIP AND THE RING OUTER END DEFINING A CAM SURFACE AGAINST WHICH SAID LIP IS DEFORMED, THE RING HAVING A RADIUS GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID MOUTH AND NORMALLY ABUTTING THE COUPLING MOUTH AND CONTRACTIBLY RECEIVABLE WITHIN THE MOUTH; AND NUT MEANS ENGAGEABLE ON SAID BODY ABUTTING THE OUTER END OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER TO SHIFT THE SLEEVE ASSEMBLY INTO THE COUPLING BODY, INITIAL MOVEMENT SHIFTING THE SLEEVE INTO THE RING FORCING THE SLEEVE ABUTMENT MEANS INTO FIXED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RING ABUTMENT MEANS AND CAMMING SAID BITING LIP INTO BITING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TUBE AND FURTHER MOVEMENT SHIFTING THE SLEEVE AND RING MEMBERS CONJOINTLY AS A UNIT INTO THE BODY MOUTH THEREBY INWARDLY DEFORMING SAID RING BY REDUCING THE SAID GREATER RADIUS OF SAID RING MEMBER BY SAID FLARED MOUTH, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER THEREBY CARRYING THE TUBE THEREWITH TO FLARE THE TUBE END OVER SAID TAPERED NOSE PORTION AND SEALINGLY GRIP THE FLARED TUBE END BETWEEN SAID TAPERED NOSE AND SAID RING.