Flexible pipe coupling

Claim 1

COUPLING APPARATUS FOR INTERCONNECTING A PAIR OF TUBULAR MEMBERS EACH HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM ONE END THEREOF, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SLEEVE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM WALL THICKNESS AND AN INNER DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FOR SURROUNDING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN END PORTION OF EACH MEMBER, AT LEAST TWO CIRCUMFERENTIAL PROJECTIONS IN THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE SPACED APART A DISTANCE EQUAL TO AT LEAST TWICE THE PREDETERMINED DISTANCE SO THAT SAID PROJECTIONS ENGAGE SAID GROOVES WHEN SAID SLEEVE IS PLACED ON THE MEMBERS, A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DEPRESSION IN THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE OPPOSITE EACH SAID PROJECTIONS, A TUBULAR COVER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SUPERIMPOSED AROUND SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AN AXIAL LENGTH GREATER THAN TWICE SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FOR OVERLYING THE SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE ABOVE SAID PROJECTIONS, AT LEAST TWO COMPLEMENTARY BEADS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID COVER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DEPRESSIONS, AND CLAMP MEANS AROUND SAID COVER FOR IMPARTING CLAMPING PRESSURE TO SAID COVER WHICH ENVELY DISTRIBUTES SAID PRESSURE OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF CONTACT BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS AND THE MEMBERS SO THAT FLUID TIGHT CONTACT IS CREATED THEREBETWEEN AND SAID BEADS ARE FORCED INTO SAID DEPRESSIONS CAUSING SAID PROJECTIONS TO COLD-FLOW INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID GROOVES THUS PREVENTING AXIAL SEPARATION OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FROM THE SLEEVE.