Patent ID: 6354635
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: A47L,F16L

Abstract:
A cuff for joining together an inner pipe and an outer pipe, the cuff being slideable along at least part of the inner pipe to allow nesting of the pipes, the cuff comprising a housing and an interlocking member supported by the housing, the interlocking member being capable of lying around the inner pipe in a plane extending transversely to a longitudinal axis of the inner and outer pipes and having an actuator portion and an interengaging portion for interengaging with the inner pipe, the interengaging portion being capable of lying on the side of the inner pipe remote from the actuator portion so that, when the interlocking member is translated within the plane on actuation, the interengaging portion is released from the inner pipe,wherein a pair of diametrically opposed lugs are provided on the interlocking member and a spring is provided to engage between each lug and the housing so as to bias the interengaging portion into engagement with the inner pipe, the diametrically opposed lugs being located substantially mid-way, in the direction of translation, between the actuator portion and the interengaging portion.