A pipe connection assembly comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a first opening disposed within said housing, said opening having an inner surface adapted to receive a first end of a first pipe element; (c) an open-ended channel disposed within a wall of said housing, said channel having a wide cross-section disposed distal to said first opening, and a narrow cross-section disposed between said wide cross-section and said first opening; said channel fluidly communicating with said first opening via said narrow cross-section, and (d) a lock pin having a backbone and a longitudinal tooth extending radially therefrom, said backbone adapted to be received by said wide cross-section, said tooth adapted to be received by said narrow cross-section, said pin adapted to be urged along said open ended channel, whereby a bottom edge of said tooth protrudes through said narrow cross-section into said first opening, wherein, when said first end is disposed within said housing such that an outer diameter of said first end is juxtapositioned against said inner surface, said tooth protruding into said opening impinges upon an outer surface of said pipe element, to lock said pipe element in place, with respect to said housing, and wherein said lock pin has a first longitudinal end adapted to be inserted into said channel as a lead end, and a second longitudinal end adapted to trail behind said first longitudinal end, and optionally, wherein a bottom edge of said longitudinal tooth is sloped, whereby a length of said tooth at said second longitudinal end exceeds a length of said tooth disposed towards said lead end. (a) a housing; (b) a first opening disposed within said housing, said opening having an inner surface adapted to receive a first end of a first pipe element; (c) an open-ended channel disposed within a wall of said housing, said channel having a wide cross-section disposed distal to said first opening, and a narrow cross-section disposed between said wide cross-section and said first opening; said channel fluidly communicating with said first opening via said narrow cross-section, and (d) a lock pin having a backbone and a longitudinal tooth extending radially therefrom, said backbone adapted to be received by said wide cross-section, said tooth adapted to be received by said narrow cross-section, said pin adapted to be urged along said open ended channel, whereby a bottom edge of said tooth protrudes through said narrow cross-section into said first opening, wherein, when said first end is disposed within said housing such that an outer diameter of said first end is juxtapositioned against said inner surface, said tooth protruding into said opening impinges upon an outer surface of said pipe element, to lock said pipe element in place, with respect to said housing, and wherein said lock pin has a first longitudinal end adapted to be inserted into said channel as a lead end, and a second longitudinal end adapted to trail behind said first longitudinal end, and optionally, wherein a bottom edge of said longitudinal tooth is sloped, whereby a length of said tooth at said second longitudinal end exceeds a length of said tooth disposed towards said lead end.