Patent ID: 7172019

Claim:
A method of coupling a first tubular member to a second tubular member, the first tubular member having an original outside diameter OD 0 and an original wall thickness t 0 , comprising: plastically deforming and radially expanding a first portion of the first tubular member to a first outside diameter; plastically deforming and radially expanding another portion of the first tubular member to a second outside diameter, wherein the another portion of the first tubular member is above the first portion of the tubular member, and wherein the first outside diameter is larger than the second outside diameter; positioning the second tubular member inside the first tubular member in overlapping relation to the first portion of the first tubular member; plastically deforming and radially expanding the second tubular member to a third outside diameter; and plastically deforming and radially expanding the second tubular member to a fourth outside diameter, wherein the fourth outside diameter is larger than the third outside diameter; wherein the inside diameters of the first and second tubular members after the plastic deformations and radial expansions are substantially equal; and wherein the ratio of the original outside diameter OD 0 of the first tubular member to the original wall thickness to of the first tubular member is greater than or equal to 16.