Patent ID: 8083266

Claim:
A gas riser apparatus, comprising: a swivel-nut, a nipple fitting, a rigid conduit, a flexible conduit section, and a rubber seal having a bore therein; the nipple fitting having one end thereof threaded for operative connection to a meter and an opposite end forming a hose bib connection, over which an end of a gas supply line may be inserted; the opposite end of the nipple fitting also having a threaded portion thereof, disposed about the hose bib and threadably engaging with the swivel-nut, to thereby secure the swivel-nut to the nipple fitting; the swivel-nut having a hollow body defining a centerline of the nut and first and second ends of the swivel-nut; the swivel-nut also having an annular collar extending axially from the first end of the body about the centerline, and having an outwardly opening groove therein; the second end of the swivel-nut having a threaded portion thereof for receiving the mating threaded portion of the opposite end of the nipple fitting; the swivel nut further defining an internal cavity thereof for receiving the rubber seal for applying a compressive force to an outer surface of the gas supply line as the swivel-nut is tightened onto the opposite end of the nipple fitting; the rigid conduit having a first end thereof attached to the flexible conduit section, and a second end thereof attached to the swivel-nut by a swaged/crimped joint in a manner allowing the swivel-nut to rotate with respect to the rigid conduit; the flexible conduit section being attached to the first end of the rigid conduit by a swaged/crimped joint, the first end of the rigid conduit including a counterbore for receiving an end of the flexible conduit section, and the swaged/crimped joint being formed by applying radially inward directed pressure to the outer surface of the rigid conduit opposite the counterbore at a magnitude sufficient to permanently deform the first end of the rigid conduit inward to clamp the end of the flexible conduit section within the counterbore; the second end of the rigid conduit having an annular end portion thereof, including a radially inwardly projecting annular ring adapted for operative receipt within the outwardly opening groove in the annular collar of the swivel-nut, when the end portion of the rigid conduit is swaged/crimped onto the swivel-nut by radially inward directed pressure applied to an outer surface of the rigid conduit opposite the annular ring, in such a manner that the swivel nut is freely rotatable about the centerline with respect to the rigid conduit but is substantially precluded from axial movement along the centerline with respect to the rigid conduit.