Patent ID: 7648178

Claim:
A tubular connector for joining with agricultural drip tape, said drip tape comprising an elongated tubular wall having a free end to be joined to said connector, the material of the drip tape being amenable to forming a round shape which can be elastically enlarged, said tubular connector comprising: a rigid tubular body having a central axis and a body free end onto and over which the tape free end of the drip tape can be pressed, a tapered enlargement on said body free end increasing in diameter from said body free end and terminating in a circular edge which has a diameter, an external cylindrical spacer having a diameter less then said diameter of said circular edge, a single male thread extending axially from said spacer, said thread having a single entry, and a peripheral shoulder between said thread and said spacer; a tubular nut having a compression end and a concially tapered portion, having dimensions which interfere the dimensions of said tapered enlargement, but which enable the drip tape to pass between them, an internal tubular spacer segment, and a female thread extending from said spacer segment having a single entry; visible nut indicia on said tubular nut and visible body indicia on said tubular body where said visible nut indicia comprise a series of angularly spaced indicia indicative of angular increments of advancement of said tubular nut with respect to said body indicia when turned on said male thread thereby to indicate mechanical pressure of the tapered enlargement of the tubular nut against the tapered enlargement of the tubular body whereby with the tape free end of said drip tape pressed beyond said circular edge and said tubular wall of the drip tape pressed against the tapered enlargement, said nut indicia may be turned through a predetermined rotation to hold the drip tape in place, knowledge of the drip tape and its wall strength enabling the worker to turn said tubular nut to a pressure and known joinder without being cut.