Patent ID: 8408038

Claim:
A crimping device for crimping a first work piece onto a second work piece located internal to said first work piece, said crimping device comprising, in combination: at least two jaws forming a throat surface about the first work piece and movable between a partially closed position wherein the first work piece is not crimped onto the second work piece and a closed position wherein the jaws engage and crimp the first work piece onto the second work piece to form a fluid-tight seal; wherein the throat surface is substantially continuous about the first work piece as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position; wherein at least one of the jaws moves in straight line motion as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position; wherein the jaws overlap in a longitudinal direction of the throat surface and slide against each other as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position; wherein the overlap of the jaws in the longitudinal direction interlocks each of the jaws with adjacent jaws to constrain the jaws against longitudinal movement relative to one another in both longitudinal directions and coordinates movement of the jaws so that each of the jaws can only move along one sliding path relative to adjacent jaws; and wherein the throat surface has a longitudinal centerline and the overlap of the jaws in the longitudinal direction is formed by planar contact between the jaws substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline.