The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 07, 1997
Ralph Pimentel, Topeka, KS (US);
Gerald Jones, Tecumseh, KS (US);
Other;
Abstract
A high-pressure, flexible, self-supportive piping assembly includes a jointed conduit formed by a plurality of ball and socket joint elements, a flexible internal conduit extending through the jointed conduit, an external sheath, and fittings at opposite ends which communicate with the internal conduit. The sheath is heat shrunk onto the jointed conduit. Each joint element has a ball at one end and a socket at an opposite end whereby the joint elements can be connected serially in end-to-end relationship to form the jointed conduit. The ball of one joint element frictionally engages the socket of the next joint element and, in combination with the stiffness of the external sheath, result in a piping assembly which can selectively configured in shape and which will tend to retain such a shape until subsequently configured.