Securement of elastic tubing

Abstract

A securement for an elastic tube having a free end with an open mouth, includes a plug of larger diameter than the inside diameter of the tube, spaced inward from the mouth of the tube far enough to leave a tail of unplugged tube, and a sleeve of elastic material, preferably thin walled as compared with the tube, stretched sufficiently tightly over the tail to collapse the tail to preclude movement of the plug toward the open mouth. A method of forming a loop of such an elastic tube involves mounting an elastic sleeve on the tube, inserting through the open mouth of the tube a plug of larger diameter than the inside diameter of the tube, pushing the plug in a direction away from the free end far enough to leave a tail of the free end beyond the plug, stretching the sleeve over the tail and the area of the tube occupied by the plug and collapsing the tail with the sleeve. A method of securement for connecting the first and second free ends of the same or different elastic tubes involves inserting a plug into the first free end, the plug being of greater diameter than the inside diameter of the tube, inserting the first plug end through a second open mouth, forcing the first plugged end far enough into the second free end to leave a tail of the second end extending beyond the plug far enough to permit the tail's being compressed beyond the plug, and stretching a sleeve over the second end and compressing the tail.

1 . A securement for an elastic tube having a free end with an open mouth, comprising a plug of larger diameter than the inside diameter of said tube, spaced inward from said open mouth of said tube far enough to leave a tail of tube between said plug and said open mouth, and a sleeve of elastic material, stretched sufficiently tightly over said tail to collapse said tail to preclude movement of said plug toward said open mouth.  
     
     
         2 . The securement of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve is thin walled as compared with said tube  
     
     
         3 . The securement of  claim 1  wherein the plug is resilient.  
     
     
         4 . The securement of  claim 1  including an attachment with an opening defined in part by a rim, said free end of said tube extending through said opening, with said plug positioned on a side of said rim opposite a long section of said tube and said sleeve being mounted on said long section.  
     
     
         5 . The securement of  claim 4  wherein said attachment is a clip.  
     
     
         6 . The securement of  claim 4  wherein said plug is of a diameter such as to make the outside diameter of said tube surrounding said plug greater than the diameter of said opening.  
     
     
         7 . The securement of  claim 1  wherein said sleeve extends far enough over the area occupied by said plug to impede movement of said plug in a direction away from said open mouth.  
     
     
         8 . A securement for one or two elastic tubes having a first and a second free end with first and second open mouths, comprising a plug of larger diameter than the inside diameter of said tubes, spaced inward from said first open mouth of said first free end far enough to leave a tail of tube between said plug and said open mouth, said plugged free end being positioned within said second free end far enough beyond said mouth of said second free end to leave a tail of said second free end between said second mouth and said plug, and a sleeve of elastic material, stretched sufficiently tightly over said tails to collapse said tails to preclude movement of said plug toward said open mouths of both of said free ends.  
     
     
         9 . The method of forming a loop of an elastic tube having a free end with an open mouth, comprising mounting on said tube an elastic sleeve, inserting through said mouth a plug of larger diameter than the inside diameter of said tube, pushing said plug in a direction away from said mouth far enough to leave a tail of said free end between said plug and said mouth, looping said free end to a place contiguous the adjacent reach of said tube, stretching said sleeve over said tail, and collapsing said tail with said sleeve.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the sleeve is stretched over the area of said tube containing said plug.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said loop embraces a portion of a rim of an opening, said method including mounting said sleeve on said tube before inserting said plug, extending through said opening a free end of said tube beyond said sleeve, inserting said plug, and then stretching said sleeve over said tail and an area of said tube occupied by said plug.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said plug is of a diameter such as to make the diameter of said tube surrounding said plug greater than the diameter of said opening, said free end of said tube is extended through said opening before said plug is inserted, then said plug is inserted and said sleeve stretched.  
     
     
         13 . A method of securement for connecting first and second free ends of the same or different elastic tubes with open mouths, comprising inserting a plug through said open mouth of a first free end, said plug being of greater diameter than the inside diameter of said tube, inserting said first plugged free end through said mouth of said second free end, forcing said first plugged end far enough into said second free end to leave a tail of said second end extending beyond said plug far enough to permit said tail's being compressed between said plug and the mouth of said second free end, and stretching a sleeve over said tail and compressing said tail.  
     
     
         14 . The method of securement of  claim 13 , including forcing said plug into said first free end far enough to leave a first tail between said plug and said mouth of said first free end long enough to permit said first tail's being compressed, and stretching a sleeve over said second end and over said plug far enough to extend beyond said plug and compress both said tails.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  including the steps of installing a sleeve on said tube with said first free end, passing said first free end part through an opening, inserting said plug, sliding said tube with said second free end under said sleeve, inserting said first, plugged, free end into said second free end, and stretching said sleeve over said second free end.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said plug is of a diameter such as to make the outside diameter of said tube surrounding said plug greater than the diameter of said opening.  
     
     
         17 . The method of attaching an elastic tube to a clip, said clip having an opening to receive said tube, comprising passing a free end of said tube through said opening, inserting in said free end a plug of an outside diameter greater than that of the inside diameter of said tube, and such as to make the outside diameter of the tube greater than the diameter of the opening, and stretching a sleeve over said free end over the area of said free end containing said plug.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said sleeve is mounted on a reach of said tube on the other side of said opening from the plugged end, said free end is looped around an edge of said opening, and said sleeve is then stretched over said area containing said plug.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8  including making said elastic sleeve thin as compared with said tube.