Heat-recoverable members

A one-piece coupling device for attachment to a plurality of distortable substrates comprising:

• a rigid sleeve member having a plurality of arm portions integrally formed at a junction;
• and
• a hollow, heat recoverable member disposed about each of said arm portions, an end of each heat recoverable member positioned adjacent the junction being in firm engagement with each respective arm portion by heat recovery of said end to tightly grip each respective arm portion, the other end of each heat recoverable member being unrecovered and radially spaced from said respective arm portion, each arm portion being respectively positioned in each heat recoverable member in a direction of heat recovery of each heat recoverable member, each arm portion extending inside each unrecovered end, whereby a distortable substrate may be positioned between each unrecovered end and each respective arm portion, said rigid sleeve member substantially preventing radial distortion which would occur to the substrates in the absence of said rigid sleeve member when each unrecovered end is heat recovered.

A one-piece coupling device for attachment to a plurality of distortable substrates comprising

• a hollow heat recoverable member having a plurality of arm portions integrally formed at a junction, each arm portion being provided with a rigid sleeve member, the end of each arm portion adjacent the junction firmly engaging a respective rigid sleeve member by heat recovery of said end and the other end of each arm portion being unrecovered and radially spaced from a respective rigid sleeve member, each rigid sleeve member being held within and positioned in the direction of heat recovery of each respective unrecovered end, said rigid sleeve member substantially preventing radial distortion which would occur to the substrate in the absence of each rigid sleeve member when said unrecovered end is heat recovered.

A one-piece coupling device for attachment to at least one distortable hollow substrate comprising,

• a hollow, heat recoverable member having at least one unrecovered open end and a second portion;
• and
• a hollow, rigid member generally concentrically oriented relative to said hollow, heat recoverable member in the direction of heat recovery of said hollow, heat recoverable member, said hollow, heat recoverable member having a heat recovered dimensional state resulting in an interference fit with said hollow, rigid member to hold said hollow, heat recoverable member and said hollow, rigid member together as one piece, said second portion being heat recovered on said hollow, rigid member and said unrecovered open end being spaced from said hollow, rigid member for receipt of a hollow substrate between said hollow, rigid member and said unrecovered open end said unrecovered open end adapted to recover on the hollow substrate upon being heated.

A one-piece coupling device for attachment to at least one distortable substrate comprising

• a hollow, heat shrinkable member having at least one unrecovered open end and a second portion;
• and
• a rigid member positioned within said hollow, heat shrinkable member said hollow, heat shrinkable member having a fully heat recovered inside dimension smaller than the outside dimension of said rigid member, said second portion being heat recovered about said rigid member to hold said hollow, heat shrinkable member and said rigid member together as one piece, said rigid member extending into said unrecovered portion and being spaced therefrom said unrecovered open end adapted to recover toward said rigid member upon being heated.