Universally applicable mounting apparatus for high pressure liquid chromatography columns

A connector assembly for a high pressure liquid chromatography column, comprising:

• (a) a tubular connector assembly sleeve having a slotted end and a non-slotted end, each end being open and internally threaded, said sleeve having a longitudinal slot extending from the slotted end to adjacent the non-slotted end;
• (b) a threaded cap for closing the slotted end of said sleeve;
• (c) a tubular ferrule holder having a threaded end for engaging the internal threads of the non-slotted end of said sleeve and a plain end formed with a ferrule seat for receiving a ferrule;
• (d) a plastic elastically deformable ferrule mounted in said ferrule seat of the ferrule holder;
• (e) an L-shaped tube having two legs, one leg slidably mounted in said ferrule holder and in said ferrule;
• (f) a cylindrical tube retainer slidably mounted in said tubular sleeve, said retainer having a radial slot and a circumferential slot, the slots meeting to form an L-shaped cavity for mounting said L-shaped tube such that one leg of said tube is directed coaxially along said tubular sleeve toward the non-slotted end of said tubular sleeve, and the other leg of said tube is directed radially through said longitudinal tubular sleeve slot;
• (g) a spherical ball press-fitted in the L-shaped cavity of said tube retainer after said L-shaped tube is inserted to retain said L-shaped tube associated with said slotted cylindrical retainer;
• and
• (h) a coil spring interposed between said threaded cap and said tube retainer for biasing said tube retainer toward said non-slotted end of the sleeve.

A device for connecting without the use of tools a high pressure liquid solvent line to a high pressure liquid chromatography column equipped with a union having a shoulder forming a tubing stop, comprising:

• (a) means for maintaining the solvent line in position against the tubing stop of the column union, wherein said means for maintaining said solvent line position includes:
• (i) a connector housing;
• (ii) means maintaining said connector housing in fixed positional relation in relation to the column;
• and
• (iii) a connector assembly slidably mounted in said connector housing and adapted to operatively engage said column, and
• (b) means responsive to the application of mechanical pressure for sealing a gap between the solvent line and the column union.