Method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting

A method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting, the fitting including a body with an externally male threaded tube receiving part to receive a tube, and a female threaded member adapted to be engaged with the male thread of the body with a compression means therebetween, the method including the steps of arranging the female threaded member and the compression means around the tube, inserting the tube into the tube receiving part of the body, tightening the female threaded member onto the tube receiving part so that a generally radially inwardly extending formation of the female threaded member bears upon the compression means, determining the amount of movement of a part of the fitting which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is caused to move relative to another part of the fitting, and wherein the part the amount of relative movement of which is determined is a portion of the compression means which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is deformed to move into a space between the female threaded member and the tube.

A method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting, the fitting including a body with an externally male threaded tube receiving part to receive a tube, and a female threaded member adapted to be engaged with the male thread of the body with a compression means therebetween, the method including the steps of arranging the female threaded member and the compression means around the tube, inserting the tube into the tube receiving part of the body, tightening the female threaded member onto the tube receiving part so that a generally radially inwardly extending formation of the female threaded member bears upon the compression means, and using an instrument to determine the amount of movement of the part of the fitting which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is caused to move relative to another part of the fitting, the instrument being operated in conjunction with a tool used to tighten the female threaded member, and wherein the tool and the instrument are integrated.

A method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting, the fitting including a body with an externally male threaded tube receiving part to receive a tube, and a female threaded member adapted to be engaged with the male thread of the body with a compression means therebetween, the method including the steps of arranging the female threaded member and the compression means around the tube, inserting the tube into the tube receiving part of the body, tightening the female threaded member onto the tube receiving part so that a generally radially inwardly extending formation of the female threaded member bears upon the compression means, and determining the amount of movement of a part of the fitting which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is caused to move relative to another part of the fitting, and collecting data from the connection and comparing the data with reference data to determine the amount of movement of the part of the fitting achieved during tightening, the data collecting step including forming an image of the internal parts of the connection by subjecting the connection to ultrasonic vibrations and receiving ultrasonic vibrations reflected from the internal parts of the connection, and comparing the image with a reference image to determine the amount of movement of the part of the fitting achieved during tightening.

A method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting, the fitting including a body with an externally male threaded tube receiving part to receive a tube, and a female threaded member adapted to be engaged with the male thread of the body with a compression means therebetween, the method including the steps of arranging the female threaded member and the compression means around the tube, inserting the tube into the tube receiving part of the body, tightening the female threaded member onto the tube receiving part so that a generally radially inwardly extending formation of the female threaded member bears upon the compression means, determining the amount of movement of a part of the fitting which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is caused to move relative to another part of the fitting, and monitoring the connection by providing a data storage means and providing original data relating to the amount of movement of the part of the fitting achieved during tightening of the female threaded member to said data storage means, reexamining the connection to produce fresh data, and comparing the original data and the fresh data to determine any change of position of the moveable part occurring since tightening.

A method of forming a connection between a tube and a fitting, the fitting including a body with an externally male threaded tube receiving part to receive a tube, and a female threaded member adapted to be engaged with the male thread of the body with a compression means therebetween, the method including the steps of arranging the female threaded member and the compression means around the tube, inserting the tube into the tube receiving part of the body, tightening the female threaded member onto the tube receiving part so that a generally radially inwardly extending formation of the female threaded member bears upon the compression means, and determining the amount of movement of a part of the fitting-which, as the female threaded member is tightened, is caused to move relative to another part of the fitting, and forming an image of internal parts of the connection by subjecting the connection to ultrasonic vibrations and receiving ultrasonic vibrations reflected from the internal parts of the connection, and comparing the image with a reference image to determine the amount of movement of the part of the fitting achieved during tightening.