Abstract: A hose assembly and method of making the hose assembly are disclosed. The method of making the hose assembly may include inserting an end of a hose into a sleeve portion of a fitting. The hose may have an outer diameter relative to an inner diameter of the sleeve portion to cause contact between an exterior of the hose and the sleeve portion of the fitting. A magnetic pulse may be directed on the sleeve portion of the fitting and the end of the hose within the sleeve portion to form one of a metallurgical bond, a molecular bond or a mechanical bond between the sleeve portion of the fitting and the hose without heat damaging the hose assembly.

Abstract: A ball joint includes a tubular outer shroud having a unique one-piece weld-free socket which receives a complementary ball of a tubular inner shroud. The ball joint is preferably formed by plastically deforming the outer shroud to integrally form the socket around the ball. The socket may be formed around a preformed ball, or both the ball and socket may be integrally plastically formed simultaneously.

Abstract: An expansion joint includes a pair of tubular fittings joined together by a bellows for accommodating differential movement therebetween. The fittings include balls at respective distal ends thereof which engage complementary sockets fixedly joined to opposite ends of the bellows. The respective ball and sockets additionally accommodate pivotal and rotary movement. The bellows allows pressure and spring forces to engage the sockets against their respective balls for continuously seating the balls in the sockets during operation and maintaining effective seals against leakage.

Abstract: An expansion joint for connecting first and second fluid-carrying pipes comprising first and second annular couplings which are operably affixable to respective ones of the pipes. In a preferred embodiment the couplings include cylindrical bores of substantially the same diameter disposed relative to one another to form a passage for providing flow communication between the pipes. An annular bellows extends between the couplings for accommodating relative axial movement and angular misalignment between the pipes and is disposed radially outward of the passage to capture any fluid leaking between the interfacing surfaces of the couplings. A second cylindrical bore of a first one of the couplings engages an outer spherical surface of the second coupling to allow the second coupling to pivot in a manner which accommodates angular misalignment between the pipes.

Abstract: A bellows sealed ball joint comprising an inner spherical shell, a bellows and an outer spherical shell. The inner spherical shell comprises a plurality of elongated non-spherical areas or indentations which receive a plurality of locking surfaces on the outer spherical shell. The inner and outer spherical shells can then be rotated with respect to each other a predetermined distance until the spherical locking surfaces on the outer spherical shell operatively engage concentric spherical locking surfaces on the inner spherical shell. Once the locking surfaces of the inner and outer spherical shells are in operative engagement, the bellows ball joint can pivot freely without becoming disconnected. A final joining seal is then made at each end of the bellows to prevent the spherical sections from unlocking and to provide a hermetic seal. In an alternate embodiment, the inner spherical shell is shown as having elongated slots in place of the non-spherical areas.