Claims
- 1. Locking structure for securing the end portion of one circular tube within the end portion of an other tube, said tubes each having an outer surface and a central axis, said structure comprising
a slotted member carried by the outer surface of the one tube; a tab carried by the outer surface of the other tube for releasable engagement with the slotted member when the end portion of the one tube is positioned within the end portion of the other tube.
- 2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the slotted member includes a slot which opens generally perpendicular to the axis of the one tube.
- 3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the end portion of the other tube includes an interior ledge which is spaced from the end of said tube and an o-ring is removably receivable on said ledge.
- 4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the tab is elongated and extends generally perpendicular to the axis of the other tube.
- 5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the tubes are comprised of ferrous material and the tab and slotted member are welded to their respective tubes.
- 6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein one of the slotted member or tab is resilient to permit it to be biased into engagement with the other of said tab or slotted member.
- 7. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the one tube is steel and the other tube is cast iron, and the tab is welded to the steel tube while the slotted member is part of the cast tube.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Two commonly owned and related patent applications have been filed concurrently with this patent application on ______, and their disclosures are intended to be fully incorporated by reference herein. They include “Tank Mounted Oil Filter Assembly”, serial no. ______, and “Oil Filter Cartridge”, serial no. ______.