I cant understand why you all are struggling to understand it. Its a Rectus fitting, the same as most on here use.
Exactly the same as I use, but its got a sleeve over it for quick connection/disconnection. This allows the male connector to sit inside the pole. So when you would normally disconnect the thin hose from your reel. Now you wont have it all over the van, or rapped on your pole. Now you can wind it onto the reel.
Less water will be lost as you only have a short thin hose disconnected.
I will be giving it a go after holiday
We are all different and our minds work differently. I'm mechanically minded and can usually quickly see how these things work. But if you ask me to design something then I'm no good at that.
For example; Once you see an Aquadapter, it is a fairly simple design, yet extremely clever. But I would never have been able to design that. I think it takes a special ability to be able to look at an end result and find a simple solution to achieve that.
I often thought of the kitchen taps we have at home. Half a turn switches them on and off. Why couldn't I have thought of "replacing my hand with a pole - ie the Aquatap. Some people are automatically able to see things on a different plane.
But what can also seem a positive attribute may also be a negative attribute to themselves as well. Once some designers have successfully designed a product to a manufactured conclusion, they have to keep going on designing something else to keep the 'fire burning'.
I think Steven is one of these people who needs to have his mind occupied with new challenges. I have said on this forum many times that it is my belief that the Aquadapter one of the best things to have been given to us window cleaners. Not all agree, but for me with my bad back, it has been a life saver.
When Paul was at Aquadapter he once asked what we as window cleaners had problems with. A whole lot of us made comments, but mine was that we needed something better than a Protecta ball as they didn't protect the male or female rectus connectors. Several years later Steven comes out with a really good, simple protector that works perfectly. Now I have no idea whether that suggestion had anything to do with the end product, that's not the point, but the main thing from this is a brilliant fitting protector which I'm benefiting from.
I don't know what lengths Steven went to in redesigning the clamps on his pole to ensure that they didn't 'tramp' on the Gardiner Patent. Only time will tell if they are successful and received well in the industry. He knows that as well as anyone.
With regard to his pole fittings, why should he sell them as an accessory? The wfp world is full of diyers, me included, so why shouldn't he protect his design for his exclusive use as much as possible?
This is much more complicated the having a male tail connector sticking out of the bottom of a pole. He has found a way of fitting the female connector into the base of the pole passed the base cap. Now the pole operator won't snag the female connector on the base protector/cap as the pole is being extended. Snagging the female stop can easily cause the coupler to uncouple.
As per Mark Munro's description - its very clever - brilliant. We need to give credit where credit is due!