US953061A - Hose-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

H. L. RULAND.

HOSE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1909.

I ntor' W Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

In we -M% HOWARD L. RULAND, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

HOSE-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1909.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910. Serial No. 524,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Howann L. RULAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pipe and hose connections, and has for its object the convenient and quick coupling of a hose, as is es pecially desirable in connection with the use of fire fighting apparatus.

My invention consists in a stationary spout and a collar to be applied thereto, hooks to hold the spout on the collar, and a cam to engage with the hooks and cause them to release the spout and collar from each other, as well as in the parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view, partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation, of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device, part of the casing being broken away to reveal the arrangement of the cam and other parts. Figs. 3 and 4:, respectively, are detail sectional side elevations corresponding to the view shown in Fig. 1, of the spout, and of the collar, detached. Fig. 5 is a detail, in diametrical section, of the cam. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the device. Fig. 7 1s a detail perspective view of one of the hooks.

The spout 1 has a rearwardly extending hub 1 provided with interior threads 1", so that it may be screwed onto a water plug or other connection with which it is to be used. This spout has another hub 1 extending forward and tapering in that direction, with a conical outer surface 1 which is ground smooth to receive the corresponding inner surface of the collar 2. An exteriorly extending annular flange 1 comprises the middle part of the spout 1, and is provided with a series of slots 1*, each of segmental shape, with its radial inner convex side 1" sloped downward toward the front of the spout.

The collar 2, above mentioned, comprises a forwardly extending hub 2 tapering fora surface of the hub 2 of the collar.

wardly and having a conical inner surface 2, ground smooth, and with a series of external threads 2 at its forward part. An exteriorly extending annular flange 2 forms the rearward part of this collar 2. This flange 2 is provided with a series of openings 2, in number the same as the slots 1" in the flange 1" of the spout, in the present case four. These openings 2" are each just sutlicient in width to admit the hooks 3 and allow them to have a certain amount of movement radially of the collar. These hooks extend rearwardly through these openings and through the slots 1" of the spout, and engage radially inwardly with the flange 1 of the spout, adjacent to the sloping sides of the slots 1 The parts are so proportioned that when these hooks thus engage the outer conical surface 1*" of the hub 1 of the spout and the inner conical surface 2 of the collar are in intimate contact throughout, so that, both of these surfaces being accurately finished, a watertight joint is formed.

The hooks 3 are pivoted to swing radially of the collar just fin-ward of the openings 2, two lugs 3' being provided to flank each hook, with pins 3 extending through the hooks and logs. Each hook has a forward extension 3, which, of course, when moved radially inward, causes the rearward part of the hook, or the hook proper, to move outward and. be disengaged from the flange 1 of the spout. However, these hooks are caused to normally remain in engagement by means of springs 3 entering sockets 3 in the extensions 3 of'the hooks, which springs are compressed against the adjacent Thus arranged, when the collar 2 is applied to the spout 1, bringing the conical surfaces together, the rearward ends of the hooks 3, which are tapered for this purpose, slide out over the sloping surfaces of the sides 1" of the slots 1', through these slots, and, when they have passed through, the springs 3 act to engage the hooks against the rearward sideof the flange 1", as hereinbefore described, whereupon the collar is held securely and firmly on the spout.

It will be seen that, each of the hooks being separately and independently pressed into engaging position by its individual spring, the releasing of the collar from the spout requires that all the hooks be disengaged when the collar is being withdrawn. To effect this simultaneous disengagement of all the hooks, a cam 4 is provided, comprising an annular shell t with a rearwardly and radially inwardly faced ournal bearing 4: corresponding to a forwardly and radially outwardly faced journal bearing 4 on the flange 2 of the collar. This shell at has, at its forward side, a series of radially inwardly extending segments l one being provided for each hook 3, and each of these segments 4? has its inner edge a eccentric to the rotation of the cam on its journal bearings above described, and is provided at each of its terminations with a lug or stop 43. These segments are so spaced around the cam, and are so proportioned, that each one of them will embrace the forward extension 3 of one of the hooks 3 between its lugs or stops 45 and allow a cer tain amount of rotation of the cam on its journal bearings before engaging either of the lugs or stops 4? with a side of the extension 3* of the hook. At the same time the radially outwardly presented side 3 of the extension 3 of each hook 3 is inclined circumferentially of the device to correspond to the eccentric trend of the inner edge a of the adjacent segment 43, and comes in engagement therewith. These eccentric edges of the segments are so arranged that when the cam 4:, of which they form part, is in a certain position, the hooks will be allowed to remain in engagement with the flange 1 of the spout, under the action of the springs 3 but, when the cam is rotated to the extent allowed by the lugs or stops P, the forward extensions 3 of the hooks will all be pressed radially inward, simultaneously, against the action of the springs 3 and the hooks disengaged from the flange 1 of the spout, allowing the collar to be withdrawn from the spout.

To form a cover for the cam and the hooks and their springs, as well as to hold the cam against displacement from its journal bearing forwardly, a casing 5 is provided, comprising a shell 5 open at its rear with internal threads 5 to screw onto ex- I ternal threads 5 on the flange 2 of the collar immediately outside and to the rear of the journal bearing of the cam. The front of this shell 5 is provided with an annular inwardly extending flange 5 of such extent that a circular opening 5 is left of just suflicient diameter to allow the conical forward extension 2 of the collar to extend through.

For turning the cam 4 it is provided with a handle 4P which extends forward through a segmental slot 4" in the casing 5, of sufficient length to allow the required rotation of the cam. To resist the rotation of the cam for releasing the hooks 8, and to cause the cam to normally have the position for permitting the hooks to engage with the flange on the spout, a series of tension springs 6 are provided interiorly of the cam, between it and the flange 2 of the collar, these springs extending substantially tangentially of the device, and each having one of its ends attached to a lug 6 on the cam, and its other end attached to a lug 6 on the flange 2 of the collar. These springs 6 are so applied that rotation of the cam to release the hooks will stretch the springs, and as soon as the cam is released they will cause it to return to the position in which it allows the hooks to engage; at the same time, the hooks, under the action of the springs 3 will resume their engaging positions. The cams, as will be noted, allow the hooks to yield when passing over the edges of the slots in the flange of the spout, so that the coupling of the device is accomplished without any attention other than to cause the hooks to enter the segmental slots in the flange 1 of the spout and shove the collar onto the spout, upon which the device is secured automatically. To facilitate the application of the collar to the -spout, the segmental slots are made amply long, so that the hooks 3 may enter without special care as to the position in which the collar is presented to the spout. The releasing of the device is conveniently accomplished by merely rotating the cam by means of the handle 4", and withdrawing the collar from the spout.

To form a proper finish to the rear part of the device, the flange 2 of the collar has a rearwardly projecting rim 2 which surrounds the flange 1 of the spout when the collar is secured on the spout.

The ease of application of my improved coupling renders it particularly suitable for use by fire departments for making the hose connection to street water plugs, where prompt action is of the utmost importance, while the eflicient joint formed thereby is adequate for the demands of the service, avoiding the trouble of leakage under high pressure as completely as does the ordinary screw connection, which is only applied with considerable delay and requires the use of a wrench to apply it.

For use on water plugs, my improved device is designed with the view of leaving the spout 1 on the plug permanently, while the collar 2 is permanently attached to the hose. Besides this use, it will be noted that the coupling is equally applicable for con necting different sections of hose, and will also be found useful in other systems where an efficient connection for carryin a fluid is desired to be made quickly ant conveniently.

In view of thedifl'erent adaptations to which my improved device is susceptible, it will be understood that considerable variation of minor details of construction and arrangement may occur without departure from the scope and spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hose coupling, a spout comprising a hub with a conical outer surface tapered forwardly and an exteriorly extending annular flange at its rear, a collar comprising a hub with a conical inner surface tapering forwardly and an outwardly extending annular flange at its rear, said conical surfaces of the spout and-flange, respectively, being adapted to make intimate contact, and the flanges of said spout and collar, respectively, being adapted to come adjacent when the conical surfaces make such contact, a series of hooks adjacent to the flanges and adapted to engage with one of the flanges to hold the spout and collar together, and a cam having a journal bearing with one of the flanges and provided with segments with edges eccentric to its journal bearing and adapted to engage with said hooks, whereby, when said cam is rotated on its bearing the hooks are caused to disengage from the flange, and allow the collar to be withdrawn from the spout, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a hose coupling, a spout comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, a collar comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, the hubs being adapted to fit together and the flanges to come adjacent, a series of hooks adjacent to the flanges and adapted to engage with one of the flanges and hold the spout and collar together, a cam having a journal bearing with one of the flanges and provided with segments with edges eccentric to its journal bearing and adapted to engage with the hooks to disengage them from the flange, and a spring engaging with the cam and with one of said flanges, whereby it opposes movement of the cam to act on the hooks, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a hose coupling, a spout comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, a collar comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, the hubs being adapted to fit together and the flanges to come adjacent, a series of hooks adjacent to the flanges and adapted to engage with one of the flanges and hold the spout and collar together, a cam having a journal bearing with one of the flanges and provided with segments with edges eccentric to its journal bearing and adapted to engage with the hooks to dis engage them from the flange, and a spring engaging with the cam and with one of said flanges, a casing covering said cam, provided with a segmental opening, and a handle on said cam extending through said opening, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a hose coupling, a spout comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, a collar comprising a hub extending forwardly and an annular flange at its rear, the hubs being adapted to fit together and the flanges to come adjacent, a series of hooks adjacent to the flanges and adapted to engage with one of the flanges and hold the spout and collar together, a cam having a journal bearing with one of the flanges and provided with segments with edges eccentric to its journal bearing and adapted to engage with the hooks to disengage them from the flange, and a casing covering said cam, mounted on one of said flanges, and holding said cam upon its journal bearing, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In. a hose coupling, a spout comprising a hub with a conical outer surface tapered forwardly and an exteriorly extending annular flange at its rear provided with a series of segmental slots, a collar comprising a hub with a conical inner surface tapering forwardly, and an outwardly extending annular flange at its rear provided with a series of openings, said collar being adapted to engage its conical inner surface with the conical outer surface of the spout, and the flanges of the spout and collar being adapted to come adjacent when said conical surfaces make such contact, a series of hooks pivotally mount-ed on the collar forward of its flange and extending rearwa rdly through the open ings in the flange, said hooks being adapted to swing radially outward to pass through the segmental slots in the flange on the spout, and to engage with said flange at the rear and adjacent to the radially inward sides of the slots in the flange on the spout, said sides of the slots being sloped radially inward and forwardly for the engagement of said hooks whereby they are swung radially outward when passing through the slots, extensions on the hooks forward of their pivotal mountings, springs acting on said extensions to cause the hooks to engage with the rear of the flange on the spout, a cam surrounding the hooks and having a journal bearing with the flange on the collar, segments extending radially inward on said cam and having inner edges eccentric to the journal bearing of the cam, said edges being adapted to engage with the extensions of the hooks, whereby when the cam is rotated they Will cause the hooks to disengage from the flange on the spout, springs engaging with the cam and With the flange on the collar, whereby they oppose the rotation of the cam to disengage the hooks, a casing surrounding the cam and secured to the 10 flange onv the collar, having a segmental slot in its forward side, and a handle on the cam extending through the slot, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

HOWARD L. RULAND. Witnesses CLARENCE FARDEND, W. J. SCHULTZ.

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