Abstract:
The invention is a fitting identification kit that includes a set of short aluminum fitting gages with male threads on one end, female threads on the other, a knurled surface to allow ease of handling, and a milled flat surface on the exterior where the thread size of each fitting gages is engraved. The kit fits in one side of a carrier, which has a location diagram fixed on the other side of the carrier showing the location and sizes of the fitting gages as they sit in the carrier, held in place by the placement foam.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to hose fittings and related measurement devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Pneumatic hose and pipe screw threads can be defined by many different specifications. The invention disclosed in this application concerns itself with British Standard Pipe, Parallel (“BSPP” or “BPP”), and Metric threads, both of which are “straight” or “parallel” threads, in which the threads have a constant diameter. 
         [0003]    BPP has a threadform following the British Standard Whitworth standard. Metric threads in this application are defined by ISO 9974-1, but the invention is not limited to this specification. 
         [0004]    The number of types of threads can be daunting, as many of them have only slight differences. For example, the BPP connection is similar to National Pipe Straight Mechanical (NPSM), except the thread pitches differ in many sizes. While many users mistakenly identify BPP fittings as metric, these fittings are actually measured in inches. Some Japanese (JIS 30°) fittings also use BSPP thread. 
         [0005]    Because of these slight differences, even those with substantial experience in the field can find themselves with pipes and hoses with unknown fittings and threads. As these threads can be easily damaged, those who seek to repair or replace a fitting must avoid attempting to attach devices with differing threads. 
         [0006]    Many types of commercially available devices and techniques are used to determine pipe threads. One common approach is to use a set of fitting keys, each key constructed with one or more flat surfaces, where each flat edge has a jagged edge that matches a single thread type. The user attempts to determine which of the keys has an edge that is shaped to match an unknown thread, and then measure the outside diameter of the pipe. The thread and pipe diameter specifications are sufficient to identify the fitting. 
         [0007]    Another common measurement technique is to just use a pipe with a known pipe thread and see if it marries to the unknown fitting. This approach has the negative aspect that the fittings, hose, and piping combinations are heavy. To be useful, they have to be clearly marked, easily hand-manipulated, and be light-weight for ease of mobility. 
         [0008]    Salesmen in the business of finding solutions for those who purchase fittings often need to test the products in a potential client&#39;s possession which have an unknown threading. They need a rugged lightweight set of pipe identification instruments. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present disclosure provides a Fitting Identification Kit  11  that includes a set of short aluminum Fitting Gages  13  with Male Threads  15  on one end, Female Threads  17  on the other, a Knurled Surface  19  to allow ease of handling, and a milled Flat Surface  21  on the exterior where the Thread Size  23  of each Fitting Gages  13  is engraved. The Kit  11  fits in one side of a Carrier  25 , which has a Location Diagram  29  fixed on the other side (typically the lid) of the Carrier  25  showing the location and sizes of the Fitting Gages as they sit in the Carrier  25 , held in place by the Placement Foam  27 . 
         [0010]    Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    For a better understanding of the disclosure, and to show by way of example how the same may be carried into effect, reference is now made to the detailed description along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts a front view of one of the kit&#39;s Fitting Gages  13 , without hidden lines. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  depicts a front view of the Fitting Gage  13  in  FIG. 1 , showing hidden lines. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  depicts a front view of a cross section of the Fitting Gage  13  in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in which the section is taken along any plane that includes the axis of the fitting. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  depicts a front view of the Kit  11 , placed in the Carrier  25 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    While the making and using of various embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure provides several inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The disclosure is primarily described and illustrated hereinafter in conjunction with a particular embodiment of the presently-described Fitting Identification Kit  11 . The specific embodiment discussed herein is, however, merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0017]    The figures depict a representative identification Fitting  13 , which is a part of a Fitting Identification Kit  11  in which each fitting is useful to identify one particular fitting thread. In the embodiment as currently sold, the Fitting Gages  13  range from BPP ⅛-28 to 2-11 and metric M8×1.0 to M52×2.0. 
         [0018]    Though the set is not limited to this list, the Kit  11  as comprised includes the following BPP and metric Fitting Gages  13 : 
         [0019]    BPP: ⅛-28, ¼-19, ⅜-19, ½-14, ⅝-14, ¾-14, 1-11, 1¼-11, 1½-11, 2-11; and Metric M8×1.0, M10×1.0, M12×1.5, M14×1.5, M16×1.5, M18×1.5, M20×1.5, M22×1.5, M24×1.5, M26×1.5, M27×1.5, M30×1.5, M30×2.0, M33×2.0, M36×2.0, M38×1.5, M42×2.0, M45×1.5, M45×2.0, M52×2.0. 
         [0020]    Though service personnel often struggle to identify a specific thread, personnel can often look at the rest of a system being repaired and determine that it is composed of either BPP fittings or metric fittings. To further assist in the identification of a specific thread, the Fitting Gages  13  in the Kit  11  are colored one color, and those with metric threads are colored another. 
         [0021]    In the specific embodiment as currently composed, the metric Fitting Gages  13  are bright green, and the BPP Fitting Gages  13  are red. Because some manufacturers of piping products consistently use one set of threads that are known to those in the industry. In such a way, anyone servicing these fittings can eliminate an entire set of potential threads by identifying whether the system uses BPP or metric fittings. 
         [0022]    Pipe fittings are typically made of iron or brass, two very heavy metals. The fittings in this set are made of aluminum, a metal not normally used to create these parts due to difficulty and cost of working with aluminum. But in an identification kit, these fittings have the advantage that a salesman has a far less heavy burden while traveling from one office or another, or for less strong sales people working in an office who must lift the kit regularly to a counter. 
         [0023]    Similarly, the central portion of the Fitting  13 , situated between the fittings is treated with a Knurled Surface  19 . This treatment also separates the Fittings  13  from a simple cut pipe used for identification purposes. Fittings can be in a tight space where handling is difficult; the Knurled Surface  19  eases use of a Fitting  13  in areas where a user has little room to maneuver. 
         [0024]    Lastly, the identification fittings include a milled Flat Surface  21  on the exterior of each Fitting  13 , on which is the Thread Size of the fitting is clearly engraved. On the Fitting Gages  13  as currently manufactured, this milled Flat Surface appears as a 0.26″ chord cut across the part of the Fitting Gage  13  with the widest diameter on the current embodiment, but it could be anywhere on the Fitting Gage  13 . 
         [0025]    The milled Flat Surface  21  with engraved Thread Size  23  is an improvement over the simple practice of marking a pipe or fitting with a permanent marker or even an engraving on the round fitting, as the milled Flat Surface  21  protects the engraved Thread Size  23  from damage over time as the Fitting Gages  13  are handled over time. One in the industry that finds himself identifying unknown threads with a Fitting Gage  13  will handle the Fitting Gages  13  far more often than one in the industry will handle a fitting that will be installed, so the additional construction details ensure that the Thread Size  23  is not worn away as it would be by continuous use if a simple short length of pipe was threaded and used for this purpose. In short, this construction is useful for a gage, but not for typical fittings that will be installed or used and placed under pressure. 
         [0026]    The inventor will also point out that the milled Flat Surface  21  is a construction that is at odds with the construction of piping and fittings designed to be used under pressure, as the milling process necessarily removes material from the fitting, making it weaker and less able to maintain industry pressure for any given pipe than pipe which is not so milled. 
         [0027]    The inventor will also point out that that an alternative construction could include a flat surface created on a fitting by constructing a raised flat surface on the round fitting. This manufacture fits within the ambit of the invention, but is inferior to the milled surface, as a raised surface requires a more complex aluminum construction and creates a point on the fitting that might prevent rotation of the fitting onto a pipe. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the Fitting Gages  13  are placed in a foam-lined luggage Carrier  25  so a salesman can carry them with ease. When the Carrier  25  is opened, the lid of the Carrier  25  opens to show a Location Diagram  29  of the Fitting Gages  13  as they are located in the base of the Carrier  25 . Each rectangular space in the Location Diagram has lettering in it to indicate the thread of the corresponding Gage  13  in the Carrier&#39;s base. 
         [0029]    Each Fitting Gage  13  has a specific matching location in the Carrier  25 , held there by Placement Foam  27 , which sits in the base of the Carrier  25 . The Placement Foam  27  has a void for each Fitting Gage  13  sized and located so each Gage  13  fits snugly in one place in the Carrier  25 , corresponding with the Location Diagram in the lid of the Carrier. 
         [0030]    All embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and explanation only. These descriptions of one embodiment are not intended to be limiting to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the relevant art will be able to create other embodiments based on this disclosure and the claims that are attached with this application.