Abstract:
A flexible elastomeric fluid conveying hose which includes a rigid coupling having a member extending partially into the hose body. A stress relief member, in the form of a helical spring, is mounted directly on the coupling member and also inserted into the body to prevent kinking or collapsing of the hose.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hose coupling for incorporation into a flexible elastomeric fluid conveying hose, such as a garden hose or air hose. The coupling is designed to reduce stress on the end of the hose and eliminate kinking during use. 
     2. Prior Art Statement 
     Various designs have been used for the stress relief on hose ends, including designs which utilize a spring mounted on a washer that is inserted into the hose coupling, as shown in the patent to Hensen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,444. U.S. Pat. No. 790,971, issued to Nicholls, utilizes a spring extending inside a hose and secured to the inner surfaces thereof. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, stress relief of the hose coupling is provided by a helical spring having a constant diameter throughout its length, the spring being mounted on and secured directly to the outer surface of the ferrule which is an integral component of the coupling. The spring extends into at least a portion of the hose body just beyond the end of the ferrule and thus eliminates the stress and kinking which occurs when the end is bent. By securing the spring to the ferrule, the spring will be secured during bending so that it will not slip into the hose body. The construction may be used on both the male and female ends of a fluid conveying hose, such as a garden hose, an air brake hose, or an industrial air hose. 
     It is a principal object of this invention therefore, to provide a hose coupling that will eliminate stress on the end of the hose. 
     It is a further object to prevent kinking and collapsing of the hose end when it is bent during use. 
     It is another object to provide a member that is secured to the ferrule of the hose coupling. 
     It is still another object to utilize a helical spring as the stress relief member and secure it to the ferrule in a manner that will prevent it from becoming detached. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view in partial section of a hose with the novel coupling. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the coupling and spring reinforcement. 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a different coupling and spring reinforcement. 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a modified form of hose. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral  11  illustrates a flexible hose having a hose body  12  made of an elastomeric material such as rubber. The hose shown is a garden hose which is not reinforced, but other types of fluid conducting hoses, both reinforced and non-reinforced are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. Such hoses may conduct air, such as for air brakes or industrial uses. The hose  11  comprises a coupling  13 , preferably made of a metal such as brass or steel, having a ferrule  14  which is a generally cylindrical member and consists of a tubular shaft  15  which terminates in an enlarged outer end  16 . A collar  17  with internal threads  18  is freely rotatable, and acts as a female coupling to engage a mating male member, such as a hose faucet. The collar is secured to the ferrule by causing the surface  19  to engage the outer end  16  while surface  20  engages a spaced ring member  21  of the ferrule. The shaft  15  has spaced annular rings  22 . The stress relief member is a helical spring  23  having spaced coils  24  which are of a constant diameter throughout the length of the spring. The coils may have a circular cross-section as shown, or may be a so-called “flat spring”, meaning that the coils are rectangular in cross-section. The spring coils may be made of metal or plastic, as is well known in the art. One or more of the end coils are mounted on and retained by the outer surface of the shaft  15  of the ferrule by various methods known in the art, such as crimping. The coupling assembly is inserted into the hose body  12  so that the shaft  15  and the spring  23  extend into the hose body; as shown in FIG. 1, the coils of the spring are inserted into the interior of the hose body so that the contact the smooth inner surface thereof, and crimped into place by an outer rigid sleeve  25  which compresses the hose body and compressing the body around the shaft. This pressure also causes the spring  23  to be secured around the shaft. As better shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the end coils  24  are placed in a groove  26 . Only one or two of these end coils are retained in the groove  26 , which is sufficient to secure the spring. The spring extends just beyond the inner end of the ferrule and is preferably between 4 and 7 times in length compared to the length of the ferrule  14 , in order to obtain the best results. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view which illustrates a preferred means for retaining one or more coils of the spring on the hose coupling, showing in greater detail the shaft  15  of ferrule  14  with its groove  26  extending into and around the outer surface of the shaft. One or more coils  24  of the spring  23  are snapped into this groove for locking them into place. This arrangement may be used as the sole retaining means for the coils, or may be used to supplement the crimping of the coils referred to above. Any of these arrangements are important because they prevent the spring from slipping down into the hose body and thus causing the spring to lose its effectiveness in stress or stain relief. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a hose coupling  41  which is constructed like coupling  13  except that instead of having a rotatable female collar it has a fixed male collar  42  with external threads  43  designed to engage a member similar to collar  17  which may be found, for example, on a hose nozzle. The end coils  24  are secured to the outer surface of the shaft  15  in the same manner as in coupling  13  by placing them in groove  43  in a manner similar to the arrangement described above, and the shaft  44  of ferrule  45  and retained spring are similarly inserted in the hose body. 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 which illustrates a hose  51  identical to hose  11  except that instead of the groove  26  at the end of the ferrule  54 , the end  52  of the shaft  53  is straight. This illustrates the earlier-referred to concept of retaining the spring without the use of the groove to secure the end coils of the spring. Instead, the crimping may secure these end coils to the end  52  by use of the pressure exerted radially inward by the crimping mechanism. 
     It should be noted that the couplings shown above are primarily designed for garden hose, but if the inventive concept is to be utilized for air hose, air brake hose, or the like, necessary modifications are contemplated to accommodate these systems. 
     The above embodiments are merely exemplary, and other embodiments are contemplated as being within the spirit of the invention.