Hose retractor

A hose retractor for gas stations and the like having an arcuate or goose-neck head portion extending through preferably a 90 degree arc and laterally extending from the vertical axis of the vertical standard portion. A removeable pulley-assembly or cartridge arcuately shaped to be inserted through the free end of the head portion, is inserted therein and secured by external bolts or other removeable fasteners when in the operative position. The cartridge preferably includes at least two, axially aligned cartridge pulleys to guide the cord along the head curvature. Upon damage or other need for replacement, the cartridge can be easily removed and replaced by a new cartridge, without the need to replace any other part of the retractor. The retractor standard and head portion according to one aspect of the invention can be made in a single piece with fixed orientation to reduce the costs of manufacture. If desired, the head portion can be made separately, of the same material as the vertical standard, and mounted for horizontal rotation through predetermined horizontal degrees on the top of the vertical standard.

BACKGROUND 
This invention relates to hose retractors and more specifically to 
apparatus for stowing and retrieving a hose or line, for example, of the 
type used in dispensing fuel at service stations. 
Conventional hose retractors have been in use for many years and usually 
comprise a hollow, 7 -foot vertical aluminum standard and a roller housing 
bolted or welded to the top of the standard. The roller housing is usually 
made of cast aluminum has a single roller permanently mounted therein for 
guiding the retrieving cable, and extends at right angles to the axis of 
the standard. 
The cable extends up through the standard through the an opening in the 
bottom of the housing, along the guide roller and out an exit port located 
in the bottom of the housing. The external end of the cable connects to 
the hose mid-length and the internal portion runs down the standard, 
around a pulley connected to a 20 pound weight with the cable internal end 
connected to the standard. Thus the weight rides vertically within the 
standard in response to the tension on the cable. 
During use, the operator pulls the hose to place the nozzle at a desired 
location thus applying tension on the cable external end. The cable pays 
out thus raising the weight inside the standard. After use, the operator 
relieves tension on the hose to replace the dispenser in its stowed 
position. The weight draws the cable back into the retractor, which, in 
turn, retracts the hose mid-length to its stowed position. 
Although the orientation of the housing on some models is fixed relative to 
the standard, other models include a bearing mounted retriever designed to 
rotate 360.degree. degrees in the horizontal plane at the top of the 
stationary standard. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,142 and Des. 
321,469. 
Conventional retractors experience several problems. For example, the guide 
roller in the housing eventually wear or otherwise become defective 
requiring the housing or the entire retractor to be discarded and replaced 
by a new unit. In addition, because of the length of the housing, i.e. 
slightly longer than the size of the single guide roller, the housing is 
relatively short such that the housing can not hold the cord significantly 
away from the vertical axis of the standard. Also, the standard and the 
housing are usually made of different materials, separately machined and 
connected by welding or bolting. These procedures require many steps and 
add to the over-all costs of the retractor. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 
retractor that avoids the foregoing problems and provides other and 
further advantages and benefits more fully understood from the following 
descriptions. 
SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
One retractor that includes the principles of the present invention 
comprises a retractor having an arcuate or goose-neck head portion 
extending through preferably a 90 degree arc and laterally extending from 
the vertical axis of the vertical standard portion. 
A removeable pulley-assembly or cartridge arcuately shaped to be inserted 
through the free end of the head portion, is inserted therein and secured 
thereto with bolts or other removeable fasteners when in the operative 
position. The cartridge preferable includes at least two, axially aligned 
cartridge pulleys to guide the cord. Upon damage or other need for 
replacement, the cartridge can be easily removed and replaced by a new 
cartridge, without the need to replace any other part of the retractor. 
The weight suspends inside the standard portion from a pulley mounted near 
the top of the weight. The internal end of the cord is attached to the 
cartridge frame. The cord runs down around the weight-pulley, then upward 
along the cartridge pulleys and out the exit port. 
The retractor standard and head portion according to one aspect of the 
invention can be made in a single piece with fixed orientation to reduce 
the costs of manufacture. If desired, the head portion can be made 
separately, of the same material as the vertical standard, and mounted for 
horizontal rotation through predetermined horizontal degrees on the top of 
the vertical standard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
With reference to FIGS. 1-5, hose retractor 10 comprises an upstanding, 
vertical post or standard 12 terminating at its upper portion or head end 
14 in a curved goose-neck type shape to provide ease of manufacture and 
displace the cable port from the standard as further described below. The 
standard and head portion are hollow throughout with openings at both ends 
and, preferably, generally square in cross section. The bottom of standard 
12 conventionally terminates in a flange or foot plate 16 serving to mount 
in concrete base near the hose location such as the gasoline pump of a 
service station. A standard gas pump clamp, schematically shown at 15, 
mounts externally at the standard mid-length. A cable guide port fitted 
with a rigid nylon bushing 18 mounts through an opening in the underside 
of the free end of head portion 14. A removeable plastic cap (not shown) 
closes the opening of the free end of head portion 14. 
Retractor parts 12 and 14 are made in a single piece from material such as 
cast aluminum, steel, hard plastic or other suitable material. Metals can 
be anodized, if desired, to provide any suitable color characteristics. In 
one example, the retractor 10 has the following approximate 
characteristics: 
Retractor height: 7 Feet, 7 Inches 
Material: extruded aluminum 
Cross section: 1.8".times.1.8" (outer dimensions) 
Wall Thickness: 0.125 Inches 
Head Arc: 90 Degrees 
Internal Head Radius: 4.5 Inches 
A roller or pulley assembly or cartridge 20 is removably mounted within the 
head 14, generally as shown, by two retaining bolts 22 extending through 
openings in the top of the head 14 and threaded into bracket nuts 25 which 
include pins mounted to the opposite sidewalls of frame 24 of cartridge 
20. 
Cartridge 20 comprises frame 24 sidewalls and grooved rollers or pulleys 26 
mounted for rotation on axles or pins 28. Frame 24 and the alignment of 
pins 28 are curved to match the curvature of head 14. This combination 
facilitates the easy insertion and removal of cartridge 20 into and from 
its operational position in head 14. 
A nylon cord or cable 30 has one end 31 connected or tied to the inner end 
of one of the frame 24 sidewalls of cartridge 20 at an opening therein, 
generally as shown. Cord 30 extends down standard 12, around the weight 
pulley 32, upward through standard 12, along the two grooved pulleys 26, 
downward and out through bushing 18, and terminates in a free-end 
connector 34, which when operable connects to a hose grip 37 fixed to the 
mid-length of hose 38. A 20 pound, iron weight 40 suspends from pulley 32 
inside standard 12. 
During assembly, retractor 10 can be laid flat on its side. Cable 30 is 
snaked through the head 14 opening so that a portion of its length extends 
through the bottom opening of standard 12. Pulley 32 is positioned on 
cable 30 and the weight assembly inserted into standard 12 from the 
bottom. The internal free end 31 of cord 30 is connected to cartridge 
frame 24. Cartridge 20 is then inserted through the head opening into 
operating position and secured therein by bolts 22. The external end of 
cord 30 is then inserted through bushing 18 and connector 34 attached so 
that the free end of cord 30 can not retract back through bushing 18. 
Retractor 10 is then mounted vertically onto foot 16 which had been 
connected to the concrete with bolts or anchors (not shown). A plastic cap 
86 is snapped to cover the head opening. Hose grip is then attached and 
the retractor is operational. 
In the event a cartridge needs repair or replacement, cap 26 is removed, 
bolts 22 removed, and cartridge 20 withdrawn. Weight assembly 40 will 
simply rise in the standard 12 to enable the withdrawal of cartridge 20. 
Cartridge 20 can then be repaired or the cord 30 end 31 can then be 
connected to a replacement cartridge 20. The replacement or repaired 
cartridge 20 is then inserted into head 14 and bolted in place after which 
cap 26 is replaced. 
With reference to FIGS. 6 to 10, an alternate retractor 50 according to the 
principles of the present invention is preferably made from a single piece 
of extruded aluminum which is cut to form the head and standard. Head 14 
is mounted for rotation on vertical standard 12 through any desired angle. 
In one example, a bearing assembly 52 couples the head to the standard and 
permits a head rotation of 180 Degrees, 90 degrees in each direction from 
a predetermined center position. This feature and the length of head 14 
enables the gasoline dispenser and the hose to easily travel toward any 
direction from the position at which the gasoline dispenser is stowed, for 
example, to dispense gasoline to automobiles parked forward as well as aft 
of and on either side of the gasoline pump. 
The bearing assembly 52 comprises casting 54 having a chambered, generally 
square lower section 56, sized to insert into standard 12 and a 
cylindrical upper section 58 extending into the lower part of the head 14. 
Section 56 mounts to standard 12 by bolts 60. 
Assembly 52 further includes a championed, generally square upper section 
62 sized to insert into the lower part of head 14 and mount thereto by 
bolts 64. Section 62 defines an internal cylindrical chamber 63 sizes to 
receive the upper section 56 rotatably therein. Section 62 defines groove 
66 that enables the bolts to rotate without binding to section 56. 
Section 56 defines a circular groove 66 at its top and ball or other 
suitable bearings ride in the groove 66 and support section 62 and 
therefore head 14 for rotation on stationary standard 12. 
Both sections define a flared center, vertical opening to accommodate the 
unimpaired vertical movement of cord 30 as described above regardless of 
the angular relative position of the parts. Section 56 also comprises a 
stop pin 70 secured in seat 71. The bottom lip 72 of upper section 62 has 
a predetermined portion of its periphery removed to permit rotation 
relative to section 56 until one side or the other of lip 72 contacts stop 
pin 70. In one preferred example, 180 degrees of lip 72 is removed, 
permitting 90 degrees of head rotation from its center position aligned 
with foot 16. 
It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the 
herein disclosed exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the present invention.