A quick-release radial clamp for fitting over and clamping a hose onto a rigid fitting. The clamp has a split ring with an inner and outer surface. The split in the ring extends in the axial direction of the ring and forms two abutting ends. A stretched elastomeric sleeve is placed upon the outer surface of the ring and is held in that position by the ring as long as the shape of ring is held by the abutting ends. A quick-release mechanism is provided at the ends for disengaging them from their abutting positions, thereby permitting the stretched sleeve to recover and contract. This contracts the rings as well by causing the ends to slide past each other. This clamping contraction is accomplished quickly and easily and provides a sure clamp.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to clamping apparatus for securing onto flexible 
sleeves or hoses, or for clamping a sleeve or hose onto a rigid pipe or 
rod, and more particularly relates to radial clamps for such purposes that 
can be quickly and easily released to perform their clamping function. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Devices for clamping onto hoses or sleeves, or for attaching and securing 
flexible sleeves, such as hoses or elastomeric couplings to pipes, tubes, 
rods, etc. are well known in the art. Particularly well known are the hose 
clamps used widely for attaching radiator hoses on autombile cooling 
systems which have a loop or band of metal with slots that are engaged by 
a screw. Other well known hose clamps include designs having various wire 
loop configurations that may be tightened around a hose or sleeve with a 
screw or other means. 
However, it is also well known that the conventional hose clamps or other 
apparatus for clamping onto hoses or for attaching flexible sleeves to 
rigid objects are often difficult to attach, much less attach quickly. The 
primary difficulties usually involve maneuvering the clamp into place so 
that it may be tightened and/or getting the hose or sleeve onto the pipe 
or rigid tube. Often, in pursuit of a firm seal hose to pipe or rigid 
fitting, the pipe, hose and clamp are designed with very close tolerances, 
making initial placement awkward and difficult. 
Other known means for placing elastic covers or clamps on cylindrical 
objects include the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,798 to Sievert 
which includes an elastic tubular cover member supported in stretched 
condition on an easily removable one-piece rigid spiral core having 
interconnected adjacent coils. Disadvantages with this particular 
structure include the problem that the release of the cover is not 
particularly quick, nor can the cover be adapted to form a relatively 
short clamp structure. 
Evans, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,746 teach a recoverable tubular 
article comprising an elastomeric sleeve held in a radially expanded or 
extended condition, which is capable of recovering to its pre-expanded 
condition upon the removal of an outer restraint. Here the outer restraint 
is bonded to the sleeve and releases the sleeve upon the application of a 
solvent. A similar recoverable tubular article is taught by Krackeler, et 
al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,970 where the outer restraint is a spiral 
structure that is removed and released from the collapsing sleeve by 
peeling the spiral support from one end. 
There is additionally U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,328 which teaches a removable 
heat-recoverable closure assembly for a substrate which includes a 
heat-recoverable closure and a flexible wire to be interposed between the 
closure and the substrate. The wire has sufficient flexibility and 
sufficient strength so that in can be pulled through the wall of the 
closure for removal of the heat-recovered closure from the substrate. The 
sleeve in this patent is initially applied by one of the means described 
in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,070,746 and 4,338,970. 
Finally, there is known U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,440 to Keith which operates 
similarly to the device taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,798 previously 
mentioned, that teaches an elastic cover for couplings or splices 
comprising a radially stretched and axially twisted elastic cover 
supported on a core of spirally wound polymeric material which is 
progressively removed from within the cover member as a continuous narrow 
strip. 
However, each of these devices suffer from the same disadvantage mentioned 
earlier, that is, the clamping action is performed gradually rather than 
quickly. This problem slows assembly work. In addition, none of these 
covers may be adapted well to relatively short, ring-like structures where 
a long sleeve is not required or preferred, or even feasible. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a radial 
clamp for attaching to a hose or for securing a flexible or resilient 
sleeve or hose to a rigid member such as a pipe, tube or fitting. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a radial clamp that 
will attach a clamp to a flexible sleeve or hose easily and extremely 
quickly. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a radial clamp 
that can be adapted to be relatively short along its axial direction. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a quick-release radial 
clamp that includes a rigid interior ring for providing a hard or rigid 
seal to the structure being clamped. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a quick-release radial 
clamp that includes a rigid interior ring with an inwardly directed ridge 
that concentrates the clamping force to provide a uniform seal to the 
structure being clamped. 
In carrying out these and other objects of the invention, there is 
provided, in one form, a quick-release radial clamp having a cylindrical 
split ring having two abutting ends. An elastomeric sleeve is coaxially 
positioned and stretched upon the cylindrical split ring. Additionally, a 
structure exists for removing the split ring ends from their abutting 
position thereby permitting contraction of the elastomeric sleeve. The 
split ring circumference within the elastomeric sleeve contracts as well.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the 
various Figures. Shown in FIG. 1 is one embodiment of the quickrelease 
radial clamp 10 of the present invention in exploded relationship to the 
flexible sleeve 12 it is to surround and clamp to rigid pipe or rod 14. 
Flexible sleeve 12 has an outside diameter smaller than the inside 
diameter of the clamp 10, and pipe 14 has an outside diameter smaller than 
the inside diameter of sleeve 12. This relationship can be seen 
particularly clearly in FIG. 2 which employs similar reference numbers. 
Also shown in FIG. 1 are the three primary elements of the radial clamp 10, 
which include interior cylindrical split ring 16 which has a cut or split 
18 along the axial direction of the ring 16 which forms two abutting ends 
20 and 22. Split ring 16 has an inner surface 24 and an outer surface 26. 
An elastomeric sleeve 28 is coaxially positioned and radially stretched 
upon the outer surface 26 of the split ring 16. The elastomeric sleeve 28 
should be stretched enough to apply considerable inward radial force upon 
cylindrical split ring 16. Cylindrical split ring 16 further has the third 
main element of the present invention, namely a mechanism for permitting 
the split ring ends 20 and 22 to be removed from their abutting positions 
and allowing them to slide past each other under the contractive force of 
the elastomeric sleeve 28. This release or contraction of the split ring 
16 and the elastomeric sleeve 28 occurs simultaneously and virtually 
instantaneously upon release of ends 20 and 22 from their abutting 
positions. In the particular embodiment of clamp 10 shown in FIG. 1, the 
mechanism for releasing ends 20 and 22 are recesses 30 and 32. These 
recesses permit a screw-driver or other tool to be inserted between the 
two ends 20 and 22 when the clamp 10 is in position around sleeve 12 in 
turn circling pipe 14 and, with a twist of the tool, dislodge ends 20 and 
22 from their abutting positions. 
The operation of the present invention may be more cleary seen with 
reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As noted earlier, FIG. 2 illustrates the 
quickrelease radial clamp 10 in its extended or expanded configuration 
about sleeve 12 which is to be clamped to pipe 14. Both split ring 16 and 
elastomeric sleeve 28 are in their extended positions because the ends 20 
and 22 are in their abutting positions. 
Shown in FIG. 3 is the result of collapsing or contracting the 
configuration of FIG. 2 by moving split ring ends 20 and 22 out of their 
abutting position by means of recesses 30 and 32. This action permits ends 
20 and 22 to slide past each other and permits split ring 16 to contract 
under the recovering force of elastomeric sleeve 28 attempting to recover 
to its relaxed condition. This action in turn clamps sleeve 12 onto pipe 
14 in a tight-fitting and sealing relationship. If elastomeric sleeve 28 
is made sufficiently strong, the clamping action will be quite strong. As 
noted earlier, the clamping action occurs almost instantaneously upon the 
release of split ring ends 20 and 22 from their abutting positions, hence 
the present invention is eminently suited to perform as a quick-release 
radial clamp. 
The cross-section of the elastomeric sleeve 28 and split ring 16 of the 
quick-release radial clamp 10 need not be flat. For example, shown in FIG. 
4 is an alternate embodiment of the quick-release radial clamp 34 in which 
elastomeric sleeve 36 has a circular cross-section. Similarly, the split 
ring 38 for this embodiment may have a cross-section which is arc-shaped 
or semi-circular in shape to be adapted to mate with the circular 
cross-section of sleeve 36. An alternate embodiment for the quick-release 
mechanism to permit the end 40 to side past its mating, abutting end (not 
shown) are tabs 42 which extend laterally from the split ring end 40 in 
the axial direction of clamp 34. 
As with recesses 30 and 32, tab 42 would permit a screw-driver or other 
common tool to release the split ring 38 ends from their abutting 
positions and perform the clamping action. 
Shown in FIG. 5 is a detail of further options for the quick-release radial 
clamp of the present invention. In some applications, it may be desirable 
to ensure which of the two ends of the split ring slides over the other, 
and which would slide under the over-riding end. FIG. 5 illustrates two 
ways by which this may occur. Cylindrical split ring 44 has two opposite 
abutting ends 46 and 48 across a cut or split 50. In one option, ends 46 
and 48 each have a bevel 52 in the axial direction, but on opposite sides 
of the ring 44. That is, the bevel 52 on end 46 is outside the ring 44, 
whereas the bevel 52 on end 48 is on underneath or inside of ring 44. 
Thus, it is easier for the operator of the clamp to permit end 48 to 
over-ride end 46. Another means by which ends 46 and 48 may be designed to 
preferentially slide one over the other would be to provide laterally 
extending tabs, such as the tabs 42 of FIG. 4, but to offset the tabs. For 
example, tabs 54 out outwardly offset, while tabs 56 are inwardly offset. 
An operator wishing to trip the clamp by disengaging ends 46 and 48 would 
be inclined to insert a screw-driver blade between the tabs and twist the 
blade in a counter-clockwise direction to permit end 48 to more easily 
over-ride end 46 than would be the reverse situation. 
An embodiment where it would be desired to have preferentially over-riding 
split ring ends might be one in which different contact surface textures 
on the interior, underlapping surface of the split ring from the 
overlapping end surfaces of the ring might be desired. Or, in another 
embodiment, the inner surface of the over-riding end and the outer surface 
of the under-riding end may be provided with an interlocking mechanism to 
permit a more secure clamp under the influence of the collapsing or 
recovering elastomeric sleeve. 
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular 
embodiments shown and described herein. For example, the stretched 
elastomeric sleeve and the split ring may have different cross-sectional 
shapes than those illustrated. In addition, the mechanism for releasing 
the split ring ends from their abutting positions, which maintains the 
ring in its expanded configuration and restrains the elastomeric sleeve 
from collapsing until the clamping action is needed, may be different from 
those illustrated. 
Additionally, the materials of which the quick-release radial clamp is made 
may vary within the scope of the invention. The cylindrical split ring may 
be zinc-plated cold rolled steel or stainless steel or other suitable 
rigid metal, or even a strong rigid, but somewhat flexible plastic such as 
polypropylene or other engineering plastic. Further, the elastomeric 
sleeve that acts to contract the clamp may be made out of many elastomeric 
or elastic materials as long as the required force is applied to the split 
ring. For example, natural or synthetic rubbers or materials such as 
ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) may be found to be suitable for 
this application. It should be kept in mind that an important advantage of 
the radial clamp of this invention is to provide a clamp with a uniform 
clamping force around the clamping perimeter. 
Other design features may be modified within the scope of the invention. 
For example, the spltis 18 and 50 in FIGS. 1 and 5, respectively, are 
shown to be straight and parallel to the axis of the clamp. However, these 
splits where the abutting ends of the spit ring meet could be of other 
configurations, such as tongue-and-groove, V-shaped or wave-shaped, for 
example, and still fulfill the requirements of the present invention.