Hose assembly, internally threaded member therefor and methods of making the same

A hose assembly, an internally threaded member therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the hose assembly comprising a flexible hose having opposite ends, an internally threaded member mounted on one of the opposite ends in a manner to swivel thereon to permit the internally threaded member to be finger coupled to an externally threaded part of a liquid dispensing spigot, the internally threaded member having an outer peripheral surface, and an annular member disposed around the internally threaded member in a manner to engage the outer peripheral surface thereof and having an external peripheral surface to be finger engaged for turning the internally threaded member in unison therewith relative to the hose, the annular member comprising a SANTOPRENE material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a new hose assembly and new internally threaded 
member therefor as well as to a new method of making such a hose assembly 
and to a new method of making a such an internally threaded member. 
2. Prior Art Statement 
It is known to provide a hose assembly comprising a flexible hose having 
opposite ends, an internally threaded member mounted on one of the 
opposite ends in a manner to swivel thereon to permit the internally 
threaded member to be finger coupled to an externally threaded part of a 
liquid dispensing spigot, the internally threaded member having an outer 
peripheral surface, and an annular member disposed around the internally 
threaded member in a manner to engage the outer peripheral surface thereof 
and having an external peripheral surface to be finger engaged for turning 
the internally threaded member in unison therewith relative to the hose. 
For example, see the U.S. patent to Magarian, U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,031 and 
the U.S. patent to Swisher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,933. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is one of the features of this invention to provide a new hose assembly 
wherein the internally threaded member that is swivelly mounted on one of 
the opposite ends of a flexible hose has a unique annular member disposed 
there around in a manner to engage the outer peripheral surface thereof 
and having an external peripheral surface to be finger engaged for turning 
the internally threaded member in unison therewith relative to the hose. 
In particular, it is believed according to the teachings of this invention 
that the material of the annular member should comprise a SANTOPRENE 
material as the same is a soft surface material that is non-slippery when 
wet or dry. 
For example, one embodiment of this invention provides a hose assembly 
comprising a flexible hose having opposite ends, an internally threaded 
member mounted on one of the opposite ends in a manner to swivel thereon 
to permit the internally threaded member to be finger coupled to an 
externally threaded part of a liquid dispensing spigot, the internally 
threaded member having an outer peripheral surface, and an annular member 
disposed around the internally threaded member in a manner to engage the 
outer peripheral surface thereof and having an external peripheral surface 
to be finger engaged for turning the internally threaded member in unison 
therewith relative to the hose, the annular member comprising a SANTOPRENE 
material. 
It is another feature of this invention to mold an annular plastic member 
around the internally threaded member so as to be secured thereto. 
For example, another embodiment of this invention comprises a hose assembly 
comprising a flexible hose having opposite ends, an internally threaded 
member mounted on one of the opposite ends in a manner to swivel thereon 
to permit the internally threaded member to be finger coupled to an 
externally threaded part of a liquid dispensing spigot, the internally 
threaded member having an outer peripheral surface, and an annular plastic 
member disposed around the internally threaded member in a manner to 
engage the outer peripheral surface thereof and having an external 
peripheral surface to be finger engaged for turning the internally 
threaded member in unison therewith relative to the hose, the annular 
plastic member having been molded onto the internally threaded member. 
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new hose 
assembly having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set 
forth above or hereinafter shown or described. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a new method of making such 
a hose assembly, the method of this invention having one or more of the 
novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown 
or described. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a new internally threaded 
member for such a hose assembly, the internally threaded member of this 
invention having one or more of the novel features of this invention as 
set forth above or hereinafter shown or described. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a new method of making such 
an internally threaded member, the method of this invention having one or 
more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or 
hereinafter shown or described. 
Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a 
reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompany 
drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
While the various features of this invention are hereinafter illustrated 
and described as providing a hose assembly wherein the internally threaded 
member initially has an external peripheral surface of a particular 
configuration, it is to be understood that the various features of this 
invention can be utilized singly or in various combinations thereof to 
provide a new hose assembly that can be utilized with internally threaded 
members other than the particular internally threaded member illustrated 
in the drawings. 
Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments 
illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to 
illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a typical prior known hose assembly is 
generally indicated by the reference numeral 20 and comprises a flexible 
hose 21 having opposite ends. Only the opposite end 22 is illustrated in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 with the understanding that the other opposite end of the 
flexible hose 21 is coupled to an externally threaded member for coupling 
to an internally threaded member that is swivelly mounted on an end of 
another hose in order to provide an extension therewith in a manner well 
known in the art. 
An internally threaded member 23 formed of any suitable material, such as 
metallic material, plastic material, etc., has an internally threaded 
opening 24 interrupting an end 25 of the internally threaded member 23 and 
terminating adjacent an inwardly directed annular flange 26 that forms 
part of the other side 27 of the internally threaded member 24 and is 
received in an annular groove 28 of a flared end 29' of an internal 
metallic coupling member 29 that is adapted to be inserted into the end 22 
of the flexible hose 21 and be crimped thereto together with an external 
metallic ferrule member 30 all in a manner well known in the art. 
In this manner, the internally threaded member 23 swivels on the end 22 of 
the flexible hose 21 and readily permits the same to be finger coupled to 
an externally threaded part of a liquid dispensing spigot or the like by 
the user engaging his fingers against the external peripheral surface 31 
of the internally threaded member 23 and rotating the internally threaded 
member 23 in the proper direction to couple onto an externally threaded 
part of a dispensing spigot that is received in the internally threaded 
opening 24 of the internally threaded member 23 in a manner well known in 
the art. 
Usually the external peripheral surface 31 of the internally threaded 
member 23 is provided with a plurality of serrations 32 and/or projections 
33 to facilitate the finger coupling or uncoupling operation as the case 
may be. 
Nevertheless, it has been found that the finger coupling operation should 
be enhanced by providing an annular member over the external peripheral 
surface 31 of the internally threaded member 23 so that the external 
peripheral surface of that annular member will be more finger friendly in 
the coupling and uncoupling operation of the hose assembly. 
For example, see the aforementioned U.S. patent to Magarian, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,058,031 and the aforementioned U.S. patent to Swisher, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,805,933 whereby these two U.S. patents are being incorporated into this 
disclosure by this reference thereto. 
It is believed according to the teachings of this invention that the 
annular member being disposed on the external peripheral surface of the 
internally threaded member can be further enhanced if the same is formed 
of a SANTOPRENE material as such material is a soft surface material that 
is non-slippery when wet or dry. 
It is further believed according to the teachings of this invention that 
such annular member of SANTOPRENE material can be either snap-fitted onto 
the internally threaded member to be carried thereby or can be molded 
directly thereon so that the annular member will rotate in unison with the 
internally threaded member when a person is finger coupling or uncoupling 
the hose assembly to or from an externally threaded part of a liquid 
dispensing spigot or the like. 
"SANTOPRENE" is a registered trademark of the Monsanto Corporation of St. 
Louis, Mo. and it is well known that there are numerous SANTOPRENE 
materials sold by the Monsanto Rubber Chemicals Division, Monsanto 
Industrial Chemicals Co., 260 Springside Drive, Akron, Ohio., SANTOPRENE 
being a thermoplastic elastomer which exhibits rubber-like properties. 
Thus, it is believed according to the teachings of this invention that at 
least one of such SANTOPRENE materials will uniquely function to form the 
annular member of this invention for the internally threaded member of the 
hose assembly of this invention. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the new hose assembly of this invention 
is generally indicated by the reference numeral 20A in FIG. 6 and parts 
thereof similar to the parts of the hose assembly 20 previously described 
are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter 
A. 
The hose assembly 20A of this invention has the flexible hose 21A provided 
with an internally threaded member 23A swivelly mounted on an end thereof 
in the same manner as the internally threaded member 23 of the hose 
assembly 20. However, an annular member 34 of SANTOPRENE material is 
disposed over and against the external peripheral surface 33A of the 
internal threaded member 23A and has an external peripheral surface 35 
that somewhat conforms to the external peripheral surface 33A of the 
internally threaded member 23A and is adapted to be finger engaged for 
swiveling the internally threaded member 23A in unison therewith for 
coupling or uncoupling the hose assembly 20A to an externally threaded 
part of a dispensing spigot or the like. 
As previously stated, the external peripheral surface 35 of the annular 
member 34 when formed of SANTOPRENE material is a soft surface and is 
non-slippery when dry or wet so as to enhance the finger coupling and 
uncoupling operation for the reasons previously set forth. 
Since the internally threaded member 23A now has the annular member 34 
disposed thereon, the parts 23A and 34 now define a new internally 
threaded assembly that is generally indicated by the reference numeral 36 
in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. 
It is believed that the member 34 of the internally threaded assembly 36 of 
this invention can initially comprise a tubular part 37 as illustrated in 
FIG. 4 having an internally smooth peripheral surface 38 that is 
approximately the same diameter as an annular shoulder 39 on the 
internally threaded member 23A and is stepped below the external 
peripheral surface 33A thereof as illustrated in FIG. 4. However, by 
stretching the member 37 onto the internally threaded member 23A so that 
the internal peripheral surface 38 of the tubular member 37 goes over the 
external peripheral surface 33A of the internally threaded member 23A, a 
trailing portion 40 of the tubular member 37 will snap fit into the recess 
41 defined by the annular shoulder 39 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 
so as to secure the annular member 34 of this invention in its final 
position to form the internally threaded member 23A for the hose assembly 
20A and for the purposes previously set forth. 
However, it is believed that the annular member of SANTOPRENE material or 
even of any other desired plastic material could be injection molded onto 
the internally threaded member 23A to secure the same together for the 
same purpose as snap-fitting the member 34 in place. 
For example, reference is now made to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 wherein another 
internally threaded assembly of this invention is generally indicated by 
the reference numeral 36B and parts thereof similar to the parts of the 
internally threaded assembly 36 of FIGS. 3-6, are indicated by like 
reference numerals followed by the reference letter "B". 
As illustrated in FIGS. 7, the internally threaded member 23B together with 
or without the coupling member 29B is disposed in a chamber or cavity 42 
of a molding apparatus 43, the chamber 42 of the molding apparatus 43 
defining an annular chamber that corresponds in configuration to the 
annular member 34 of FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. 
As illustrated in FIG. 8, suitable polymeric material 44 is injection 
molded into the cavity 42 to be molded against the external peripheral 
surface 33B of the internally threaded member 23A so as to subsequently 
harden or vulcanize and form the internally threaded assembly 36B 
illustrated in FIG. 9 whereby the external peripheral surface 35B is 
adapted to be finger engaged for coupling and uncoupling to an externally 
threaded part of a liquid dispensing spigot or the like for the reasons 
previously set forth and should the plastic material 44 comprise a 
SANTOPRENE material, the material 44 will have the characteristics of 
being a soft surface and non-slippery when wet or dry for the reasons 
previously set forth. 
Therefore, it can be seen that this invention not only provides a new hose 
assembly and a new internally threaded member for such a hose assembly, 
but also this invention provides a new method of making such a hose 
assembly and a new method of making an internally threaded member. 
While the forms and methods of this invention now preferred have been 
illustrated and described as required by the Patent Statute, it is to be 
understood that other forms and method steps can be utilized and still 
fall within the scope of the appended claims wherein each claim sets forth 
what is believed to be known in each claim prior to this invention in the 
portion of each claim that is disposed before the terms "the improvement" 
and sets forth what is believed to be new in each claim according to this 
invention in the portion of each claim that is disposed after the terms 
"the improvement" whereby it is believed that each claim sets forth a 
novel, useful and unobvious invention within the purview of the Patent 
Statute.