Hose clamp

A hose clamp wherein one end of the clamping band is movable to any desired longitudinal position of the band so as to initially take up the slack of the band during installation of the hose clamp. This same end is held without being permanently attached to the clamping mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The field of this invention relates to clamping mechanisms and more 
particularly to a hose clamp which uses a flexible band which operates in 
conjunction with a worm gear to move one end with respect to the other end 
of the band, which ends are located in an overlapping relationship. 
The use of such hose clamps are well known. It is common to select a hose 
clamp of a particular desired size and that particular hose clamp will 
operate for a certain range of diameters of hoses. For example, a given 
size of hose clamp will operate between a half an inch to two inches in 
diameter of hose. Another hose clamp will operate between two inches and 
four inches of hose diameter. As a result, normal installation of a hose 
clamp invariably results in a substantially larger than necessary clamp 
being employed. In other words, if the hose diameter is two and a quarter 
inches, it is necessary to employ a hose clamp which is capable of 
accommodating a four inch diameter hose. This means that during the 
installation there is automatically a one and three quarter inch radius 
slack that needs to be taken up. In terms of the actual length of the 
band, the distance is substantially greater and in this particular 
instance, something over five inches. This means that the user in 
installing the hose clamp must turn the worm screw until this entire slack 
is taken up before the hose clamp begins to tighten on the hose. This 
procedure is time consuming because the worm screw cannot be turned 
rapidly. 
It would be desirable to employ a hose clamp in which during installation, 
the slack within the band can immediately be taken up thereby not 
requiring operation of the worm screw in order to take up that slack. 
Also, it would be further desirable to have a single hose clamp be 
employed for all sizes, thereby eliminating the need for different sizes 
of hose clamps. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The hose clamp of this invention employes a conventional flexible band 
which has a plurality of spaced apart openings therein. The flexible band 
is to be cut in the desired length according to the installation. The 
clamping mechanism includes a housing within which is rotatably supported 
a worm screw. The housing includes a plate, the exterior surface of which 
has a plurality of inclined protuberances. This plate also includes a 
guide bracket. One end of the band is to extend through the guide bracket 
and openings within the band are to engage with the protuberances. The 
other end of the band is to be conducted adjacent the inner surface of the 
plate and the openings within this band are to engage with the worm screw. 
Any slack of the band can be quickly taken up by physically moving the 
band through the guide bracket and having the protuberances engage with 
band openings at this particular location of the band. Tightening of the 
band upon the hose is accomplished in the conventional manner by rotating 
of the worm screw. 
The primary objective of this invention is to construct a hose clamp which 
can be quickly and easily installed and which eliminates slack of the 
clamping band during the installation procedure of the hose clamp. 
A further objective of this invention is to construct a hose clamp which is 
adaptable through a wide range of sizes thereby eliminating the need for 
different sizes of hose clamps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOWN EMBODIMENT 
Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown the hose clamp 10 of 
this invention which is composed primarily of a clamping band 12 and a 
clamping mechanism 14. The clamping band 12 is deemed to be conventional 
and basically takes the form of a flexible, sheet metal band which is 
bendable into the circular shape shown in FIG. 2. The band 12 includes, 
along its entire longitudinal length, a plurality of openings 16. The 
openings 16 are evenly spaced apart. 
The clamping mechanism 14 includes a housing 18 within which is rotatably 
mounted a worm screw 20. The worm screw 20 has a spiral ridge 22 which is 
engageable at three separate locations of the openings 16 of the band 12, 
as shown in FIG. 3. The worm screw also includes a polygonal shaped 
enlarged head 24. The enlarged head 24 includes a slot 26 which is to be 
engageable with a tool such as a screw driver. 
The housing 18 also includes a plate 28. The lateral sides of the plate 28 
include tabs 30. The tabs 30 are conducted through appropriate openings 
formed within the other portion of the housing 18 and are appropriately 
bent so as to securely connect the plate 28 to the remainder of the 
housing 18. 
The exterior surface of the plate 28 has outwardly extending therefrom a 
plurality of protuberances 32. It is to be noted that three in number of 
the protuberances 32 are shown, but it is considered to be within the 
scope of this invention that any convenient number could be employed. It 
will only be required to have only one protuberance 32 engaged with an 
opening 16 in order to operate satisfactorily. The purpose of using the 
three protuberances is so to accommodate different diameters of the band 
12. In other words, in a small diameter of band 12, only the protuberance 
32 closest to the arms 34 and 36 will engage with band 12. In a larger 
diameter of band 12, all three protuberances will be engaged with openings 
16. 
Also, integrally formed with the plate 28 is a guide bracket assembly in 
the form of facing L-shaped arms 34 and 36. The arms 34 and 36 combine to 
form a slot through which is to be conducted one end of the band 12. It is 
to be noted that the protuberances 32 are slanted outwardly with respect 
to the arms 34 and 36. 
The operation of the hose clamp 10 of this invention is as follows: The 
user selects a desired length of band 12 to be employed for the particular 
installation. Normally, this length of band 12 will be cut from a longer 
length of band. The operator then takes one end of the band 12 and inserts 
it adjacent the inner surface of the plate 28. The operator then proceeds 
to turn worm screw 20 which causes the ridge 22 to engage with a series of 
the openings 16 formed within this end of the band 12. The operator then 
proceeds to place the band 12 about the hose which is to be clamped. The 
operator then takes the other end of the band 12 and inserts it through 
the slot formed by the arms 34 and 36 and slides the band over the slanted 
protuberances 32 until the entire amount of slack of the band has been 
taken up. The operator then, by automatically releasing of the band 12, 
causes the openings 16 formed within this particular end of the band to 
connect with the protuberances 32. The user then proceeds to rotate the 
worm screw 20 by application of a tool to the polygonal shaped enlarged 
head 24 or by use of a tool connecting with a slot 26. The hose clamp is 
then tightened to the desired position.