Hose support

A support for a flexible heated dispensing hose comprising a hollow cylinder having opposite ends. A bracket attaches the cylinder to the dispenser. A helical spring is contained within the cylinder and extends beyond the opposite ends thereof. The hose is supported by the spring and cylinder so that the hose is free to move from side to side, the hose is prevented from kinking, abrasion of the hose against the cylindrical member is reduced, and optimum ventilation of the hose is provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a support for a flexible hose, and in particular, 
to a support for a flexible heated hose through which a viscous fluid is 
carried. 
Molten hot melt adhesive is dispensed through a dispenser that is connected 
to a source of molten hot melt adhesive by a heated hose. In the case of 
an electrically heated hose, the hose has an exterior layer of insulation 
as well as interior heating wires. These wires are relatively fine and are 
subject to breakage if the hose is kinked or twisted. The insulation is 
also subject to abrasion. 
In the bulk application of hot melt adhesive, the heated hose is supported 
at some point along its length by a hose support. Earlier hose supports 
have adequately performed their function. Nonetheless, hoses have 
experienced kinking, limited movement, abrasion and less than optimum 
ventilation when supported by earlier hose supports. 
It would thus be desirable to provide a support for a flexible hose that 
reduces the tendency of the hose to kink, allows the hose to move 
(including side-to-side movement) without undue limitation, reduces the 
occurrence of hose abrasion, and provides improved ventilation of the 
hose. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is a support for a flexible hose comprising a hollow cylinder 
having opposite ends. A bracket attaches the cylinder to a dispenser. A 
helical spring is contained within the cylinder and extends beyond the 
opposite ends of the cylinder. The hose is supported by the spring and 
cylinder. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the 
following description of an embodiment of the invention in connection with 
accompanying drawings. It should be understood that this description is in 
no way limiting and that various changes may be brought to the disclosed 
embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated a bulk melter 10 
having a hose support 12 connected thereto. A hose 14 extends from bulk 
melter 10 and is supported by hose support 12. 
The operation of a bulk melter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,409 
issued on Feb. 14, 1978, and assigned to the assignee of this patent 
application. In general, the bulk melter heats solid hot melt adhesive 
into its molten state and the molten hot melt adhesive is then pumped by 
the bulk melter through hose 14 into a dispensing gun. In this case the 
gun is shown as a hand gun 16. 
Referring to FIG. 2, hose support 12 includes a hollow cylinder 20. Hollow 
cylinder 20 includes a passage 22 therethrough and opposite top and bottom 
ends 24 and 26, respectively. The side wall 27 of cylinder 20 includes a 
pair of offset holes 28 and 30 therein. Holes 28 and 30 are disposed at 
about 180.degree. apart and are offset so as not to be in the same 
generally horizontal plane. 
Screws 32 and 34 are threaded in holes 28 and 30, respectively. Helical 
spring 36 is then threaded into passage 22 so as to engage screws 32 and 
34. The relative orientation between screws 32 and 34 is such as to 
correspond to the pitch of helical spring 36. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, hose support 12 is connected to the bulk melter 
by a bracket 40 mounted to the bulk melter and a pair of U bolts 42 
mounted to bracket 40. U-bolts 42 surround the exterior surface of hose 
support 12. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the relative orientation between the spring 36, 
cylinder 20 and hose 14 is illustrated. The spring is stiff enough so as 
to sufficiently support hose 14 so that it does not kink about one (or 
proximate) end 24 of hollow cylinder 20. 
Spring 36 is also sufficiently flexible so as to allow hose 14 to move 
side-to-side without undue limitation. Thus, an operator can move from 
place to place dispensing fluid and the hose will easily move in a 
side-to-side fashion. 
Spring 36 contacts one end 24 of hollow cylinder. Thus, upon the movement 
of the hose from side-to-side the spring, not the hose covering, rides 
over the surface of one end 24. The result being to significantly reduce 
the potential for abrading the outer covering of hose 14 when the hose 
moves. 
The spring 36 can be screwed up or down on the screws 32 and 34 thus 
changing the effective length of the spring 36 extending beyond end 24 of 
hollow cylinder 20. This alters the bend radius of the hose 14 as it exits 
hollow cylinder 20. Thus for a light weight hose, the spring 36 would 
extend upwardly as much as possible from hollow cylinder 20 (always 
keeping some portion of the spring 36 extending past end 26) to give a 
gentle bend radius and maximum support to the hose. Whereas on a heavy, 
large diameter hose 14, the spring 36 would extend minimally beyond end 24 
of hollow cylinder 20 in order to give maximum support to the hose. 
In addition, as can be seen, spring 36 maintains the outer surface of hose 
14 in a spaced apart relationship to the inner surface of hollow cylinder 
20. This spacing provides an air gap 44 which allows air to flow by the 
hose thereby providing optimum ventilation for heated hose 14. 
While we have disclosed a specific embodiment of our invention, persons 
skilled in the art of which this invention pertains will readily 
appreciate changes and modifications which may be made in the invention. 
Therefore, we do not intend to be limited except by the scope of the 
following appended claims.