Abstract:
A hose reel carrier includes a wheeled structure having spaced apart side walls and a top wall covering a receptacle; a hose reel is rotatably mounted between the side walls and is rotated by a hand crank operated outside one of the side walls; a reciprocating hose guide carried on support rods is also driven by the crank; a fluid connection is provided through the other side wall to supply fluid to a hose carried on the reel.

Description:
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application of Spear et al., Application No. 60/202,881, filed May 10, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to protective storage devices for flexible hoses particularly of the lawn and garden watering type. More specifically, the present invention relates to a housing that provides protection for a hose reel with the hose wrapped on the reel for storage and which is also capable of supporting and storing gardening tools as well. In addition, the device of the present invention will greatly facilitate wrapping the hose on the reel and will allow connection to a source of water under pressure without requiring disconnection of the inlet end of the hose wrapped on the reel in the housing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The prior art has proposed a number of different structures for storing a garden hose when not in use. The structures have generally included a reel about which the hose is wrapped for storage. In some of these devices, the hose reel has been rotatable about its axis to facilitate the wrapping and unwrapping of the hose for use. In general, the hose must be completely removed from the reel to enable connection to a source of water. While for relatively short lines of hose, these devices have been useful, for any significant increase in the hose length, these devices have not been satisfactory in view of the difficulty of manipulating the hose relative to the reel when moving between the stored and extended positions of the hose. Generally, manufacturers have avoided the use of complicated gear systems and drive mechanisms for the reel in view of the expense involved. Also, since these types of carrier structures have tended to be exposed to the weather or at least placed in storage conditions for a long period of time, the useful life of such drive mechanisms tends to be unacceptably short. In addition, manufacturers have avoided complications in manufacturing in order to keep the cost of these devices as low as possible. 
     In many communities, outside storage of a hose is not permitted for a number of reasons including aesthetic considerations, safety and the likelihood of theft. Even where a residential occupant utilizes a reel for storage, moving the wrapped reel out of sight tends to be infrequent where the hose is connected to the water supply. Also, presently available reels generally lack any facility for supporting gardening tools for ease-of-use. With many types of different hose materials, it is important to protect the hose during storage from exposure to direct sunlight to prevent deterioration of the material of the hose where the hose is manufactured with certain inexpensive plastics such as vinyl or woven nylon yet many reel type devices have no shielding for the hose. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a hose reel carrier assembly which can be easily moved over the ground for use and operated to wrap the hose easily and which will allow easy extension of a length of hose relative to the reel without requiring connection of the length of hose directly to a water source. Instead, the carrier assembly itself is provided with an auxiliary hose length and a conduit system for connection to a water source while the end of the hose length carried on the reel has one end connected to an outlet carried by the reel. When it is desired to store the carrier assembly with the hose wrapped on the reel, the carrier assembly which is provided with wheels can be easily moved back to a storage position such as in a garage or shed. A number of compartments can be provided on the carrier assembly which also serve to shield the hose when wrapped on the reel from exposure to the elements and sunlight and provide storage of garden tools and the like. 
     In one embodiment, a reciprocating guide is provided that is linked to a manual drive for the reel so that when the reel is rotated by a user, the reciprocating guide will move back and forth across the reel to uniformly and smoothly wrap the hose on the reel to provide a compact storage configuration. Additionally, the carrier assembly includes a fluid joint that allows rotation of the outlet end of the joint with rotation of the reel thus greatly simplifying handling of the hose length. Operation of the reel is also greatly facilitated by an externally accessible handle, the rotary motion of which is linked to the hose guide for synchronous operation. 
     The foregoing as well as other advantages will become apparent as consideration is given to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hose reel carrier assembly of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 a side view in elevation; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view in elevation; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view opposite to the side of FIG. 2 
     FIG. 5 is a front view in elevation of the hose guide; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective, exploded view of the reel and water connections; and 
     FIG. 8 is schematic illustration of the drive train for the reel and hose guide. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 the carriage assembly  10  of the present invention. In this embodiment, the carrier assembly  10  includes a front wall  12 , two side walls one which is shown at  14 , a rear wall  16  and the top wall or lid  18  which may be removable to gain access to a storage area underlying the lid  18 . 
     To facilitate use and movement of the assembly  10 , the rear wall  16  may be formed with depending feet or legs  20  while adjacent the front wall  12 , wheels  22  are rotatably mounted on either a common or separate axles, not shown. The front wall  12  is preferably provided with a storage recess  24  which is provided with a projecting post  26  having an extended width and wings  27  to support and retain a length of auxiliary hose wrapped about the post  26 . The auxiliary hose  29  has an end  30  for attachment to a water spigot while the other end is connected to a conduit system connected to the main hose which will be wrapped on an interiorly located reel  42 . 
     The reel  42  is connected to larger diameter wheels  44  and  50  at each end. The connection may be accomplished in a number of ways such as by epoxy adhesive, interlocking fingers or screws. The wheels  44  and  50  have hubs  45  and  53 , respectively, each of which is mounted on an axle,  46  and  48 , respectively. The axles  46  and  48  extend concentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the reel  42  which is preferably hollow. 
     Support rods  36  and  38  are mounted one above the other and spaced slightly inwardly of the outer edges of front and rear walls  12  and  16  as shown more clearly in FIG.  1 . Mounted astride the rods  36  and  38  is a hose guide member  40  which includes a large central opening  54  through which a hose will be positioned in use. As shown more clearly in FIG. 5, the lower opening of the hose guide  40  is provided with a recess  56  on which is mounted a reversing lug  58  which projects outwardly from the inner wall  59  as shown more clearly in FIG.  6 . The lug  58  has a shaft  60  positioned in a bore formed through the base of the recess  56  and through an extension  61  and which is surrounded by a spring  62  to resiliently hold the lug  58  in the position shown. With this arrangement, rotation of the lug  58  and shaft  60  will easily be effected when the hose guide  40  reaches one end of its travel on the guide rods  36  and  38 . The ends of the lug  58  will ride slidingly in spiral grooves two sets of which are formed in the lower rod  36 . The lower rod is rotated by a chain driven by the crank  64  in a selected direction. One set of grooves will effect translation of the guide  40  in one direction while the other set of grooves will effect translation in the opposite direction on the guide rods. When the guide  40  reaches one end of the rods, further rotation of the rod  36  will force the lug  58  to rotate about shaft  60  to engage the other set of grooves and commence movement of the guide  40  in the opposite direction while the crank&#39;s rotation can be continued in the same direction. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, wall  16  is shown with the spaced apart feet  20  and the hand crank  64  which will be operated by a user to rotate the reel  42  when it is desired to reel in a hose which is connected to the water outlet pipe extending through the surface of the reel  42  as shown at  66  in FIG.  4 . Also, as apparent from FIG. 4 and 7, the pipe  66  extends within axle  48  which is hollow and makes sealing contact with a stationary connector tube  49  located within axle  48  by means of one or more than O-rings carried about the exterior of the tube  49  preferably in grooves  51  formed about the circumference thereof adjacent the end thereof that is inserted into the end  69  of pipe  66 . As shown in FIG. 7, the reel  42  and wheel  50  are radially spaced from the pipe  66  and tube  49 . With the connection end  69  of the pipe  66  disposed about the tube  49 , a secure sealing will be effected that allows unhindered rotation of the reel and pipe  66  carried by a slot  67  provided in the inner edge of hub  53 . Retaining plates  71  are secured about end  69  and are, in turn, secured as by screws to the axle  48 . 
     In operation, a user will first connect the auxiliary hose  29  to a spigot at the end  31 . The other end  30  of the auxiliary hose  29  is connected to the connecting tube  49  which extends within the axle  48  where the interfitting with the connection end of the pipe  66  takes place. Since the axle  48  as shown in FIG. 7 has a larger diameter than that of tube  49  and the end of pipe  66 , no stresses will be transmitted to the seal between these elements. A user will then connect one end of a hose to the opposite end of the pipe  66  that projects through the reel  42  as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The opening  54  in the hose guide  40  should be of a size to allow the connecting end of a hose to be inserted therethrough to facilitate this connection. When desired, the hand crank  64  will be rotated to rotate the reel  42  as well as simultaneously reciprocate the hose guide  40  along the guide rods  36  and  38  until the desired length of hose is wound on the reel  42 . As shown in schematic form in FIG. 8, the hand crank  64  will have its inner end mounted on a hub  74  to which is connected a sprocket gear or wheel  76 . The reel  42  will be connected to freely rotatable pinion  78  which is connected to another sprocket gear  80 . Rod  36  is directly connected to a sprocket gear  82  and may be rotatably mounted the wall  16  of the carrier  10 . About each of these sprocket gears or wheels  76 ,  80  and  82  is a sprocket chain  84 . With this arrangement, rotation of the sprocket gear  76  by the hand crank  64  will directly effect rotation of the reel  42  connected to the shaft  78  with translation being transmitted through the rod  36  to the hose guide  40 . It will be understood that a flexible belt may be substituted for the sprocket chain  84  although a sprocket chain tends to be more durable. 
     In the carrier assembly  10 , above the reel  42  is a compartment for storage of gardening tools or other artifacts such as alternate nozzles of the hose. The lid  18  may be hinged along one edge. An open basket  34  may be removably suspended by hooks (not shown) from the front wall  12  adjacent the lid  18  in a manner shown in FIGS. 1-4. 
     To facilitate assembly as well resistance to weather conditions, the carrier  10  should be made substantially of a plastic of the type that is suitable for injection molding such as a polyvinyl carbonate, polyvinyl chloride of relatively high molecular weight. 
     Having described the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.