Abstract:
There is provided an hydraulic reeling-in device for a water-transmitting, flexible hose, having mounting elements, a hose reel, an hydraulic driver kinematically connected to the hose reel, a water inlet connectable to a water-supplying pipe line and a water outlet provided with a connector for the hose. There is further provided a valve having two positions, a first position in which the water is permitted to pass from the water inlet through the water outlet into the hose, and a second position in which water is permitted to pass from the water inlet to the hydraulic driver in order to reel-in the hose, and a tubular member adapted, in the second position of the valve, to conduct water to the hydraulic driver.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a reeling-in device for a flexible hose, e.g., a garden hose. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Such devices which are intended to replace the bothersome manual rewinding of the hose after use are known. PCT Application WO 03/078797 for instance, discloses a reciprocating water piston motor which drives the reel. The same purpose is accomplished in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,813,627 and 5,560,391, which use a spiral spring that is loaded upon unwinding. Similarly spring-loaded is a device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,224 that also features a hydraulic brake governor to maintain a more or less constant rewinding speed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,992 uses an electric motor as power source. 
   All these devices are, however, cumbersome, complex, expensive and, what is most important, unsafe. 
   DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
   It is thus one of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior-art devices and to provide a reeling-in device that is relatively light, simple, inexpensive and, above all, safe. 
   This the invention achieves by providing an hydraulic reeling-in device for a water-transmitting, flexible hose, comprising mounting means including ground-contacting supporting elements; a hose reel; hydraulic drive means kinematically connected to said hose reel and mounted on said mounting means; a water inlet attached to said mounting means and connectable to a water-supplying pipe line; a water outlet leading to a point at the periphery of said hose reel and provided with a connector for said hose; valve means located on said mounting means and having two positions, a first position in which said water is permitted to pass from said water inlet through said water outlet into said hose, and a second position in which water is permitted to pass from said water inlet to said hydraulic drive means in order to reel-in said hose, and a tubular member connectable to said mounting means and adapted, in the second position of said valve means, to conduct water to said hydraulic drive means. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures, so that it may be more fully understood. 
     With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the assembled device as seen from the uncovered turbine side and without the hose; 
       FIG. 2  is a similar view, but as seen from the valve side; 
       FIG. 3  represents a general cross-sectional view of the device including the turbine and the hose socket; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the turbine side of the device; 
       FIG. 5  shows a similarly enlarged view of the valve side of the device; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the turbine wheel and its nozzle; 
       FIG. 7  shows the device without the hose reel and the flanges; 
       FIG. 8  depicts the valve unit; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the ducting of the water inside the device; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a turbine wheel and inlet tubes; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the planetary gear with the crown gear removed; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the crown gear and gear output shaft; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 10  with the turbine wheel removed, showing the actuating lever; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the lever, piston rod and piston, and 
       FIGS. 15 to 17  show perspective views of the crown gear-engaging mechanism. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a perspective view of the assembled device as seen from the side of the uncovered turbine, and without the watering hose. There are seen two mounting bodies  2  and (barely visible)  4 , complete with ground-contacting, substantially U-shaped supporting members  6 ,  6 ′ and a tubular handle  8  which, apart from its carrying task, has also further uses to be discussed further below. 
   Supporting members  6 ,  6 ′ could, however, also be integral parts of mounting means  2 ,  4 . 
   Further seen are two spaced-apart flanges  10 ,  11  on which, in a manner best illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , is mounted reel  12 . Hose socket  14 , to which the inner end of the watering hose is connected, can swivel about an axis parallel to the axis of reel  12 , so as to prevent excessive bending stresses from acting on the hose. 
   The turbine wheel  16  is seen to better advantage in  FIG. 6  and discussed in conjunction with this Figure. Also seen in  FIG. 1  is an exhaust channel  17 . Not shown is a lid covering the turbine unit. 
     FIG. 2  shows the device according to the invention as seen from the other side. There is seen the water inlet  19  connectable to the water mains, a flippable valve handle  20 , discussed further below, whereby the device can be switched over from the watering to the reeling-in function thereof, and a lid  22  to cover the valve seating. 
   While the flipping feature is indeed convenient, any other valve-actuating means could be use. 
   A general cross-section of the device is seen in  FIG. 3 , showing the ribbed mounting bodies  2 ,  4 , flanges  10 ,  11 , hose reel  12 , hose socket  14 , supporting member  6 ′ tubular carrying handle  8 , water inlet  19 , flipping valve handle  20  and turbine  16 . The mounting of the rotary parts of the device (flanges  10 ,  11 ) will be described in conjunction with  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the turbine side of the device (with turbine  16  seated in turbine housing  15 , not shown for the sake of clarity), the central component in this Figure being a water-tight, sealed reduction gear  24  in the from of commercially available, preferably sintered metal gears, multi-stage planetary gear  24  (as manufactured, e.g., by Messrs. Black &amp; Decker) having a reduction ratio of about 1:142, and a metal output shaft seated in a sleeve bearing, both having the required capacity in terms of load and moment. One end of gear  24  is supported by flange  26 , which is fixedly attached to mounting body  2 , a hub  28  advantageously integral with mounting body  2  providing further support. Fixedly attached to the output shaft of gear  24  is a polygonal nut  30 , or any other drive key means, on which is seated, and by which is driven, a stepped, hollow projection  32  advantageously integral with flange  10 . The outer narrower part of projection  32  is obviously of a cross-section fitting nut  30 , or an alternative drive key. 
   The turbine-side end of reel  12  is tightly seated on the large diameter of projection  32  and clearly driven by it when the latter is set rotating by gear  24 . 
   The input end  34  of gear  24  is advantageously hexagonal, fitting the central hole in turbine wheel  16 , which is tightly connected to end  34  by a screw (not shown). 
     FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the valve side of the device (with socket  14  not shown for sake of clarity). It is seen that mounting body  4  carries an integral hub  36  on which is rotatably supported a matching tubular part  38  of flange  11 . Other advantageously integral parts of flange  11  include a first socket  40 , into which fits a water outlet tube  42  originating in valve housing  43 , a connecting tube  44  leading to a second socket  46  in which is rotatably seated a short length of pipe (not shown) about which hose socket  14  ( FIG. 3 ) can swivel. Valve  18  and its parts are seen to better advantage in  FIG. 8 . 
   As with the other end of the device ( FIG. 4 ), the end of reel  12  is tightly seated on projection  48  of flange  11 . 
     FIG. 6  shows turbine wheel  16  and the jet-producing nozzle  50 . Turbine  16  is preferably of the impact Pelton type and also shows the jet-splitting knife edges  52 , representing a simplified version of the Pelton runner bucket. Nozzle  50  is tightly held in the turbine-side end of carrying handle  8 , seen in  FIG. 9 . 
     FIG. 7  represents the device without reel  12  and flanges  10 , 11 . Clearly seen is turbine housing  15 , hub  28  and polygonal nut  30 . Also seen is the internal ribbing of mounting body  2  (which is similar to that of body  4 ), which ribbing also serves for the attachment of supporting members  6 ,  6 ′ and of carrying handle  8 . As is seen, all parts of valve  18 , except handle  20 , are accommodated in recesses in mounting member  4 . 
     FIG. 8  represents valve  18 , comprising water inlet  19  to be connected to the water mains, outlet tube  45  inserted into tubular carrying handle  8 , valve housing  43  in which by flipping handle  20  and, thereby, valve body  47 , valve  18  can be brought to a first position in which water from the mains is permitted to enter water outlet  42  on its way to the water hose through hose socket  14  ( FIG. 1 ), and a second position in which this water is permitted to enter tube  45  on its way to turbine  16  via tubular carrying handle  8  and nozzle  50  ( FIG. 9 ) to reel-in the hose. 
     FIG. 9  shows the way that can be taken by the water: either through tube  45  on its way to nozzle  50  for causing reel  12  to rotate and reel-in the hose, or, by flipping handle  20 , through tube  42  and hose socket  14  into the irrigation hose. 
   Experience has shown that the hose has the tendency to distribute quite uniformly across the reel, however, means per-se known can be provided to ensure perfect distribution. Also provided can be an automatic coupling attachment whereby rotation of reel  12  can be stopped when the hose has been completely reeled-in. 
   While the planetary reduction gearing shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  operates perfectly well to carry out the declared function of the invention, namely, the hydraulic reeling-in of the hose after its use, a certain difficulty may be experienced during the unreeling when reel  12 , rotated by the unreeling hose, drives the multi-stage reduction gearing  24  in the reverse direction which, because of the relative high reduction ratio, might require a considerable amount of force necessitating the manual holding-down of the entire device to prevent it from being dragged along when the hose is pulled off for unreeling. To overcome this problem, the invention provides a further embodiment of the planetary gearing in which the mechanical connection between the reel  12  and the gearing can be interrupted, so that the planetary reduction gear is idling. 
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , there is seen a turbine wheel  54  rotatably mounted in a housing  56  having an outlet  58  and two inlet tubes  60  and  62 . Turbine wheel  54  is kinematically connected to a planetary gearing  64  seen to better effect in  FIGS. 11 and 12  which, via turbine wheel  54 , drives an output shaft  66 .  FIG. 12  also depicts a crown gear  68  that is part of the planetary gearing  64  and, when arrested in a manner to be explained further below, will establish the speed-reducing connection between output shaft  66  and turbine wheel  54 . 
   Behind turbine wheel  54  there is oscillatably mounted a lever  70  to the free end of which is linked a piston rod  72 , which moves inside inlet tube  62  and, at its upper end, carries a piston  74  ( FIGS. 13 and 14 ). 
   As seen in  FIG. 15 , lever  70  is fixedly attached to a shaft  76 , the end of which is shaped to form a 3-lobed cam  78 , rotation of which will kinematically interact with tooth segments  80  guided for translational movement in radial slots in rings  82  and  84  that are integral parts of flange  86  ( FIG. 16 ). 
   When level  70  is moved by piston rod  72 , the lobes of cam  78  push tooth segments  80  outwards, thereby engaging the internal teeth  88  of crown gear  68  ( FIG. 12 ), thus rendering it stationary, planetary gearing  64  can begin to operate and start its speed-reducing function. When, in a manner to be explained below, the connection between tooth segments  80  and internal teeth  88  is interrupted, gearing  64  loses its speed reducing function, and the hose can be unreeled without the strong resistance offered by the planetary gearing when rotated in the reverse direction. 
   When piston  72 , helped by compression spring  90  ( FIG. 17 ) is allowed to return, lever  70  is raised and cam  78  permits tooth segments  80  to disengage from the internal teeth of crown gear  68 , assisted by the circular restoring spring  92 . 
   Upon the introduction of water under pressure into inlet tube  60 , water exits via nozzle  94  to impact and drive turbine wheel  54 , exiting via outlet  58 . At the same time, water entering inlet tube  62  via a small aperture (not shown) in the wall section separating inlet tubes  60  and  62  (the upper end of which is closed by a plug, not shown), impacts piston  74 , pushing it down against the restoring force of spring  90  and, via lever  70 , acting on planetary gearing  64 , as described above. When the water is turned off and spring  90  returns piston  74  to its upper position, tooth segments  80  can withdraw from internal teeth  88  of crown gear  68 , with the above-described results. 
   Not shown is the bottom of inlet tube  62  ( FIG. 13 ) which has a substantially cross-shaped opening, fitting the cross-shaped cross-section of piston rod  72  and serving as an abutment for the lower end of spring  90  ( FIG. 17 ). 
   It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrated embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.