Abstract:
A truck tractor trailer hose support for hoses and cables extending there between, including an adjustable vertical support member; a tubular hose support cradle member radially angled to approximately 90°, mounted on the vertical support member; and a mounting assembly which allows the vertical support member to returnably pivot at its base, under spring tension, to approximately 90° maximum from vertical, in any direction. The hose support cradle member is held pivotally in place on top of the vertical support member by extension springs mounted to each side of the hose support member and the corresponding sides of the vertical support member. The tubular support member and the vertical member are both returnable to their upright position by spring tension. The mounting assembly for the vertical support member is constructed of two parallel plate members with three or more compression/extension spring combinations.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/407,682, filed Oct. 28, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/508,258, filed Jul. 15, 2011. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to hose supports for use with hoses and cables extending between truck tractors and truck trailers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Truck tractors have various hoses and electrical cables which extend from the rear of the cab to engage trailers. The purposes of these hoses includes operation of brakes, lights and other equipment installed on or in the truck trailers. Various lengths of hoses and cables are needed to connect the truck tractor with each respective truck trailer, and the required length varies depending upon the angular orientation of the tractor and the trailer during operation. As demonstrated in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,861, the distance between the hose cable connecting points on a truck tractor and a truck trailer in a straight forward horizontally aligned position, with the truck trailer directly behind the truck tractor, is less than when, in a turning or maneuvering position, the truck tractor is turned at a substantial angle to the truck trailer. It is a common feature of vehicles in the trucking industry that hoses and cables are constructed of lengths which will easily accommodate the longest anticipated distance between the connection access points of each truck tractor and the corresponding truck trailer. 
         [0004]    When hoses are of sufficient length to accommodate the longest possible distance, there is usually a significant amount of slack when the truck tractor and the truck trailer are horizontally aligned. In this particular orientation, unless sufficiently supported, these hoses are subject to damage from a variety of sources, including abrasion, kinking, as well as being susceptible to being improperly engaged with other projections or obstructions on the truck or trailer body surface while hanging loosely, and potentially severed or otherwise damaged when the alignment between the truck tractor and the truck trailer is again changed. 
         [0005]    As reference to the prior art demonstrates, prior hose supports include those with rail connections directed to the rear side of a tractor&#39;s cab. In such applications, a spring or strap is slidably mounted on a first end to the rail. A second end of the strap or spring engages the hoses and cables near their midpoint suspending them above the truck&#39;s frame. During maneuvers tending to tension the hoses and cables, the first end of the strap or spring moves laterally along the rail allowing the hose or cables to be suspended above the frame of the truck without developing excess tension. These types of supports may communicate undesired vibrations into the cab from road-induced movement of the cables, particularly if springs are employed. Other disadvantages include the fact that the length of the hoses are cables extending beyond the support may be too long for the rail to adequately support the hoses and cables when they are uncoupled from the trailer. 
         [0006]    Another device known to the prior art is a vertically aligned post or rod device, mounted to the tractor frame on a spring base, which engages the hoses and cables approximately mid-way between the tractor and trailer. The spring base allows the support post to be bendably resilient. Such applications, similar to the within invention, do not transmit vibrations directly into the cab. The hoses or cables cause the post to bend or pivot relative to its base with the tractor and trailer at an angle to each other and thereby prevents the development of undesirable levels of tension. When the tractor is again aligned with the trailer, the spring restores the post to an upright position. As with the rail support, when a tractor and the hoses and cables are disconnected from the trailer, they may hang lower than desired, making them vulnerable to be damage or to damage other components. 
         [0007]    Prior art applications of spring-base mounted supports, however, have either not allowed a complete 90° pivot at the base, or have been too flexible to immediately return the vertical support member to upright status. Further, previous applications which have involved compression springs and bolts or other one-piece retaining devices have resulted in permanently bending the support bolts if the compression springs were compressed closed to the point which would have allowed the upright vertical support member to bend to 90°, from its vertical position. 
         [0008]    The post-type, spring-based applications, to date, however, typically lack sufficient ability to both incline a sufficient distance from the vertical position, under tension, and in so doing, retain the ability to return immediately to the vertical, concurrent with the realignment of the tractor truck and truck trailer. Likewise, the mounts provided in the prior art atop such posts or pedestal-type applications may kink the hoses or cables, and do not allow or provide an optimum, radial, support for the hoses or cables, either at rest or under tension. Further, prior applications which have the hose retaining device or cradle rigidly affixed to a support member, from the standpoint of durability of the device itself, tend to break, or bend, under pressure. 
         [0009]    The present invention is directed to the shortcomings of the prior art in providing a hose support mechanism which incorporates an adjustable height vertical member, together with a concave radial elbow support capable of pivoting independently, while the vertical member remains in an upright or inclined position. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention discloses a truck trailer hose support for hoses and cables which extend between a truck tractor and attached trailer, including an adjustable vertical support member, a tubular hose support cradle radially angled to approximately 90°, mounted atop the vertical support member and a mounting assembly which allowed the vertical support member to return pivotally to its base under spring tension to approximately 90° maximum from the vertical, in any direction. 
         [0011]    Generally, the hose support includes a base mounting member which is comprised of a pair of parallel plates. The lower plate is affixed to the rear platform of the truck tractor. A plurality of lower compression spring members are attached, equidistant, about the perimeter of the lower plate and support the parallel upper plate. Each of the lower compression spring members, has a further corresponding upper compression spring member centered above the lower compression spring member. The compression spring members, for each spring assembly, are held in place by an extension spring initially contained within the lower compression spring, attached to the lower base plate. The upper end of each extension spring member is attached to a clevis-type bolt, extending downwardly through the corresponding upper extension spring member, with the clevis-type bolt threaded at the upper end, and a nut tightened on it to appropriate tension, to hold the upper and lower compression spring members in place. 
         [0012]    Approximately centered upon the upper base plate is an upright support member. This support member is generally vertically inclined, and rigidly attached at its lower end to the upper base plate. 
         [0013]    In practice, the support member is telescoping, with one tubular member slidably contained in another and held in desired place by a pin insertable through one selected set of a plurality of correspondingly aligned apertures in both telescoping members. 
         [0014]    When angular pressure is exerted upon on the upper portion of the support member, toward a particular side of the device, the lower compression springs on one side beneath the upper base plate are compressed and the upper compression spring or springs approximately opposite and above the upper base plate are compressed by the relative downward movement on the first side, and upward movement on the second side, of the upper base plate. 
         [0015]    Atop the vertical support member is a hose cradle. The primary feature of the hose cradle is a lower curved portion, radially bent over the top of the vertical support member in practice, to approximately 90°, with a key feature being that the radially support member has a continuous curved bottom, downwardly concave, with sides high enough to hold the supported hoses. 
         [0016]    In the primary embodiment of the invention, the hose cradle is tubular with the supported hoses extending through the hollow interior portion thereof. In practice, as stated, so long as the lower concave portion has sides high enough to support the hoses, it is not necessary for the upper portion to be closed and, to the extent closure is desired, it may be accomplished by a hinged upper portion which may be opened to insert the hoses and closed to insure they are held in place, or other straps, or containment means removably placed over the hoses, once they are placed in position on the radial support cradle. 
         [0017]    The radial support cradle is not rigidly attached to the vertical support member. The radial support cradle, along its bottom edge, is proximately centered on top of the vertical support member, with at least one extension spring, under tension, on each side, attached to the cradle at one end, and to the support member at the opposite end, so that the radial cradle has the ability to move for and aft, as well as sideways, under tension of the extension spring or springs on each side, which spring or springs also return it to its original position, when the force causing the movement is released. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following description, wherein like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tractor trailer assembly, including the rearward portion of a truck tractor and the forward portion of an attached truck trailer, showing the invention, with hoses supported thereby. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective side view of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the invention, showing all component parts in relation to each other. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is perspective side view of the invention showing the radial cradle member atop the upright vertical support member and a pair of expansion springs for support. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective side view of the radial cradle of the invention, a support spring, and the upper portion of the vertical upright member, with a hinged, removable top section on the radial cradle member for ease in inserting the supported hoses. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the horizontal lower and upper support plates of the invention, showing the lower and upper compression spring members, contained expansion spring member, and clevis-type bolt attachments, both on the lower base plate and above the upper base plate. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0025]    As previously described, the present invention discloses a hose support with radial cradle for support hoses extending between and used in standard operation of a truck tractor and accompanying towed truck trailer. Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the invention hose support device  10  is shown in general perspective with supported hoses, extending between the towing vehicle, truck tractor  12 , and the towed vehicle, truck trailer  13 . 
         [0026]    The hose support device is fixably mounted on the rear platform or bed  14  of truck trailer  11 , forward of trailer  13 . 
         [0027]    The invention  10  further comprises three basic components, a hose cradle assembly  20 , a substantially upright or vertical support member or rod  30  and a base assembly  40 . These components are shown in perspective in  FIG. 2 , and in more detail, in exploded view, in  FIG. 3 . Support member  30  has an upper end  31  and a lower end  32 . Member  30  has a defined adjustable length A defined by the distance between lower end  32  and upper end  31 . In one preferred embodiment, this adjustable feature is provided by a telescoping feature wherein the upper portion of support  30  adjacent upper end  31  is tubular and telescopingly conforming to accept the lower portion  34  of support  30 , also tubular, within it in male-female relationship. 
         [0028]    The upper portion  33  of support  30  further contains a plurality of vertically aligning holes  35  extending therethrough and the lower portion  34  of support  30  has a plurality of corresponding vertically aligned holes  36  extending therethrough. 
         [0029]    When lower portion  34  is inserted within upper portion  33  of support  30 , one extending hole  35  is aligned with one extending hole  36  and a pin  37  is inserted, as shown in  FIG. 2 , holding support  30  in position at defined height/length A. 
         [0030]    Support  30  is rigidly attached at its lower end  32  to base assembly  40 . The method of such attachment is not in limitation of the invention  10  and may be a bolt  38 , either conformably threaded with a conforming aperture  39  in base assembly  40 , or passing through aperture  39  and held by a corresponding threaded bolt  39   a  as shown in  FIG. 6  or by welding or other common means. 
         [0031]    The hose support cradle assembly  20  is mounted on the upper end  31  of the support  30 . 
         [0032]    The primary cradle member  21  has a first end  22  and a second end  23  and is inwardly and downwardly concave as particularly illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In practice, it may be tubular with an inner surface  24  and outer surface  25 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 . The primary cradle member  21   a  has a first side  21 , a second side  21   b , a bottom  21   c  and a top  21   d . As shown in  FIG. 5 , top  21   d  may be open so that the hoses  11  may simply be placed on the cradle member  21  as opposed to being threaded therethrough. Because the inwardly concave interior surface  24  of cradle  21  with sides  21   a  and  21   b  extending outwardly and upwardly as shown in  FIG. 5  provides a retention means for hoses  11 , top  21   d  may be left open, or a hinged top  21   e  may be provided, moveably opened or closed by hinge  26 . When closed, cradle  21  is functionally tubular as shown in  FIG. 4 . In practice, if having an open top  21   d  for insertion of hoses  11  is desirable, other means may be employed to cover top opening  21   d  to the extent that it is desired to prevent hoses  11  from leaving the cradle  21  during times when the unit  10  is in use, including but not limited to alternative containment means such as removable bungee cords, straps with hook and loop fastening means, or the like. 
         [0033]    Cradle member  21  of cradle assembly  20  is radially curved from first end  22  to second end  23  within a range of 1° to 90° over and about the upper end  31  of support  30 . In the embodiments shown, cradle  21  rests on upper end  31  of support  30  approximately equidistant between first end  22  and second end  23 . 
         [0034]    Cradle  21  is held moveably in place on upper end  31  of support  30  by one or more extension springs  27 , with at least one extension spring  27  attached to the first side  21   a  of cradle  21 , and at least one extension spring  27  attached to the second side  21   b , of cradle  21 . 
         [0035]    When one extension spring  27  is used on each of sides  21   a  and  21   b  of cradle  21 , each is attached at its first end  27   a  directly above support  30  and extends directly downward and is attached as its second end  27   b  to support  30  proximate upper end  31 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Threaded bolts  28  and correspondingly threaded apertures  29  are used for attaching both ends of springs  27 , although the means of attachment may be rivets, hooks or other common fasteners. 
         [0036]    In  FIG. 4 , an embodiment using a pair of extension springs  27  on both sides  21   a  and  21   b  of cradle  21  is shown. In such case, the first end  27   a  of each of the pair of springs  27  are fixed equidistant B on opposite sides of the extended axis B-B of Support  3  and second ends  27   b  of springs  27  are fixed substantially together on upper end  31  of Support  30 . 
         [0037]    As may be seen from the drawings, the use of extension springs  27  will allow cradle  21  to pivot on upper end  31  of Support  30 , both fore and aft, and because equal extension springs  27  are placed on each of sides  21   a  and  21   b , from side to side as well, with the cradle  21  being returnable to its original position, as shown, by contraction of extension springs  27 . 
         [0038]    Optimally, the radial curve of cradle  21  from first end  22  to second end  23  will be further limited to a range of 45° to 90° with a preferred angle of substantially 90°. The unitary radial concave surface, among other advantages, holds hoses  11  without kinking, and minimizes single point abrasion by spreading contact of the hoses  11  equally over the entire bottom inner concave surface of cradle  21  from first end  22  to second end  23 . 
         [0039]    In addition to the essentially 360° movement provided for cradle assembly  21  atop Support  30 , additional flexible movement of the device is provided by base assembly  40  shown in cross-section  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 , and as detailed in  FIG. 6 , as well as in perspective, in  FIG. 2 , and in exploded view in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0040]    Base assembly  40  is comprised of two plates, positioned substantially in parallel. A lower plate member  41  with a defined perimeter edge  42 , also has a top side  43  and a bottom side  44 . The bottom side  44  is positioned in contact with bed  14  of truck tractor  12  when the device  10  is used in standard operation. Lower plate  41  further defines an aperture  45  through which a bolt or other fastening device may be inserted to hold the device  10  in contact with bed  14 . In practice, the invention is not limited by the method of affixing lower plate  41  to bed  14 , and straps or clamps or other means sufficient to maintain contact under force may be used. Positioned above lower plate  41  is upper plate  50 , which, as stated, is substantially in parallel with lower plate  41 . Upper plate  50  has a defined perimeter  52 , substantially corresponding with the perimeter  42  of lower plate  41 . Upper plate  50  has a top side  53  and a bottom side  54 . 
         [0041]    A plurality of supporting lower compression springs  60  are spaced equidistantly around the perimeter of lower plate  41 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Upper plate  50  is situated above lower plate  41  with perimeter  42  corresponding to and aligned with perimeter  52 . Lower compression springs  60  support upper plate  50  at a defined distance C above lower plate  41 . 
         [0042]    Upper plate  50  has a plurality of holes or apertures  51 , corresponding and equal to the number of lower compression springs. Each aperture  51  is centered above a corresponding lower compression spring  60 . Each lower compression spring  60  has a lower end  61  and an upper end  62  and all of the plurality of lower compression springs  60  are of equal length which, at rest, is distance B, and are placed between the bottom side  54  of upper plate  50  and the top side  43  of bottom plate  41 . 
         [0043]    A plurality of upper compression springs  70  rest upon top side  53  of upper plate  50  and correspond with the plurality of lower compression springs  60 , and the plurality of apertures  51  in upper plate  50 . Each upper compression spring  70  is centered on top side  53  over a corresponding aperture  51 . 
         [0044]    Moveably expandable within each lower compression spring  60  is a contained extension spring  71 . Each extension spring  71  has a first end  71   a  attached to bottom plate  41  directly below the corresponding lower compression spring member  60  within which it is contained. The method of attachment of spring  71  to bottom plate  41  does not limit the invention, but in the embodiments shown is accomplished by a clevis-type pin member  72  extending upwardly through a corresponding aperture  73  through bottom plate  41 . As used herein, “clevis-type” means an unthreaded pin with a perpendicular hole  74 , through which the corresponding first end  71   a  and extension spring  71  may be inserted. 
         [0045]    Each extension spring  71  further has a second end  71   b.    
         [0046]    A plurality of clevis-type bolts  80  corresponding to the plurality of upper compression springs  70  extend downward through upper compression spring  70  and into each aperture  51  in upper plate  50 . Each bolt  80  has an upper end  81  and a lower end  82 . 
         [0047]    As used herein, a “clevis-type” bolt is a threaded headless bolt having a perpendicular hole or orifice  83  perpendicularly therethrough. In the embodiment shown, lower end  82  of clevis-type bolt  80  is connected to its corresponding extension spring  71 , by insertion of second end  71   b  through orifice  83  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Bolt  80 , at upper end  81 , is adjustably held in place at desired tension by a correspondingly threaded nut  84  placed above a spring-retaining washer  85 . A groove  86  is provided in upper end  82  of clevis-bolt  80  to aid in preventing rotation when nut  84  is tightened or loosened. 
         [0048]    Thus, in operation of device  10 , when pressure from the supported hoses  11  exerts directional force against cradle assembly  20  and against support  30 , the upper compression springs  70  and lower compression springs  60  on opposite sides of upper plate  50  compress with the force, allowing upper plate  50  to returnably tilt in the direction in which the force is being asserted, easing pressure on support  30 , and cradle assembly  20 , with the contained extension springs  71  returning the upper plate  50  to substantially horizontal position, parallel to lower plate  41  after the force has subsided. 
         [0049]    In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, four combination compression/extension spring assemblies, each comprised of a lower compression spring  60 , an upper compression spring  70 , and contained extension spring  71  are utilized, through other pluralities of such assemblies, spaced equidistant around perimeters  42  and  53  and between upper plate  50  and lower plate  41  would suffice. 
         [0050]    Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.