Patent Publication Number: US-6658711-B1

Title: Hose fitting insertion apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains to apparatus for installing a hose fitting into the open end of a flexible hose, and more particularly to such apparatus for allowing rapid installation of the fitting, with minimal difficulty in securing the hose end during the fitting installation process. 
     Though apparatus of this general type is not new, to accomplish the operation in a time efficient manner for a wide variety of applications there is a need for an easily operable, hand controlled mechanism, which is entirely portable for use in any needed location, e.g. in the engine room of a ship, the wing of an aircraft, or within or on a piece of capital equipment that needs repairing. There is a need for such apparatus with which the operator may both hold the hose end securely in position to receive the hose fitting, and also quickly push the hose fitting into the secured end of the hose, to permanently install the fitting in the hose. 
     The invention accomplishes the fitting pushing function by means of a hand-operated fitting installation mechanism movable along a normally horizontal metal travel bar by hand working of the mechanism handle, and having a normally vertical pad which makes contact with the outer edge of the fitting after the fitting is positioned for insertion in the hose end, and which is used to push the fitting into the hose. The hose end securing function is facilitated by means of a holding platform mounted above the travel bar on which the mechanism travels, as further detailed below, having an attached locking lever to lock the hose end to the mounting platform during the fitting installation process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is an apparatus for rapid insertion and permanent installation of hose fittings into the ends of rubber or other flexible hoses, having in the preferred embodiment a hand-controlled, movable, fitting installation mechanism which is movable along a normally horizontal travel bar, said mechanism having a vertical pad as a pusher means used to abut the outer end of the hose fitting so that the mechanism may be used to force the fitting into the end of the hose; a separate though attached hose mounting platform, preferably having a V-shaped trough, for holding the end of the hose into which the fitting is to be inserted and installed, positioned and configured to hold the hose end above and generally parallel to the travel bar holding the fitting installation mechanism; and a hose securing means attached to the top of the hose mounting platform, which means is lever-activated in the preferred embodiment, as a means to secure the hose in place before the fitting installation mechanism is used to force the fitting into the end of the hose. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention, without the hose end or hose fitting being shown. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view as in FIG. 1, but also showing the clamped hose and the hose fitting, showing the position of the vertical pad of the hand-controlled mechanism when the mechanism first abuts the outer end of the hose fitting, just before the apparatus is used to install the hose fitting into the end of the hose. For clarity of illustration only, the fitting is shown completely separated from the end of the hose in this figure. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view as in FIG. 2, but showing the position of the apparatus, hose and hose fitting when the hose fitting has been fully inserted and installed within the end of the hose by operation of the apparatus. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view, partially in section, of a portion of FIG. 3 showing the fitting installed in the end of the hose. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Structure 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like or corresponding elements, the invention has a hand-controlled movable fitting installation mechanism  10 , having a vertical pad  12  for pressing a hose fitting into the end of a hose, mechanism  10  also having a handle  14  and a release trigger  16 ; a horizontal travel bar  18  along which mechanism  10  may be moved by hand through hand clamping of the handle  14  so as to move leftward in FIGS. 1-3; and a hose holding platform  20 , attached to travel bar  18  by bolts  22 , said platform  20  having an ergonomically designed rightwardly protruding horizontal wing  24  with a trough  26  of V-shaped cross section for holding the hose end into which a fitting is to be inserted, and a hose locking lever  28 , rotatably attached to platform  20  by a bolt and spacer assembly  30 , lever  28  having at its bottom an elliptically-shaped compression member  32 , for securing the hose end in trough  26  prior to installation of the fitting. As seen in FIG. 1, the platform  20  is so mounted and configured as to hold trough  26  above and at least substantially parallel to travel bar  18 . 
     The lever  28  is so dimensioned and the bolt and spacer assembly  30  is so positioned as to allow end  34  of hose  36  to be passed into trough  26  beneath compression member  32  in one configuration lever  28 , when the upper end of lever  28  is moved to the left of vertical, as in FIG. 1, so as to move compression member  32  to the right and upward, to provide the maximum opening between compression member  32  and trough  26 , with the dimensions being such as to accommodate hose sizes of interest, typically in the ¼″-¾″ O.D. range though the present invention could of course readily be modified for use with larger hoses. Conversely, when the upper end of lever  28  is moved to the right away from the orientation shown in FIG. 1, to the orientation shown in FIGS. 2-3, this will cause compression member  32  to move to the left and downward, so as to firmly press said hose downward into a locked configuration in said trough. 
     The more horizontal/longitudinal force is applied to hose end  34 , via pad  12  through fitting  38  during motion of fitting installation mechanism  10  to the left along travel bar  18  in FIG. 3, the further back the elliptical compression member  32  is pushed, and as a result the pressure applied to locking the hose in place increases. The mechanical action of the elliptical compression member  32  thus ensures that the hose will not slip rearward during the fitting insertion process. 
     The fitting installation mechanism  10  is a mechanism of a form well known in the art, having a one-way drive means for moving the fitting installation mechanism  10  to the left along travel bar  18  in FIGS. 1-3, which one-way drive means is operated manually by successive hand compressions of handle  14 , and having a release trigger  16 , which releases the mechanism from operation of the one-way drive means, whereupon the fitting installation mechanism  10  may be manually moved to the right along travel bar  18 . Several forms of such mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,134 on the invention of Sorensen et al, at Col. 1, lines 29-54; Col. 2, line 48- Col. 6, line 67 and FIGS. 1-12, said disclosures of said patent being incorporated herein by this reference. Though the present invention is not limited to use of a particular form of fitting installation mechanism  10 , the preferred embodiment uses this component from the product which bears the trademark QUICK-GRIP® and the name Bar Clamp Spreader and the above-referenced patent number, and is manufactured by American Tool Company. This component is essentially the same as that shown in FIG. 5 of the above-referenced patent, but differs from the FIG. 5 structure in that the marketed product has two of the elements numbered  132  in FIG. 5 of the patent, instead of one as shown in FIG.  5 . The above-referenced patent uses opposite terminology from this patent application, as to the relative motion of the components corresponding to fitting installation mechanism  10  and travel bar  18 , referring to the former as a “fixed jaw” and the latter as movable. Col. 1, lines 29-38; Col. 2, line 48 - Col. 3, line 57. But this terminology difference is immaterial, since the operation of the present invention only requires relative motion of fitting installation mechanism  10  and travel bar  18 , in conjunction with the other matters disclosed herein. 
     Protruding from the side of travel bar  18  is a stop pin  40 , suitably positioned between the end of trough  26  and mechanism  10 , so as to prevent pad  12  from actually hitting the outer end of trough  26  during the fitting insertion operation, which could damage the apparatus, while yet being close enough to trough  26  to allow sufficient motion of mechanism  10  and pad  12  to allow the fitting insertion operation to be carried out as detailed below; and another stop pin  42 , positioned near the end  44  of travel bar  18 , so that mechanism  10  will not be allowed to come off of travel bar  18 . 
     The wing  24  has smooth corners and edges, forming an ergonomic design for allowing the operator to wrap fingers around the hose end lying in the trough  26  to help prevent the hose from buckling up during the fitting insertion operation. 
     Looking at the preferred embodiment with reference to certain means for performing certain functions recited in the claims, it may be seen that trough  26 , lever  28  and compression member  32  together constitute a means for securing end portion  46  of hose  36  in a fixed position upon an axis coinciding with and extending from the axis of end  34  of hose  36 , an axis perpendicular to and extending outward through the center of the cross section of end  34 ; and that pad  12  constitutes a pusher means, located upon said axis; and that mechanism  10  and travel bar  18  constitute a pusher movement means, located off of and normally below said axis and connected to said pusher means, for moving said pusher means on said axis toward said end portion  46  of said hose  36  sufficiently to push said fitting  38  into said end portion  46  of hose  36  after said fitting is initially placed partially within said end portion of said hose. 
     Operation 
     Operation of the invention is quite straightforward. First, before inserting the end portion  46  of hose  36  into trough  26 , the operator first rotates lever  28  to the left, to provide sufficient clearance for end portion  46  to pass beneath compression member  32  into trough  26 . The end portion  46  is positioned with the end  34  of hose  36  positioned normally about 1.5″ to 2.5″ past the right end of the trough  26 ; this is necessary since the end portion  46  of hose  36  is compressed during the fitting insertion operation. This placement may of course vary depending upon the nature of the hose material. Once the hose is suitably positioned in trough  26 , the operator then moves the handle of lever  28  to the right, causing the compression member  32  of lever  28  to move downward and leftward, locking the hose  36  in place. 
     Once the hose is properly positioned as described above, a hose fitting  38  is lubricated by the operator, using a mild soap and water solution or alcohol, after which the operator partially inserts fitting  38  into end  34  of hose  36 . Using his or her left hand, the operator wraps and tightens the fingers around end portion  46  of hose  36  and the right portion of trough  26 , so as to insure that end portion  46  will not buckle up during the fitting insertion operation. The operator then repeatedly pumps handle  14  of mechanism  10  with his or her right hand, causing mechanism  10  to move leftward along travel bar  18 , until pad  12  first engages the outer end  48  of fitting  38 , and then pushes fitting  38  as far into end portion  46  of hose  36  as it will go, so that fitting  38  is firmly secured upon the inner wall of end portion  46  of hose  36 . This latter portion of the operation is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     After installation of fitting  38  in the end portion  46  of hose  36 , the operator pulls the release trigger  16 , allowing mechanism  10  and pad  12  to be moved to the right, away from trough  26 , releasing the pressure on fitting  38  and hose  36 . The operator then rotates lever  28  to the left, releasing hose  36  from trough  26 . The fitting  38  is now fully installed into hose  36  and ready for use in various kinds of fluid transfer operations. 
     Some Possible Variations of Embodiments 
     Those familiar with the art will appreciate that the invention may be employed in a variety of configurations without departing from the essential substance thereof. 
     For example and not by way of limitation, the platform  20  may be connected to travel bar  18  in any number of suitable ways, e.g. by the use of the injection molding process allowing a plastic travel bar  18  to be embedded into a plastic injection-molded platform  20 , rather than through use of the bolts  22 . 
     As a means for securing the end portion  46  of hose  36  in position for the fitting insertion process, one would not necessarily have to employ the very specific means of the preferred embodiment disclosed above. For example, in lieu of the lever  28  with its compression member  32 , one might employ a spring-powered clamp instead. Additionally, for persons with handicapped and/or missing hands, a second clamping mechanism could also be added to the rightward end of the horizontal ergonomic wing  24 . A lever or spring-powered clamping mechanism could be used to keep the hose from buckling upward during fitting installation, thus taking the place of the operator&#39;s missing or dysfunctional hand. This would allow a person with only one functional hand to operate the device; however, a vise-mounting adapter would be an essential component for this configuration. 
     Although the preferred embodiment employs a flat pad  12  as a pusher means for pushing the fitting  38  into end  34  of hose  36 , one would not necessarily have to use a flat pad. One might instead employ a pad having a shape matching the end of fitting  38 , such as a conical shape that would protrude into a hollow fitting  38 , for pre-insertion holding purposes. The flat shape of pad  12  has the advantage of not being dependent upon particular dimensions, however, as to the exact height of fitting  38  above travel bar  18 , provided the pad  12  has sufficient height to accommodate the range of dimensions of interest. No particular composition is required for pad  12 , which could appropriately be made from rubber, which might be moldable or hard rubber; rubber would be preferable to metal, to avoid any possible damage to fitting  38  during the insertion process. The pad  12  is removable so as to be interchangeable with various styles that could be developed. 
     Although the invention would normally be used with the travel bar  18  and trough  26  in an at least substantially horizontal orientation, it is of course possible to employ the invention oriented in other configurations as well; reference to a horizontal configuration of travel bar  18  and trough  26  in any of the claims is made for purposes of facilitating description of relative orientations of components in this normal configuration, and is not to be understood as limiting the use of the invention to such orientation. 
     The invention could be employed with an alternate form of the fitting installation mechanism  10 , which could be a ratcheting mechanism having ratchet teeth engaging corresponding notches along the travel bar  18 , with the ratcheting operation, for movement of the fitting installation mechanism  10  along the travel bar  18 , being performed by hand pumping of the handle  14 . 
     Although the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described above is intended for use by a right-handed person, one could of course readily fabricate a form of the invention useful by a left-handed person, by simply reversing the entire design and correspondingly changing the operational procedure, in a manner which would be readily apparent to one familiar with the art, from the disclosure already given. 
     The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims, including also all subject matter encompassed by the doctrine of equivalents as applicable to the claims.