Improvements in Hose Reels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Hose Reels.
I, EDWARD CLIFF, of 231 Roseville Avenue, in the City of Newark, County of
Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to Improvements in Hose Reels, and particularly to improve-
ments in Hose Reels of the character employed in buildings having a fixed water
supply apparatus to which the hose may be permanently applied.
In the embodiment of my invention herein presented, the reel proper is directly
keyed upon the stem of the valve controlling the flow of water and said valve is
opened by the unwinding of the hose from the reel, so that upon the hose being
unwound for use the water is automatically turned on and is within the hose as
soon as the latter can be used: When tally unwound the hose is entirely free of
the reel and is simply left connected with the exposed water supply apparatus.
After the use of the hose in extinguishing a fire, the reverse motion of the reel,
without regard to the hose, will close the valve in the water supply pipe, and
thereafter at any convenient time by unkeying the reel from the valve stem but
leaving it to turn freely on said stem or on a sleeve around said stem the hose may
be readily rewound upon the reel without affecting the valve. The hub of the reel
is of novel formation, as hereinafter pointed out, and the means intermediate said
hub and the valve, in addition to the special construction of said hub, constitute
a part of the present invention, which will be fully understood from the detailed
description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying draw-
ings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of a hose
reel constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same on the dotted line 2-2 af Fig. 1, the hose
being omitted from the reel;
Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of same, the hose being in position;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section, partly broken away, of same, on the dotted
line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 5 is a central vertical section through a modified form of the invention,
this section corresponding to the line on which the section of Fig. 2 is taken.
In the drawings A designates the reel which is composed of the hub B and
plates C, C, the latter being secured to said hub B by means of the bolts D. The
hub B illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is formed of cast metal and is hollow, the
exterior of the hub being in the form of the cylinder E, as more clearly illustrated
in Fig. 4, while at the interior of the hub is formed the sleeve F. The hub B at
one edge is formed with the recess G of proper size to freely receive the cylinder or
cylindrical piece of wood H which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, forms a core to
receive the bight formed at about the center of the hose I, as hereinafter more fully
explained. The hub B shown in Fig. 5, corresponds substantially with the hub B
illustrated in Figs. to 4 inclusive except that it is made of wood and is solid
instead of hollow. The hub B, shown in Fig. 5, is also formed on one edge with a

page_text: recess corresponding with the recess G, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, for the purpose of
receiving the cylinder H for the hose.
The hose I is at one end provided with the usual nozzle J and at its other end
is coupled to the nozzle K forming a part of the permanent water supply apparatus,
at present indicated by the pipe and walvercasing M. The parts K, L, M, are
of well-known form and construction and form a part of the fixed water supply
apparatus to be found in buildings. The end of the hose I which is coupled to
the nozzle K, as illustrated in Fig. 3, while removable, is not intended to be re-
moved from said nozzle except on some special occasions in which it might be
desired to examine the valve. In winding the hose upon the reel, one end of the
hose being coupled to the nozzle K, the hose at about its centre will be folded over
the cylinder or core H and the latter will be placed within the recess G of the
hub B and thereupon the hose will be wound around the hub B in double layers
as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The core H is free in the recess G and hence it
will be manually held within said recess until after the hose has made one com-
plete turn around the hub B and thereafter the said core may be released from the
hand since the layers of the hose passing around said hub will firmly retain the
core H in the recess G. The core H is simply a cylindrical piece of wood and is
unsecured in the recess G except by the pressure of the hose thereon, and hence
when the hose is unwound from the reel the cylinder 'H will simply fall from said
recess on the unwinding of the inner turn of the hose. The cylinder H will
preferably be of substantial dimensions, as illustrated, in order that the bight of
the hose thereon will be relieved from being creased, and this is a feature of con-
siderable importance, since, as is well known, the creasing of the hose is liable to
injure the fibre thereof, especially when it is remembered that the hose is likely to
remain upon the reel for a very considerable length of time prior to any necessity
arising for its use. The lower surface of the hub Blias a different curvature from
the upper surface of said hub in order that the lower edge, N of the recess G may
set inward beyond the upper edge 0 of said recess a distance equal to the thickness
of a double layer of the hose in order that, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the hose when
wound upon the reel will form accurate convolutions and not be caused to protrude
on a line with the lower edge N of said recess G. The edges N, O, formed at the
lower and upper parts of the recess G are rounded as shown in order not to bind
with a sharp or angular edge upon any part of the hose, and the fact that the lower
edge N of the recess G is-set inward as above explained, prevents the outer layers
of the hose from exerting any undue pressure against that portion of the hose
directly impinging said edge N. The form of the hub B just above referred to
results, as above mentioned, in the hose forming accurate convolutions in its
winding upon the hub B and this results in the hose having a uniform pressure
throughout the various layers and in the avoidance of any one part of the hose being
strained or subjected to undue pressure. The apertures P, P, in Fig. 4, denote
simply the means provided for withdrawing the inner parts of the core from the
hollow hub B after the latter has been cast. It is intended to cast the hub B of
Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive in one integral piece and hollow, while the hub B of Fig. 5
will correspond in outline with the hub B of Fig. 4, but as above described, is
intended to be of wood.
The plates C, C, have central apertures in line with the bore through the hub B
and cover the entire surface of the sides of said hub. The bolts D pass entirely
through the plates C, C, and hub B, and at one end have the polygonal sections Q,
which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are within the plate-C and a portion of the hub B
and operate in connection with the surfaces contacting with them to prevent the
said bolts from working loose. The hub B in width is slightly greater than the
width of the hose when pressed flat, as shown.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive it will be observed that the valve R has a
threaded stem S which extends outward through the bore of the hub B and is
rolygonal at its outer end, as at T, to engage the outer contracted bore of the hub B,
as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the outer-extremity of the threaded valve stem S

page_text: being threaded to receive the nut V by which the reel A is retained in position
upon said valve stem. The polygonal portion 1 of the valve stem S operates in
connection with the surfaces of the,hub B surrounding it to key the reel A upon
the valve stem so that the reel and valve stem may revolve together for opening
and closing the valve R. The valve casing M of Figs. 1 to 4.inclusive has connected
with it the internally threaded sleeve W which engages the said valve stem S and
extends within the bore of the hub B, but is normally free of said hub, as illus-
trated in Fig. 2. If it is assumed that the hose is upon the reel and that the
valve R is closed as shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the pulling off of the
hose to reach a fire and the consequent rotation of the reel A will turn the threaded
valve, stem, S.and cause the valve R to recede from its seat, thus permitting the
water from the pipe.L to reach the nozzle K and enter the hose. The water is.
thus automatically turned into the hose by the unwinding of the latter at its nozzle
end from the reel. The hose will in every case be fully unwound from the reel,
leaving the latter disconnected therefrom but still connected with the valve stem S.
After the fire shall have been extinguished, it will be found desirable to close the
valve R, before rewinding the hose I and the reel being then entirely free, it may
be by hand given a reverse motion so as to rotate the valve stem S in its reverse
direction until the valve R has become seated and the water thus cut off from the
hose hanging from the nozzle K. The water having been run out of the hose I,
the latter may be promptly returned to the reel A in its previous condition, and to
more readily accomplish this result the nut V will be loosened from the end of the
valve spindle Stand the reel A will be slipped outward just far enough for the
hub B to escape from the polygonal portion T of the valve stem and fall upon
the sleeve W upon which it will rest as upon.an.axle. The hose will thereupon at
about the middle be folded around the cylinder or core H.and inserted within
the recess G.of the hub B, whereupon the reel A will by hand be rotated upon the
sleeve W until the hose has been entirely wound upon the reel. Thereafter the
reel A will be pressed inward toward the valve until the polygonal portion T of
the valve stem S again enters its recess within the outer side of the hub B and
thereupon the nut 'V will be restored to its position for the purpose of securing
the reel. The reel will then be in proper condition to be left for future use.
Thus the ree is utilized upon the unwinding of the hose to open the valve R and
by a reverse motion the hose being absent.to close the valve R, and thereafter, in
order not to affect the valve, the reel is slipped from the parts keying it to the valve
stem and revolved to receive and re-wind the hose into its orginal condition, the
reel being thereafter secured in its connection with the valve stem. by means of the
nut V.
In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 the sleeve W does not
extend outward into the bore of the hub B but terminates in a gland X and the
valve stem S at its outer end supports the reel at all times. In Fig. 5 the valve
stem Sat its outer end is provided with the polygonal surface T by which it is
keyed to the reel and further inward is provided with the additional polygonal
surface a by which it is keyed to the inner side of the hub B. Thus in Fig. 5
the valve stem is normally keyed to the reel A at the inner and outer sides of the
latter. Between the polygonal surfaces T, «, the valve stem S. of Fig. 5 is left
cylindrical, as indicated at b. The rotation of the reel A shown in Fig. 5 by
the unwinding of the hose therefrom operates to revolve the valve stem S and
thereby withdraw the valve R from its seat. After the hose has been freed from the
reel A and the fire has been extinguished, the operator will as with respect to
the reel shown in Fig. 2; reverse the motion of the reel A for the purpose of seating
the valve R and cutting off the water from the hose hanging from the nozzle K;
and thereafter the nut Vand washer d will be moved outward sufficiently to permit
the reel A to be withdrawn from off the polygonal portion T, a of the valve stem S
and rest entirely upon the smooth or cylindrical portion b of said valve stem.
The hose may then be immediately placed upon the reel and the latter revolved
upon the portion 6 of the valve stem as an axis until the hose has been completely

page_text: restored to its position upon the hub B; thereafter the reel A will be moved
inward upon the valve stem S until the polygonal portions T, a, are restored to
their sockets and the reel will then be secured in this position by the nut V and
washer d. During the opening and closing of the valve R in Fig. 5 the valve
stem S is operated upon by the reel A in the same manner as the valve stem of
Fig. 2 is operated upon by its reel A, but upon the rewinding of the hose upon the
empty reel, the reel of Fig. 2 rests upon the sleeve W while the reel of Fig. 5 rests
directly upon the cylindrical portion 6 of the valve stem. I prefer the construction
illustrated in Fig. 2 because of its compactness, the fact that the reel may be
placed nearer to the valve casing and the valve stem shortened. In the principle
of operation, however, the construction presented in Fig. 5 is substantially the
same as the construction shown in Fig. 2, although the latter Figure shows a
construction which in mechanical detail differs from the construction illustrated
in Fig. 5. In both forms of construction presented the outer portion of the reel
is directly keyed to the valve stem and the reel directly and without the use of any
intermediate mechanism operates said stem to open and close the valve automati-
cally and with absolute certainty; and in both constructions presented provision
is made for the slipping of the reel from the means locking it to the valve stem
without detaching it, however, from the apparatus for the purpose of permitting it
to be freely revolved and re-wind the hose without having any effect upon the
valve.
In the drawings I have illustrated the valve stem in a horizontal position, but the
invention is not limited in every instance to the position in which said valve stem
is placed, since if it were arranged in a vertical position the apparatus would still
be within the scope of my invention.
The invention is not limited to any special form of valve R nor to any special
means of connecting said valve to its stem S. In the present instance the valve R
and stem S are in one integral piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve,
projecting valve-stem and hose attaching nozzle, the reel directly mounted upon
and connected with said valve stem and adapted on being revolved to open and
close said valve; substantially as set forth.
2. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve-stem and hose attaching nozzle, the reel directly mounted upon and con-
nected with said stem and adapted on being revolved to open and close said valve,
and means permitting the revolving of said reel around said stem to rewind the
hose without acting on said valve; substantially as set forth.
3. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve stem and hose attaching nozzle, the reel receiving within its bore said stem
and being keyed thereto, and means permitting said reel to be manually shifted
in line with said stem to unkey itself therefrom and then be revolved around said
stem to rewind the hose without acting on said valve; substantially as set forth.
4. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve stem and hose attaching nozzle, the said stem having the polygonal portion,
the reel receiving within its bore said stem and having a conforming recess to
receive said polygonal portion of said stem; substantially as set forth.
5. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve stem and hose attaching nozzle, the said stem having the polygonal portion
at its outer end, the reel receiving within its bore said stem and having at its outer
side a conforming recess to receive said polygonal portion of said stem; substan-
tally as set forth.
6. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve-stem and hose attaching nozzle, the reel mounted on and adapted to operate

page_text: said stem, and the hose at one end connected with said nozzle. and thence wound
upon said reel; substantially as set forth.
7. In combination with the water supply apparatus having the valve, projecting
valve stem and hose attaching nozzle, the reel mounted on and adapted to operate
said stem, and the hose at one end connected with said nozzle and thence while
doubled at about its center wound upon said reel; substantially as set forth.
8. The water supply apparatus having the valve casing, hose attaching nozzle,
threaded sleeve, valve and valve stem, the latter being within said sleeve, com-
bined with the reel receiving within its bore said sleeve and being keyed to said
stem; substantially as set forth.
9. The water supply apparatus having the valve casing, hose attaching nozzle,
threaded sleeve, valve and valve stem, the latter being within and extending beyond
said sleeve, combined with the reel receiving within its bore said sleeve and locked
at its outer side to said stem, and means permitting said reel to be freed from
said stem and rotate on said sleeve substantially as set forth.
10. The water supply apparatus having the valve casing, hose attaching nozzle,
threaded sleeve, valve and valve stem, the latter extending through and beyond
said sleeve and having the polygonal outer portion and threaded extremity, com-
bined with the reel having the central bore and provided with the recess conforming
to said polygonal portion of said stem, and the nut securing said reel on said stem:
substantially as set forth.
11. In combination with water supply apparatus, the reel and hose connected
with said apparatus, said reel having within the periphery of its hub the recess
to receive the folded part of the hose and the core within said fold; substantially
as set forth.
12. In combination with water supply apparatus, the reel and hose connected
therewith, said reel having within the periphery of its hub the recess to receive the
folded part of the hose and the core within said fold, the surface of said periphery
below said recess being set inward from the circle of said periphery above said
recess; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
ስዕ
.
1007
EDWARD CLIFF,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.