IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSE COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co-Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HOSE COUPLINGS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to couplings used for coupling together the suction or
delivery hose-pipes of fire or other Engines.
A metallic annular headpiece provided with a flange is secured to the suction or
delivery hosepipe in any of the ordinary well known ways such as binding wires or
screw unions.
Behind the flange upon the headpiece is fitted a loose collar having a sufficient
number, preferably. three or two, of projecting hooks or claws.
The collar, with the claws, is prevented from moving backward from its position
behind the flange upon the headpiece by means of an elastic wire ring inserted
into a groove round the headpiece behind the collar.
Round the outer face of the flange upon the headpiece a groove is turned which
receives a packing ring of india rubber, the lower edge of which fits into the groove
whilst its upper edge which is circular in cross section projects above and beyond
the outer edge or face of the headpiece.
Each end of every separate length of hose to be connected together is fitted with
a coupling of the kind described, all the couplings being alike so that either of
them will fit into any of the others.
When it is required to couple together two lengths of hose by means of the
couplings described, the operator takes one of the latter in each hand bringing the
india rubber rings in contact and pressing them together until by turning the loose
collars in opposite directions the several projecting hooks or claws upon one collar
may be made to engage and interlock with those upon the other collar.
The elasticity of the india rubber will then retain the hooks or claws in contact
with each other, and the interlocking faces of the latter which may be made
inclined if preferred, are either left smooth or preferably are stepped or provided
with slightly projecting faces at their points so that they are prevented from
becoming accidentally uncoupled.

page_text: The coupling described remains tight merely by the elasticity of the compressed
india rubber until the hose pipes become filled with water. As soon however as
the delivery pipe becomes so filled the pressure of the water forces the indin rubber
outward against the outer loose collars; whilst in the suction pipe the pressure of
the external air presses the india rubber rings inward against the ends of the head-
pieces round which they are fitted. In order to facilitate the tightening of the
joints in this way the internal or external edge of the india rubber ring is left more
uncovered according to the side from which the pressure comes as explained.
The lateral pressure and consequent alteration of shape of the india rubber ring
causes the hooks or claws to hold more tightly as the pressure of the water
increases.
In order to uncouple the pipes it is only necessary to press the rings together, and
then to turn the loose collars in the opposite direction to that followed in coupling
them.

page_text: I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co-Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
HOSE COUPLINGS" (a communication to me from abroad by Jacob Grether, of
Friburg, and Gustav Witte, of Berlin, both in the Empire of Germany) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawing :
This invention relates to couplings used for compling together the suction or
delivery hose-pipes of fire or other Engines.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of the invention, Figure 1
is a-longitudinal section of one half of a suction-hose coupling, figure 2 is a plan of
the same from above. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of one half of a delivery-
hose coupling, figure 4 is a plan of the same from above, and figure 5 a side view of
such delivery-hose coupling.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of one half of a delivery hose coupling,
showing some modifications in the method of construction and figure 7 is a plan
of the same.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 show modified forms of a part of the improved coupling.
In all the figures a is a metallic head-piece, provided with a flange a¹. This
headpiece is secured in any of the well known ways, such as binding wires, or
screw couplings, to the extremity of each length of hose requiring to be jointed or
connected together. Behind the flange a¹ is fitted a loose collar b, provided with
three (as shewn in figures 1 to 7) or two (as shewn in figure 10) projecting hooks
or claws marked 6 and prevented from sliding from the headpiece a by means of
the elastic wire-ring & inserted in an annular groove in a as shown.
The upper parts of the flanges a³¹ have annular grooves turned or formed in them
either on the outside, as in figures 1 and 3, or on the inside, as in figure 6 for the
reception of the india-rubber packing rings c, c.
When the groove for the reception of the packing ring c is on the inner surface
of a, the ring c may be taken out of its groove and inserted again, without
previously taking the coupling to pieces.
The packing ring c may have either a hollow collar (as shewn in figure 1) or a
solid collar (as in figure 3) or an undercut collar (as in figure 6).
Each extremity of every length of hose requiring to be connected together being
thus fitted in an exactly similar way, and such fittings being exact counterparts of
one another, the method of coupling together two such lengths is as follows:-The
operator taking hold of one of such lengths in each hand and bringing the two
india rubber rings c, c, together, presses them one against the other to such extent
that by turning the collars b in opposite directions the hooks or claws 6¹ of one
collar interlock with those of the other collar.
The elasticity of the india-rubber rings c, c, will now keep the hooks b¹ locked,
the bearing surfaces of which may either be straight or plain, as shewn by figure 9
or provided with a step bas shewn by figures 5 and 8.
It is preferred to make the bearing surfaces of the hooks b' stepped, since the
accidental uncoupling of the joint is in this way rendered quite impossible.
The coupling remains joined, solely by the elasticity of the compressed india
rubber rings c, c, until the moment the water enters the hose pipes.
As soon as the fire-engine is set to work the water passing through the delivery-
hoses will press outwardly, as shewn by the arrows in figures 3 and 6, the hollow

page_text: rings c, whilst the external air will press inwardly, as shewn by the arrows in
figure 1 the rings c of the suction-hoses.
This effect of the forced and sucked water is produced by leaving the surfaces of
the india rubber rings c a little more free or uncovered at the side from which the
pressure comes (figures 1 and 3), than at the opposite side.
The india rubber ring c in figure 6 is shewn undercut at e so that the water
under pressure may press the two rings of the coupling easily and with great force
one against the other. Moreover the ring c is pressed against its groove in the
head piece a and thus tightness between these parts is effected.
It will easily be understood that this lateral compression and alteration of shape
of the india rubber rings c causes the hooks b¹ to catch one another still more
firmly in proportion as the pressure of the fire-engine increases.
To uncouple it is only necessary to press the rings c, c, of the coupling one
against the other and to turn the loose collars b in the reverse direction to that
followed in coupling.
I do not confine myself to the precise form and arrangement of the parts of the
apparatus which may be varied more or less in varying circumstances, but 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. In a hose-coupling the india rubber packing rings c, the surfaces of which are
somewhat more free or uncovered at the side from which the pressure comes, than
at the opposite one, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in
the drawing.
2. The collars 6 and bearing hooks or claws 6' with or without the steps 6º,
substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a hose-coupling the combination of the collars 6 provided with stepped
claws or hooks 6' with the head-parts a and the packing ring c, which ring may be
solid, hollow, or undercut, and fitted in either an inner or an outer groove of the
head-part a, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in the
drawing.
Dated this 4th day of December 1884.