Improvements in Combined Water Supply Connections and Hose Reels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1898—Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Water Supply Connections and Hose
Reels.
We, EDWARD CLIFF, of No. 231, Roseville Avenue, in the City of Newark, in
the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, and LYMAN DENISON JONES, of
No. 259, West 128th Street, in the City of New York, in the County and State of
New York, both of the United States of America, Manufacturers, 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 im-
provements in hose reels of the character employed in buildings having a fixed
water supply apparatus to which the hose reel may be permanently applied.
In the embodiment of my invention herein presented, the reel proper is
mounted upon a hollow valve casing which is connected with the water supply
pipe and upon which the reel may be freely revolved. The hollow valve casing
is enclosed throughout its main portion by the hollow hub of the reel, and this
hub intermediate the disks of the reel is provided with a hose attaching nozzle
to which one end of the hose is removably connected and which communicates
with the interior of the hollow valve casing. The hollow valve casing is at its
inner end, provided with a valve seat, and within the casing is provided a recip-
rocating valve to engage said seat and cut off the water supply from the hose.
or to be moved from said seat and permit the water to flow freely to the hose.
The reciprocating valve within the valve casing is connected with a threaded
valve stem which engages the thread in the bonnet of the valve casing, and the
outer end of the said valve stem is of polygonal form in cross-section and carries
a hand wheel by which, when the same is turned, the valve stem and the valve
connected therewith are caused to have a horizontal motion toward or from the
valve seat. In the present embodiment of my invention I provide means for
detachably connecting the aforesaid hand wheel with the hose reel, in order that
during the unwinding of the hose from the reel the motion of the latter may be
imparted through said hand wheel to the valve stem and the valve thereby.
caused to automatically recede from its seat and permit the water to pass directly
to the hose. After a fire has been extinguished and before it is desired to rewind
the hose upon the reel, the hand wheel without being removed from the valve
stem may be detached from the hose reel and used for the purpose of closing the
valve without revolving the reel. My invention also contemplates constructions
of apparatus by which, after the valve is automatically opened to the desired
extent, it will cease to have any further movement even though the reel con-
tinues to revolve. In accordance with the apparatus presented in this applica-
tion, the unwinding of the hose may, if desired, result in the automatic opening
of the valve controlling the supply of water, and also, when desired, the unwind-
ing of the hose may be accomplished without automatically opening the valve
controlling this supply of water, these two alternative methods of use being
governed simply by shifting the hand wheel upon the valve stem. When it is
desired that the unwinding of the hose shall not result in the automatic opening

page_text: of the water supply valve, it will be necessary after the hose has been unwound
to manually open the water supply valve by means of the hand wheel. My in-
vention also embraces various details of form and construction, and said invention
and suitable means for carrying the hose into effect will be fully understood from
the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings in which:
Fig. is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section on the
dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a hose reel and connected parts constructed in
accordance with and embodying the invention.
Fig. 1 is a section on the dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 2 is a substantially vertical section of same on the dotted line 2-2 of
Fig. 1;
Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of the hollow valve casing.
Fig. 3 is a view corresponding with Fig. 2 but illustrating the water supply
valve in its open position, and, by dotted lines, the position to which the hand
wheel will be shifted when it is desired after a fire has been extinguished to
manually close the valve without revolving the reel;
Fig. 4 is a detached sectional view through a portion of the reel on the dotted
line 44 of Fig. 3, and illustrating more particularly the position of the threaded
portion of the valve stem within the angular bore of the hub of the hand wheel
at the time when said wheel will cease to act upon said valve stem, and said
valve stem and the valve connected therewith will cease to travel outward under
the action of the reel;
Fig. 5 is a detached edge view on a reduced scale of one form of the invention.
In the drawings A designates the usual water supply pipe; B the valve casing
applied to the end of the said pipe; C the bonnet closing the outer end of the
said valve casing; D the valve within said casing; E the valve stem; F the hub
of the reel mounted upon said valve casing, and G, G, the disks of the reel which
are mounted upon said hub F and connected together by the series of bolts H
upon which the hose may be wound.
The valve casing B is hollow and provided with the valve seat I to receive the
valve D; and the said valve casing B at its outer end receives the threaded
flange of the bonnet C, which at its center is provided with the threaded aperture
to receive and engage the male thread on the valve stem E. The valve stem E
when revolved is adapted to have a reciprocating motion in line with the longitu-
dinal center of the valve casing B and to move the valve D toward and from the
seat I. The inner end of the valve stem E is connected with the valve D by
means of a pin J, which passes through the flange K of the valve and engages
an annular groove L formed on said valve stem, and thus the valve stem may have
its revolving motion without imparting any revolving motion to the valve D, it
being the purpose of this part of the construction to enable the valve D to be
moved directly from or toward the valve seat I without having any revolving
motion. The flange K of the valve forms a socket to receive the inner end of the
valve stem E, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and hence when the valve is being
moved outward from the seat I the valve stem E will pull against the pin J; and
when the valve D is being moved toward said seat I, the inner end of the valve
stem E will press centrally against said valve.
The valve casing B is substantially enclosed by the hub F of the reel, and inter-
mediate the main body portions of said valve casing B and said hub F is formed
the chamber M which freely communicates with the interior of the said valve
casing by means of the openings N formed in said valve casing. The hub F con-
tacts with the valve casing B only at the inner and outer edges of the latter, and
hence the chamber M is extended entirely around said valve casing.
The hub F is provided with the internally threaded nozzle 0, to which the
coupling flange P of the hose may be applied at will. The flange P
is threaded at it's upper outer surfaces to engage the internal thread
of the nozzle 0, and said flange P has an interior bore Q into which the

page_text: end of the hose will be expanded in a well known manner. The surfaces of the
bore Q of the flange P are corrugated or roughened so that an effective contact
of the hose with said flange may be readily accomplished. The exterior surfaces
of the flange P, below the nozzle 0, are provided with the ribs R, as shown in
Fig. 1, to facilitate the application, by means of a claw wrench of the hose (with
the flange P thereto applied) to the nozzle 0.
The nozzle O forms a part of the hub F, and hence with said hub, revolves
around the valve casing B. The normal position of the hub F and the nozzle O
is that illustrated in Fig. 2, in which it will be seen that the nozzle 0 extends
downward directly in line with one of the openings N in the valve casing B.
During the revolving of the hub F around the valve casing B the nozzle will
pass the various openings N in the valve casing B, and will also be maintained
in constant communication with the water chamber M which is intermediate said
valve casing B and the hub F, and hence during the unwinding of the hose from
the reel, the water will pass within the nozzle as soon as the valve I shall have
left its seat I. When the apparatus is in use in the extinguishment of a fire, the
weight of the hose hanging from the nozzle 0 will maintain the latter in the
position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, and hence the hose will not only receive
its water from the opening N of the valve casing B directly over the nozzle 0,
but will also receive water from the chamber M surrounding the valve casing B
and communicating with the nozzle 0 at the opposite edges of the said opening N
then directly over said nozzle O.
One of the main purposes of the chamber M is, however, not only to guarantee
the full supply of water to the hose, but to create around the valve casing Ban
equalized water pressure, so that the hose reel will have a regular and steady
revolving motion and not be subjected to the irregularities of force which would
result if the water pressure were not equalized entirely around the valve casing.
The outer end of the valve stem E is polygonal in cross-section, and upon this
polygonal portion of the valve stem is mounted the hand wheel S whose hub T
contains an aperture conforming to the outline of the outer end of the said valve
stem. The purpose of the hand wheel S is to form a convenient means for revolving
the valve stem E and thus opening or closing the valve D. The hand wheel S
may be used to either manually open or close the valve D without in any manner
affecting the hose reel. The hand wheel S will always be used manually in the
closing of the valve D, but in the preferred embodiment of the invention the hand
wheel S will be automatically operated by the motion of the reel, during the un-
winding of the hose, to open said valve, and hence means are provided whereby
the hand wheel S may be detachably connected with the reel. At the inner side
of the hand wheel S are provided the segmental wings V which are adapted to
pass through correspondingly shaped recesses W formed at the center of that
portion X of the outer disk G which encloses the bonnet C of the valve casing B.
The segmental wings V are integral with the hand wheel S, and when they are
in line with the corresponding recesses W on the reel, they may be passed freely
into and out of said recesses, but when it is desired to operatively connect the
hand wheel S with the reel, the said segments after being moved inward into the
recesses W, will, by giving the wheel a slight turning motion, be caused to pass
from direct alignment with said recesses and to engage the shoulders a formed
in the reel slightly beyond the edges of the recesses W, (see Fig. 1) and thus the
segmental wings V become thrown into operative engagement with the reel so
that when the reel is revolved by the unwinding of the hose, the said shoulders a
will operate to bear against said segmental wings V and cause the hand wheel S
(and through the latter the valve stem E) to revolve with the reel. When it is
desired that the hand wheel S shall be freed from the reel, the said wheel will be
given a slight turning motion in the reverse direction so as to bring the segmental
wings into direct alignment with the recesses W, and at such time the hand
wheel S may be freely moved outward from the reel and to the outer end of the
valve stem E.

page_text: It is not desired that the valve stem E should revolve (during the unwinding of
the hose) continuously with the revolving action of the hand wheel S due to the
engagement of the latter with the reel, and hence the construction presented is
such that during the unwinding of the hose the valve stem E will revolve with
the hand wheel S and with the reel only so long as the polygonal outer end of the
said valve stem remains within the hub of said hand wheel. During the unwinding
of the hose, the valve stem will travel outward through the hub of the wheel S,
and when the polygonal portion of the valve stem passes outward beyond the hub
of said wheel, the valve stem and wheel will thereby become unkeyed and the
valve stem will come to a stop, while the reel and hand wheel continues to revolve.
After the valve stem E has reached its outward position and come to a stop, an
shown in Fig. 3, the further revolving action of the hand wheel S will be around
the threaded portion of the valve stem, and thus the said hand wheel will be pre-
vented from having any further effect upon the valve stem or the valve carried
thereby.
In the use of the invention the hose will, as illustrated in Fig. 3 be applied to
the coupling flange P, and the latter will be applied to the nozzle O, and there-
upon the hose having been connected with the hub F of the roel (and the hand
wheel S having been shifted to the outer end of the valve stem E so as not to be
in connection with the reel), the reel will be revolved to wind the hose upon the
bolts H, which operate as the hub for the hose. After the hose has been applied
to the nozzle 0 the reel is revolved by hand until all of the hose has been wound
upon said bolts H, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 5, and thereupon the hand
wheel S will be moved inward and turned into engagement with the reel as illus-
trated in Fig. 2, the apparatus being then in condition to be left for future use.
In case of fire the attendant will grasp the discharge nozzle of the hose and
run with the same toward the fire, this act resulting in the drawing of the hose
from the reel, and the revolving of the latter. The revolving motion of the reel
is communicated to the hand wheel S and by the latter to the valve stem E, and
thus during the unwinding of the hose the valve stem will be revolved and the
valve D withdrawn from the seat I in order to permit the water from the pipe A
to pass into the hose. The revolving of the valve stem E, during the unwinding
of the hose, will continue until the threaded portion of the valve stem occupies
the hub of the wheel S, and thereupon the valve stem E and the valve D will
cease their movement although the reel and the hand wheel S may continue to
revolve until all of the hose has been unwound from the reel. After the hose has
been unwound from the reel it will be found to be ready for immediate use; and
after the fire has been extinguished the attendant will drop the hose and return
to the reel and by means of the hand wheel S will close the valve D against its
seat I. The hose may be then rewound upon the reel or it may be detached from
the nozzle and dried before being returned to the reel. When it is desired to
rewind the hose upon the reel, the hand wheel S will be shifted outward upon the
valve stem E so as to be free of the reel, and thereupon by turning the reel the
hose may be wound upon it. After the hose has been rewound upon the reel
the hand wheel S may, if desired, be at once moved inward into engagement with the
reel, in order that in the event of another emergency, the unwinding of the hose
may result in the automatic opening of the valve D. If it is desired to avoid any
of the dangers which might result from curious persons idly pulling on the hose after
it has been wound upon the reel, the hand wheel S may be moved to its outer
position upon the valve stem and free of the reel, since when it is in this position
any idle person pulling upon the hose would simply unwind it from the reel with-
out opening the valve D. The construction is such, therefore, that the reel may
be left in condition for the valve D to be automatically opened by the unwinding
of the hose from the reel without requiring the attendant to do more than simply
pull upon the discharge nozzle of the hose, or that the hose may be unwound from
the reel without opening the valve D, or that the attendant upon reaching the
apparatus may first connect the hand wheel S with the reel before pulling off the

page_text: polygonal outer end, and the hand wheel mounted upon said polygonal outer end
and having the wings, the said reel having the receiving recesses to receive said
wings; substantially as set forth.
4. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing connected therewith, com-
bined with the reel having its hub mounted upon said valve casing and provided
with the hose attaching nozzle, and valve within said casing, the valve stem carry-
ing said valve and projecting through said casing, means for connecting the valve
stem and the reel together, whereby the unwinding of the hose may automatically
open said valve, and means for automatically disengaging the valve stem from the
reel after the valve has reached its open position so that the valve may cease to
move while the reel continues to revolve during the unwinding of the hose; sub-
stantially as set forth.
5. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing and reel connected there-
with, combined with the valve within said casing, the valve stem for operating said
valve and having the polygonal outer portion, the hand wheel slidable upon said
polygonal outer portion of the valve stem, and means connected with said hand
wheel for locking the same into engagement with said reel whereby the reel may
be enabled to operate the valve stem, and when desired may be revolved without
operating the valve stem; substantially as set forth.
6. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing and reel connected there-
with, combined with the valve within said casing, the threaded valve stem for
operating said valve and having the polygonal outer portion, and the hand wheel
loosely mounted upon said polygonal outer portion of said valve stem, the bore
of the hub of said hand wheel being such that during the opening of the valve
the valve stem will slide through said hub and the polygonal portion of said stem
leave said hub so that said valve upon reaching its open position will remain
stationary while the reel and said hand wheel may continue to revolve; substan-
tially as set forth.
7. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing and reel connected there-
with, said reel having the hub and disks, and said disks from the line of the hub
of the hose being deflected outward on diverging lines at an angle to the wall
adjacent to which the reel is mounted, combined with the valve within said casing
for regulating the water supply to the hose, and means for operating said valve;
substantially as set forth.
8. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing and reel connected there-
with, combined with the valve within said casing, the threaded valve stem carrying
the said valve and itself engaging the stationary femalo thread, and means con-
necting said valve stem with the reel so that upon the unwinding of the hose said
valve stem will be revolved to open said valve but permitting said valve stem to
free itself from the reel, without said threads becoming disengaged from one
another, so that when the valve has reached its open position its movement will
cease; substantially as set forth.
75
1
1000
EDWARD CLIFF,
LYMAN DENISON JONES.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: hose, in order to effect the automatic opening of the valve D), or that, when de-
sired, the wheel S may be left entirely free of the reel during the pulling off of the
hose, in which latter event, however, if there is but one attendant it will be neces-
sary for him to return to the reel after the hose has been unwound in order to
manually open the valve D. After the fire has been extinguished, the attendant
will return to the reel and disengage the wheel S therefrom, and, after sliding the
wheel S outward upon the valve stem, manually close the valve 1 by turning said
wheel and the valve stem E.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I have illustrated the disks G, G, as being in a vertical
plane and parallel with one another, and this will be the ordinary construction of
the disks G, G, for many purposes. When the disks G, G, are of the form illus-
trated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be necessary to pull the hose at either one side
or the other of the reel, and thus the hose can ordinarily be pulled in but two
directions. In order, however, to lend facility in the use of the reel, I shall
prefer to construct the disks G, G, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5 in which
it will be seen that those portions of the disks G, G, beyond the bolts H are
deflected outward on lines which diverge from the line of said bolts H, and at an
angle to the side wall through which the supply pipe A will project; and the
reason for thus constructing the disks G, G, is to enable the attendant to unwind
the hose by pulling on the latter at either side of the reel or at the front of the
reel, the inclination of the disks G, G, being such that when the hose is pulled
in a line in front of or at right angles to the reel, the latter will revolve and release
the hose. Thus the capacity and convenience of the reel is, by the construction
shown in Fig. 5, increased. The reel illustrated in Fig. 5 differs from the reel
illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in no respect except in the outward inclination given
to those portions of the disks G, G, exterior to the line of the bolts H, H.
One important feature of the constructions above described is that the unwind-
ing of the hose results in the revolving of the threaded valve stem E to
automatically open the valve D and that when the valve has reached its open
position it will cease its movement while the male thread on the said stem con-
tinues in engagement with the stationary female thread, thus when the valve has
ceased its movement the reel may continue to revolve under the action of pulling
off the hose, and the said threads will hold the said valve in a condition to resist
the water pressure and also in a condition to permit of the convenience and rapid
closing of the valve by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing connected therewith, com-
bined with the reel to receive the hose, the valve within said casing for regulating
the supply of water, the threaded valve stem connected with said valve and having
the outer key portion, the hand wheel upon said stem, and means for connecting
said hand wheel with said reel, said hand wheel being capable of disengagement
from the reel so that the valve may be closed by hand; substantially as set forth.
2. The water supply apparatus, and the valve casing connected therewith and
having the openings or ports in its side walls, combined with the reel having its
hub mounted upon said valve casing and forming between said hub
and said valve casing the water chamber, the hose attaching nozzle
connected with said reel, the valve within said valve casing, the stem oarrying
said valve and projecting through said casing and having the polygonal outer end,
the hand wheel mounted upon said polygonal outer end and slidable thereon, and
means for connecting said hand wheel with the reel; substantially as set forth.
3. The water supply apparatus, the valve casing connected therewith, and the
reel having its hub mounted upon said valve casing and provided with the hose
attaching nozzle, combined with the valve within said casing, the threaded valve
stem carrying said valve and projecting through said valve casing and having the