Pipes and tubular conduits – Combined – With external support structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2001-11-13
Hook, James (Department: 3752)
Pipes and tubular conduits
Combined
With external support structure
C138S110000, C138S156000, C138S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315001
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPEMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management of flexible hose, flexible hose storage reels, and to flexible hose and storage reel accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to the reduction of the potential for operator exposure to chemical and other contaminants which may be conveyed via hose casings to hose storage reel device operators as they hand-feed flexible hoses back onto storage reels during the hose retraction process. The present invention further relates to improving the hose reel operator's ability to more safely, efficiently and accurately direct flexible hose onto the storage reel during the retraction process.
2. Related Art
Certain application industries, particularly liquid and/or compressed gas application industries, i.e., those that involve the delivery of hose-conveyed and/or hose-dispensed liquids, solids and/or gases, a list of examples might include but shall in no way be construed to be limited to pesticide applications, commercial weed control and other herbicide applications, liquid lawn treatment applications, carpet cleaners, high pressure cleaners, compressed gas, solvent and lubrication applications, airport power washers and de-icing equipment, sand blasters, industrial painters, detergent applicators, pressure lubricating equipment operations, firefighters, and other service, manufacturing, application and delivery industries, depend upon the deployment and retraction of flexible hose during the course of their respective delivery processes. These hoses are often and typically deployed at the delivery site from storage reels and retrieved back onto those reels when the application process is complete.
During the hose retrieval process in manual applications, the operator usually activates the winding feature of the reel, whether motor switch or manual crank, with one hand while using the other hand to direct the inbound hose back onto the reel. It is primarily during the retrieval process that the present device provides the greatest protection and utility by diminishing the potential for a contaminated hose casing to contact the operator's hands, gloves and clothing.
3. Prior Art
There are U.S. Patents relating to flexible hose management via storage reels, i.e. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,738,143; 2,906,472; 3,176,931, as well as patents on hose design and hose end attachments and application devices. However, no single, similar device is known to have ever been designed to address the specific needs, concerns, purposes, innovations, safety applications, or degree of simplicity and economy as the device described herein. Consequently, the inventor has been unable to discover any related or prior patent art of any kind.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object, and not to be construed as an only object, of the present invention is to reduce the potential for operator exposure to chemical residues, fertilizers, animal excrement, herbicides, and any other known or unknown contaminant in residence at an application/delivery environment, or resulting from the application process, may be caused to accumulate on the casing of a flexible hose as it is dragged over or through a contaminated surface, over-sprayed, contaminated by a leak in the hose itself, or otherwise saturated with potentially harmful chemicals, biological hazards, abrasives, or any other known or unknown contaminant which may accumulate on the hose case during the dispensation, retrieval and/or manipulation of the hose during the application/delivery process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the operator a mechanically safe, effective, inexpensive means of guiding flexible hose back onto the storage reel with an improvement of ease, control and accuracy over other known methods, and to otherwise and generally manage the hose more effectively in the respective environment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide operators and applicators with a more effective means of changing, as is frequently necessary, the direction at which retractable hose is fed onto the reel; e.g., by bracing the installed device against the angle of resistance, an inbound hose can be better directed and controlled onto the reel at the more preferred angle (see Detailed Description of Drawings FIG.
4
).
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical means by which the operator can assist motor-powered hose retraction devices, in that it provides mechanical means by which an operator, by camming the opposing inside ends of the installed device against the hose, may create friction points whereby he can physically push the hose toward the reel during the hose retraction process, release the device to a position parallel with the tensioned hose, draw the device back to the original position and repeat. A mechanical assist is thereby provided whereby the operator can help a motor-powered or hand powered retraction device overcome the effects of inertia, friction and drag that so frequently encumber the hose retraction process.
The inside diameter of the preferred embodiment is relatively and uniformly larger at its ends, diminishing and tapering toward the center. The feature serves to (1) funnel the hose and fittings into the device at either end with less friction and (2) create a uniform, non-biting inside radius, on the occasion the device is used as a direction change for traveling hose as described in FIG.
4
.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a device via simple, inexpensive construction, so as to avail these objectives to commercial, professional and domestic consumers at reasonable cost.
The foregoing objectives can be accomplished by providing the hose management/contamination barrier device described herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2102010 (1937-12-01), Kopp
patent: 3924661 (1975-12-01), Bornhoffer
patent: 4483564 (1984-11-01), McDaniel
patent: 4805933 (1989-02-01), Swisher
patent: 5160811 (1992-11-01), Ritzmann
patent: 5316348 (1994-05-01), Franklin
patent: 5560397 (1996-10-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5771941 (1998-06-01), Almeida
patent: 5901730 (1999-05-01), Tisbo et al.
patent: 6167914 (2001-01-01), Koteskey
Hook James
Trask Brian C.
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