AU2009200942A1 - A tie for a hose staple - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 898851 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Pirtek Fluid Systems Pty. Ltd., of Applicant: an Australian company, ACN 001 824 166, of 3-5 Garling Road, Kings Park, New South Wales, 2148, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Gary Norman Hobbs Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A tie for a hose staple Associated Provisional Application Details: [33] Country: [31] Appl'n No(s): [32] Application Date: AU 2008901384 20 Mar2008 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(2008955_1) 1 A TIE FOR A HOSE STAPLE Technical Field The present invention relates to ties to be employed with hose fittings and more particularly to a tie that that is employed with a staple (pin) used to secure together hose 5 couplings. Background of the Invention It is very common to use hoses for the purposes of ducting fluids under pressure. Frequently hose lengths are coupled and/or a hose coupled to an apparatus by means of a hose fitting or fittings, including a female hose coupling member and a male hose 1o coupling member. In the mine industry hoses are often employed to deliver fluids (such as air or hydraulic fluids) under high pressure. Due to these high pressures, a failure in a coupling can be extremely dangerous. In the mining industry it is known to have a transverse pin extending through the is female coupling member and engage the male coupling member to prevent separation thereof. These pins are also referred to as staples. A disadvantage of the above discussed pins is that should they become dislodged, fluid under high pressure issues from the male and/or female coupling. Object of the Invention 20 It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a tie including: an elongated flexible strap having opposite first and second end extremities and a 25 plurality of teeth, the teeth being positioned at longitudinally spaced locations along the strap; a base secured to the strap and having an aperture through which the strap is to pass by insertion of said first extremity through said aperture so that the strap forms a loop having a longitudinal length, said base being configured at said aperture to engage to 30 said teeth to inhibit increasing said length, but permitting shortening of said length; and wherein said base includes an arcuate portion facing said length.

2 Preferably, said base is fixed to said second end extremity. Preferably, said strap and base are integrally formed. Preferably, said base is elongated so as to extend longitudinally from said second end extremity, said base having a first end fixed to said strap, and a second end spaced s from said first end and providing said aperture. Preferably, said base has a pair of resiliently deformable pawl portions that engage said strap and are operatively associated with said teeth to inhibit an increase in said length but permit a shortening of said length. Preferably, said strap and base are integrally formed from plastics material. 1o There is further disclosed herein a tie including: an elongated flexible strap having opposite first and second end extremities and a plurality of teeth, the teeth being positioned at longitudinally spaced locations along the strap; a base secured to the strap and having an aperture through which the strap is to 15 pass by insertion of said first extremity through said aperture so that said strap forms a loop having a longitudinal length, said base being configured at said aperture to engage said to teeth to inhibit increasing said length but permitting shortening of said length; and wherein said strap includes a longitudinally extending central ridge, a pair of 20 longitudinally extending flanges transversely diverging outwardly from said ridge so that said strap has a longitudinally extending concave configuration. There is further disclosed herein in combination, a hose coupling assembly including a male coupling member and a female coupling member, with a pin securing the male and female coupling members together to prevent separation thereof, and said 25 tie, said tie passing about said coupling assembly and engaging said pin to at least inhibit removal of said pin with respect to said male and female couplings. Preferably, said arcuate surface is engaged with said male or female coupling so that said loop passes about said coupling. Brief Description of the Drawings 30 A preferred from of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic end elevation of a hose coupling with a pin, and a tie to secure the pin to the coupling; 3 Figure 2 is a schematic end elevation of the coupling pin and tie of Figure 1, with the tie tensioned securing the pin in engagement with the coupling; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the tie of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the tie of Figure 3 forming a loop; 5 Figure 5 is a schematic enlarged portion of a portion of the tie of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectioned end elevation of the tie as shown in Figure 3 sectioned along the line 6-6. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a hose coupling 1o assembly 10 including a female coupling member 11 within which there is inserted a male coupling member 12. The members 11 and 12 provide for the flow of a fluid under pressure, such as hydraulic fluid. The member 11 has a pair of transverse generally parallel co-extensive passages 13 that are aligned with generally parallel transverse co-extensive grooves 14 in the is member 12. A pin 15 is inserted through the passages 13 and therefore projects into the grooves 14 to prevent separation of the members I1 and 12 in an axial direction. The grooves 14 may be provided by a single annular groove 14. The pin 15 is of a "U" configuration so as to have a pin base 16 from which there projects a pair of pin legs 17. The legs 17 pass through the passages 13 and enter the grooves 14. The pin 15 is formed 20 of resilient metal. The members 11 and 12 can only be separated when the pin 15 is removed. To retain the pin 15 engaged with the members 11 and 12, there is provided a pin tie 18. The tie 18 includes an elongated flexible strap 19 having opposite first and second end extremities 20 and 21. The strap 19 has a longitudinal axis 22, with the strap 19 also 25 having a plurality of teeth 23 extending generally transversely outwardly relative to the axis 22. The teeth 23 are located at longitudinally spaced locations along the axis 22. As best seen in Figure 5, each tooth 23 has a ramp surface 33 that engages one of the pawl portions 31 to aid in deflection thereof so that the strap 19 can pass through the aperture 28. An abutment surface 34 inhibits reverse movement of the strap 19 back through the 30 aperture 28. Secured to the end extremity 21 is a tie base 24. The base 24 is elongated in the direction of the axis 22 and has a first end 25 fixed to the end extremity 21, and a second end 26. Preferably the tie 18 is integrally formed (moulded) from plastics material so that the strap 19 is integrally formed with the base 24.

4 The base 24 has an arcuate surface 27 extending between the ends 25 and 26. Located at the end 26 is an aperture 28 through which the extremity 20 is inserted so that the strap 19 forms a loop 29. The length of the loop 29 can be shortened by pulling the strap 19 in the direction of the arrow 30 by gripping the end extremity 20. 5 Located adjacent the aperture 18 are resilient pawl portions 31 that are part of the base 24 and are resiliently deflectable to permit movement of the strap 19 through the aperture 20 in the direction of the arrow 30. However the pawl portions 31 prevent lengthening the loop 19 by movement of the strap 19 in a reverse direction relative to the direction 30. In particular the teeth 23 engage the pawl portions 31 to prevent movement io of the strap 19 backward through the aperture 28. The surface 27 is shaped so as to conform to the circular outer surface 32 of the member 11. The tie 18 is located about the assembly 10 so as to engage the clip 15 to retain the clip 15 extending through the passages 13. Tensioning the strap 19 is achieved by is pulling in the direction 30, the tie 18 engages the surface 32 and pin 15 so as to retain the pin 15 in the position shown in Figure 2. Accordingly, the surface 28 faces the loop 29. As best seen in Figure 6, the strap 19 has a longitudinally extending generally central ridge 32 and a pair of longitudinally extending edge flanges 33 that transversely diverge outwardly from the ridge 23 but extend longitudinally relative thereto. When the 20 strap 19 is tensioned about the coupling assembly 10, the pin base 16 is located between the flanges 33. That is, the strap 19 has a longitudinally concave configuration that aids in location of the pin base 16 with respect to the strap 19. The strap 19 is of substantially consistent cross-section throughout its length except for the end extremity 20.

Claims (10)

1. A tie including: an elongated flexible strap having opposite first and second end extremities and a plurality of teeth, the teeth being positioned at longitudinally spaced locations along the 5 strap; a base secured to the strap and having an aperture through which the strap is to pass by insertion of said first extremity through said aperture so that the strap forms a loop having a longitudinal length, said base being configured at said aperture to engage to said teeth to inhibit increasing said length, but permitting shortening of said length; and 1o wherein said base includes an arcuate portion facing said length.

2. The tie of claim 1, wherein said base is fixed to said second end extremity.

3. The tie of claim 1 or 2, wherein said strap and base are integrally is formed.

4. The tie of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said base is elongated so as to extend longitudinally from said second end extremity, said base having a first end fixed to said strap, and a second end spaced from said first end and providing said aperture.

5. The tie of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said base has a pair of 20 resiliently deformable pawl portions that engage said strap and are operatively associated with said teeth to inhibit an increase in said length but permit a shortening of said length.

6. The tie of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said strap and base are integrally formed from plastics material.

7. A tie including: 25 an elongated flexible strap having opposite first and second end extremities and a plurality of teeth, the teeth being positioned at longitudinally spaced locations along the strap; a base secured to the strap and having an aperture through which the strap is to pass by insertion of said first extremity through said aperture so that said strap forms a 30 loop having a longitudinal length, said base being configured at said aperture to engage said to teeth to inhibit increasing said length but permitting shortening of said length; and wherein said strap includes a longitudinally extending central ridge, a pair of longitudinally extending flanges transversely diverging outwardly from said ridge so that 35 said strap has a longitudinally extending concave configuration. 6

8. In combination, a hose coupling assembly including a male coupling member and a female coupling member, with a pin securing the male and female coupling members together to prevent separation thereof, and the tie of claim 7, said tie passing about said coupling assembly and engaging said pin to at least inhibit removal of said pin s with respect to said male and female couplings.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said arcuate surface is engaged with said male or female coupling so that said loop passes about said coupling. Dated

10 March, 2009 Pirtek Fluid Systems Pty. Ltd. o0 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON