GB2175967A - Flexible hose units - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible hose unit 2 provided with multiple spigot-and-socket coupling means 1 including a convergent hollow member 18 which surrounds apertured member 15 itself supporting flexible hoses 5. Member 15 is so engageable with part 6 as to effect trapping of certain at least of the hoses. For the major part of its length hose unit 2 has a protective flexible sleeving 21 which encloses the hoses, but for a substantial part thereof leading to apertured member 15 it is devoid of such sleeving. A flexible generally tubular member 28 encloses, but is spaced from, the hoses for substantially the length of the part of the hose unit devoid of sleeving 21, thereby affording the unit additional flexibility at the respective end portion thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Flexible hose units This invention relates to flexible hose units.

Hitherto such hose units have included coupling means comprising two parts, each part having a plurality of fluid-carrying passageways. The fluidcarrying passageways of at least one part have comprised flexible hose end portions so located one with respect to a fluid-carrying passageway of the other part that when the parts have been assembled together each passageway of said one part has been fluid sealingly-connected with a respective said passageway of the other said part by means of a spigot member and a socket member engageable together to form a joint.

In many applications such hose units have sufficient flexibility to enable them to be installed in associated apparatus with relative ease, but in certain other applications hose unit flexibility may be insufficient to permit ease of alignment of the unit with respect to, and thus ease of connection to, locations on the associated apparatus, for example in confined zones where the hose unit is required to bend very sharply in its designed connected disposition.

The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy. It solves the problem of how to design a hose unit in which greater flexibility is provided at one or other, or both, of the ends thereof.

According to this invention a flexible hose unit is provided with coupling means for connecting, by respective spigot and socket means, each one of a plurality of fluid-carrying passageways, one part of said coupling means including an apertured member which is directly engageable with another part of the coupling means and which supports through the respective apertures thereof a plurality of flexible hoses of said hose unit, which define said first said fluid-carrying passageways, at a position near the free ends of said hoses, and a convergent hollow member which surrounds said apertured member and which is so engageable with said other part as to effect trapping of certain at least of said plurality of hoses, said hose unit for the major part of its length having a protective flexible sleeving encloding said hoses, but for a substantial part thereof leading to said apertured member being devoid of said sleeving, and, a flexible generally tubular member encloding said hoses for substantially the length of said part of said hose unit devoid of said sleeving.

The flexible generally tubular member may be flanged at one end and there clipped over that end of said convergent hollow member closer to said other part of said coupling means. At its end remote from said convergent hollow member said tubular member may be fast with a flanged sleeve member which extends partly into, and is suitably retained with respect to, said protective flexible sleeving.

Preferably an outer sleeve member is crimped or otherwise fitted on to the respective end portion of said sleeving.

The outer sleeve member may be adapted for fitment into a bracket and axially retained with respect thereto by a staple-like element fitted to an annular groove formed in said flanged sleeve member.

The tubular member may be of bellows formation and be of rubber, rubber-like material, plastics material or any other suitable flexible material.

The convergent hollow member may be secured to said other part by co-operable screw-threaded portions formed on that member and that other part. Alternatively, said convergent hollow member may slidingly receive said other part and may be locked against relative axial movement with respect thereto by a plurality of radially-disposed pins screw-threadedly engaged in respective openings in the wall of said member and projecting into locking engagement with said other part.

The apertured member may be of flanged form, the said apertures thereof being provided in the flange of said member and the member having formed integrally therewith a nose portion against which said hoses are caused to be trapped by said convergent hollow member. Alternatively the apertured member may be of suitably-apertured plate form and engage against a hollow frusto-conical member, coaxially disposed with respect thereto, which itself forms a nose portion against which certain at least of said hoses are caused to be trapped by said convergent hollow member.

The advantages offered by the invention are mainly that as a result of the provision of the flexible generally tubular member the hose unit is afforded such additional flexibility at an end portion thereof as to provide more ready alignment of that end portion with associated apparatus and consequent ease of fitment thereto.

Two ways of carrying out the invention are described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate two specific embodiments, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section of part of a flexible hose unit in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along the line II - II on Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along the line Ill - lil on Figure 1, and, Figure 4 is a cross-section of part of a flexible hose unit in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention.

In Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings coupling means 1, forming part of a flexible hose unit the left-hand end portion of which is shown at 2 in Figure 1, includes a first part 3 having a plurality of hollow spigot members 4 each of which is connected to the end of a respective flexible fluid-carrying hose 5 forming part of hose unit 2. The coupling means also includes a second part or block 6 which is mountable upon the casing 7 of apparatus, for example a fluid-pressure-operable component of a mine roof support. Block 6 is securable to casing 7 by four set bolts 8 which each pass through a respective hole 9 in the block and engage a respective tapped hole 10 in the casing. A suitable gasket 11 is provided between the block and casing. The block 6 is intended to register with a location on the casing where a plurality of flow ducts open to the face thereof.

Block 6 is of square shape as shown in Figure 2 and is provided with a spigot portion 12 which is externally screw-threaded at 13. A plurality of sockets 14 provided in the block each receive a respective member 4 in fluid-sealing relation with respect thereto.

An apertured member 15 which is of brass and which is flanged is directly engageable with spigot portion 12 and individually supports through the respective apertures or slots 16 thereof the portions of hoses 5 immediately adjacent members 4.

Member 15 is provided with a bullet-like nose portion 17 against which hoses 5 engage.

A convergent hollow member 18 of brass which is internally screw-threaded at 19 and which has a generally frusto-conical portion 20 is disposed around member 15 and hoses 5.

For the major part of its length (not shown) hose unit 2 is provided with a protective flexible sleeving 21 enclosing hoses 5, However, as shown in Figure 1 for a substantial part of the hose unit leading to member 15 no such protective flexible sleeving is provided. Thus the flexible sleeving 21 terminates at 22, a flanged sleeve member 23 which there encloses the adjacent portions of hoses 5 being fitted into sleeving 21 and being suitably retained therein as by bonding.

An outer sleeve member 24 is suitably crimped on to the end portion of sleeving 21. Member 24 is adapted to be received by a bracket 25, mounted on adjacent fixed structure, for support of hose unit 2, and a staple-like element 26 can be fitted into the annular groove 27 in member 23 for axial retention of the unit.

A flexible generally tubular member 28 of bellows formation and of rubber is mounted on the assembly to enclose hoses 5 for substantially the length of that part of unit 2 leading to member 15 which is devoid of sleeving 21. Member 28 is flanged at 29 at its left-hand end in Figure. 1 and there clips over the left-hand end of member 18. At its other end member 28 is fast with sleeve mem ber 23.

When, initially, it is required to connect the two parts of the coupling means together hose unit 2 is free from bracket 25 and member 28 is pulled back well to the right in Figure 1 to give access to member 18. Since the portions of hoses 5 within member 28 are not surrounded by sleeving as at 21 they are relatively very flexible and facilitate ready alignment of the spigot members 4 with sockets 14 and then ready insertion of these spigot members into their respective sockets.

The member 18 can then be moved to the left in Figure 1 until internal threads 19 engage external threads 13 whereupon as member 18 is turned it is screw-threadedly connected to spigot portion 12.

As such turning progresses, portion 20 traps the adjacent portions of hoses 5 against portion 17 of member 15, it being ensured however that the dimensions of the components are such that adequate gripping of the hoses takes place but with no, or substantially no, restriction on flow through those hoses.

As soon as member 18 is sufficiently tightened member 28 is extended so that the left-hand end portion thereof in Figure 1 encloses member 18 and the flange 29 clips into the position shown.

The hose unit 2 can now be fitted to casing 7 of the associated apparatus and by virtue of the unsleeved end portion of the unit and the bellows formation of member 28 very adequate flexibility of the hose unit at that end portion is available to afford ready alignment of block 6 and its bolts 8 with the respective location and tapped holes 10 of casing 7. This flexibility also affords easy entry of the bolts into the tapped holes and is particularly advantageous when the hose unit is required to follow a very sharply curved path before connection with casing 7.

When so bolted to casing 7 the plurality of hoses 5 register through the intermediary of block 6 with the plurality of flow ducts 30 in casing 7.

The hose unit 2 is then bodily adjusted in position so that sleeve member 24 is moved sideways in the bracket 25 through the opening 31, the left hand end face 32 of member 24 then engaging flange 33 of bracket 25. Element 26 is then fitted to annular groove 27 for axial retention of hose unit 2 with respect to fixed structure.

It will be understood that coupling means as above described may also be provided at the other end portion of hose unit 2.

When it is required to release the hose unit from connection with the associated apparatus, the four bolts 8 are simply unscrewed and withdrawn, and block 6 is freed from casing 7 followed, or preceded, by release of sleeve member 24 from bracket 25 as appropriate. For subsequent refitment of the hose unit, and without disturbing the member 28 of bellows formation, the block 6 is aligned with the respective location on casing 7 and the bolts are fitted again, readily aided by the very adequate flexibility of the hose unit at its respective end portion. Sleeve member 24 is then positioned in bracket 25.

If, with the hose unit disconnected, it is necessary to separate the two parts of coupling means 1, this is achieved by unclipping flange 29 of member 28, pulling back that member to the right in Figure 1 to expose member 18, unscrewing member 18 from spigot portion 12 and withdrawing simultaneously all the spigot members 4 from their sockets 14 in block 6.

With reference to Figure 4 of the drawings the construction of the coupling means 41 is basically similar to that of the first embodiment. However it differs in that the convergent hollow member 42 is of longer length and instead of being screwthreadedly engaged with a spigot portion it slidingly receives a second part 43 to which it is locked against relative axial movement with respect thereto by three radially-disposed pins, one of which is shown at 44. These pins are each screw-threadedly engaged in a respective opening 45 in the wall member 42, and the conical end 46 of each pin is engaged with a respective locating slot 47 formed in the exterior surface of part 43.

Hollow spigot members 48 connected to the end of respective flexible fluid-carrying hoses 49 are sealingly received by respective sockets (not shown) formed in a block (also not shown) suitably attached to a casing similar to that of casing 7 of the first embodiment. Simultaneously convergent hollow member 42 is slidable upon part of the block and retained axially with respect thereto by a staple-like element (also not shown) which engages openings 50, 51 in member 42 and which suitably engages an annular groove (also not shown) in the block.

Instead of having an apertured flanged member such as that shown at 15 in Figure 1, the coupling means of the second embodiment is provided with a circular member 52 of suitably-apertured plate form. This member is engaged by second part 43 and itself engages a hollow frusto-conical member 53, coaxially disposed with respect thereto, which forms a nose portion against which all but one of the hoses 49 are caused to be trapped by member 42. The remaining central hose 49 passes centrally of the coupling means through the interior of member 53 and a central opening 54 in member 52.

When it is required to assemble the components of the coupling means of the second embodiment together, the flexible generally tubular member 55 is pulled well to the right in Figure 4 to give access to the three screw-threaded pins 44. Members 53 and 52, and part 43, are then introduced to the portions of the hoses 49 within member 42 and the pins are tightened against their respective slots 47, thereby holding members 52 and 53, and part 43, firmly in engagement with one another. Consequently all the hoses 49, except the centre hose, are urged against the frusto-conical member 53 by convergent hollow member 42. The assembled hose unit can now be introduced t6 the block (not shown) and the staple-like element is fitted into openings 50, 51, thereby axially to lock the unit with respect to the block and casing.

An O-ring 56 forms a dust seal for the assembly.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the central hose 49 may be omitted and thus in this case all the hoses are caused to be trapped against the nose member 53 by member 42.

Although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the flexible generally tubular member is of bellows formation and of rubber, in alternative embodiments of the invention this member is of other suitable formation and/or of suitable material other than rubber, for example it may be of suitably-braided metallic material.

Claims (13)

1. A flexible hose unit provided with coupling means for connecting, by respective spigot and socket means, each one of a plurality of fluid-carrying passageways with a respective one of a plurality of further fluid-carrying passageways, one part of said coupling means including an apertured member which is directly engageable with another part of the coupling means and which supports through the respective apertures thereof a plurality of flexible hoses of said hose unit, which define said first said fluid-carrying passageways, at a position near the free ends of said hoses, and a convergent hollow member which surrounds said apertured member and which is so engageable with said other part as to effect trapping of certain at least of said plurality of hoses, said hose unit for the major part of its length having a protective flexible sleeving enclosing said hoses, but for a substantial part thereof leading to said apertured member being devoid of said sleeving, and, a flexible generally tubular member enclosing said hoses for substantially the length of said part of said hose unit devoid of said sleeving.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible generally tubular member is flanged at one end and there clipped over that end of said convergent hollow member closer to said other part of said coupling means.

3. A unit as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at its end remote from said convergent hollow member said tubular member is fast with a flanged sleeve member which extends partly into, and is suitably retained with respect to, said protective flexible sleeving.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein an outer sleeve member is crimped on to the respective end portion of said sleeving.

5. A unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said outer sleeve member is adapted for fitment into a bracket and axially retained with respect thereto by a staple-like element fitted to an annular groove formed in said flanged sleeve member.

6. A unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tubular member is of bellows formation and of rubber or rubber-like material.

7. A unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said convergent hollow member is secured to said other part by co-operable screw-threaded portions of that member and that other part.

8. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said convergent hollow member slidingly receives said other part and is locked against relative axial movement with respect thereto by a plurality of radially-disposed pins screw-threadedly engaged in respective openings in the wall of said member and projecting into locking engagement with said other part.

9. A unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said apertured member is of flanged form, the said apertures thereof being provided in the flange of said member.

10. A unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein said apertured member has formed integrally therewith a nose portion against which said hoses are caused to be trapped by said convergent hollow member.

11. A unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said apertured member is of suitably apertured plate form and engages against a hollow frust-conical member, coaxially disposed with respect thereto, which itself forms a nose portion against which certain at least of said hoses are caused to be trapped by said convergent hollow member.

12. A flexible hose unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A flexible hose unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.