GB2282777A - Reinforced hosepipe - Google Patents

Description

1 REINFORCED HOSECIPE 2282777 :rhe present invention relates to a

rainforced hosepipe, specially designed f or firefighting, though also Indicated for Industrial uses in particularly harsh conditions and environments.

Known In the art are hosepipes made up of several layers of elastomeric or thermoplastic materials, with an Inner reinforcement in the form of textIle mesh. Such hosepipes are widely used in firefighting, given their resistance to fire and external aggressions.

Despite the perfozmance of such known hosepipies r a new reinforced hosepipe has been achieved which Improves the resistance properties mentioned in the previous paragraph.

The hose of the Invention Is formed by ext=slon and can comprise a variable number of layers of clastomerle, thermoplastic or similar material, having embedded therein a textile mesh by way of reinforcement. on the basis of this embodiment, the hosepipe Is characterized in that at least one of the layers of clastomeric or thermoplastic inaterial. contains synthetic textile fibres. These fibres are incorporated in pulp form Into the mixtures from which the layers of the hosepipe are obtained.

Preferably, the fibres Incorporated Into the layers of ' the hosepipe are' acrylic, aramide, polyester 6r polyamide.

it is envisaged that the fabric of the reinforcing textilemesh can be provided with electrically conductive wires or threads.

2 By way of' example only, the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross-sectioned perspogve view or a length or the reinforced hose according to the invention.

Referring to the &;Ilp Z.awing, t _ hosppipe consists of several layers -1, 2, 3- of an ClaStomeric, tbLermOPlagtIC Or similar material, with an inner mesh -4-. The fabric which forms said mesh has electrical wires or threads -4a- embedded therein, for easier discharge of static electricity and for other applications. This hosepipe is obtained by an extrusion process.

The hosepipe according to the invention conalsts essentially in that the interior of at least one of the layers -1, 2, 3- is reinforcedl by means of synthetic textlla fibres -5-, said f ibres be.Ing incorporated In pulp form Into the mixtures of the material o f which the lay&2s are formed.

As can be deduced from the above and from observation of the draping, the hosepipe in question presents high resistance to flames, to the action of incandescent bodies (dart), to chemical agents, to grazing and to abrasion, which makes it highly suitable for use In fitefighting, In Industrial applications and, in general. under extremely adverse workIng conditions.

A suitable composition for a hoseplpe, based on.the invention is given below by way of non'limiting example.

NBR rubber Stearic acid Antioxidant -100 parts 3 n A 3 Active and inert charges Accelerator system Sulphur Bonding system Aramide f Ibres colorant so 2 1.5 W 7 n 2.5 A description is provided below of the method and results of a number of tests carried out to determine the properties of the hosepipe of the invention with respect to known hosepipas.

Dart resistance test The test consists In resting a 20 ma-sided brace cube on a test piece of hosepipa at 7000C to whIch a pressure source of 5 bar has been connected; the time for hosepipe perforation due to the action of the dart.. at the temperature indicated, Is measured.

Tests Qu a hocap:LPe constructed accog to the, Invention gave an average result of 94 seconds; comparative tests on a hosepipe of the same composition, but without the aramide fibres, gave an average of 67 secondLs. Ais can be seen, the invention allowed for an increase of over 25 per cent in dart resistance.

Abrasion test For this test, conducted In accordanca With Spanish standard UNE 23.091- 90-4,f a hosepipe test piece is subjected to an alternating longitudinal movement With a stroke of approximately 0.1 m and a rate of 0.5 0.33 cycles.

A new grinding wheel of the type 72C 301 SV.. of 200 min x 20 mm x 20 mm Is rested against the hosepipe with a total force of 40 H. This grindIng wheel does not ' revolve when the hosepipe moves In one direction, while when the hosepipe moves in the opposite dlrection it accQJUPanies it 4 by spinning on Its axis; the contact surface of the grinding wheel with the. hosepipe therefore varies throughout the test. Thi chips from of the hosepipe material which might block the structure of the grinding wheel are cleaned using a jet of compressed air.

The movement of the hosepipe Is stopped by means of an, automatic device when the hosepipe presents a leak caused by the rubbing against tihe Srrinding wheel, and the num er of cycles withstood by the hosepipe is measured to give the test result.

Mosepipes without aramide fibres withstood am average of 1,200 cycles, while the hosepipe of the Invention withstood an average of 1,460 cycles, that It.. is showed an Improvement of nearly 20 per cent.

Flame-resiatknce test This test is also conducted in accordance with the aforesaid Spanish standard. A test sample of 0. 5 metres of hosepipe is f illed with water at room temperature and at service pressure, and Is put Into an ign.1tion box, fastened suitably at the side walls of the box.

A Bunsen burner is inserted in the bottom of the box, lit for a time and then. turned out. From that moment, the length of time during which the hosepipe. remains on fire 'with flame is measured.

Tests carried out with various parameters have shown that the hosepipes reinforced with aramide fibres according to the invention, show an improvement of over 25 per cent with respect to the traditional' iclastomer-covered hosepipes.

AS Shown by the tests, the Invention fUltils the proposed objective, improving the strength cliaracteri.4túcs ofknown hosepipas.

Claims (4)

1. A reinforced hosepipe, formed by extrusion, comprising one or more layers of elastomeric, thermoplastic or similar material having embedded therein a textile mesh by way of reinforcement, at least one of the layers of elastomeric or thermoplastic material containing synthetic textile fibres incorporated in pulp form into the mixtures from which the layers of the hosepipe are formed.
2. 2. A reinforced hosepipe as claimed in claim 1 in which the fibres incorporated into the layers of the hosepipe are acrylic, aramide, polyester or polyamide.
3. 3. A reinforced hosepipe as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the fabric of the reinforcing textile mesh is provided with electrically conductive wires or threads.
4. 4. A reinforced hosepipe substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.