ROTATING METAL SHOP FOR HOSE
Field of the Invention The invention relates to carts for hose reels and in particular carts for hose carts having a rail assembly which can or pivot along an axis substantially perpendicular to the length of the axis of a spool or spool. . BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Portable carts for hose reels for providing, retrieving and storing flexible elongated tubular objects such as garden hoses, air hoses and the like, have become very popular, especially in the home. The construction of the carts for hose reels has gradually evolved over time. First the carts for hose reels were constructed entirely of metal. Gradually the plastic components replaced the metal components, so that today many carts for hose reels are formed entirely of plastic components. In general, hose reel trolleys have a centrally placed rotating reel and a crank to wind the flexible hose, a frame to hold the rotating hose, two wheels at one end of the hose base, and a handle on the upper portion of the frame to facilitate the inclination of the frame in two wheels to allow the cart with the reel to
hose can move. The user must carefully balance the rail cart for, hose on both wheels when transporting it. It is not always possible or easy when crossing rugged terrain or smooth surfaces. The result is that the carito with the wheel reel turns over, sometimes hurting the user. The handle of the frame and / or the crank may or may not be folded for the purpose of being sent or transported. The North American patent no. RE 32,510 illustrates this type of cart with hose reel and the description of that patent is incorporated as a reference. The carts with hose reels are frequently stored outdoors and therefore are subject to climatic conditions such as hot and cold temperatures, sun, rain, snow, ice and dirt. The trolleys with hose reels made exclusively of molded plastic or polymer materials are initially light and resistant to corrosion by the elements. However, metal or polymer carts are currently unable to withstand weather conditions for extended periods of time without becoming brittle and buckling. Hose carts made predominantly of metal have been found to be robust and strong. However, the metal components of these carts have a tendency to corrode when their protective surfaces are damaged or worn out by use. Some users can drain the hose fluid before
of winding it up on the reel for storage, while other users roll it up without draining it. Each situation creates its own group of problems. Plastic or lightweight plastic hose reels can not withstand the weight of large numbers of hoses filled with water and thus are limited in size of the reel and / or the capacity of the hose. In addition, many of these plastic hose reels are unable to withstand the peripheral forces transmitted to a hose reel when the empty hose communicates with a source of pressurized fluid while the hose is still wrapped around the spool. The repeated application of these forces frequently results in the structural failure of the hose reel coil. The carts with reels for hoses built predominantly of metal are robust and resistant. They can serve for repeated applications of the peripheral forces resulting from the hose communicating with a pressurized fluid source. However, these hose trolleys tend to be; Exceptionally heavy, making them less suitable to be pulled or pushed on rough surfaces by the user. Long hose lengths filled with water worsen this problem and also raise the center of gravity of the hose rail. The high center of gravity can make the cart with the hose reel easier to turn over and present additional problems for the user.
Most carts with reels for hoses, either plastic or steel, have the hose reel mounted on the cart in a fixed position, either parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cart or perpendicular to it. A problem arises when the user removes the hose from the spool if it does not remain substantially perpendicular to the rail. The hose will exert lateral forces that can result in the cart with the hose reel turning over. Also if the hose is not substantially perpendicular to the spool when wound on the spool there will be a tendency for the hose to be stacked on one end of the rail and not distributed evenly along the length of the spool. This results in an unbalanced reel load and the hose filling the rail at one end while the other remains relatively empty. Additionally most of the prior art hose reel trolleys use injection molded hard plastic wheels. Although these tires are light and economical in construction, damage is often susceptible, especially when used on rough surfaces such as gravel or stones. Plastic wheels do not respond well to static or dynamic loads when used on soft surfaces. This is because as the load increases and the width of the rope remains the same, the same force per square inch of the tire on the surface increases allowing the rim to be buried in the smooth surface. In contrast a rim
Floating, such as pneumatic rubber tires, provide compression. As the compression load increases, the tire becomes wider, increasing the tread of the rim on the surface. This raised footprint allows the rim and trolley to float on smooth surfaces without burying and reduces the force required to move the trolley. What is needed in the technique is a cart with hose reel capable of storing a large quantity, for example more than 50 meters of empty or full hose. The hose should be able to be wound and unrolled from the reel without applying undue stresses on the reel and evenly separating the hose on the reel. The cart with hose reel must be capable of adverse conditions for extended periods of time without being used or buckled. The cart with hose reel must have a structure capable of providing optimum strength while maintaining a minimum weight through the use of plastic and metal components. The cart with hose reel must be held at least by four wheels in such a way that it does not have! to be tilted and balanced on two wheels to move. Description of the Prior Art The American patent no. 5,007,598 illustrates a cart with a typical hose reel including a pair of molded plastic side frames and four blow molded plastic members rigidly interconnected with each other. A hose reel is mounted between the side portions
with each end of the shaft of the hose reel placed on a support in each frame. The reel can rotate around the axis on which it is mounted but can not pivot around the vertical axis. The user must place their feet behind the rear bar and pull the handle back and down so that the cart can be tilted to a certain degree to allow the front legs of the cart to be lifted off the ground and the weight of the cart be moved to the two rear wheels in order to transport the cart from one place to another. It can be difficult for a small stature user to tip the cart backwards. It is also very dangerous if the user has to tilt the cart too far back causing the cart to turn over it. The North American patent no. 6,338,360 illustrates a carrier assembly for hose reels without a storage tray. The carrier also has two plastic wheels that can be mounted on a common axis or on separate axles. In order to move this carrier for hose reel, the user must raise the end of the carrier opposite the wheels upwards by means of a handle until the legs below the rough ones are separated from the ground, to move the carrier forward. This can be extremely difficult for certain individuals especially on uneven or rough terrain. The hose reel can rotate around the axis on which it is mounted but can not pivot around a vertical axis. The Suncast metal hose reel model does not.
MHR300 illustrates a hose reel with metal frame capable of holding 100 meters of hose and mounted on four pneumatic tires. The hose reel can rotate around the axis on which it is mounted but can not pivot around a vertical axis. Although the aforementioned prior art devices have improved the technique and have enjoyed some commercial success, there is nevertheless a need in the art for a lightweight, corrosion resistant spool cart using a combination of metal components and polymeric with a stable construction to hold long lengths of full or empty hose. The hose reel in the cart must be able to pivot about a vertical axis so that the hose can be easily removed from the reel regardless of the user's location without repositioning the cart. The hose can also be rolled up evenly on the rail regardless of the location of the hose with respect to the position of the cart. In addition, this construction allows the use of a longer hose reel thus increasing the capacity of the lengths of the hose that can be carried on the reel. The longer hose reel would normally extend beyond the width of the cart with hose reel. However, by pivoting the hose reel around a vertical axis, the shaft of the hose reel can be aligned with the axle length of the cart with hose reel thus allowing the hose reel
Stay within the limits of the cart with hose reel. The hose cart must be stable and move easily even on rough and / or soft ground without having to tilt the cart. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The cart with hose reel of the present invention utilizes a construction of plastic and metal components to increase durability and stability while remaining lightweight for greater hose capacity and maneuverability. Additionally, the hose reel can pivot about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis of rotation of the hose reel allowing the hose to be easily removed from the hose reel regardless of user positioning without the danger of the cart with hose reel turned over. This pivoting ability of the hose reel also allows the hose to be wound onto the hose reel regardless of the position of the hose without the user having to constantly reposition the cart with hose reel. This pivoting capability also allows the use of wider hose reels than normal, increasing the length of the hose that can be carried on the reel. In addition, the hose is wound around the reel using a crank that provides a direct rotational link between the crank and the reel winding. According to this, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a cart with heavy duty portable hose reel which the hose reel is rotated around a first shaft to roll up and remove the hose from the reel. The hose reel can also be pivoted about the second axis, substantially perpendicular to the first axis to facilitate the removal and repositioning of the hose on the reel. It is another object of the present invention to provide one that utilizes a combination of metal components covered with metal and plastic to improve corrosion resistance, strength and stiffness. It is another object of the present invention to provide a trolley with hose reel having four floating rims for easily transporting heavy and / or long hose lengths through uneven, rough and / or soft ground without lifting or tilting the cart with hose reel. It is still another object of the invention to provide a pivoting connection between the hose reel and the cart with hose reel with which the hose reel can also be easily separated from the cart with hose reel. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of this invention are described by way of illustration and example. All the drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate
several objectives and characteristics of it. Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the hose reel cart of the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom rear perspective view of the cart with hose reel; Figure 3 is an exploded front perspective view illustrating the construction of the hose reel assembly; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the trolley with hose reel; Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the trolley with hose reel; Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of the trolley with hose reel; Figure 7 is a top view of the cart with hose reel; Figure 8 is a bottom view of the cart with hose reel and Figure 9 is a sectional view of the mounting plates taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7. Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now to Figures 1-9, in which like elements are consistently numbered throughout the text, illustrate a cart with portable hose reel generally indicated with the reference number 10, which includes the principles of the
present invention. The cart with hose reel 10 is useful for holding, deploying, recovering and transporting large quantities of hose between a storage place and a place of use. The major components of the cart with hose reel include a reel assembly 12, a support assembly, a handle pack 16 and four wheel assemblies 20. In a typical arrangement, the cart with hose reel is capable of storing vertically up to 100 meters of a common hose of 5/8"or 1.6 cm in the spool 12. The cart with hose reel 10 includes a carrier assembly 22. In a preferred embodiment the carrier assembly includes a pair of base support elements 24, 26 horizontally positioned A front portion of the carrier assembly includes vertical support frame elements 28, 30 which are formed as vertical extensions of the base support elements 24, 26. A transverse frame member 32 connects the upper portions of the frame elements vertical and fixed vertical frame members in a spaced relation to each other The transverse frame member 32 also provides a support to Which are attached a pair of longitudinal carrier support members 34,36. In the rear portion of the vertical carrier frame members 38, 40 of the rear carrier assembly are formed as vertical extensions of the base support elements 24, 26. A transverse frame member 48 is connected to the carrier frame elements
38, 40 as illustrated in figures 1-3. The transverse frame member 48 is positioned substantially flush with the transverse frame member 32. The longitudinal carrier support members 34, 36 are fixed on both transverse frame members 48 and 32 thereby securing the carrier support members to the carrier assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the base support elements 24, 26, the vertical carrier frame elements 28, 30, the transverse frame member 32, and the rear vertical frame elements 38, 40 are formed from a single member, for example a single piece of pipe, as illustrated in Figure 1. In other embodiments these elements could be formed separately and assembled together by means of conventional fixing techniques, as illustrated in Figure 3. The handle assembly 16 includes two rear vertical frame members 42, 44, and a transverse horizontal frame member 46 extending between the upper portions of the rear vertical frame members 42, 44 and fixing said members together. The transverse frame member 46 serves as a handle to facilitate movement of the trolley cart with hose reel. In a preferred embodiment, the vertical members 42, 44 and transverse frame members 46 are formed of a single member, for example a pipe. In other embodiments these elements could be formed separately and assembled together by means of conventional fixation techniques. The free end portions of the vertical frame members 42, 44 are
they construct and arrange in such a way that they coincide with the corresponding end portions of the rear vertical frame elements 38, 40 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a preferred embodiment they are engaged in a telescopic array. A plate member 51 may be joined between the rear vertical frame members as illustrated in Figures 1-3. The plate 51 includes one or more vertical slots 52 (FIG. 2) for storing the free end of a hose when it is not in use to prevent the end of the hose from dragging onto the floor when the cart with the hose reel is in place. movement. The slots 52 can be used to hold other tools, for example hose nozzles or the like (not shown). A pair of wheel support members 47 is fixed to a lower portion of each base support member 24, 26 as illustrated in Figure 2. In a preferred embodiment an axle 50 is fixed to the lower portion of both support elements by means of wheel support member. The shaft 50 passes through the wheel support members 47. The wheel assemblies 53 are mounted on the ends of the axles 50. The pneumatic flotation rims 54 are mounted on wheel assemblies 53. The axles 50 have a portion flat along an upper longitudinal portion thereof as can be seen in Figures 1 and 3. This flat portion gives the shaft a substantially "D" shaped cross section. This flat portion assists the shaft in the wheel support elements 47 and prevents rotation of the shaft. In
another embodiment each wheel support member has a short shaft mounted on it. The wheel assemblies are mounted on those short axles and the pneumatic tires in turn on the wheel assemblies. The spool assembly 12 includes a spool 52 that rotates about a first axis A-A (FIG. 4). A hose (not shown) is wound around the spool 52 for storage and transportation. Once the cart with hose reel is placed in the desired position, the hose can be connected to a source of pressurized fluid and deployed or unrolled from the spool. After the hose has been used for this purpose, it is wound onto the coil to store or transport it to another place. At each end of the coil 52 the retaining elements 55 are fixed thereto. Each retainer element includes a circular member 56 and a plurality of spokes 58 that are attached to the circular member to the coil as illustrated in Figure 3. The circular members 56 may also serve as a member to rotate the coil about the first axis. As best illustrated in Figure 3, a crank assembly 60 is attached to one end of the coil. The crank assembly includes a shaft 62 attached to one end of the coil and extends along the first axis A-A. A plurality of displacement elements 64 place a handle axis 66 parallel to and offset from the first axis. A handle 67 is rotatably mounted on the shaft of the handle 66. An operator guides the crank assembly in a rotary direction to
wind a hose in the coil or remove the hose from the coil for storage or use. The shaft 62 of the crank assembly is mounted on a bearing 68 which in turn is mounted on the support assembly 14 using a clamp. The opposite end of the coil a fluid inlet includes a hose connector 70, as best illustrated in Figure 4. The hose connector 70 is fixed to the support assembly by means of the union member 75 and does not rotate with the assembly. of coil and reel. The hose connector 70 includes an outer tube coupler 72 and an inner coupler to the tube 74. The inner coupler to the tube 74 preferably contains female cords to be attached to a guide hose, not shown. The guide hose in turn is in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, such as water or air (not shown). The coupling in the tube is positioned along the first axis and is connected to the end of the coil at the end of the coil at the end opposite the crank assembly. The internal coupler of the tube is fixedly mounted on the support assembly by means of the connecting member 76 and does not rotate with the coil and spool assembly. The inner coupler of the tube 74 surrounds the outer coupler of the tube 72. The outer coupler of the tube 72 includes a connecting hose 78. The hose connector preferably contains male cords to be attached to the main hose. The outer coupler of the tube includes a plurality of O-rings for coupling with the interior of the inner coupler of the tube 74 by means of a
sliding seal in such a way that the inner coupler of the tube remains fixedly fixed in the carrier assembly while the outer coupler of the tube can rotate with the coil and rail assembly such that the inner tube coupler 74 and the outer coupler of the tube 72 remain in fluid communication with each other. This arrangement allows the rotation of the rail assembly without twisting or turning internal components between the fluid supply and the hose. Figure 3 illustrates the carrier assembly 14 including four generally U-shaped elements. The longitudinal crank elements 80, 82 have elongated bottom portions 84, 86 and shorter vertical end portions 88, 90, 92 and 04 respectively, each portion. bottom connects to two of the vertical end portions. The lower portions of the carrier elements extend substantially parallel to the first axis around which the coil rotates. The transverse carrier elements 96, 98 may each have an upper portion that is connected to two end portions extending downward. The end portions extending downwardly of the transverse carrier elements are in a telescopic coupling with vertical end portions of the longitudinal handle elements. Each transverse support element is connected to a vertical end portion of two longitudinal carrier elements to form a generally U-shaped carrier assembly, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The vertical end portions and the end portions extending downward may be connected together in another conventional relationship such as recessed. The bearing 68 of the crank assembly is mounted on one of the end portions of the transverse carrier elements and the hose connector 70 is mounted on the other upper portions of the transverse carrier elements. A plurality of transverse carrying sopote members 100, 102 are connected between longitudinal carrying members 80, 82. Those transverse carrying support elements 100, 102 serve as the mounting surface for a first rotary bearing plate 104. A second rotary bearing plate 106 is mounted to the longitudinal carrier support members 34, 36 in alignment with the first rotary bearing plate. In a preferred embodiment a vertical axis 18 extends upwardly from the center of the second rotary support plate. A hole 110 is located in the center of the first rotary support plate. He '. The vertical axis engages with the hole 110 in a manner that substantially aligns the rotating support plates and allows the rotational movement of one of the support plates with respect to the other support plate. A non-circular end plate 112 is attached to the free end of the vertical axis. One of the dimensions of the plate, extreme non-circular is greater than the diameter of the vertical axis. The hole in the center of the first rotary support plate corresponds to the shape of the non-circular end plate. This
When the shape of the non-circular end plate and the hole are aligned correspond to each other the first rotating support plate can be placed on the vertical axis of the second rotating plate and rotate around this- The lack of alignment of the shape of the The end plate and the hole in the first rotary support plate help to retain aligned the first and second rotating support plates and prevent their separation. Figure 9 illustrates the operational relationship between the first and second rotary support panes. Spherical balls 114 are mounted in sockets on the second rotating plate 106. A circular groove 116 is located on the first rotating plate 104. The circular groove is aligned with the spherical balls such that they travel in the circular groove holding the first rotary plate with respect to the second rotary plate and allows the rotary movement. This type of arrangement forms a bearing between the first and second rotating plates. A sufficient number of balls will be '. used so that the rotating plates are retained substantially parallel to each other. A lubricant can be placed between the balls and the circular groove to assist the rotary movement of the balls with respect to the groove and prevent premature wear of the balls and the groove. This arrangement allows the carrier assembly 14 and the reel assembly 12 to pivot and rotate about a second axis B-B may be substantially perpendicular to the first axis A-A, as illustrated in Figure 4. The pivoting of the spool assembly allows the hose to be
unfolded from the spool in any direction regardless of the position of the cart with hose reel 10. In other words the hose will always exit the spool in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis of the spool and will not produce undue stress on the cart with hose reel that can make the car turn over. In addition, when the hose is wound on the reel, the reel assembly will pivot to the position of the hose so that the hose can be wound up evenly on the reel. In a preferred embodiment the reel assembly 12, the carrier assembly 14, the carrier assembly 22, the handle assembly 16 and the axes are made of metal components. It could optionally be made of metal and include an impact resistant coating such as polyethylene and polypropylene, as described in U.S. Pat. 5,998, 552, whose content is incorporated by reference. Plastic coatings protect metal components from water, liquid fertilizers, corrosive chemicals and other liquids to prevent metal corrosion and at the same time provide rigidity to the cart with hose reel. All patents and publications mentioned in this description are indicative of the levels of those experts with whom the invention relates. All patents and publications are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication were specific and individually
indicated that is incorporated as a reference. It should be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated it is not limited to the specific form or arrangement described herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention that the invention is not limited to that shown and described in the description and in the drawings / figures included herein. One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to the realization of the objectives and to obtain the purposes and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The modalities, methods, procedures and techniques currently described are representative of the preferred modalities, they are intended to be exemplary and are not considered limitations of the objective. Changes and other uses that may occur to those skilled in the art are included within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the claimed invention should not be unduly limited to those preferred embodiments. In fact, several modifications of the preferred embodiments that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.