US2692712A - Hose supporting device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26, 1954 T. A. CONLEY 2,692,712

HOSE SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed'Feb. 8, 1950 mvnu'rog I THOMAS A. CONLEY A'rroiz EY Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE American Optical Company,

Southbridge,

Mass., a voluntary association of Massachusetts Application February 8, 1950, Serial No. 143,087

1 Claim. 1 This invention relates to supporting devices and has particular reference to devices adapted for use in securing objects such as hoses to supporting means therefor.

In the manufacture of air supply devices of the kind embodying a central plant having a plurality of hoses leading therefrom to respective respirators or similar masks to be worn by a corresponding number of users, it is generally necessary to provide each hose with a valve adjacent each mask or respirator so that the wearer can independently control the flow of air from the central plant into his mask. However, it has been found that such valve mechanisms are generally of substantial weight which, when combined with the Weight of the hose and couplings, will tend to render the mask or respirator uncomfortably heavy when worn on the face of an individual or may even cause the mask to become disengaged from the face of the wearer, breaking the air seal. There is also the important disadvantage present in such arrangements that the added weight may cause a hose to become disconnected from a valve coupling or that the valve may be accidently operated, with possible serious results with respect to the health of the user.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a device for supporting an air supply hose in attached relation to the body of a user whereby the weight thereof will be absorbed by the device with resultant increase in life of the hose and efiiciency of operation and control of the air supply system.

Another object is to provide a supporting device of the above character embodying a holster shaped to be carried on the waist belt of the user and comprising a portion shaped to resiliently encircle a hose adjacent the valve to retain it in position near the body of the user and having an opening therein through which the valve may extend, with said opening being'elongated to permit the hose and valve to be turned within the encircling portion to a position where the valve may be easily operated.

Another object is to provide a device of the above character in which the elongated opening in the resilient hose-encircling portion is so located as to permit the valve to extend, when in a normal position, upwardly in a direction substantially parallel to the body of the user and adjacent thereto and which will permit the valve to be turned downwardly within the limits of the elongated opening so as to extend outwardly at an angle from the users body where it may be easily operated for control of the air supply passing to the users mask or respirator.

Another object is to provide a device of th above character which is simple in its construction, effipient in its use, and relatively eco-' nomical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention shown in position of use; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, a clip or holster ID embodying the invention is shown as applied to a waist belt II of a user, and is comprised initially of a fiat, elongated strip of metal of a resilient nature such as spring steel or the like. The strip of metal is formed with a bend as at I2 so as to provide a rear, downwardly extending portion [3 adapted to be positioned adjacent the rear surface of the belt H and a frontal portion [4 extending downwardly parallel to the rear portion [3 for engaging the front surface of the belt II, which portions I3 and M are continually urged toward each other by the inherent resiliency of the material and may be spread apart to receive therebetween the belt ll of the user. The lower end of the front portion I4 is provided with an outwardly protruding curved portion [5 which is adapted to encircle a valve coupling I6. The coupling l6 has attached to one side thereof one end of a flexible hose ll leading to the mask or respirator (not shown) of the user and has attached to its opposed side a hose Ila leading to a conventional air supply plant.

Since it is most desirable to support the hose line at or adjacent the point of greatest weight, the encircling portion 15 is adapted to resiliently encircle the coupling l6 and is provided with an elongated, vertically extending slot I8 through which the valve control mechanism I9 is adapted to extend. The valve control mechanism I9 is formed with a shaft 20 which is adapted to extend into the coupling I6 through a boss or extension 2l formed on the coupling to control conventional valve mechanism 2la within the coupling, the boss 2| being of a diameter substantially equal to the width of the slot l8 to prevent the coupling from pulling out of the holster.

The conventional packing nut 22 and operating knob 23 are assembled subsequent to the attachment of the holster to the coupling, the knob 23 being attached by suitable means such as a screw 3 or the like to the shaft 20 to control the operation of the valve mechanism 2 la within the coupling.

As shown in the drawing, the valve control mechanism [9 can be normally carried in an upright position adjacent the frontal portion 14 of the holster Ill and substantially parallel to the body of the wearer where it will be less apt to become accidently operated as it might if it was located so as to extend outwardly. However, since it is much easier to operate the control mechanism I9 if it is angled outwardly with respect to the frontal portion 14 of the clip, the elongated slot [8 has been provided so that the valve control mechanism xi -9 may be grasped by the user and turned within the encircling portion l of the clip II} to a position as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2 where it may be more easily operated. It is to be understood that such movement of the valve device is confined to the extent of movement permitted the boss 2'! by the .slot land is against the tension exerted by the inherent resiliency of the material of the encircling portion l5. Subsequent to the operation of the control mechanism [9, the valve device can be turned in the opposite direction within the encircling portion I5 and thus returned to the normal initial position.

Withsuch a construction it is quite evident that since the device is supported at the point of greatest weight, there will be less likelihood of the hoses I1 and Ila becoming disconnected from the coupling 16 and thereby rendering the air supply system inefficient. Also, by reducing the total or overall weight carried by the mask or respirator when in position of use on the face of the user, this will result in increased efficiency of the mask or respirator since such added weight will not tend to cause the mask or respirator to become disengaged from the face of the wearer.

From the foregoing it will'be seen that simple, efiicient and economical means have been provided for accomplishing all of the objects and advantages of the invention by providing a clip or holster which is adapted 'to be positioned on the waist belt of a user and which is adapted to resiliently support a hose at or adjacent the valve control mechanism, with means being provided for controlling movement of the valve control mechanism into and out of a position where it maybe more easily operated.

While the novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out F Number 4 in the annexed claim, it will be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described as the preferred only are set forth by way of illustration.

'1 claim:

A holster for use in supporting the valve of an air supply hose in attached relation to the body of a user wherein the valve includes a coupling and control mechanism protruding from one side thereof, said holster being formed of a single strip of resilient material having one end portion folded transversely of its longitudinal axis to form a pair of substantially parallel front and rear flat portions continually urged toward each other by the inherent resiliency of the material and adapted to be spread apart to resiliently engage a portion of the wearers belt when inserted therebetween, and the other end portion of :said strip being curved forwardly (and outwardly of the front one of said parallel flat portions and thence downwardl atnd upwardly in the form of an arc constituting the greater part of :a circle, substantially all of said holster including said curved end portion being located forwardly of the plane of the rear one of said fiatportions so that the holster may fit comfortably on the wearer when in position of use, and said curved end portion having a diameter less than. that of the valve coupling to be inserted therein so that the coupling will be resiliently heldinplace thereby, said curved end portion having an elongated slot on its forward side extending in the direction of the length thereof permitting the control mechanism of said valve to be extended therethrough, and said slot being of a length to permitconvenient angling of said control mechanism to diiferent positions when said valve is in assembled relation with the holster.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Douglass May 7, 1912 Garrity Aug. 26, 1913 Jewell Dec. 14, 1915 Morrison Feb. 25, 1919 Keely Aug. 14, 1923 Stieg1er Mar. 24, 1925

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