US3125361A

US3125361A - Tube harness

Info

Publication number: US3125361A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-17

Description

March 17, 1964 P. J. WEAVER TUBE HARNESS Filed Feb. 7, 1961 ATTOR/V'YI.

United States Patent Oflice Patented Mar. 17, 1964 3,125,361 TUBE HARNESS Paul J. Weaver, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Stanley G. Harwood, South Pasadena, Calif. Filed Feb. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 87,613 2 Claims. (Cl. 285137) This application relates to a tube harness for the guiding and simultaneous interconnection of a plurality of fluid-conveying tubings to terminal ports.

The use of multiple-contactor couplings for making electrical and electronic connections is well known. Such plugs enable a large number of circuits to be made or broken simultaneously. This is a convenience which makes the use of electrical power desirable for many uses where, were a like coupling available for fluid systems, fluid power might be used. There are many applications where fluid power is really preferable. In some of them, the absence of a really effective coupling for the simultaneous connecting or disconnecting of a plurality of pneumatic or hydraulic lines has led to a reluctance to utilize such power, where otherwise the suitability of such power would justify, and even suggest, its use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tube harness which includes a plurality of tubes and coupling means whereby these tubes can be quickly and expedi tiously connected to respective terminal ports, and just as quickly and expeditiously disconnected therefrom.

A tube harness according to this invention comprises a plurality of tubes and a coupling at one end thereof. The coupling includes an attachment plate which has a plurality of attachment ports passing therethrough. There is a sleeve integral with the attachment plate aligned with each of said attachment ports. All of these sleeves project beyond the attachment plate from the same side thereof. Each tube passes through a respective attachment port, and its sleeve is crimped into its wall to indent and retain the tube.

A transfer plate has a plurality of transfer ports which are aligned with respective attachment ports. These receive the sleeve. Fastener means hold the transfer plate to the attachment plate so that the assembly of the tube ends and the two plates can be handled as a unit.

The coupling further includes a base having a sink for receiving at least the transfer plate, and is also provided with retainer means for holding the attachment and retainer plates in the sink. Base ports, which constitute terminal ports for other parts of the respective circuits pass through the base and are aligned with respective transfer ports.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, the transfer ports are each provided with counter-bores at both ends which receive sealing rings that seal between the transfer plate and the attachment plate on one side, and the transfer plates and the base on the other.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in cut-away crosssection taken at line 1-1 of FIG. 2 showing the presently preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken at line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows a supporting structure which might be a bulkhead or a mounting plate to which there is attached by hold-down bolts 11 a base 12 which forms the stationary part of a coupling according to the invention.

The base has a plurality of base ports 14 which constitute terminal ports for a plurality of conduits 15. It is the object of the device shown in FIG. 1 to couple a plurality of flexible tubes 16 to a plurality of conduits 15,

making simultaneous connection or disconnection with all of them.

The base includes a sink 17 having an internally walled section 18. The internally walled section has an external thread 19 thereon.

The harness includes a cover 20 which shrouds the tubes so that they are grouped together. The shroud is attached to an adapter 21. The adapter has a hold-down flange 22 at its end closest to the base and a thread 23 by which the shroud is attached.

The coupling includes an attachment plate 25 which has a plurality of attachment ports 26 passing therethrough. Each of the ports has a sleeve 27 integral with the bottom face 28 of the attachment plate. The tubes pass through their respective attachment ports and project beyond the sleeve. Each sleeve has a crimped end 29 which indents the tubing and retains it against expulsion in the vertical direction in FIG. 1.

A transfer plate 30 has an upper face 31 held flush against lower face 28 of the attachment plate by fastener means comprising screws 32. The transfer plate has a plurality of transfer ports 33 which are aligned with respective ones of the attachment ports and of the base ports. Each transfer port has a first and a second counter-bore 34, 35 in the upper and lower faces, respectively of the transfer plate. This leaves a central ridge 36 having

shoulders

37, 38 at its top and bottom surfaces.

A first sealing ring 40 fits in counter-bore 34 and extends between and seals with the outer side wall of sleeve 27 and the side Wall of counter-bore 34. Another sealing ring 41 is fitted in counter-bore 35 and extends and seals between shoulder 38 and the bottom of sink 17. Thus sealing ring 40 makes a fluid seal between the attachment and transfer plates. Sealing ring 41 makes a fluid seal between the transfer plate and the base. Both of these sealing rings encircle the fluid channel defined by the ports and by the tube so as to completely contain fluid in the tube.

Retainer means comprising a cap 42 with an internal thread 43 and an internally projecting flange 44 is threaded to the external thread on cylindrical wall 18. Flange 44 bears against washer 4S and thereby compresses the stagk beneath it to hold the coupling firmly assembled. It will be observed that connections and disconnections are readily accomplished merely by threading or unthreading the retainer. The seal between the attachment and transfer plates is a reliable one, because of the screw connection between them and the fluid sealing connection between the transfer plates. It will be recognized that retainer means other than the threaded cap could be provided such as many types of quick disconnects, cam locks, wedge locks, and other types of fastenings. If desired, keys (not shown) can be provided to assure rotational alignment between the ports in the transfer plate and in the base.

This invention thereby provides a simple and expedient harness and coupling means whereby plurality of fluid circuits can be made or broken quickly and easily. This harness is particularly useful with flexible tubes, such as nylon tubes, which can be indented by a crimped sleeve without substantial cold-flow. However, it is also useful for less flexible tubes, even metallic tubes, but the principal usage is with a grouping of flexible tubes, much the equivalent of a wiring harness.

The invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tube harness comprising: a plurality of tubes; an

attachment plate having a plurality of attachment ports passing therethrough; a sleeve aligned with each of said attachment ports, integral with and projecting beyond the attachment plate, all of said sleeves being on the same side thereof, one of said tubes passing through each of said attachment ports, each sleeve being crimped into its respective tube to indent and retain the same; a transfer plate having a plurality of transfer ports, each being aligned with one of said attachment ports and adapted to receive a respective sleeve, and a counter-bore at each end of each transfer port, a sealing ring in each of said counter-bores; each sealing ring in one face of said transfer plate being adapted to encircle, extend between, and seal between the respective sleeve and the wall of its counter-bore; a base having a plurality of base ports, each being aligned with one of said transfer ports; an internally walled section on said base surrounding and embracing the transfer plate and forming a sink for receiving the transfer plate, whereby the transfer ports are held aligned with the base ports, and with the sealing rings on the second face of the transfer plate extending between and sealing between the transfer plate and the base so as to seal around each of said transfer ports; external threads on said internally walled section; an internally flanged retainer cap threadedly engaged to the said internally Walled section and adapted to clamp the attachment plate against the transfer plate, and the transfer plate against the base; and fastener means joining the attachment plate to the transfer plate, whereby fluid connection between the tubes and the base ports is accomplished by placing the transfer plate in the sink and against the base plate and tightening down the cap to move the flange to bear against the attachment plate.

2. A tube harness according to claim 1 in which the transfer plate has a pair of opposite fiat parallel faces, the transfer port extending between the said faces, the counter-bores lying in said faces at the intersections of the transfer ports and the faces, the sealing rings being seated in said counter-bores so that the sealing rings at each respective face are substantially co-planar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,668 Weatherhead Mar. 6, 1934 2,785,536 Hinckley Mar. 19, 1957

Claims

1. A TUBE HARNESS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF TUBES; AN ATTACHMENT PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ATTACHMENT PORTS PASSING THERETHROUGH; A SLEEVE ALIGNED WITH EACH OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTS, INTEGRAL WITH AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE ATTACHMENT PLATE, ALL OF SAID SLEEVES BEING ON THE SAME SIDE THEREOF, ONE OF SAID TUBES PASSING THROUGH EACH OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTS, EACH SLEEVE BEING CRIMPED INTO ITS RESPECTIVE TUBE TO INDENT AND RETAIN THE SAME; A TRANSFER PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER PORTS, EACH BEING ALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A RESPECTIVE SLEEVE, AND A COUNTER-BORE AT EACH END OF EACH TRANSFER PORT, A SEALING RING IN EACH OF SAID COUNTER-BORES; EACH SEALING RING IN ONE FACE OF SAID TRANSFER PLATE BEING ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE, EXTEND BETWEEN, AND SEAL BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE SLEEVE AND THE WALL OF ITS COUNTER-BORE; A BASE HAVING A PLURALITY OF BASE PORTS, EACH BEING ALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID TRANSFER PORTS; AN INTERNALLY WALLED SECTION ON SAID BASE SURROUNDING AND EMBRACING THE TRANSFER PLATE AND FORMING A SINK FOR RECEIVING THE TRANSFER PLATE, WHEREBY THE TRANSFER PORTS ARE HELD ALIGNED WITH THE BASE PORTS, AND WITH THE SEALING RINGS ON THE SECOND FACE OF THE TRANSFER PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SEALING BETWEEN THE TRANSFER PLATE AND THE BASE SO AS TO SEAL AROUND EACH OF SAID TRANSFER PORTS; EXTERNAL THREADS ON SAID INTERNALLY WALLED SECTION; AN INTERNALLY FLANGED RETAINER CAP THREADEDLY ENGAGED TO THE SAID INTERNALLY WALLED SECTION AND ADAPTED TO CLAMP THE ATTACHMENT PLATE AGAINST THE TRANSFER PLATE, AND THE TRANSFER PLATE AGAINST THE BASE; AND FASTENER MEANS JOINING THE ATTACHMENT PLATE TO THE TRANSFER PLATE, WHEREBY FLUID CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TUBES AND THE BASE PORTS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PLACING THE TRANSFER PLATE IN THE SINK AND AGAINST THE BASE PLATE AND TIGHTENING DOWN THE CAP TO MOVE THE FLANGE TO BEAR AGAINST THE ATTACHMENT PLATE.