Hose winding cart.

The present invention relates to a hose winding cart, which may be particularly employed for gardening purposes.

Suitable devices are well known and widely diffused, particularly in the gardening field, which devices permit a sufficient quantity of hose to be stored in an adequate spool, by winding it normally around the same spool, which in turn is so shaped as to permit the whole to be shifted.

In case of devices provided for having limited performances and therefore also with limited sizes, the spool is applied merely to a suitable structure comprising a handle or forming a handle or the like, which permits the user to grasp it for effecting the-displacements thereof.

On the contrary, in case of devices provided for having considerable performances, also the spool is provided with larger sizes and therefore is adequately supported by a suitable structure provided with wheels, so forming an effective cart, wherein such.kinds of devices are commonly called "hose winding carts".

Thus, a large range of hose winding cars is known and utilized, which cars are shaped substantially in a very similar manner as they are constituted by different elements, which are assembled together in several manners and which cars differ each other merely in some constructive parts and especially in the relevant assembling system thereof.

Normally, the different component parts of such hose winding carts are assembled and fixed together, in a more or less removable manner, by means of suitable con nection elements like screw, bolts, nuts etc. and they always require adequate tools to be utilized in combination therewith.

In some cases, any constructive parts thereof may be assembled by means of snap connections, which however normally provide connections practically irreversible. Therefore, it appears evident that it is as much as ever appropriate to provide a device of the kind referred to, which results to be constituted by a small number of component parts to be executed in an easier way and which also permits the'relevant assembling and disassembling thereof to be performed in a very simple and quickly manner as well as without the need of any tool, so as to have always available a group of elements provided with reduced overall dimensions when they are disassembled, and consequently to provide advantages both in the storage and transport thereof. The hose winding cart according to the present invention permits all the above specified scopes to be obtained, which cart is basically constituted in a per se known manner by: a handle and a base element, both formed from an adequately shaped metallic tube and which are reciprocally interconnected by two lateral elements, which elements are able to receive respectively, the first one a first stud whose end portions are provided with connections to permit the hoses to be connected therein, and the other one thereof a stud provided with a crank, wherein such studs are able to support at their resulting inner end portions a spool for winding an adequate portion of a hose, and the base element is also provided laterally with two wheels, and wherein such a hose winding cart is characterized in that all the component elements thereof, excluded both the handle and the base element which are made by metal, are made by plastic and the most part of the same has double functions during the cart assembling, wherein all the different component elements thereof may be assembled together and reciprocally interconnected by means of a simple snap connection, which is obtained through adequate .connecting means constituted by resiliently deformable coupling elements, which are provided on a component element thereof and are able to be coupled with correspondent recesses provided on the component element which is complementary with respect to the first one, and wherein all the coupling elements may be accessible and operated in their uncoupled ccn dition without need of any tool.

The features and advantages of the hose winding cart referred to will be better understood in a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of a not limiting example, which will be hereinafter described in detail referring to the attached drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>- fig. 1 shows a front view of the hose winding cart according to the present invention, which illustrates the connecting systems for the reversible connections of the different component elements, which systems are cut in part;</li><li>- fig. 2 shows the same cart of fig. 1, in a lateral view thereof;</li><li>- fig. 3 shows an element forming a half-spool, in a front view taken from the inner side of the spool resulting therefrom;</li><li>- fig. 4 is a lateral view of fig. 3, cut along the line I-T;</li><li>- fig. 5 shows an enlarged view of the connection of the two half-spocls shown in the preceding fig. 3 and 4, in order to form the winding spool;</li><li>- fig. 6 is a front view of one of the lateral elements, connecting both the handle and the base and supporting the spool studs, which element is taken from the side resulting to be comprised inside the cart during the assembling thereof;</li><li>- fig. 7 shows the same element of fig. 6, in a lateral view thereof, which element comprises some parts cut along the line II-II of such a figure;</li><li>- fig. 8 shows, in a partial cut front view, the lateral stud acting also as a connection system for both the hose for the external connection and the hose to be wound around the spool;</li><li>- fig. 9 shows, in a partial cut front view too, the other lateral stud provided with a handle for winding the hose;</li><li>- fig. 10 shows, in a partial cut front view and in an enlarged scale, the connection systems of a lateral element to a correspondent half-spool, which is obtained by means of the stud acting as a connection element for both the hose for the external connection and the hose to be wound around the spool, as well as for the base element;</li><li>- fig. 1 is an enlarged view like that one of fig. 10, which illustrates the connection system for the lateral element which is opposite to the relevant half-spool, wherein such a connection system is obtained by means of the stud comprising the winding crank;</li><li>- fig. 12,13 and 14 show the wheel stud in its three orthogonal views, wherein the fig. 14 is a sectioned view taken along the line III-III of fig. 13;</li><li>- fig. 15 shows a cut view of the assembling system of a wheel to the base element of the hose winding cart referred to;</li><li>- fig. 16 and 17 respectively are a partial cut front view and a correspondent lateral view of an enlargement element, which may be inserted between the two half-spools for obtaining an enlargement of the same spool;</li><li>fig. 18 shows, in a front view like the fig. 1, a cart provided with an enlarged spool, which has been obtained by means of the enlargement element illustra ted by the fig. 16 and 17.</li></ul>

In the above mentioned figures, the items which are common bear the same numerical references.

Referring to these figures and particularly to fig. 1 and 2, it is to be noticed that the considered hose winding cart is constituted by the following component elements: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>- a handle 1 formed by an "U" bent metallic tube, which determines a transversal portion 11, at the end portions of which there are extended orthogonally two lateral arms 12, wherein through holes 121 are provided near the free end portion of these arms and in correspondence of the inner side thereof which is comprised between the two arms, in which holes the respective coupling pins 361 of the lateral elements 3 will be engaged, as it is hereinafter described. In addition, two opposite grooves 122 are also provided in the respective free end portions of the lateral arms 12, for the scopes which are also hereinafter described;</li><li>- a base element 2, which is also formed by an "U" bent metallic tube and determines, like the previously described handle 1, a transverse portion 21 from the ends of which two lateral arms 22 are orthogonally extended therefrom, the ends of which are also bent adequately at the same side so forming portions 22a provided with through holes 221 near the free ends of the portions referred to and in correspondence of the inner side resulting to be compriped between the lateral arms 22, wherein the through holes 221 are equivalent to the above specified through holes 121 of: the handle 1 and have the same function thereof.</li></ul>

Moreover, a transversal tubular portion 23 is connected, preferably by welding, at the vertices of the bent zones of the said lateral arms 22 (22a), the ends of which portion are slightly projected from the sides of the structure of the base element 2.

In addition, such a transversal tubular portion 23 is provided near its ends with two diametrically opposite through holes 231, in which the coupling teeth 85 of the studs 8 of the wheels 7 will be engaged (see also fig. 15), in a manner which will be hereinafter described; <ul id="ul0003" list-style="none"><li>- a lateral element 3 clearly illustrated with referen ce particularly to fig. 6 and 7, which element is formed by two arms 31, equal each other and appropriately tapered toward their ends, said arms 31 resulting to be convergent in such a manner as to form an angle of 120° approximately.</li></ul>

A cylindrical bush 32 is formed in correspondence of the vertex zone of the arms 31 referred to and is pro vided with two longitudinal grooves 321, whose function will be described afterwards.

At the ends of the two arms 31 there are provided two hollow cylindrical bodies 33, which are closed in their inner end and present an inner diameter which is equal to the outer diameter of the tubular ends of the lateral arms of either the handle 1 or the base 2, which engage with them in a manner which will be next descri bed.

The part of the hollow cylindrical bodies 33 which is situated inside the cart, when the latter has been assembled, presents a longitudinal opening 34 extended for a sufficient lenght from the bottom side 35 thereof, wherein a resilient tongue 36 is provided inside the

opening 34 and is extended from the bottom side 35 of the same, which resilient tongue is provided with a coupling pin 361 able to be engaged within the through holes 121 or 122.

Besides, a transversal relief 37 is provided on the bottom side 35 referred to to permit the above specified two opposite grooves 122 to be engaged therewith, which grooves in turn are provided at the free ends of either the lateral arms 12 of the handle 1 or the portions 22a of the base element 2, so permitting transversal movements of the said free ends to be prevented; <ul id="ul0004" list-style="none"><li>- a first stud 4 clearly illustrated with reference particularly to fig. 8, which is formed by a hollow cylindrical body 41 having an outer diameter equal to that one of the holes determined by the cylindrical bushes 32 of the cited lateral elements 3, as well as to the diameter of the holes provided in the cylindrical bushes 623, which in turn are disposed at the central zone of the lateral flanges 62 of the winding spool 6. An annular relief 42 is provided at one end of the first stud 4 and is projecting for a determinate portion therefrom, wherein the annular relief 42 terminates with a first male part 43 of a quickly connecting joint and the other end of the same terminates, on the contrary, with an outer threaded portion 44 in which a correspondent inner threaded ring nut 45 is engaged, from which a second male part 46 always of a quickly connecting joint, equal to the previous one, is extended. Moreover, two tongues 47 which are complementary to said longitudinal grooves 321 in which they may be engaged, are provided near the threaded portion 44, in such a manner that the stud 4 is prevented from being rotated into the cylindrical bush 32, as it will be described later;</li><li>- a second stud 5, clearly illustrated in fig. 9 and formed by a hollow cylindrical body 51 having the same diameter of that one of the first stud 4 and terminating at its free end with a plurality of longi tudinal notches, which are penetrating therein so as to determine a plurality of resilient tongues 52, provided at their free ends with teeth 53 projecting radially and outwardly therefrom, whose function will be later described.</li></ul>

In addition, two tongues 57 which are complementary to the longitudinal grooves 624 are provided near the resilient tongues 52 and permit them, as it will be hereinafter described, to be engaged with the same longi tudinal grooves 624 so as to connect together both the spool 6 and the crank 54, which actuates the same spool. The arm 541 of the crank 54 is extended radially from the other end of the stud 5, from which arm the hollow cylindrical body 542 is extended, at the end thereof, which body constitutes the journal for the relative handle 55 thereof.

Also this journal terminates at its free end with a plu rality of resilient tongues 543, provided with outwardly projecting teeth 544 at the respective free end thereof.

The handle 55, in turn, is constituted by a tubular cylindrical body 551 having a raised edge 552 at its terminal portion situated near the arm 541, wherein the tubular cylindrical body 551 is provided with an inner annular relief 553 near its other end.

Clearly, by connecting the handle 55 over the relevant journal 542, the annular relief 553 bears against the inclined front parts of the teeth 544, and pushes inwardly the ends of the resilient tongues 543, which however return back outwardly as soon as the teeth 544 have been got over the annular relief 553, so engaging themselves against the latter and preventing the handle 55 from being extracted therefrom; <ul id="ul0005" list-style="none"><li>- a half -spool 61 clearly illustrated by the fig. 3 and 4 and constituted by a discoidal body 621, provided with suitable stiffening ribs 622 and forming a lateral flange 62, wherein the discoidal body 621 comprises at its central zone a cylindrical bush 623 provided with two diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 624, whose function will be later described.</li></ul>

In addition, two diametrically and simmetrically opposi te circular shells 63 are extended from the surface of the discoidal body 621 which is comprised inside the spool, when the latter is assembled as described later, which shells costitute a half of the spool drum obtained in a manner which will be hereinafter described.

Such circular shells 63 are each provided with a portion of cylindrical surface 64 extending about 1/4 of the cor respondent circumference, whose lateral edges are provided with tubular cylindrical elements 65, which are disposed in the inner side thereof and terminate at their free ends with two male parts 66, the one, and two female parts 67 of snap connecting_' elements, the other one.

Each of the two male parts 66 is constituted by a short tubular portion 661, extending from the free ends of the correspondent tubular cylindrical elements 65 and provided in its inner side with an annular relief 662, followed by two diametrically opposite openings 663.

On the contrary, each of the two female parts 67 is constituted by two resilient tongues 671 projecting from an inner transversal element 672 and terminating near the free ends of the correspondent tubular cylindrical elements 65, wherein the respective parts of the tongues referred to are each provided with a tooth 673 able to be

engaged with the inner side of a respective annular relief 662 of the correspondent male part, so positioning it in correspondence of the openings 663; <ul id="ul0006" list-style="none"><li>- a wheel 7 clearly illustrated by the fig. 15 and constituted by a discoidal body 71, provided in its central part with a cylindrical bush 72 as well as a cylindrical body 73 in its peripheral part, which body is projected from the same side of the central cylindrical bush 72 and forms the rolling surface of the same wheel;</li><li>- a stud 8 of the wheel 7, which is able to fix the wheel over a correspondent end of the transversal tubular portion 23 of the base element 2 referred to. Such a stud 8, clearly illustrated by the fig. 9, 10 and 11, is constituted by a cylindrical body comprising a first portion 81 forming the effective stud of the wheel 7 and provided at its one end with a projected annular part 83, as well as with a second cylindrical portion 84 extended therefrom at its other end, which portion has an outer diameter equal to the inner diame ter of the transversal tubular portion 23, in which it will be introduced as described later.</li></ul>

The free end of the second cylindrical portion 84, in turn, is provided with longitudinal notches which generate a couple of diametrically opposite resilient tongues 85, which are provided at their respective free ends with correspondent teeth 86, which are externally protruding therefrom and act for being engaged, as described, within the holes 231 provided on the transversal tubular portion 23.

From what it has been just described it appears evident that the cart referred to may be assembled easily and in a very simple manner, and it also may be disassembled without the need of any tool.

In addition, the peculiar shaping of the single components thereof is such as to permit that the most part of the same components carries out double functions, which fact permits a reduction of the means foreseen for their manufacture to be obtained.

In the case referred to, this reduction is related to the molds; in fact, the wheels 7 and the relevant studs 8 thereof, the half-spools 61 and the lateral elements 3 are all symmetric elements which are dispo sed in an opposite symmetrical relationship each other during the cart assembling.

Such operations are now described synthetically, in order to understand better the simplicity of the assem bling and disassembling of the present cart.

To this purpose, two half-spools 61 are taken and disposed in an opposed position each other, with the flanges 62 situated on the outside thereof and in such a manner that the respective snap connecting elements result to be positioned with the male parts 66 opposed to the correspondent female parts 670

Then, by pushing them the one against the other one, these male-and female parts are reciprocally interconnected until the teeth 673, provided on the ends of the resilient tongues 671 of the female parts 67, as they have just got over the respective annular reliefs 662 provided on the inner side of the tubular portions 661 of the male parts 66, are engaged against the inner edge of the annular reliefs 662 so ensuring to obtain a reciprocal connection of the two half-spools and consequently the assembling of the whole spool 6. Evidently, it is also possible to disconnect this spool simply by pressing the teeth 673 inwardly through an action exerted on the same by the ends of two fingers introduced within the openings 663. Afterwards, the support structure of the so obtained spool 6 is assembled by inserting, into the hollow cylindrical bodies 33 of two lateral elements 3 which have been disposed in a reciprocal opposite relationship, the ends of the lateral arms 12 of the handle 1, at the one side, and the ends of the lateral arms 22 of the base element 2, at the other side thereof.

This operation will continue until the coupling pins 361 provided on the ends of the resilient tongues 36, which in turn are provided, as already described, on the hollow cylindrical bodies 33, may penetrate into the through holes 121, 122, which are provided on the respective ends of the lateral arms referred to.

In this way, the handle 1 and the base element 2 result to be connected to the lateral elements 3.

Also in this case it is possible to- have these components reciprocally disconnected, simply by pushing the coupling pins 361 inwardly, which action may be obtained by introducing a finger end through a correspondent longitudinal opening 34.

It is to point out that, as already specified, in the connected position thereof the opposite grooves 122 provided on the ends of the lateral arms 12 and 22 are engaging themselves within the correspondent transversal reliefs 37, so that to prevent such ends from being submitted to any transversal oscillation and consequently ensuring a considerably rigid connection.

Then, the wheels 7 and the spool 6 are assembled to the so obtained support structure.

In turn, the wheels 7 are assembled simply by inserting a stud 8 into the hole of the respective cylindrical bush 72 and then by inserting the second cylindrical portion 84 of the same stud in a correspondent end of the transversal tubular portion 23, which is fixed onto the base element 2 as already described until the teeth 86 of this stud penetrate into the correspondent holes 231 provided on such end of the transversal tubular portion 23. In this manner, the connection of the stud 8 is ensured and therefore also the wheel 7 is fixed,as it is supported by such a stud and retained between the edge of the end of the transversal tubular portion 23 and the projected annular part 73, which results to be disposed on the outer end portion of the stud 8.

Also this connection is easily reversible, in fact it is sufficient to push inwardly the teeth 86, always acting with the ends of two finders, in crder to extract the stud 8 therefrom and thus disassemble the respective wheels 7.

Finally, the spool 6 is assembled to the support structure referred to simply by inserting the first stud 4 into the correspondent cylindrical bush 32 of the two lateral elements 3, as well as into the correspondent cylindrical bush 623 of the lateral flanges 62 of the same spool 6, at the one side thereof, and the second stud 5 into the rare components at the other side thereof.

The first stud 4 is inserted, at the beginning, from the inner side of the spool 6 into the relevant cylindrical bush 623 and then into the cylindrical bush 32 of the correspondent lateral element 3, in such a man ner as the tongues 47 of the same penetrate into the relative longitudinal grooves 321, which are provided within the cylindrical bush 32 as already described. Afterwards, the relative inner threaded ring nut 45 is screwed onto the outer threaded portion 44, which is projected from the lateral element 3, so as the first stud 4 supports a lateral element 3 with the correspon dent flange 62, which are so reciprocally fixed and result to be comprised and retained between the annular relief 42, provided on the inner end of this stud, and the threaded ring nut 45.

On the contrary, the stud 5 is simply inserted, at the beginning into the cylindrical bush 32 of the other lateral element 3 and then into the cylindrical bush 623 of the correspondent lateral flange 62 of the spool 6, in which the respective tongues 57 penetrate into the correspondent longitudinal grooves 624 of the relative half-spool 61.

Thus, the spool 6 results to be supported at both sides ard the crank 54 may drive it in rotation, as the same is connected to said spool by means of the connection constituted by the tongues 57 and the longitudinal grooves 624.

The teeth 53 provided at the ends of the resilient ton gues 52 will push the latter inwardly, while passing through the cylindrical bushes 32 and 623 and may spread themselves, just after they have got over the inner edge of the cylindrical bush 623, so that these teeth will engage themselves with the inner edge of the cylindrical bush 623, so preventing the latter from being extracted therefrom.

On the contrary, the relevant extraction thereof may be effected simply by pushing the teeth 53 inwardly, always acting on the same with the ends of two fingers only.

Thus, the hose winding cart referred to is completely assembled and may be always not only assembled but also disassembled in a very simple and easy manner, without the need of any tool, as it has been clearly set forth. In addition, such a hose winding cart may be easily enlarged by using an enlargement element 9, clearly illustrated by the fig. 16 and 17, which is practically similar to one of the circular shells 63 of the half-spool referred to.

In practice, the enlargement element 9 is constituted by a cylindrical surface portion 94, equal to the cylindrical surface 64 of the circular shells 63, the lateral edges of which are also provided with tubular cylindrical elements 95, which are also equivalent to the tubular cylindrical elements 65, wherein the tubu lar cylindrical elements 95 terminate with two male parts 96, at the one side thereof, and with two female parts 97 at the other side, which parts in turn are completely equal to the respective male parts 66 and female parts 67 of the circular shells 63 of the half-spools 61.

In this manner, it is evident that by interposing one or more pairs of such enlargement elements 9 between two half-spools 61, it is possible to enlarge the spool 6 as much as one likes.

Fig. 18 clearly illustrates a cart of the kind referred to which has been enlarged by using a pair of such enlargement elements 9.

Obviously,-for the carts which have been enlarged it is requested the use of handles 1 and base elements 2 also with greater sizes, in the transversal direction thereof, while the other components of the carts remain always the same.

This cart permits various advantages to be obtained. In fact, the simplicity of the assembling and disassembling system thereof allows its components to be packed within small-sized boxes, which fact results to be useful as much as ever during both the packaging and the transport of the same components,

The solution which has been described, then, allows also elements with double function to be utilized, which fact permits their manufacturing costs as well as the investment costs for the molds involved in their manu facture to be cut down.

Finally, due to the possibility to insert one or more enlargement elements 9 between the two half-spools, it is possible to obtain hose winding carts with greater sizes and therefore greater performances by utilizing elements which are equal for the most part. Evidently, the same solution here described may be advantageously epplied also on similar devices, particularly the small-sized portable hose winding apparatus, which normally are unprovided with an effective cart structure with relevant wheels.

It may be well understood that the cart referred to may be realised in different embodiments thereof, however without departing from the sphere thereof which has been here described and next claimed, with reference to the enclosed drawings, and therefore from the protection field of the present industrial invention.