Compression band

United States Patent

I»J 3,579,754

<td> [72]</td><td> Inventor</td><td> Hans Oetiker</td>

<td></td><td></td><td> Oberdorfstrasse 21, Horgen, Switzerland</td>

<td> [21]</td><td> Appl. No.</td><td> 811,784</td>

<td> [22]</td><td> Filed</td><td> Apr. 1,1969</td>

<td> [45]</td><td> Patented</td><td> May 25,1971</td>

[54] COMPRESSION BAND

Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.CI............................

[51] Int.CI...................................

[50] Field of Search............................................

[56] References Cited

UNITED STATES PATENTS

1,956,107 4/1934 Suchter........................

24/279 B65d 63/00

24/19, 268-284

24/280

2,290,960 7/1942 Hallerberg.............

2,359,418 10/1944 Hartman.................

2,934,805 5/1960 Zartler..........

Primary Examiner— Leonard D. Christian Attorney—Craig, Antonelli, Stewart &amp; Hill

24/279

24/28IX

24/279

ABSTRACT: A compression band which includes a perforated band adapted to be tightened over a hoselike object by means of a closure mechanism consisting of two closure parts movable relative to one another; one end of the band is looped around one of the two closure parts while the other end of the band is threaded through openings formed in the two closure parts and is held in position by the engagement of hooks at the other closure part engaging in the perforation apertures, the closure mechanism is then tightened by means of a machine screw or the like.

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PATENTED MAY25I97I

3,579,754

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ATTORNEYS

3,579,754 1 2

COMPRESSION BAND

The present invention relates to a compression band, and more particularly to a closure mechanism for tightening a perforated band about a hose or the like.

Various types of compression bands as well as various types of hose clamps are known in the art. The main difficulties encountered with the prior-art compression bands and hose clamps, however, reside in the antagonistic requirements to provide compression bands adapted to fit any size of object and to minimize the costs and need for stocking a large number of parts.

In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,847,742, a ladder-type clamp is described in which a perforated steel band is used which is contracted by means of a separate clamping element provided with an outwardly extending fold adapted to be contracted. While this type of construction permitted the use of a single perforated band, to be cut to the desired length from reel-type stock, it entailed certain limitations as regards versatility of its application since the perforations, for reasons of strength and economy, have to be spaced apart a certain distance and the contraction of a fold, provided for a tight clamping action, offered only a relatively narrow range as to the sizes of the object.

The present invention seeks to obviate the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered in the prior art and aims at a compression band with a closure mechanism that is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and offering a wide versatility in the use of the clamp, especially as to the size of the object to be clamped.

The present invention essentially consists in connecting a perforated band of the type described in my aforementioned prior patent by an infinitely or continuously adjustable closure mechanism which is tightened by a simple machine screw. Since the tightening screw can be made of any desired length, the clamp in accordance with the present invention can be adjusted continuously and can thus be used with an object of practically any desired size, it being merely necessary to cut the perforated band to the approximately correct length.

The closure mechanism itself is constructed in a simple manner of two parts which can be readily stamped out from appropriate sheet metal plates and formed into the appropriate shape by a few simple operations.

To that end, the two parts, originally stamped out from flat plate material are each provided with two spaced sidewall portions, suitably apertured to receive a spacer element conventionally secured in these apertures. Each part further includes a first, tonguelike portion adapted to overlap one another for the mutual guidance of the two parts relative to one another as well as a circumferentially projecting second portion, opposite the tonguelike first portion, which is provided in one part with hooks appropriately punched out from the material and in the other part, with a slot through which one end of the band can be inserted.

The perforated band may also be subdivided into two or more sections connected with each other by a simple, elastic connecting means which imparts to the compression band a certain self-adjusting elasticity, needed in certain applications, for example, in case of rapidly fluctuating pressures, to compensate for aging in the hose material, etc.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compression band which avoids by simple means the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered in the prior art.

Another object of the present invention resides in a compression band which can be used with objects of any size.

A further object of the present invention resides in a compression band and closure mechanism which is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and requires the stocking of relatively few parts for all sizes of its applications.

Still another object of the present invention resides in a hose clamp utilizing a perforated, ladder-type band which permits objects, such as hoses of an infinite number of sizes to be clamped and tightened onto nipples or the like.

These and further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, two embodiments in accordance with the present invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a compression band in accordance with the present invention for tightening a plastic hose onto a steel nipple or the like.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the closure mechanism in accordance with the present invention in its assembled condition.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view on the closure mechanism of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the two closure parts of the closure mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the other of the two closure parts of the closure mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial exploded view showing an elastic connection between subdivided sections of the perforated band in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a somewhat schematic perspective view illustrating the connection of the subdivided sections of FIG. 6 in the assembled condition thereof.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like references numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts and more particularly to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 generally designates therein an object such as a plastic hose or the like which is intended to be tightly clamped over a fixed metallic part generally designated by reference numeral 11 which may be, for example, a nipple or pipe. A perforated band generally designated by reference numeral 20 includes a plurality of approximately rectangular apertures 21 and may be of the type disclosed in my aforementioned patent. As disclosed in this patent, the perforated band of suitable steel material can be stocked in continuous length in the form of a roll form which the desired length of the band for the particular application is then cut, for example, by means of simple cutting pliers.

The ends of the band 20 are tightened over the hose 10 by means of a closure mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 30 which consists of two parts, namely of the one closure part generally designated by reference numeral 30α (FIG. 4) and of the other closure part generally designated by reference numeral 30b (FIG. 5). These two parts are held together and tightened by means of a machine screw 31 in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. Each of the parts 30α and 30b includes two sidewall portions 31α, 32α and 31b, 32b bent up at substantially right angles from the center bottom portion 33α and 33b. The bottom portions 33α and 33b may be slightly curved in the circumferential direction of the band in anticipation of the curvature of the object on which they are to be ultimately mounted but are substantially flat in a plane perpendicular thereto, i.e., in a plane parallel to and passing through the axis of the hose. The sidewall portions 31α and 32α as well as the sidewall portions 31b and 32b are provided with aligned apertures 45 for receiving therein the pinlike end portions 35α and 35b (FIG. 3) of the circular spacer elements 34α and 34b, respectively, which are secured in the apertures 45 in any known conventional manner. The spacer element 34α is provided with a plain bore 36α transverse to its longitudinal direction while the spacer member 34b is provided with a similar but threaded bore 36b. The center bottom portion 33α is adjoined by a first tonguelike portion 38α on one side and by a second circumferentially projecting portion 39α, the latter being provided near its end with a slot 37 of such width that the band can be extended therethrough and folded back on itself during assembly as will be described more fully hereinafter. The tonguelike, first extension 38α is adapted to overlap a similar tonguelike first portion 38b provided at the other part 30b (FIG. 5). Opposite the tonguelike first extension 38b, the part 30b is

3,579,754 provided with a second, circumferentially extending projecting portion 39b from which are punched out several hooks 40, two in the illustrated embodiment. The circumferentially extending tonguelike first portions 38α and 386 continue with the same curvature in the circumferential direction as the bottom portions 33a and 33b, and the second circumferentially extending portions 39α and 39b are similarly curved, as can be seen from the side view of FIG. 2.

OPERATION

The assembly and operation of the compression band in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

At first, the end 20α of the band 20 is slipped through the slot 37 from above and then back upon itself as illustrated in FIG. 1. The closure mechanism 30 consisting of the two parts 30α and 306 as well as of screw 31 had been preassembled by sliding the tonguelike extension 386 over the tonguelike extension 38α and by inserting the machine screw 31 from the end containing the plain bore 36α, and thereafter threadably engaging the machine screw 31 in threaded bore 366.

In order to permit the tonguelike extension 386 to fit between the two sidewall portions 31α and 32α of part 30α, the sides 38' and 38 thereof have a slight taper as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Next, the end 206 of the bend is threaded through the openings formed by spacer 346, sidewalls 316 and 326 and bottom portion 336, on the one hand, and by spacer 34α, sidewalls 31α and 32α and bottom portion 33α, on the other. The band 20 is then tightened about the hose 10 as tight as possible at which time the hooks 40 are permitted to engage into the nearest perforation apertures 21, the hooks 40 being punched out in such a way that they slant in the direction of the tightening movement of the band to facilitate the assembly. After the hooks 40 engage in corresponding perforation apertures 21, the screw 31 is tightened by means of a simple screw drive, until the screwhead 31' engages at the spacer 34α whereupon further tightening of the screw 31 will draw together the parts 30α and 306 and therewith will tighten the band 20 about the hose 10 until a predetermined tightness is achieved.

To remove the compression band, it is only necessary to proceed in reverse by loosening screw 31 until the band 20 can be disengaged with its perforations apertures 21 from the hooks 40. Thus, one of the considerable advantages of the present invention resides in the fact that the band can be assembled and disassembled without the need of the total destruction of any part.

In some applications it may be desirable, if not necessary to provide a self-adjusting springiness or elasticity on the part of the band to compensate for rapidly fluctuating pressures, for aging of the hose material, etc. Since the closure mechanism 30 of tee present invention is devoid of any inherent elasticity, this deficiency can be readily remedied by subdividing the band 20 into two or more sections and by connecting together the subdivided band sections in such a manner as to provide such elasticity. To this end, the band sections 20' and 20 (FIGS. 6 and 7) are modified by providing near the respective ends thereof apertures 21' of sufficient length in the circumferential direction to permit extension therethrough of the ear-shaped fold of the elastic coupling member generally designated by reference numeral 50. Since the perforations 21 are not inherently of the necessary dimensions to permit the passage therethrough of the fold 51, the size of the perforations can be readily increased by cutting out the web portion between two adjacent apertures near the end of each band section 20' and 20 whereby the resulting aperture has a circumferential length equal to twice the circumferential dimension of a perforation aperture 21 plus the circumferential dimension of a web portion, such increased aperture being normally sufficient to permit passage of the ear-shaped fold 51. The ear-shaped fold 51 which is, for example, of approximately omega shape, passes over into circumferentially extending flange portions 52 and 53 by way of transitional por4 tions 54 having curvatures with a relatively small radius of curvature to minimize stresses. To connect together two bands 20' and 20, it is only necessary to align the apertures 21', to extend the fold 51 through the thus aligned apertures 21' from within until the flange portions 52 and 53 rests against the bottom surface of the band ends, whereupon, to hold the parts in the assembled conditions, a plug member 55 of complementary configuration to the shape of the fold 51 is extended through the latter. The plug 55 may be, for example, cut to suitable length from a circular rod made of any suitable material, for example, of plastic elastic material such as rubber, synthetic resinous material or the like, or of spring steel in which case the member 55 would be hollow with the walls thereof conforming to the configuration of the internal surfaces of the fold 51. In that case, the outer surfaces of the member could be provided with short, bent-out-portions extending in the longitudinal direction from both axial ends, formed for example, by beads or bent-up tongues cut in from both ends along the circumference thereof to prevent the member 55 from following out. Obviously, the nature of the plug member 55 contributes to the elasticity of the coupling member made from suitable steel spring material. If forces occur in the compression band seeking to expand the diameter thereof, the transverse edges 21 of apertures 21' will engage the neck formed by the curved transitons 54 and will seek to contract the lower ends of the fold 51 in opposition to the inherent spring force of the fold. Consequently, an elastic spring force opposes any changes in the diametric dimensions of the band, i.e., compensates for changes in forces seeking to enlarge the circumferential dimension of the band, the fold member 51 having been prestressed during the tightening of the band when the latter is tightened about the hose by the tightening of the screw 31.

Thus, the present invention provides a compression band which can be used for objects of any size and which can be readily adapted to provide a self-adjusting springiness. Additionally, the parts of the closure mechanism can be readily manufactured by relative few and inexpensive operations since they can be punched out from flat sheet metal plating, requiring only the sidewalls to be bent through an angle of 90°. The spacer elements 34α and 346 can be made from regular barstock, requiring only the boring and tapping of the bores and the provision of the small pinlike end portions for the insertion through the apertures in the sidewall portions, which can be readily made, for example, by cold deformation, machining, etc. The securing of the pinlike end portions in the apertures of the side walls also requires no complicated operations. Since all of these operations are simple and can be readily adapted for mass productions, the present invention provides a closure mechanism which is relatively simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, while I have shown and described only two embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described hereinafter but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are within the scope of those skilled in the art.