Snap-tite Technologies, Inc.

Parker-hannifin Corporation

All-american Hose LLC

Fire Catt, LLC

Dennis C Zeiber

Leonard J Nick

Steve Wilkins

Paul J Wadding

David Hamilton

Craig Price

Nick Freund

A coupler assembly includes a valve with a locking ball locking mechanism and a locking sleeve interacting with the locking balls to lock the valve in the connected position. A slider is positioned radially between the ball body and the locking sleeve, and longitudinally inward relative to the locking balls. During a connection operation to a nipple, the slider is moveable along the ball body to permit movement of the locking balls into an inner recess defined by the locking sleeve as the valve moves toward the connected position. The slider is biased to return to the first slider position. During a disconnection operation, the locking sleeve is moved to a second sleeve position. As the nipple moves longitudinally outward, a surface of a locking shoulder of the nipple moves the locking balls into an outer recess of the locking sleeve to permit removal of the nipple.

Quick-coupling with internal slide locking mechanism

A threaded coupling wherein external threads of the male body of the male coupling half are in mating engagement with internal threads of the female sleeve of the female coupling half. The female sleeve includes an interior hook and the male body includes a locking lever receptacle recessed therein. The locking lever pivotally resides in the receptacle and interlocks circumferentially spaced recesses in the generally cylindrically-shaped hook of the female sleeve uniting the male and female. A tensioning O-ring secures the locking lever to the male body. A locking sleeve extends circumferentially about the male body and prohibits the release of the hook of the female sleeve from a recess in the locking lever unless a window is aligned with the locking lever. A process for locking the threaded coupling is also disclosed.

Coupling lock mechanism

A threaded coupling wherein external threads of the male body of the male coupling half are in mating engagement with internal threads of the female sleeve of the female coupling half. The female sleeve includes an interior hook and the male body includes a locking lever receptacle recessed therein as well as first and second slots for receiving first and second pins of the locking lever. The locking lever pivotally resides in the receptacle and interlocks with the hook of the female sleeve uniting the male and female. A tensioning O-ring secures the locking lever to the male body. A locking sleeve extends circumferentially about the male body and prohibits the release of the hook of the female sleeve from a recess in the locking lever unless a window is aligned with the locking lever. A process for locking the threaded coupling is also disclosed.

A method for testing a plurality of fire hoses having respective service test pressures and the test apparatus therefor wherein each hose is required to maintain a test pressure for a specified duration to pass the test. The test pressure is proportional to the service test pressure. Each hose is coupled to a respective hose fitting of a respective branch test conduit. Each branch test conduit includes an isolation valve, a pressure transducer, and a hose fitting downstream of the isolation valve. A variable frequency-variable speed controls a motor which drives a positive displacement water pump supplying water to and pressurizing a water header conduit and a plurality of branch test conduits interconnected therewith. An algorithm applied to the error signal for a respective hose line generates a pump speed command limited by the controller to regulate the rate of increase of pump output pressure.

Fire hose testing apparatus and method

A hose coupling employs a tailpiece, a sleeve and collar to prevent the hose to be removed from the coupling. The tailpiece includes an exterior having: a first sinusoidally shaped (in cross-section), partially diamond shaped knurled contour, and, a cylindrically shaped interior. The sleeve includes an interior second sinusoidally shaped contour reciprocal to the first undulating contour of the tailpiece. The sleeve includes first and second halves each having two sets of fingers which interengage the fingers of the other half. A hose is disposed between the sleeve and the tailpiece and the hose includes a grounding wire which engages the collar or the sleeve. The collar includes first and second halves and each of the halves of the collar interengage the sleeve urging the sleeve against the hose compressing the hose against the contour of the tail piece.

Hose coupling

A thread to connect coupling comprising a female coupling half and a male coupling half is disclosed and claimed wherein the male coupling half includes a recess in the exterior of the male body which extends circumferentially therearound. The female coupling half includes a valve, a female body, and a female body extension affixed to the female body. The female body further includes a sliding sleeve movable with respect to the valve between a first position abutting and closing the valve and a second position opening the valve. The male body interengages the sliding sleeve and moves therewith during coupling and uncoupling. During uncoupling, the sliding sleeve is reliably positioned sealingly against the valve because the sliding sleeve is interlocked with the male body such that as the male body is withdrawn from the female body the sliding sleeve comes with the male body. Separation of the coupling halves requires that an outer sleeve release a second set of detents which acts as a permissive to uncoupling. The coupling halves may not be separated by vibrating the threaded surfaces of the respective coupling halves apart.

Threaded coupling with flow shutoff

A male coupling half includes a male valve and a male body and the female coupling half includes a female valve and an inner body. The inner body is slidingly movable with respect to a housing or manifold. The female coupling half further includes a valve seated against a dump valve body which relieves pressure in the female half of the coupling to enable easy connection of the coupling halves. The male and female valves are locked in their open positions when the coupling halves are fully connected and the female half is pressurized which prevents reverse flow checking in either flow direction. During the disconnection process the male valve is closed before the coupling halves are separated which traps pressure in the male coupling half.

Low spill farm coupling

A ventable manifold is disclosed and claimed. Coupling halfs are affixed to coupler ports in the manifold. An actuator having a cam thereon resides in a longitudinal bore in the manifold body and is moveable between first and second positions therein. The manifold includes at least one coupler port and at least one body port for supplying energized fluid to a load. A first passageway is in communication with the coupler port and the body port. A second passageway is in communication with a relief port and the first passageway. A valve is interposed in the second passageway and is in sliding engagement with the cam of the actuator such that when the actuator is in the first position the valve is closed such that when the actuator is in the second position the valve is open. Another embodiment includes a rotatable actuator which can selectively relieve one hydraulic circuit or another.

Ventable manifold

A coupling comprising a male portion and a female portion wherein the female portion comprises: a housing, an inner body member positioned within the housing and slidable relative thereto, a relief valve positioning member, a piston residing intermediate the relief valve positioning member and the inner body member and slidable relative to the positioning member and the inner body member, and a valve. The housing includes a first port and a second port. The inner body member includes a port communicating with the first port of the housing. The relief valve positioning member includes a relief valve. The piston includes an interior, an exterior, and a passageway interconnecting the interior of the piston and the exterior of the piston. The valve slidably engages the piston and seats against the inner body member. The male portion of the coupling engages the inner body of the female portion. A chamber is formed between the piston and the relief valve positioning member which, when pressurized, results in the movement of the positioning member when the inner member is moved leftwardly during coupling with the male portion. Movement of the inner body of the female portion moves the relief valve positioning member axially away from the male member opening the relief valve and venting the female member through the second port of the housing of the female member.

Growing community of inventors

Erie, PA, United States of America

Dennis C Zeiber