Coupling

• US 5,518,278 A
• Filed: 02/13/1995
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerald A. Sampson
• Original Assignee: Gerald A. Sampson
• Inventors: Sampson, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US08/387,195
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 285/308, 285/309, 285/311, 285/312, 285/320, 285/205
• US Class Current: 285/312
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/18 Joints tightened by eccentrics or rotatable cams

Abstract

A coupling for holding a clamped piece such as a large hose in a ring shaped clamping piece. The clamped piece has an external annular groove near its end. The end of the hose is placed in a ring shaped clamping piece which has a pair of locking pieces pivotally mounted therein. The clamping pieces pivot about an axis which is parallel to the central axis of the hose to be clamped. The clamping pieces have a curved and beveled clamping surface which moves into the center of the ring shaped clamping piece as they are closed. The beveled part of these locking pieces move into the external annular groove at the end of the hose to securely hold the hose in the clamping piece.

Claims

1. A coupling for holding a clamped piece within a clamping piece comprising:

a clamped piece having a body having a groove having a central axis which is horizontal, said groove being a horizontal groove, said horizontal groove having an angled bottom edge and said body of said clamped piece having a remote edge opposed to a clamped portion of said horizontal groove;

a clamping piece having a first wall and an opposed wall, said first wall having an inner surface positioned adjacent said clamped piece and an opening therein adjacent said clamped piece and said clamping piece being positioned so that the horizontal groove of said clamped piece is adjacent said opening and said opposed wall is adjacent said remote edge; and

a locking handle horizontally movable and pivotally mounted about a vertical pivot axis in aid opening in said first wall of said clamping piece, said locking handle having a curved and beveled clamping surface, the clamping surface being shaped so that as said locking handle pivots in said opening from an opened position to a closed position, the clamping surface of said locking handle moves inwardly into said horizontal groove and said locking handle having a handle portion extending outwardly from said clamping piece when said locking handle is in an open position and wherein said curved and beveled clamping surface of said locking handle has two distinct curves, described as viewed from above along said vertical pivot axis and the handle is in a six o'"'"'clock position, a first distinct curve extends from a one o'"'"'clock position counterclockwise to a ten o'"'"'clock position and centered to the left and below said pivot axis and a second distinct curve starting at the end of said first distinct curve and centered about said vertical pivot axis and continuing to about a six o'"'"'clock position to an intersection with said handle portion.

2. The coupling of claim 1 wherein said clamped piece has a cylindrical outer surface at the place where said horizontal groove is located and said clamping piece has a pair of opposed locking handles.

3. The coupling of claim 2 wherein said clamped piece has a flat base and said clamping piece has a flat floor portion adjacent said flat base.

4. The coupling of claim 3 wherein said clamped piece has an O-ring groove and with an O-ring positioned therein and extending therefrom to provide a cushioned contact surface.

5. The coupling of claim 1 wherein said beveled clamping surface is beveled at about a forty-five degree angle and wherein the angled bottom edge of said horizontal groove has an angle of about forty-five degrees with respect to the vertical.

6. A coupling for holding the end of a conduit in a circular base, said coupling comprising:

a conduit having a central passageway with a circular cross-section, said, conduit having a central conduit axis, an internal surface and an external surface, and an end with an external annular groove in said external surface positioned inwardly from and parallel to the end, said external annular groove having an inner edge and an outer edge and said outer edge being a beveled edge;

a ring shaped clamping piece surrounding the end of said conduit having a clamping piece central axis parallel to the conduit central axis, an external surface and an internal surface which is slightly larger than the external surface of said conduit, said ring shaped clamping piece having an entrance end and an exit end and having a pair of opposed openings passing from the internal surface to the external surface, each of said openings having a pivot pin positioned parallel to the clamping piece central axis;

a pair of locking pieces pivotally supported on said pivot pins of said clamping piece, each of said locking pieces having a handle positioned externally of said clamping piece and said locking pieces each having a curved and beveled clamping surface which is shaped so that it moves from within said internal surface of said clamping piece when a locking piece is pivoted to a maximum open position and moves into said external annular groove as the locking piece is pivoted into a closed position and contacts both the inner edge and the outer edge of said external annular groove; and

means for positioning said groove adjacent said locking pieces.

7. The coupling of claim 6 wherein said means for positioning said groove against said locking pieces comprises a flange positioned in said clamping piece adjacent the exit end thereof and said end of said conduit is a flat end and said external annular groove is positioned inwardly from said flat end so that the groove is adjacent said locking pieces when said flat end is in contact with said flange.

8. The coupling of claim 7 wherein said flat end of said coupling has an O-ring groove containing an O-ring to provide a cushioned seal as the locking pieces are passed into a closed position.

9. The coupling of claim 6 wherein said locking handle is fabricated from nylon.