Method and apparatus for connecting a hose to a fitting

A method of joining a flexible hose to a rigid, hollow shaft, the rigid, hollow shaft having three beads, the steps comprising:

• (a) providing a clamp guide, the clamp guide having an arced surface for interfacing with a head bead of the three beads, the clamp guide having two clamp guide arms, the clamp guide arms having a first bump aligned with the head bead of the three beads, a second bump aligned with a second bead of the three beads and a third bump aligned with the third bead of the three beads thereby forming a first registration area between the first bump and the second bump and forming a second registration area between the second bump and the third bump;
• the arced surface having an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of the rigid hollow shaft, the arced surface having an inner circumferential length greater than one half of the circumference of the rigid hollow shaft and the inner circumferential length is less than the circumference of the rigid hollow shaft;
• (b) providing an end of the flexible hose cut at 90 degrees;
• (c) placing two hose clamps loosely over the flexible hose;
• (d) pushing the end of the flexible hose over the rigid, hollow shaft, the end of the flexible hose abutting the head bead;
• (e) attaching the clamp guide by interfacing the arced surface with the head bead and resting the clamp guide arms against the flexible hose;
• (f) positioning a first hose clamp of the two hose clamps over the first registration;
• (g) positioning a second hose clamp of the two hose clamps over the second registration;
• and
• (h) tightening the first and second hose clamp, thereby compressing the flexible hose between the at least one bead.

An clamp guide for joining a flexible hose to a rigid, hollow shaft, the rigid, hollow shaft having at least two beads, the clamp guide comprising:

• an arced surface for interfacing with a head bead of the at least two beads;
• and
• two clamp guide arms, each of the clamp guide arms having at least two bumps, each bump aligned with one of the beads thereby forming a registration area between each pair of bumps;
• the arced surface having an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of the groove, the arced surface having an inner circumferential length greater than one half of the circumference of the rigid, hollow shaft and the inner circumferential length less than the circumference of the rigid, hollow shaft.