Hand tightened hydraulic fitting
AssigneeThe Gates Corporation
InventorsKeith E. Zulauf, Donald R. Gilbreath, Randall Mark Leasure, Richard A. Eaton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates generally to hose couplings useful for mining applications, more particularly to a fluid coupling capable of generally fully tightened by hand, including a visual lock for visual indication and safety when in a hand-tightened position. The coupling generally includes a male portion, a female portion, a retaining member and a locking member. The male portion passes through the retaining member, and the retaining member threadingly engages the female member. The locking member prevents unthreading of the retaining member from the female member.
Claims35
A coupling system comprising:
- a male portion with a right-cylindrical male sealing surface;
- a unitary, one-piece, female portion with a right-cylindrical female sealing surface;
- a hand-tightenable threaded retaining member which draws said male portion into said female portion with a non-interference-type fit when threadingly engaged;
- a seal which is retained between said cylindrical male and female sealing surfaces when said retaining member is so threadingly engaged;
- and
- a locking feature comprising:
- an orifice through said retaining member, a circumferential locking groove in an outer cylindrical surface of one of said male portion and said female portion, and a locking member with an extension which extends through said orifice and engages in said locking groove and thus locks said hand-tightenable retaining member to prevent it from unthreading when so threadingly engaged;
- wherein said retaining member comprises a lip arranged so that said locking member inhibits said unthreading when said extension is in place between said lip and a side of said locking groove.
A coupling system, comprising:
- a retaining member;
- a female portion comprising a right-cylindrical receptacle portion, an outer cylindrical surface, and a circumferential locking groove in said outer cylindrical surface;
- a male portion comprising a right-cylindrical insert portion configured to matingly couple with a non-interference-type fit to said cylindrical receptacle portion of said female portion of said coupling system, wherein said male portion extends through said retaining member of said coupling system;
- said retaining member comprising:
- threads that threadingly couple to corresponding threads of said female portion,
- an abutment portion that abuts a boss of said male portion and thereby pulls said male portion into said female portion as said threads and said corresponding threads are threadingly coupled, and
- one or more retainer orifices;
- and
- a locking member comprising an extension, said extension adapted for extending through said one or more retainer orifices of said retaining member, and further adapted for coupling with said locking groove of said female portion to inhibit unthreading of said threads and said corresponding threads;
- wherein said retaining member comprises a lip arranged so that said locking member inhibits said unthreading when said extension is in place between said lip and a side of said locking groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.