Hose kink resistance testing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638613-B2
Application number	US-201414445841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A device and methods for testing and quantifying the kink resistance of a hose. The device has the ability to simultaneously test a plurality of hoses at equal amounts of twist or torque while water or other fluid is pumped through the hoses. The device can monitor one or more of the flow rate of fluid through a hose, fluid backpressure from a pressure source, torque and degrees of hose twist.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hose testing device, comprising:
a fixture for receiving a hose, the fixture having i) a first fitting operatively connectable to a first end of the hose and rotatable in a circumferential direction of the hose and ii) a second fitting operatively connectable to a second end of the hose, such that a liquid can be transferred from the first fitting, through the hose, and then out through the second fitting at least during a time when the hose is not subjected to twisting;
a fluid reservoir including a liquid, and a pressure source capable of supplying the liquid at a pressure to the hose through the first fitting; and
a twist-inducing mechanism operatively connected to the hose through the first fitting such that the hose can be rotated in a circumferential direction by the first fitting while the second fitting does not rotate and the liquid flows through the hose.

2. The hose testing device according to claim 1 , wherein a flow meter is located downstream from the second fitting, and wherein the flow meter measures a flow rate of the liquid that is received from the second fitting.

3. The hose testing device according to claim 1 , wherein an encoder is operatively connected to the twist-inducing mechanism and measures a degree of twist of the first fitting.

4. The hose testing device according to claim 1 , wherein a torque analyzer is operatively connected to the twist-inducing mechanism and is able to quantify the amount of torque applied to the twist-inducing mechanism.

5. The hose testing device according to claim 1 , wherein a pressure gauge is connected downstream from the pressure source and measures the pressure of the liquid received from the pressure source.

6. The hose testing device according to claim 1 , wherein the twist-inducing mechanism includes a gear system having a drive gear one or more of directly and indirectly connected to a hose drive gear that operatively rotates the hose in the circumferential direction.

7. The hose testing device according to claim 6 , wherein a second fixture for receiving a second hose is present and includes a first fitting operatively connectable to a first end of the second hose and a second fitting operatively connectable to a second end of the second hose such that the liquid can be transferred from the second fixture first fitting, through the second hose, and then out through the second fixture second fitting at least during a time when the hose is not subjected to twisting.

8. The hose testing device according to claim 7 , wherein the gear system is constructed so that the first fixture first fitting and the second fixture first fitting rotate at the same rate.

9. A hose testing device, comprising:
a first fluid circuit including a fluid reservoir including a fluid, a pressure source that is capable of transporting the fluid from the fluid reservoir through a first fitting, a hose, a second fitting, and then back to the fluid reservoir, wherein the hose is connected to the first fitting such that a gear system of the device is able to rotate the hose in a circumferential direction while the second fitting remains stationary and the pressure source transports the fluid through the hose.

10. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein a flow meter is located in the fluid circuit downstream from the second fitting, and wherein the flow meter measures a flow rate of the liquid that is received from the second fitting.

11. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein an encoder is operatively connected to the gear system of the device and measures a degree of twist of the first fitting.

12. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein a torque analyzer is operatively connected to the gear system of the device and quantifies the amount of torque applied to the hose.

13. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein a pressure gauge is located in the fluid circuit downstream from the pressure source, wherein the pressure gauge measures a pressure of the fluid received from the pressure source.

14. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein the gear system has a drive gear one or more of directly and indirectly connected to a hose drive gear that operatively rotates the hose in a circumferential direction.

15. The hose testing device according to claim 9 , wherein the device includes a fixture for receive a second hose, wherein the fixture includes a first fitting operatively connectable to a first end of the second hose and a second fitting operatively connectable to the second end of the second hose such that the fluid can be transferred from the fixture first fitting, through the second hose, and then out through the fixture second fitting whereby a second fluid circuit is present whereby the fluid can flow from the fluid reservoir through the fixture first fitting, the second hose, the fixture second fitting and then back to the fluid reservoir.

16. A method for circumferentially twisting at least two hoses, comprising the steps of:
connecting a first hose to a first inlet and a first outlet of a hose testing device;
connecting a second hose to a second inlet and a second outlet of the hose testing device;
flowing a fluid through i) the first inlet, through the first hose and out through the first outlet and through ii) the second inlet, through the second hose and out through the second outlet; and
twisting the first hose and the second hose in a circumferential direction simultaneously at a same degree of twist while the fluid flows through the first hose and the second hose.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein flowing the fluid through the first hose and through the second hose is performed at substantially the same pressure prior to the twisting of the first hose and the second hose.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the device includes a first flow meter downstream from the first outlet through which the fluid flows and a second flow meter downstream from the second outlet through which the fluid flows, and further including the steps of measuring the flow rate of the fluid through the first flow meter and the second flow meter.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the device includes an encoder, and further including the step of measuring a degree of twist of the first inlet with the encoder.

20. The method according to claim 16 , further including the step of visually analyzing the twist of first hose and the twist of second hose while they are twisted as the fluid flows therethrough.

Assignees

• Teknor Apex Co

Inventors

• Chapman Timothy L

Classifications

• G01N3/26 Primary

  Investigating twisting or coiling properties · CPC title

• G01F1/00

  Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow (measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00) · CPC title

• G01N3/12

  Pressure testing · CPC title

• G01L3/00

  Measuring torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency, in general · CPC title

• G01M99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title