A material transporting hose of integral construction having a body of flexible, resilient material which includes a pair of longitudinally reinforced portions disposed on opposite sides of the cross-section of the body. The portions include at least one elongated reinforcing member embedded therein extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose to provide longitudinal strength. The longitudinally reinforced portions have a total combined perimeter which is equal to or less than the total combined perimeter of the remaining portions of the cross-section of the hose body which do not contain longitudinal reinforcing members so that at least one-half of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction for ease of handling. The hose structure is particularly useful for long length, fluid transporting hose used in ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship refueling.
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1. A material transporting hose of integral construction comprising a body of flexible resilient material including at least one ply of reinforcing material extending generally circumferentially thereof to provide reinforcement against radial forces within the hose and an outer cover surrounding said reinforcing material, a pair of circumferentially spaced longitudinally reinforced portions providing primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads, said portions surrounded by said cover so as to be disposed completely within said body on opposite sides of the cross section thereof, said portions each having at least one elongated stress-resisting reinforcing member embedded therein with said member extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose and capable of withstanding substantial longitudinal tensile stresses applied to the end of the hose to provide the hose with longitudinal strength, and remaining portions free of said reinforcing members disposed adjacent to said longitudinally reinforced portions on each side thereof with said longitudinally reinforced portions having a total combined perimeter equal to or less than the total combined perimeter of the remaining portions of the cross-section of said body therebetween to provide a hose construction in which at least one-half of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks.
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12. A fluid transporting hose of a generally circular cross-sectional configuration having a reinforced body of flexible elastomeric material including an inner tube and an outer cover of elastomeric material and at least one ply of reinforcing material disposed between said tube and cover extending generally circumferentially about said body to provide reinforcement against radial forces within the hose, a pair of spaced longitudinally reinforced strips providing primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads, said strips surrounded by said cover so as to be disposed completely within said body on diametrically opposite sides of the cross-section thereof, said cover having a substantially uniform thickness with no substantial protuberances therein, said strips including a plurality of elongated stress-resisting reinforcing cords embedded therein and disposed in at least one layer and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose with said cords capable of withstanding substantial longitudinal tensile stresses applied to the end of the hose to provide the hose with longitudinal strength with the remainder of the cross section of said body being free of said cords, said strips having a total combined circumferential dimension substantially less than the circumferential dimension of the remainder of the cross section of said body to provide an integral hose construction in which a majority of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks.
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8. A material transporting hose of integral construction comprising a body of flexible resilient elastomeric material having a generally circular cross-sectional configuration, said body including:
an inner tube and an outer cover; reinforcing material of a balanced symmetrical construction extending generally circumferentially about said tube and surrounded by said cover to provide reinforcement against radial forces within the hose; and a pair of circumferentially spaced longitudinally reinforced portions having in cross section a total combined perimeter which is substantially less than the perimeter of the cross section of the body, said portions extending substantially the entire length of the hose thereby providing primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads, said portions being surrounded by said cover so as to be disposed completely within said body on opposite sides of the cross section thereof between said cover and said tube, said cover having a substantially uniform thickness with no substantial protuberances therein, said portions each including a plurality of elongated stress-resisting reinforcing members with substantially an equal number of said members in each portion to provide a balanced symmetrical hose construction, each said member extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose for substantially the entire length of said hose, and being capable of withstanding substantial longitudinal stresses applied to the end of the hose to provide the hose with longitudinal strength; and remaining portions free of said reinforcing members disposed adjacent to said longitudinally reinforced portions on each side thereof with said longitudinally reinforced portions having a total combined perimeter equal to or less than the total combined perimeter of the remaining portions of the cross-section of said body therebetween to provide a hose construction in which at least one-half of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction for enabling the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks. 19. The hose as claimed in
23. The hose as claimed in claim 22 wherein said reinforcing material is a plurality of cord plies extending in a bias relationship to said reinforcing cords and wherein said reinforcing cords are comprised of polyester and said reinforcing material is comprised of nylon. 24. The hose as claimed in claim 23 wherein said longitudinally reinforced portions define a total combined arc of 180° or less. 25. The hose as claimed in claim 24 wherein said longitudinally reinforced portions define a total combined arc of 120° or less. 26. The hose as claimed in claim 24 wherein each said longitudinally reinforced portion extends in an arc of about 45° or less on each side of the neutral axis of the hose. 27. The hose as claimed in claim 25 wherein each said longitudinally reinforced portion extends in an arc of about 30° or less on each side of the neutral axis of the hose. 28. A fluid transporting hose of a generally circular cross-sectional configuration having a reinforced body of flexible elastomeric material, said body including: an inner tube and an outer cover of elastomeric material and a plurality of cord plies of reinforcing material disposed between said tube and cover and extending generally circumferentially about said body to provide reinforcement against radial forces within the hose, a pair of spaced longitudinally reinforced strips having in cross section a total combined circumferential dimension which is substantially less than the circumferential dimension of the cross section of the body, said strips extending substantially the entire length of said hose thereby providing primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads, said strips surrounded by said cover so as to be disposed completely within said body on diametrically opposite sides of the cross section thereof, said cover having a substantially uniform thickness with no substantial protuberances therein, said strips including a plurality of elongated stress-resisting reinforcing cords embedded therein and disposed in at least one layer and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose for substantially its entire length, said cords being capable of withstanding substantial longitudinal tensile stresses applied to the end of the hose to provide the hose with longitudinal strength with the remainder of the cross section of said body disposed adjacent to said strips being free of said cords, said strips having a total combined circumferential dimension substantially less than the circumferential dimension of the remainder of the cross section of said body to provide an integral hose construction in which a majority of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks. 29. A fluid transporting hose of a generally circular cross-sectional configuration having a neutral axis a reinforced body of elastomeric material including an inner tube and an outer cover of elastomeric material and at least one ply of reinforcing material disposed between said tube and cover extending generally circumferentially about said body to provide reinforcement against radial forces within the hose, a pair of spaced longitudinally reinforced strips, providing primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads, said strips surrounded by said cover so as to be disposed completely within said body on diametrically opposite sides of the cross-section thereof, said cover having a substantially uniform thickness with no substantial protuberances therein, said strips including a plurality of elongated stress-resisting reinforcing cords embedded therein and disposed in at least one layer and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose with said cords capable of withstanding substantial longitudinal tensile stresses applied to the end of the hose to provide the hose with longitudinal strength with the remainder of the cross section of said body being free of said cords, said strips having a total combined circumferential dimension substantially less than the circumferential dimension of the remainder of the cross section of said body to provide an integral hose construction in which a majority of the hose remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks, said body including a plurality of plies of reinforcing material therein and said strips being interposed between any two said plies substantially at the neutral axis of said hose. 30. The hose as claimed in claim 29 wherein said cords of said strips are composed of nylon and said strips define a total combined arc of approximately 180°. 31. The hose as claimed in claim 29 wherein said cords of said strips are composed of the material selected from at least one of the group consisting of polyester and rayon and said strips define a total combined arc of 180° or less. 32. The hose as defined in claim 29 wherein each said strip extends in an arc of about 45° or less on each side of the neutral axis of the hose. 33. The hose as claimed in claim 29 wherein each said strip extends in an arc of about 30° or less on each side of the neutral axis of the hose. 34. The hose as claimed in claim 29 wherein said cords are composed of the material selected from at least one of the group consisting of fiber glass and steel and said strips define a total combined arc of 20° or less. |
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As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, each portion 7 and 7' has a total combined perimeter or cross sectional dimension which is substantially less than the perimeter of the cross section of the body 4. Each portion 7 and 7' has at least one elongated reinforcing member 8 embedded therein extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hose to provide the hose for substantially its entire length with longitudinal strength. As shown in FIG. 3, the portions 7 and 7' containing the reinforcing members 8 extend substantially the entire length of the hose 2 and thereby provide the primary resistance to elongation of the hose and constriction of the hose opening caused by excessive end loads. The reinforcing members 8 are preferably in the form of a plurality of reinforcing cords of materials conventionally used for reinforcing elastomeric hose or conduits. Accordingly, the cords 8 are comprised of at least one material selected from the group consisting of nylon, rayon, polyester, fiber glass and metal. The cords 8 may be laid in place in the hose body 4 individually or may be incorporated therein in the form of a strip of textile or wire cord fabric as shown in FIG. 2. It is preferred that an equal number of cord members 8 be disposed in each portion 7 and 7' to provide a balanced symmetrical hose construction. The cords may be incorporated into the portions 7 and 7' in a single layer of individual parallel cords or be included within two or more layers if desired. For example, FIG. 4 shows a modification of the invention in which the hose body 9 includes diametrically opposite longitudinally reinforced portions 10 and 10' with each portion comprised of two parallel layers 11 and 12 of reinforcing members 13 to provide added longitudinal strength for the hose structure 14.
The hose body 4 also includes remaining portions 15 and 15' free of the reinforcing members 8 disposed adjacent to the longitudinally reinforced portions on each side thereof. The longitudinally reinforced portions 7 and 7' have a total combined circumferential dimension or perimeter equal to or less than the total combined perimeter of the remaining portions 15 and 15' of the cross section of the hose body 4 therebetween to provide a hose construction in which at least one-half of the hose 2 remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose 2 to be more easily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks.
As shown in FIG. 2, the portions 7 and 7' are disposed substantially at the neutral axis N of the hose. For the purposes of this invention, the term "neutral axis" designates that part of the cross section of the hose which is neither in tension nor compression when the hose is being deployed in use or is in a reeled condition. For example, when the hose 2 is floating in a body of water, the exact location of the neutral axis will vary; however, for purposes of illustration, in FIG. 2 the neutral axis N is shown aligned vertically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the hose. When the hose 2 is in a reeled condition as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hose should be positioned so that the neutral axis N of the hose is substantially horizontally aligned for ease of reeling.
In the case of a hose of circular cross-sectional configuration, the longitudinally reinforced portions 7 and 7' should define a total combined arc A+A' of 180° or less. If the total combined arc of the portions 7 and 7' exceeds 180°, the hose will be of insufficient flexibility in a longitudinal direction to allow for easy coiling or reeling and distortion or kinking is more likely to develop. In this regard, it is preferred that each portion 7 and 7' extend in an arc a and a' respectively of about 45° or less on either side of the neutral axis N of the hose. It is even more preferred that the reinforced portions 7 and 7' define a total combined arc A+A' of 120° or less and that each portion 7 and 7' extend in an arc a and a' respectively of about 30° or less on each side of the neutral axis N of the hose. The particular arc defined by the longitudinally reinforced portions will depend to a large extent on the type of material of which the reinforcing cords are made. For example, a highly stretchable material such as nylon may necessitate a total combined arc length of near the maximum 180°. On the other hand, a material such as polyester or rayon may necessitate a total combined arc length of less than 120°. With material such as fiber glass or steel, the total combined arc length will be substantially less, for instance as low as 20° or less.
The hose 2 also preferably includes a plurality of plies of reinforcing material made of textile fabric which extends generally circumferentially about the body 4 of the hose to provide necessary reinforcement against radial forces within the hose. The plies may be square woven or in cord form and are customarily spirally wrapped around the inner tube 5 of the hose. The longitudinal members or cords 8 may be disposed either above or below the reinforcing plies but are preferably interposed between any two plies of the reinforcing plies. For example, the hose body may include four cord plies 16, 17, 18 and 19 of reinforcement extending in a biased relationship to the cord members 8 with the cord members being interposed between the cord plies 17 and 18 as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The reinforcing material has some elements disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the hose which is opposite in direction to the first mentioned oblique angle. As illustrated, the cord ply elements of plies 16 and 17 are disposed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of hose 2 which is opposite in direction to the oblique angle of the cord ply elements of plies 18 and 19. It has been found that a very satisfactory hose structure results with the use of nylon reinforcing cord plies and polyester cord members. The cord members may have a diameter of 0.050 of an inch and the reinforcing cord plies may have a thickness or diameter of 0.038 of an inch. Each portion 7 and 7' containing the cord members 8 may have a length or perimeter of about 2 inches resulting in a combined perimeter of about 4 inches and assuming an inside hose diameter of about 6 inches and a wall or body thickness of 0.440 of an inch, the portions 15 and 15' between the portions 7 and 7' respectively will each have a width or circumferential dimension of about 8 inches and a combined length or perimeter of about 16 inches. In this case, the portions 7 and 7' extend in an arc a and a' respectively of about 18° on each side of the neutral axis N of the hose 2 thereby defining a total combined arc A+A' of 72°. It is readily apparent that since the longitudinal reinforcing cords 8 are incorporated within a portion 7 and 7' of the cross section of the body 4 having a total combined width or circumferential dimension which is substantially less than the total combined width or circumferential dimension of the remainder of the cross section of the body 4 that a hose construction is provided in which a majority of the hose 2 remains flexible in a longitudinal direction thereby enabling the hose to be more readily reeled upon itself and less likely to develop kinks.
The utility of the invention is further illustrated with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings which shows the hose 2 either prior to or after use in its reeled condition on a reel 20. In this case as previously mentioned, the neutral axis of the hose is disposed generally horizontally with the flexible portions 15 and 15' of the hose 2 in a generally flattened condition to enable the hose to be more easily reeled upon itself.
In manufacturing the hose of this invention, conventional building techniques may be used which are well known in the art. For example, the various hose components may be assembled on a building mandrel and then vulcanized in any suitable manner such as by means of steam to form an integral composite hose structure.
It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a hose structure for use in conveying or transporting materials which has sufficient longitudinal strength to withstand significant tension or tensile forces and to resist undue constriction of the hose opening but remains sufficiently flexible in a longitudinal direction to enable the hose to be easily reeled upon itself and less likely to distort or develop kinks. The hose of the present invention may be used not only for the purpose illustrated as a refueling hose, but may also be used in many other applications in which the above-named features are desirable. For example, the hose of the present invention may be used for transporting solid or semi-solid material such as cement.
While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
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| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| Jun 29 1981 | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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