Patent Application
20190359446
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The disclosure and prior art relates to reel guide devices and more particularly pertains to a new reel guide device for cleaning a ground thawing hose as the hose is reeled back onto a reel within a vehicle.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a hose guide coupled to a frame such that the hose guide is movable between opposite ends of the frame. The hose guide has an interior edge defining an aperture extending through the hose guide. A sheet is coupled to the hose guide extending over the aperture. A channel extends into the sheet. The channel is configured to receive a hose within the channel whereby the sheet is configured to scrape debris from the hose as the hose is moved through the hose guide.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A hose guide 32 is coupled to the frame 12 such that the hose guide 32 is movable between opposite ends 34 of the frame 12. The hose guide 32 is coupled to the second end 28 of the pivot arm 24. The hose guide 32 has an interior edge 36 defining an aperture 38 extending through the hose guide 32. The hose guide 32 has a pivot section 40 pivotally coupled to a fixed section 42. The fixed section 42 is fixedly coupled to the second end 28 of the pivot arm 24. The pivot section 40 is pivotable between an open position 44 and a closed position 46. The pivot section 40 and the fixed section 42 overlap in the closed position 46 to define the interior edge 36 and the aperture 38. The pivot section 40 and the fixed section 42 define an opening 48 into the aperture 38 when in the open position 44. Thus, the pivot section 40 is configured for being pivoted into the open position 44 to permit insertion of a hose 50 into the aperture 38. A sheet 52 is coupled to the hose guide 32. The sheet 52 extends over the aperture 38. A channel 54 extends into the sheet 52. The channel 54 is configured to receive the hose 50 within the channel 54 whereby the sheet 52 is configured to scrape debris from the hose 50 as the hose 50 is moved through the hose guide 32.
Each of a plurality of rollers 78 is coupled to the hose guide 32 proximate to the aperture 38 wherein each of the rollers 78 is configured to facilitate passing the hose 50 through the aperture 38. The plurality of rollers 78 is arranged into a U shape extending around the aperture 38. An open end 80 of the U shape is directed towards the pivot arm 24. Alternatively, as shown in
A handle 56 is coupled to and extends from the hose guide 32. The handle 56 has a first section 58 coupled to and extending from the fixed section 42 of the hose guide 32. The handle 56 has a second section 60 coupled to and extending from the pivot section 40. The first section 58 of the handle 56 is aligned with the second section 60 of the handle 56 when the pivot section 40 is in the closed position 46.
Each of a pair of feet 62 is coupled to and extends from the frame 12 wherein the feet 62 support the frame 12 in an upright position 64. Each of the feet 62 has a respective proximal end 66 coupled to the frame 12 and extends perpendicularly from a respective base 68 of an associated one of the lateral sides 16 of the frame 12 wherein the feet 62 are configured for extending towards the reel 70 mounted within the vehicle 74 such that the frame 12 is positionable between the reel 70 and an opening into the vehicle 74. Each of the feet 62 has a hole 72 extending therethrough wherein each of the feet 62 is configured to be fastened into a fixed position in the vehicle 74. The frame 12 is pivotable relative to the feet 62 wherein the frame 12 is configured for being pivoted outwardly from the vehicle 74 positioning the hose guide 32 laterally spaced outside of the vehicle 74 whereby debris contacting the sheet 52 and the hose guide 32 is urged to fall away from the hose 50 outside of the vehicle 74. Gussets 82 are fixed to the frame 12. A respective locking pin 84 is provided for selectively securing each gusset 82 to a respective one of the feet 62 to lock the frame 12 in the upright position.
In use, the assembly 10 cleans the hose 50 after the hose 50 has been used to thaw ground in a construction area or the like. During cold months, frozen ground is thawed by passing heated fluid through the hose 50 as described above while the hose 50 is positioned on the ground. Inherently, mud and other debris clings to the hose 50. Due to melting and condensation, the hose 50 will typically be wet and muddy when removed from the ground. The hose 50 is typically held in and moved from site to site within the vehicle 74. The assembly 10 allows for positioning of the hose 50 within the hose guide 32. As the reel 70 retracts the hose back into the vehicle 74, an operator can grasp the handle 56 and move the pivot arm 24 back and forth to neatly position the hose 50 on the reel 70. The frame 12 is pivoted to be horizontal to the ground allowing the rollers 78 to facilitate passing the hose 58 through the aperture 38 where contact with the sheet 52 removes debris from the hose 50 before the debris can enter the vehicle 74.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
