The present invention relates to vessel leg levelers and, more particularly, to a hose assist attachment for a vessel leg.
Breweries tend to have slanted floors, so the brewing vessels have levelers to keep them straight. Transfer hoses get caught during transfers between the levelers and the floor, adding hours to each workday.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device to keep hoses from getting caught under levelers on vessels.
In one aspect of the present invention, a hose assist attachment for a vessel leg comprises a cylindrical guard configured to encircle a vessel leg leveler, having two symmetrical half collar components; and a fastening means that fastens the two symmetrical half collar components together.
In another aspect of the present invention, the hose assist attachment is an improvement to a liquid vessel having a leg leveler.
The inventive attachment fills the gap that hoses get caught in and spins with the hoses, making transfers more efficient. Elimination of the need to unstick hoses streamlines the workday. It can be used in any field that uses leg levelers on their vessels, such as but not limited to breweries.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a hose assist attachment or cylindrical guard configured to encircle a vessel leg leveler, comprising two half collar or half circle components.
The two half circles bolt together around the vessel leg, filling gaps between the vessel and the floor in which hoses get stuck and preventing entry of a hose in the gap. During transfers, hoses dragged against the device as they pass spin the device, simplifying the vessel transfer process. As such, the inventive attachment is an improvement on existing liquid vessels.
The two half cylinder components form an aperture therebetween dimensioned to accommodate a leveler or leveling post. The sidewalls of the half cylinder components are dimensioned such that the external circumference of the attachment is about equal to the circumference of the vessel leg. The height of the cylindrical guard is less than or equal to the height of the leveler between the foot and the leg of the vessel, such as between ¾ the height of the leveler and the full height of the leveler, leaving a sufficient gap to enable the guard to rotate freely.
The present disclosure further envisions adding wheels or ball bearings inside the device.
The method of manufacture is not particularly limited. The inventive guide may be printed on a three-dimensional (3D) printer, injection molded, carved from a block of material, etc. The material may be but is not limited to, for example, any suitable polymer.
To use the guard, a user may place the two half circles together around the legs between the levelers and the ground. The half circles may be fastened together, for example with bolts.
The fastening means is not particularly limited, as it may include for example bolts secured with nuts and with washers in some cases; a hinge and clasp; etc.
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It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application number 63/293,144, filed Dec. 23, 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63293144 | Dec 2021 | US |