Patent Application
20110167965
The invention relates to a non-slip and anti-burring spanner, typically for tightening and un-tightening hose coupling nuts used with gas cylinder valves.
The coupling of hoses to gas cylinder valves require to be safely and securely connected in order to prevent gas leakage which can not just be an expensive waste but very hazardous especially for gas cylinders containing flammable and poisonous gases.
Gas cylinders are designed with safety in mind as the gases in side the cylinder a generally highly pressurised and in some cases the gases are flammable and/or hazardous chemical gases. The gas cylinders have a securely mounted valve to which a hose is connectable thereto by a hose coupling usually involving a hexagonal nut arrangement whereby the tightening of the nut securely fastens the hoes coupling to the valve in a air/gas tight manner.
However this hose coupling arrangement can and is the weakest part associated with the use of gas cylinders. This is because when a gas cylinder needs to be replaced the used gas bottle is disconnected from the hose and a replacement gas bottle connected. The tightening of the nut too severely can lessen the integrity of the hose coupling, thus allowing gas leakage which may have catastrophic effects. Similarly not tightening the nut enough can also cause leakage.
A spanner is typically used to couple and uncouple a hose to a gas cylinder, however the spanner over time or with incorrect use can slip relative to the nut on the hose coupling and/or the spanner will cause the nut to burr. The slipping of the spanner and the burring of the nut can and would ultimately lead to the nut not being tightened correctly.
The burring of the nut on the gas cylinder hose coupling is not just an unwanted and expensive inconvenience in having to replace the nut and/or hose coupling, but also can lead to a waste of gas through leakage and in some instance can lead to catastrophic results especially if the gas is flammable or is a hazardous chemical gas.
It is an object of the invention to provide a non-slip and anti-burring spanner, typically for tightening and un-tightening hose coupling nuts used with gas cylinder valves that ameliorates some of the disadvantages and limitations of the known art or at least provide the public with a useful choice.
In a first aspect the invention resides a non-slip and anti-burring spanner, typically for tightening and un-tightening hose coupling nuts used with gas cylinder valves, said spanner includes:
Preferably, the nut engaging means has six nut engaging sides.
Preferably, the nut engaging means defines an internal aperture that is adapted to accommodate the hexagonal nut therein such that the sides of the nut engaging means are in non slippage contact with the corresponding sides of the hexagonal nut.
Preferably, the internal aperture is open to both sides of the head.
Preferably, the backing plate is positioned on the head such that the backing plate at least partially covers one of the openings of the aperture defined by the nut engaging means,
Preferably, the backing plate has an aperture dimensioned less than the dimensions of the aperture of the nut engaging means but greater than the circumferential dimensions of a hose connected to the hose coupling of the gas cylinder such that the spanner is adapted to be retained on the hose when not in use and when in use adapted to be slid along the hose to the nut so as to allow tightening or un-tightening the nut.
Preferably, the head of the spanner includes a side edge opening that extends from the distal side edge of the head to the internal aperture of the nut engaging means to allow access to the internal aperture, wherein the width of the opening is dimensioned to be of a size that is only slightly greater than the width of a hose connected to the hose coupling of the gas cylinder such that the spanner is adapted when in use to be positioned, via the side edge opening, on to the hose and then slid along the hose, via the internal aperture, to the nut so as to allow tightening or un-tightening the nut and when not in use be removed therefrom.
Preferably, the backing plate has an aperture dimensioned less than the dimensions of the aperture of the nut engaging means but greater than the circumferential dimensions of a hose connected to the hose coupling of the gas cylinder and has an opening of the same dimensions as the side edge opening of the head such that the spanner is adapted when in use to be positioned, via the head side edge opening and the backing plate opening, on to the hose and then slid along the hose, via the internal aperture, to the nut so as to allow tightening or un-tightening the nut and when not in use be removed therefrom.
Preferably, the longitudinal axis of the side edge opening is co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the spanner such that the mouth of the opening extends outward and in a opposite direction to the handle.
Preferably, the spanner includes a hollow insert that is adapted to fit within the aperture defined by the nut engaging means, the internal walls of the insert are dimensioned and configured to have at least five sides and are adapted to cooperate with the hexagonal sides of the nut, wherein the insert is adapted to allow for nuts of reduced size.
Preferably, the spanner includes a series of inserts each of varying reduced dimensions to allow the spanner to be used with nuts of different sizes.
Preferably, the each insert defines an internal aperture that, in use, accommodates the hexagonal nut therein such that the sides of the nut engaging means are in contact with the corresponding sides of the hexagonal nut.
Preferably the insert has two open ends, one of which is covered with a backing plate that has an aperture dimensioned less than the dimensions of the inserts aperture, but greater than the circumferential dimensions of the hose.
Preferably, each insert includes a side edge opening that cooperates and aligns with the corresponding side edge opening in the head of the spanner and includes a similar dimensioned positioned opening in the backing plate, such that the spanner is adapted when in use to be positioned, via the respective side edge openings and the backing plate opening, on to the hose and then slid along the hose, via the internal aperture, to the nut so as to allow tightening or un-tightening the nut and when not in use be removed therefrom.
In other aspects herein described
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings:
The following description will describe the invention in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention, namely a non-slip and anti-burring spanner, typically for tightening and un-tightening hose coupling nuts used with gas cylinder valves. The invention is in no way limited to these preferred embodiments as they are purely to exemplify the invention only and that possible variations and modifications would be readily apparent without departing from the scope of the invention.
A backing plate 30 is attached to one side of the head 12 and is positioned over one of the openings of the internal aperture of the nut engaging portion 13 such that the backing plate 30 assists in the correct positioning of the spanner 10 on the nut and also to prevent side ways slippage of the spanner 10 relative to said nut when tightening or un-tightening the nut.
The head 12 of the spanner 10 includes a side edge opening 14 that extends from the distal side edge of the head to the internal aperture of the nut engaging portion 13. The side edge opening allows access to the internal aperture. The width of the opening 14 is dimensioned to be of a size that is only slightly greater than the width of a hose 3 (
The backing plate 30 has an aperture 31 dimensioned less than the dimensions of the aperture of the nut engaging portion 13 but greater than the circumferential dimensions of a hose 3 (
The longitudinal axis of the side edge opening 14 is co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the spanner 10 such that the mouth of the opening extends outward and in a opposite direction to the handle 11.
The spanner 10 as shown in
In operation when a hose 3 is to be connected or disconnected to the valve 2 of a gas cylinder 1, the spanner as shown in
It is envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, that the spanner can be retained on the hose when not in use. The spanner of this particular embodiment (not shown) has all the features of the spanner as shown in
The backing plate may have part of the opening that extends to and is flush with a side of the nut engaging portion such that when the spanner is not in use and is suspended from the hose, the portion of the hose in contact with the spanner rests on that side of the nut engaging portion, not on the edge of the backing plate in order to prevent the hose from being cut or damaged by the edges of the backing plate.
Turning to
The bottom portion 48 of the insert 40 has an internal wall that has six sides 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and that define an open ended internal aperture 49 that is dimensioned and configured to accommodate a corresponding sized hexagonal nut therein. The apertures open end of the insert opposite the open end adjacent the top edge portion includes a backing plate 50. The backing plate 50 has an aperture 51 that has a diameter less than the diameter of the internal aperture 49 but greater than the diameter of the gas cylinder hose such that the spanner 110 is able to be slid along the hose, via the internal aperture, to and from the nut.
The spanner 110 can includes a series of inserts 40 of varying reduced internal aperture diameter to allow the spanner 110 to be used with nuts of different sizes.
The spanner can be made from any suitable rigid material, but preferably metal such as solid or cast steel (stainless or alloy). Also could be made from a suitable plastic/rubber material or a combination of metal and plastic/rubber. In respect of the inserts the spanner is preferably made from a plastic/rubber material and the insert made from metal such as solid or cast steel (stainless or alloy).
Throughout the description of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of that word such as “comprising” and “comprises”, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.
It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of claims appended to this specification.
