Abstract A hose clamp comprising a unitary spring metal strip having end portions which are curved to a radius equal to or less than the radius of the hose to be clamped, one end portion having circumferentially spaced from each other and from that end of the strip an inclined tongue and a tool abutment shoulder and the other end portion having circumferentially spaced from each other and from that end of the strip a series of circumferentially spaced apart transverse slots therethrough and a tool abutment shoulder. The length of the strip from the tongue to the farthest slot is preferably approximately equal to the circumference of the hose to be clamped so that the strip may be wrapped manually around the hose with the tongue engaged in said farthest slot without requiring use of any tool. By reason of the curved end portions of the strip, the end of the strip which contains the tongue will engage the outer surface of the hose, and, as the strip is wrapped around the hose, the end of the strip containing the slots will contact the first mentioned portion of the strip between the end thereof and the tongue and will slide therealong and be cammed radially outwardly by the tongue until such farthest slot registers with the tongue whereupon the slotted end portion will snap against the strip end portion which is against the hose to a holding position with the tongue engaged in the farthest slot. Thereafter, a tool such as a pair of pliers may be employed to squeeze the abutment shoulders toward each other thus to contract the strip around the hose with the tongue engaging a succeeding transverse slot to tightly clamp the hose against a nipple therewithin.
A hose clamp comprising a strip of flexible material having curved end portions which are adapted to circumferentially overlap each other when said strip is wrapped around a hose; one end portion having an integral inclined tongue circumferentially spaced from that end of the strip and an integral tool abutment shoulder circumferentially spaced from said tongue farther away from that end, and the other end portion having a series of transverse slots therethrough circumferentially spaced from that end of said strip and an integral tool abutment shoulder circumferentially spaced from said series of slots farther away from that end; the radius of curvature of said end portions being such that during wrapping of said strip around a hose the end of said one end portion engages the hose and the end of said other end portion slides along the outer surface of said one end portion toward said inclined tongue and is cammed outwardly by said tongue until the first transverse slot registers with said tongue at which time said other end portion snaps inwardly into engagement with said one end portion to retain said end portions together around the hose; the length of said strip from said tongue to said first transverse slot being approximately equal to the diameter of the hose to be clamped whereby wrapping of said strip around the hose as aforesaid may be done manually; said clamp when wrapped around the hose as aforesaid having said tool abutment shoulders facing in opposite directions for engagement by plier jaws or the like for causing said shoulders to approach each other without imposition of tensile load on the portion of said strip containing said series of slots while said tongue cams said other end portion outwardly for snapping into engagement with the second or succeeding transverse slot thus to contract the clamp tightly around said hose.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
309 words
A hose clamp comprising a strip of flexible material having curved end portions which are adapted to circumferentially overlap each other when said strip is wrapped around a hose; one end portion having an integral inclined tongue circumferentially spaced from that end of the strip and an integral tool abutment shoulder circumferentially spaced from said tongue farther away from that end, and the other end portion having a series of transverse slots therethrough circumferentially spaced from that end of said strip and an integral tool abutment shoulder circumferentially spaced from said series of slots farther away from that end; the radius of curvature of said end portions being such that during wrapping of said strip around a hose the end of said one end portion engages the hose and the end of said other end portion slides along the outer surface of said one end portion toward said inclined tongue and is cammed outwardly by said tongue until the first transverse slot registers with said tongue at which time said other end portion snaps inwardly into engagement with said one end portion to retain said end portions together around the hose; the length of said strip from said tongue to said first transverse slot being approximately equal to the diameter of the hose to be clamped whereby wrapping of said strip around the hose as aforesaid may be done manually; said clamp when wrapped around the hose as aforesaid having said tool abutment shoulders facing in opposite directions for engagement by plier jaws or the like for causing said shoulders to approach each other without imposition of tensile load on the portion of said strip containing said series of slots while said tongue cams said other end portion outwardly for snapping into engagement with the second or succeeding transverse slot thus to contract the clamp tightly around said hose.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The hose claMp of claim 1 wherein said abutment shoulders project substantially radially of said clamp to prevent slippage of the plier jaws or the like when said clamp is tightened around the hose.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The hose clamp of claim 1 wherein said tool abutment shoulders comprise lanced portions of the strip which are sheared transversely between the edges of said strip, one side of each shear line being deformed to curved form to constitute such abutment shoulder projecting radially from the clamp when installed on a hose.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
130 words
The hose clamp of claim 1 wherein said inclined tongue constitutes a lanced portion of the strip which is sheared transversely between the opposite edges of said strip and longitudinally at the ends of said transverse shear line and which is deformed angularly outwardly from the surface of said strip whereby the outer surface of said tongue constitutes a cam surface to cam said other end portion of said strip outwardly as the clamp is wrapped around the hose or as the clamp is tightened around the hose by squeezing pressure applied on said tool abutment shoulders, and the inner surface of said tongue constitutes a hook to engage one side of a transverse slot to retain said other end portion in overlapped contacting relation to said one end portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The hose clamp of claim 4 wherein said tongue has rounded corners and is of length transversely of said strip less then the length of said slots transversely of said strip to facilitate snapping of said other end portion over said tongue into clamp locking relation.