Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AIR HOSE STRAP ASSEMBLY
Related Application
This application is based on and claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/441,427,
filed January 21, 2003.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air hose suspension
straps for rail cars and the like and especially to a
simplified, reliable and readily adjustable strap
assembly for maintaining a flexible device such as the
end of a rail car air hose at a desired height above
the rail structure.
Background of the Invention
Failure to maintain rail car air hoses at a proper
height above the rail structure is a significant cause
of unintended air hose coupling separation leading to
emergency braking and stopping of the train and
sometimes even derailment. Obviously, emergency
braking is a cause of time-consuming and, thus, costly
train delays, as a crew member must walk the length of
the train looking for the cause and, if it is found
that there is an uncoupled air hose, the crew member
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must reconnect the couplings before returning to the
engine.
To eliminate the problem, it is know to provide
air hose straps interconnected between the coupler or a
frame member of the car and the end of the air line.
Known straps have a fastening system including wire
clips which have a hooked end which fits through one of
a plurality of apertures on the strap. The wire is
then looped back so that it is captured by the hook.
The free end is then fitted through an adjacent
aperture in the strap.
The looped portion of one of the prior art clips
extends through an aperture in a bracket on the bottom
of the rail car coupler. The second clip is identical
to the first. The looped portion of the second clip
fits through an aperture integral with the glad hand
fitting on the end of the air hose. Although these
assemblies are effective in supporting the end of the
air hose, the clips are difficult to open and close and
almost impossible to apply or remove if the worker is
wearing the required work gloves. If the straps have
not been properly installed or should the strap
material elongate over time, readjustment becomes
necessary to avoid the risk that the air hose will
strike a cross tie, a grade crossing, a switch or other
track structure causing air hose separation.
Summary and Objects of the Invention
The present invention provides a solution to the
problems identified above by utilizing an ergonomically
designed strap and clip system which substantially
simplifies application problems, providing for easy
installation and adjustment of strap length. The clips
used in the present invention are preferably provided
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with a loop portion comprised of resilient legs biased
angularly apart. A clip according to the invention has
a thumb release loop at the end of one leg which makes
it easy for a worker wearing work gloves to grasp the
resilient legs with one hand and open and close the
clip by depressing and/or releasing the thumb release
loop with the thumb of the same hand. The system
further includes a strap including a multiplicity of
spaced apertures, preferably elongated in the direction
of the long axis of the strap, and extending in a line
running from one end of the strap to the other. Each
aperture is elongated to allow for insertion of a hook
on the end portion of one leg of the clip. The hook
projects outwardly from the other end of the aperture
to capture the thumb release portion and assure
retention of the clip within the selected aperture.
Preferably, the hook can be passed through the aperture
only when the clip is angularly disposed with respect
to the long axis of the strap. When the clip is
aligned with the long axis of the strap, the side walls
of the aperture block passage of the hook.
In use, a first clip is passed through the
aperture of a bracket underneath the rail car coupler.
The hook end of the clip is turned so that the hook is
aligned with the long axis of the selected aperture and
then pushed through the aperture and locked in place
upon depression of the thumb release loop and slight
lateral movement so that it is captured by the hook.
The second clip is passed through an aperture in the
glad hand and inserted into a selected aperture in the
strap in the manner described above for the first clip.
In preferred form, the strap is preferably made of
a urethane or equivalent polymer material which is
weather resistant, having ultraviolet ray protection
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and exhibiting little or no elongation set. Should a
strap need adjusting in the field for whatever reason,
a worker can easily make the adjustment in the field
without removal of the clip from the coupler aperture
and without use of any tools. A dog-bone or like
sinuous profile molded into the side edges of the strap
makes it easily gripped by the gloved hand of a worker.
The sinuous profile provides extra strap thickness
proximal to the apertures which provides extra strength
to the strap.
In summary, the rail car air hose suspension
assembly comprises a flexible elongated suspension
strap having a plurality of spaced apertures disposed
lengthwise thereof and extending therethrough, said
strap having a first end secured to said air hose and a
second end; and
a resilient clip, preferably formed of a resilient
wire, includes an elongated loop portion attachable to
the end of the rail car coupler. The elongated loop
portion includes first and second arms biased to a
position of angular divergency. The first and second
arms are relatively movable from the position of
angular divergency to a position in which the arms are
generally parallel, the first of the arms has a distal
end portion bent toward the second arm at a first bend
angle, the distal end portion terminating in a hook,
the hook being dimensioned for selective insertion
through one of the apertures, said inserted hook
projecting beyond the aperture for capturing said
second arm when the arms are in said generally parallel
position.
An important objective of the invention is the
provision of a clip and suspension strap assembly which
can be installed and adjusted without the use of tools
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by a worker who can make the installation without
removal of his gloves. In preferred embodiments, the
distal end of the second of the arms is configured into
a thumb loop sized to be easily depressed by the thumb
5 of a worker whereby said second arm is disengaged from
said hook. The elongated loop is ergonomically
designed so that its arms can be grasped by the fingers
of the gloved hand of a worker who can move the first
and second arms by depression and release of the thumb
loop with the thumb of the same hand.
A further preferred aspect of the invention is the
provision of oblong apertures extending longitudinally
of the strap, the apertures permitting insertion of the
hook when the hook is aligned with the long axis of the
aperture and preventing withdrawal of the hook when the
hook is out of alignment with the long axis.
How the foregoing and various other aspects and
objectives are achieved will now become apparent upon
reference to the following detailed description when
taken in reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a view depicting an air hose assembly
showing a strap formed in accordance with the invention
suspending the end of the air hose from the coupler of
a rail car;
Figure 2 is a detailed view of the air hose strap
assembly illustrated in Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale with
respect to Figure 2 showing a preferred form of clip
used with the assembly of Figures 1 and 2.
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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
As illustrated in Figure 1, an air hose 10
connected to train line 11 is suspended on a trolley
12 by means of an apertured fitting 13 suspended from
coupler carrier 14. The end of air hose 10 is provided
with a coupling member or glad hand 16 which Couples
with a like Coupling member on the end of the air hose
for an adjacent rail car.
According to the invention, the end of the air
hose is suspended at a predetermined height above the
rail structure by means of the strap assembly
illustrated more particularly in Figure 2. The strap
assembly includes a strap member 18 provided with
spaced apertures 19 extending along its long axis. It
is preferred that the apertures be elongated in the
lengthwise direction of the strap as best seen in
Figure 2 for reasons to be explained below. Gripping
of the strap is facilitated by means such as molded-in
sinuous undulations 18a in its side edges. As can be
seen in Figure 2, the sinuous undulations maximize the
material cross-section proximal to the sides of the
apertures to provide increased strength to the strap.
The invention further provides a pair of resilient
attachment Clips 20, one of which is shown in Figure 3
in an enlarged form with respect to Figures 1 and 2.
According to the invention, each clip 20 is preferably
formed of a single piece of resilient, formable wire.
As can be seen in Figure 1, one of the clips is
attached to the rail car body by passage of one end of
an open clip through an aperture in a fitting 22
typically provided on the underside of Coupler 23; the
other clip being attachable at or near the end of air
hose 10 as, for example, by passage through the
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aperture of a fitting on the glad hand coupling member
16.
With reference to Figures 1 and 3, each wire clip
comprises an elongated loop portion formed by a pair of
resiliently diverging arms 24 and 25 each extending
from a reverse bend portion 26. Arm 24 terminates in
an end section 27 which has a first bend of about 90°
with respect to the axis of leg 24. The end is then
turned back upon itself forming a hook 28 which lies in
a plane which is at an angle of about 90° relative to
the plane of the first bend. The hook is relatively
dimensioned so as to only fit through a selected strap
aperture 19 when oriented so that it is aligned with
the long axis of the selected aperture. The width of
the apertures is selected so that once the hook is
inserted and moved out of alignment with the long axis
of the strap, the hook cannot be accidently withdrawn.
Leg 25 is provided with a looped end portion 30
configured to be conveniently engageable by the thumb
of a worker gripping the two arms with the fingers of
his or her hand. The arms are long enough to provide
sufficient leverage so that when gripped by the gloved
hand of a worker of average strength, they can be
readily compressed together. When the hook is pressed
through the selected aperture and the arms of the clip
are compressed to move them into a substantially
parallel position, relieving thumb pressure will allow
the leg 25 to be captured by the hook.
In summary, a clip is passed through the aperture
on the coupler and held with the hook 28 in alignment
with the long axis of a selected strap aperture near
one end of the strap. The hook is passed through the
aperture and the clip rotated slightly so that the hook
is captured within the aperture. The looped end
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portion 30 is then depressed until the leg 25 is
brought into alignment with the opening of the hook 28.
Thumb pressure is released, and due to the biasing
forces, the legs of the clip spread apart causing the
leg 25 to be captured within the confines of the hook
28. The clip at the opposite end of the strap is
passed through the aperture in the fitting at the end
of hose 10 and is fastened to the strap in the manner
just described.
Readjustment of strap length can be readily
accomplished by lining up the upper clip with the long
axis of its aperture, depressing the thumb release loop
30 to first move arm 25 out of the confines of hook 29,
using the thumb release to move the arm slightly to the
side whereupon it is free from the hook, aligning the
hook with the long axis of the aperture, selecting the
appropriate aperture and, with the hook aligned with
the new selected aperture, inserting the hook until it
projects through the aperture. Once the hook is fully
inserted, use of the thumb release will place the leg
within the hook, thereby completing the readjustment
process.
The thumb release portion of the clip makes it
easy to open and close the clip during installation or
25 when readjustment becomes necessary. The clip does not
need to be removed from the coupler to adjust the
height of the air hose, simplifying and speeding the
adjustment operation. The oblong apertures contribute
to ease of adjustment of the clip and positively lock
the clips in place once the hook end is inserted in a
selected aperture. The sinuous undulations in the side
edges of the strap allow for a firm grip even when
heavy work gloves are worn. No tools are required for
application or removal of a strap.
