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US-12618498-B2 - Pin swivel designs

US12618498B2US 12618498 B2US12618498 B2US 12618498B2US-12618498-B2

Abstract

Disclosed are pin swivels. In at least one example embodiment, a pin swivel includes a housing attachable to a mechanical assembly and a spool rotationally supported by the housing. In at least one example embodiment the housing includes at least one port configured to connect to at least one hose to receive at least one fluid from the at least one hose, and at least one channel configured to transfer the at least one fluid to at least one fluid transfer area. In at least one example the spool has at least one channel in fluid communication with the at least one fluid transfer area of the housing to receive the at least one fluid from the at least one fluid transfer area, and at least one port configured to receive the at least one fluid from the at least one channel of the spool.

Inventors

  • Brady Haugo

Assignees

  • UNITED EQUIPMENT ACCESSORIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240301

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A pin swivel comprising: a housing attachable to a mechanical assembly, the housing including at least one port configured to connect to at least one hose to receive at least one fluid from the at least one hose, and at least one channel configured to transfer the at least one fluid to at least one fluid transfer area; and a spool rotationally supported by the housing, the spool having at least one channel in fluid communication with the at least one fluid transfer area of the housing to receive the at least one fluid from the at least one fluid transfer area, and at least one port configured to receive the at least one fluid from the at least one channel of the spool, wherein at least one cross section of the at least one channel of the spool transitions from a circular shape to an oval shape and then to a kidney bean shape to reduce fluid turbulence and heat buildup.
  2. 2 . The pin swivel of claim 1 , wherein the at least one port of the housing includes a first port and as second port, the at least one channel of the housing includes a first channel and a second channel, the at least one fluid transfer area of the housing includes a first fluid transfer area and a second fluid transfer area, the at least one port of the spool includes a first port and a second port, the at least one channel of the spool includes a first channel that extends from the first port of the spool through a main body of the spool and a barrel of the spool and to at least one channel that is in fluid communication with the first fluid transfer area and a second channel that extends from the second port of the spool through the main body of the spool and the barrel of the spool and to at least one channel that is in fluid communication with the second fluid transfer area.
  3. 3 . The pin swivel of claim 2 , wherein the first and second channels of the spool extend upward from the first and second ports through the body of the spool, and downwards into the barrel of the spool.
  4. 4 . The pin swivel of claim 3 , where cross sections of the first and second channels of the spool transition from a circular shape to an oval shape and then a kidney bean shape to reduce fluid turbulence and heat buildup.
  5. 5 . The pin swivel of claim 1 , further comprising: a spool head having at least one port in fluid communication with that at least one channel of the spool.
  6. 6 . A method comprising: attaching the pin swivel of claim 1 to the mechanical assembly, the mechanical assembly having a first arm pivotally connected to a second arm; attaching at least one hose to the at least one port of the housing; and attaching at least one hose to the at least one port of the spool, wherein the pin swivel is located on the mechanical assembly at a location that reduces hose bend.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: identifying a section of the at least one hose that connects to the at least one port of the housing that bends the most; one of modifying or replacing the at least one hose that connects to the at least one port of the housing; and connecting the one of the modified or replaced at least one hose to the at least one port of the housing.
  8. 8 . A method of retrofitting the mechanical assembly of claim 1 comprising: identifying a section of the at least one hose that connects to the at least one port of the housing that bends the most; one of modifying or replacing the at least one hose that connects to the at least one port of the housing; and connecting the one of the modified or replaced at least one hose to the at least one port of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field Example embodiments disclose pin swivels usable in various industries. 2. Description of the Related Art Excavators, backhoes, and bulldozers, amongst other equipment, often rely on hoses to transmit hydraulic power. Hoses are cheap and easy to install and are generally efficient at transferring hydraulic fluid. SUMMARY The inventor has found that while hoses are efficient at transferring hydraulic fluid from one place to another, it is not without its problems. Hoses tend to fatigue over time and, if not timely replaced, fail resulting in machine downtime, delayed timelines, and hose replacement costs. Additionally, hoses are often grouped together with tape or cable to keep them from being snagged while the equipment is operating. This may lead to abrasion which could cause the hoses to fail faster. Thus, the inventor sought out an alternative to hoses. As a result, the inventor has invented new pin swivels that can efficiently transmit hydraulic fluid without suffering the problems associated with conventional hoses. The invention, however, can be applied across various industries and types of equipment and therefore should not be limited to machines that are hydraulic in nature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Example embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: FIGS. 1A-1J are views of a pin swivel in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 2A-2F are views of a housing in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 3A-3H are views of a spool in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 4A-4L are views of another pin swivel in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 5A-5E are views of a housing in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 6A-6E are views of a spool head in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 7A-7D are views of a spool in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 8A-8L are views of a pin swivel in accordance with example embodiments; FIGS. 9A-9J are views of a housing in accordance with example embodiments; and FIGS. 10A-10M and 10O-10P are views of a spool in accordance with example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are not intended to limit the invention since the invention may be embodied in different forms. Rather, example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. In this application, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or may be on, attached to, connected to, or coupled to any intervening elements that may be present. However, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly attached to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements present. In this application, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In this application, the terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements and components. However, these terms are only used to distinguish one element and/or component from another element and/or component. Thus, a first element or component, as discussed below, could be termed a second element or component. In this application, terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” are used to spatially describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. However, in this application, it is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the structure. For example, if the structure in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” is meant to encompass both an orientation of above and below. The structure may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Example embodiments are illustrated by way of ideal schematic views. However, example embodiments are not intended to be limited by the ideal schematic views since example embodiments may be modified in accordance with manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances. The subject matter of example embodiments, as disclosed herein, is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways