The Hose Clamp Story

From ancient Greece to modern automobiles, the humble hose clamp has played a crucial role in engineering and industry. The hose clamp's journey reflects the broader evolution of engineering and manufacturing. From simple hammered rings to complex plastic fittings, this essential component has adapted to meet the changing needs of industry. While modern automotive design may be moving away from traditional metal clamps, the ingenuity behind their development continues to influence engineering solutions across various fields.

Ancient Beginnings:
- 500 BC: Greeks use hammered copper rings to secure oxhide and ox intestine hoses for water transport and firefighting
- Chinese create bamboo pipes for natural gas, sealed with plant fibers
- 1st century AD: Soft metal rings, leather straps, and plant fiber wrappings become common for sealing various fluids

Industrial Revolution and Beyond:
- 1821: First rubber-lined, cotton-webbed "gum hose" patented
- 1844: Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization, revolutionizing rubber products
- Early clamping methods: Threaded brass couplers, riveting, wire binding
- 1880s: Introduction of the "hosebinder" or Cotter Type Hose Clamp, the first modern hose clamp

The Birth of the Worm Drive Clamp:
- 1896: Knut Edwin Bergström patents the worm-drive clamp (Jubilee Clip)
- Simple, adaptable design allows for higher clamping forces and easy adjustment
- Bergström founds ABA to manufacture his invention, creating a new product category

Specialized Clamps for New Industries:
- Early 20th century: Aviation and automobile industries drive development of new clamp variants
- Type B and D clamps: Flat band body with machine screw and embedded square nut for higher pressure applications
- Type C (tower) clamps: Bridge structure for limited access areas

World War II and Cost Reduction:
- Type A (wire) clamps: Formed wire design reduces material and manufacturing costs
- Lightweight but prone to hose damage and improper installation

High-Performance Clamps:
- 1940s: V-band (Marman) clamps developed for aerospace applications
- Used to secure atomic bombs in B-29 bombers
- Provide quick assembly/disassembly and uniform sealing under extreme conditions
- Later adopted in automotive, food, and pharmaceutical industries

T-Bolt Clamps:
- 1950s: T-bolt mechanism adapted for general-purpose hose clamps
- Popularized in the 1970s by Breeze Industrial Products Corporation
- Offers up to four times the clamping force of traditional clamps

Spring Hose Clamps:
- Post-WWII: Automotive industry seeks further cost reduction
- Type E clamps provide constant tension and self-adjustment
- Ideal for engine coolant and vacuum connections

Ear Clamps:
- 1951: Hans Oetiker invents the single-ear clamp
- Quick installation, consistent tension, and low profile
- Suitable for high-pressure applications and tamper detection
- Variations include two-ear and stepless ear clamps

The Plastic Revolution:
- 1990s: Automotive industry shifts towards plastic fittings
- Driven by cost savings, design flexibility, and assembly optimization
- High-performance thermoplastics used for strength and temperature resistance
- Integrated features like sensors and quick-connect mechanisms
- Concerns about long-term durability and environmental impact

SUPPORT NEW MIND ON PATREON

#EngineeringHistory #HoseClamps #IndustrialRevolution #AutomotiveTechnology #AerospaceEngineering

[TylerATX]

Will I really sit and watch a 22 minute video about hose clamps? Yes, yes I will. Maybe twice.

[Mr.Sticky.]

The best video on hose clamps I've seen all day!

[noahingram]

I just saved this to my playlist on hose clamps

[kennethwoods]

Excellent Presentation, I have dealt with all these clamp almost every day for 38 years. Still learned something. Great Video !

[hapasine]

This guy managed to make a hose clamp interesting.

[ulasgursoy]

shoutout to the automotive industry for innovating with such revolutionary ideas like "injection molded plastic parts on and around the engine" to make a 3% increase in profits by not having to use metal hose clamps in pipe fittings

[iVTECInside]

Just a heads up, the spring hose clamp (Type E) animation is backwards, you pinch the two tabs together to open it up.

[jordanpilati]

4:23 “Easily removed and reapplied” *show a mechanics nightmare of rusted clamp*

[patrickmcneilly]

I once fixed my car's steering rack boot with a hose clamp. And after getting a brake job, the mechanic said that I'm smart and pretty resourceful for doing that.

[arcticpilotshow]

At 13:57 I think the animation is wrong. The ears have to be pinched together to get the clamp on the tube and when it is released the clamp tightens. Still very nice video.

[MrVaticanRag]

The worm drive hose clip was invented over 100 years ago by Commander Lumley Robinson and to this day the company he founded, Jubilee® Clips. in 1935, the year of the 25th Jubilee for the coronation of King George V & Queen Mary. They still produces hose clamps of the highest quality in the UK, in its factory in Gillingham, Kent and have been known as Jubilee clips in the UK since 1935- and New Zealand where I was told this account while working with Pommie fitter in 1964 - 60 years ago.

[dan_youtube]

Any video from New Mind goes straight into my documentaries playlist, this is high quality education and i can't believe its free!

[onionbuskut]

So awesome you added the videos of the clamps actually being manufactured. Your vids are the best

[SmoothCanoes]

Hands down one of the best in-depth technical channels

[fastinradfordable]

Remember folks.
Your fittings are quick- connect.

NOT quick disconnect.

[------country-boy-------]

In a perfect world every hardware store would have a vast selection of t-bolt hose clamps and they would all be stainless steel.

[jeffcollins]

One feature of the threaded type that has saved my ass on multiple occasions is the ability to string 2 or more of them in line to accommodate a bigger size of "hose" or whatever you are clamping around. On a similar thought is the fact you can use a clamp that is way too big if it is threaded enough and just cut off the excess to make it look nice.
I remember tightening one once and coming up with the genius thought that if I get the proper bit for the drill or impact gun then I would probably save a lot of time and effort not having to turn 6 inches of thread by hand anymore, lol. Who knows how many meters of thread I spun by hand before coming up with that bright idea, and then how many more before actually getting the bit, heh.

[thevmc]

Dude, your voice is one of the most pleasant on YouTube, and your topics are so up my alley it's crazy. Comprehensive video of the complete history of hose clamps? Yes, please.

[Duraltia]

@13:54 This Animation was like a fever dream... The animation intends to show it expanding when in reality it would be contracting and vice versa 😑
In fact, quite a few of those animations get their intended animations wrong which is a bit baffling considering how simple they technically are 🤨

[chrisaguilera]

I am watching a documentary about a hose clamp at 5am on a Saturday. I love ❤️ youtube 😅