The original “Waite Tool” is made to relieve pressure in hydraulic lines by clamping onto the male Quick Disconnect tip, the large wingnut is then turned to press in the ball or poppet of the tip while directing the pressurized fluid away from the user. This tool is safer than any other method and eliminates the risk of potentially deadly fluid injection into the skin.
Here is the original story in part as published in the 2005 – Volume #29, Issue #5, Page #39 Farm Show Magazine:
Simple Tool Solves Hydraulic Pressure Problems
A simple tool invented (and patented) by George Waite makes releasing pressurized hydraulic couplers as easy as turning on a water faucet. Waite’s Hydraulic Pressure Relief Tool works like pliers to grip the valve end. Turn a simple tap on one side of the pliers, and it slowly presses on the male fitting, gradually releasing pressure as needed. The controlled release keeps fluid from shooting all over you and the equipment and prevents damage to the coupler.
“You can release pressure and fluid into a Dixie cup with this tool,” says Waite. “You don’t have to try to unscrew the hose or force the coupler.” A universal reaction from people who see the patent pending tool for the first time is “‘Why didn’t I think of that?,’” says Waite. The next question is, “Where can I get one?” One such person, Roger Hessler, a Colorado State Transportation Dept. worker and a personal friend of Waite, saw him fiddling with a wooden mockup.
“He said he wanted one,” recalls Waite. “I said, you don’t even know what it is and he replied, yes, I do. I’ve been looking for one for 40 years. I just didn’t know what it was going to look like.”
Hessler showed a working model to his boss, who promptly ordered 100 of the tools. Waite also received the 2005 Colorado Dept. of Transportation Safety and Innovation Award for his invention.
While George no longer makes the tools himself, they are still proudly Made in the USA in Colorado.
