LP Gas Hall of Fame Inductee – Class of 2025
You could say that Walter Smith’s head, like his most successful invention, has always been on a swivel.
The designer of the worldwide industry standard hose-end swivel, Smith is the son and grandson of the innovative engineers responsible for many patents and products that forged Smith Pumps. But it was Smith’s interaction with a member of the propane industry regarding a bobtail delivery system connection – and his quick response to the challenge – that changed the industry and earned him a spot in the LP Gas Hall of Fame.
In 1991, when presented with the problem of hoses twisting during propane delivery, Smith quickly sketched an idea to allow a 360-degree rotation of the filler valve. Later that year, he founded Full-Circle, which became the first company to list a swivel with the Underwriters Laboratories for LP gas service.
The swivel allowed drivers to not have to “fight” the hose during a fill, making for a safer and more efficient procedure. Today, the valve has become a standardized piece of equipment used on all bobtail delivery trucks in North America, as well as other worldwide markets.
The SMAC-series hose reel swivels were developed in 1992, and three years later, Smith improved on the original design with the JO-1 hose end swivel. The JO-1 was half the weight and size of the original hose-end swivel, the SMAC-1. The company now manufactures a broad range of liquefied gas swivels worldwide.
Smith retired as president in 2022 but remains active as a consultant for Smith Pumps and Full-Circle.