US1280250A - Safety-valve for cans. - Google Patents

Description

' G. W. LARDQ- SAFETY VALVE FOR cANs. 1,280,250 APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 2|. 19u. Patented C. 1, 1918- fhtw/neig me Nue/ns psrsns ca.. Momumo., wnsmm. uw. n. c,

sarn'rvvnnvn FOR sans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. i, rais.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,425..

To all whom t may concern: t i

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LARI), a citizen of the UnitedV States, residing at Arbuckle, in. the county` of MurrayV and State of Oklahoma, have linvented eert-ain newand useful Improvements in SafetyValves for Cans, of which the following is a spec'iiication,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to safetyclosures for' oil cans, gasolene cans, and othercontainers of like character designed to contain explosive fluids. i

The general object of the invention is to provlidwmeans for normally closing the spout of an oil can and the air inlet opening of an oil can, so as-to prevent spilling of the contents of thecan or container, or ignition of the contents.

A 'iurt-her object of the invention is to provide means. whereby the valve closing the spout of the oil can may be readily opened and heldopenby a pressure of the operators thumb, while the oil is v being poured 'therefrom and will close as soon as the pressure is released.

Ai-further object is to provide an iinprovedrineansrfor admitting air to the interior of thecontainer, `which includes a closure normally held to its seat to prevent the admission of air,Y but whichmay be forced open by the operator and if desired maybe manipulated so `as to hold the closure open while the Voilis being poured. p

Other'- objects of my invention relate to the details "of construction and `improvemntsin thearrangement of the parts, as will hereafter appear. A

The invention is -`il lustrated' in the accom-l panyingdrawings, wherein Figure-`1 is4 a fragmentary .vertical sectional view of la can proved valves;

Fig..2 is alike view VtoFig. 1 but showing the valves open;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking upward.; t

Figi 4l is af top plan viewof a portion of the top of the can showing the housing 22; Fig. 5 is a perspective vliew of the tubular provided with my im Fig." 6 fis' a; perspective view of I the valve B4'detaChed. Referringl tothe dra-wings, 1t will be seen uthatl have illustrated ain oil can or container *10, such as used ytor containing gasolene,

` countersunk, as A at 21,

explosive fluids, provided with a spout 11. be of any suitable form or dimensions, butpreferably is tapered toward its pouring extremity and extends into the top of the can, or the wall of the can, a distance of about g1g ofan inch. Coacting with this spoutand normallyclosing passage therethrough is a valve comprising a disk 12 of cork, rubber or other suitable makerosene, and other highly this can being The spout may terial, but Apreferably cork, which is disposed within a circular holder 1.3 forming partof an arm 111,'which extends away from the end of the spout 11 and is pivoted be tween ears 15 attached to or formed as part of the can wall. The cork 12 is highly compressed before it is inserted in the ring 13 and is preferably deeper` than this ring 13, so that the portion ofthe cork`which projects above the ringis not as'tightly compressed and is compressible by Contact with the butten'd of the spout 11.

For the purpose of normally holding the valve closed, I provide a stem 16, which extends through the ytop of the oil can and is slotted for thepassage of the arm 14; Surrounding the opening through which this stem passes, and disposed upon the exterior face of the can, is a tubular member 17, and

y disposed around the Opening through which thest'en'i 16 passes, and withinthis tubular member, is a packing`18' of' cork, o'r other suitable materia-l, which will prevent' the escape ofliquid or vapor through the Opening. Surrounding the lstem 16l and disposed within' the tubular member 17 is a spring 19 and carried by theupper end of thestem i 16 is a pushbutton or 'cap 20", which is firmly attached" to the stem and which is to receive theupper end ofthe spring 19, so'as to `pernuit aslong a spring as possible to be used. The body of the push button extends down in'to thetubular member 17, the head of the push" button being larger than the tubular member.

For thepurpose" of housing the parts and protecting them from damage, preferably provide the housing 22, which has a top wall and side walls. The top wall'at one end is `cut away as at 23 to extend around thespout 11 and the side wallsengage with'theispout. This'housing maybe madeof one'pieee" of sheetinetal'stamped out in proper forni and braz'ed, soldered,r `or otherwise attached to the top of the can and to the spout 11. This housing is formed with an opening 24 and the margin of this opening 2li is depressed as at 25 so that the edge of the opening is level with the top of the tube 17. `The push button has its head 20 disposed above the top of the housing, but the depression25 is of sufficient depth so that the push button is at all times disposed below the planeof the top plate of the housing and thus is Vat all times protected.

It'will be obvious that by depressing the push button 24:, the valve will be shifted away from the end of the spout 11 against the force of the spring 19 and that as soon as the Vpressure is released upon the push button, the spring 19 will return the parts to their original position.

For the purpose of admitting ,air to the can, while the contents are being poured out,

Iprovide a cap 26 which is made of sheet metal, and which has a screw-threaded annular flange 27Y adapted to engage the screwthreaded flange 28 surrounding the linlet opening of the can. This cap is depressed at its center and has a central opening in which is disposed a vertically extending tube 29, the "upper end ,of which is outwardly flared as at 30. Across the lower end of this tube eXtendsa plate 31, having a central perforation and a plurality of air holes 32 disposed around the Vcentra-l perforation. Extending through the central perforation is a stem 33 of a valve 3&1. This stem extends upward through the tubular member 29 and at its upperend s attached to a cap 35 constituting a push button, the cap having a marginal flange 36 which is adapted to eX- tend down and around the tube 29, the flared ends of the tube engaging with the side walls of the cap. The inner face of the cap is provided with the inwardly projecting lug 37. The tubular member 29 `is formed at its upper end with a bayonet slot `38, with which `the lug 37 is adapted to coact and adjacent its upper end the tube 29 is also formed withv a plurality of perforations 39. Preferably the valve 311 is formed with an outercupshaped fmetallic member attached to the stem` 33 `:and a cork filling 40, the valve 34 being ofjsulficient diameter so that the cork 40 will bearV against the lower face of the plate 31 when the valve is raised.

It will be seen that ordinarily the valve 311 will be held against the plate 31 by means of a spring L11, which surrounds the stem 33 andbears at its lower end against the plate 31l and urges the valve upward.l Under these circumstances, air cannot pass into the body of the can,but if the valve be pushed down air can pass through the perforations 39 and 32 into the can, the fiared'upper end of the tube 29 preventing the lateral flange 36 of the cap 35 from obstructing these perforations 39. If it be desiredto hold the valve open, without the necessity of exerting manual pressure on the valve, then the cap can. When it is desired to use the can, vboth valvesare openedin the manner heretofore!` 1 described and `the contents pouredout in the usual manner. i lVhen the valves are closed.)

they will prevent any explosivevapor from` passing out of thecan and hence the danger of igniting the gaseous oontentsof the can, and thereby causing explosion, willbe minimized. It will further be observed. that both valves are held to their seats positively by springs and that the corkfilling or packing of each valve will malte it certaingthat the valves seat` properly so as not to permit the leakage of explosive gases. Thecap 26 is depressed at its center so that the push button does not project above the top of the cap and thus there willbe no danger Vof the button being accidentally depressed while the can is being transported. The same is true in regard to the push button 20, which is disposed sufficiently below the upper face of the housing 22 as to be held from acei` dental movement. ,i

It will be seen, of course, that the housing 22 protects the valvestructure.from damage, due to rough handling of the can, or any depression of the top and that the valve-LO is also fully protected` by the housing 29 and' by the recessed or depressed portion ofthe cap26..,-Vi` .i While I have illustrated a flat top can, it

is to be understood that this is purelyillus trative and that my construction may be applied to a round topcan, just aswell as to j a flat top can.

It will be seenthat my device is -verysim i cans or containers and that it has many ad- `ple, can be readily applied to allfforms of vantages over the ordinary spouts andlair f inlets for cans of this character. ,While-I have illustrated a particular .form` of my invention, it will be understood .that `many and having a depressed central portion,.a

tubular member extending through the Vdel pressed portion of the cap, a valve normally closing the opening through the cap, and a button disposed over the end of the tubular member and operatively connected to the valve and normally disposed below the level of the uppermost portion of the cap.

2. An oil can having a top, a cup-shaped member extending through the top and out-m position, and a button operatively connected to the valve and extending over the top of the cup-shaped member and having downwardly extending flanges spaced from the body of the cup-shaped member by said flared upper portion thereof.

3. An oil can having a top, a Cupshaped member extending through the top and outwardly flared at its upper end and formed with air inlet perforations in its side wall and perforations in its bottom, a valve normally closing said last named lperforations, a spring disposed within the cup-shaped member and urging Vthe valve to its closed position, a button operatively connected to the valve and extending over the top of the cupshaped member and having downwardly extending flanges spaced from the body of the cup-shaped member by said flared upper portion thereof, and means for looking the button in a. depressed position with the valve open.

4f. An oil can having a top, a eup-shaped member extending through the top, a valve controlling passage through said cup-shaped member and having` a stem extending upward therethrough, a button mounted on the stem and having a downwardly extending side wall embracing the cup-shaped member, a spring urging the button upward and the valve 'to a closed position, and a pin extending :inward from the side wall of the button, the eupeshaped member having a bayonet slot with which the pin engages.

5. An oil can having an inlet opening, a cap for closing said opening and having a depressed central portion, a eup-shaped member extending through the depressed portion and having its upper end flared and perforated, the bottom of the cup-shaped member being` provided with perforations, a valve having a stem extending upward through the lower end of the cup-shaped member and having a push button at its upper end and having a flange extending down over the flared portion of the eupshaped member, and a spring disposed Within the member and normally holding the valve closed.

V6. An oil can having an inlet opening,l a cap for closing said opening and having a depressed central portion, a eup-shaped member extending through the depressed portion and having its upper end flared and perforated, the bottom of the cup-shaped member being provided with perforations, a valve having a stem extending upward through the lower end of the cup-shaped member and having a push button at its upper end and having a flange extending down over the flared portion of the cupshaped member, and a spring disposed within the cup-shaped member and normally holding the valve closed, said valve comprising a metallic shield and a compressive packing disposed within the shield and adapted to be forced against the lower end of the eupshaped member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. LARD.

Vitnesses f V. C. MicHAEL, M. E. MICHAEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1).(1.

Images