US2171168A - Radiator cap assembly - Google Patents

Description

ALL. SWANK mvmon GAP ASSEMBLY Aug. 29, 1939.

,Filed July 16, 1954 I INVEINTORI KT f/YJOZ wan/f ATTO NEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1939 v UNITED STATES PATENT. '"omca special ad ministratrix of said Arthur L' Swank, deceased, assignor to Eaton Mannfacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a obrporaa tion of Ohio Application July 16, 1934, Serlal No. "135,197

4 Claims.

One oi! the "essential objects of the invention is to provide an assembly 01' this type wherein the control means referred to not only normally prevents the escape of fluid from the radiator and is operable when a predetermined pressure is reached within the radiator to permit such escape, but also includes means operable when a vacuum isformed in the radiator to permit the entrance therein of air from the atmosphere to equalize the internal pressure with the external pressure and thus prevent the radiator structure from-collapsing or rupturing by external pressure.

Another object is to provide an assembly wherein the radiator cap and control means constitute a self-contained portable unit which may be readily connected to or disconnected from the filler neck of the radiator.

Another object is to provide an assembly 20. wherein the control means is wholly automatic and includes a main valve that is so constructed that it is capable of compensating for any inaccuracies in construction of its seat:

Another object is to provide an assembly wherein the control means includes an auxiliary valve that is carried by,' but is operable independently of the main valve.

Another object is to provide an, assembly wherein the seat for the main valve cooperates with a part on the flller neck to seal the latter.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made. more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,zwherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a radiator cap assembly embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;-

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a group perspective view of the radiator filler neck, cage and cap;

Figure 5 is a group perspective of the valve structure of my assembly.

Referring now to the drawing, I is the top wall of the upper header of a radiator, and 2 is a cupshaped flller neck having its base 3 resting upon and secured to said top wall I and provided with 8. depending internal annular flangeor shoulder 4 of substantially L cross section that is disposed within an opening 5 in said top wall and carries a suitable gasket 5.

I is the radiator cap' threadedly engaging the neck 2 and provided adjacent its periphery with a depending annular flange 8. 9 is a hollow member or cage sleeved upon and depending from the annular flange 8 and provided at its upper and lower ends with laterally projecting flanges Ill 5 and II, respectively. Preferably the flanges H) at the upper end of the cage are initially inclined outwardly as illustrated in Figure 4 and are of such length that they will engage the undercut or recess I2 in the cap 1 when flattened out as in 10 Figure 1, and will effectively hold the cage 9 against the flange B of the cap. The flange II at the lower end of the cage is annular in configuration for engagement with the gasket 6 and is provided at its inner edge with a relatively short 15 upstanding annular seat portion l3. As shown in the drawing, the neck and cap members 2 and i and the hollow valve cage 9 are all formed as sheet metal parts.

id is a main valve controlling the escape of 20 fluid from the radiator and normally'held upon the upstanding seat l3 of the cage by a suitable coil spring l5, while it is an auxiliary valve controlling the passage of air from the atmosphere inwardly through a suitable opening ll in the 25 main valve and normally held against the underside of said main valve about said opening by a coil spring it. Preferably the main valve l4 comprises a relatively thick disk 20 of rubber or other suitable flexible material and a cap M of sheet 30 metal, suitable openings 22 being provided in the cap at the periphery thereof for the reception of the rubber during the vulcanizing operation to insure a proper union between the parts.- The lower end of the coil spring l5 seats on this cap 35 it about an upstanding annular flange 23 thereof, while the upper' end of said spring bears against the underside ofthe cap i inside the annular flange 8. The auxiliary valve It is preferably a metal disk having a peripheral flange 24 engage- 40 able with the underside of the valve l4 and having a. centrally disposed lug 25 to which the lower end of coil spring is is secured. The upper end of the spring 19 is connected to and suspended from the base 26 of an inverted substanti- 45 ally U-shaped supporting bracket 21 having oppositely-extending curved leg portions 28 and 29 respectively seated'uponthe valve it within the annular flange 23.

Thus, when the partsare assembled, the cap 50 I, cage 9, valves l4 and I6, and springs l5 and I9 constitute a self-contained unit and as such may be moved relative to the flller neck 2. When the cap, 1 is mounted upon the neck 2, the annular flange ll of the cage seats upon the gasket 6 in the flange l of the neck and prevents the passage at "this point of fluid to or from the radiator. Normally the main valve l4 seats upon the upstanding seat portion l3 of the cage and prevents the escape of fluid from the radiator,

'while the auxiliary valve l6 seats against the underside of the main valve I about the opening I! therein and prevents the ingress of air from the atmosphere. However, when the pressure within the radiator should for any reason exceed a predetermined point beyond the limits of should be formed within the radiator and the pressure therein should fall below atmospheric pressure, then the auxiliary valve 16 will be unseated so that air from the atmosphere may pass through the opening I! into the radiator to equalize the internal pressure with the external pressure and thus prevent collapsing or rupturing of the radiator by external pressure.

In the manufacture of units of they type described, it sometimes happens that the upstanding seat portions such as' l3 for the main valves are inaccurately formed and that proper seating of the valve is not obtained. Therefore, to compensate for any inaccuracies and to insure the proper seating referred to, I have formed the rubher part 20 of the main valve with a peripheral slot or groove which enables the lower portion M of said valve to flex freely and conform properly to the upstanding seat l3 regardless of whether it is accurately formed or not when moved into engagement therewith. Thus, a perfect seal will be fiected when the valve I4 is closed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a radiator cap assembly, a filler neck having an inwardly extending annular portion with a depressed portion at the inner periphery thereof, a valve seat located in said depressed portion,

vent means for said neck above said annular portion, a cap for closing said neck provided with a depending flange having a screw threaded engagement withthe upper portion of said neck, said cap also having an annular depressed portion forming an annular recess outside thereof and a central recess within the same, a valve cage depending from said cap having an outwardly extending flange engaging said annular recess, the lower end of said cage having an inwardly extending flange adapted to engage the seat in the depressed portion of said neck when said cap is fully engaged with said neck but removed from said seat before said cap is disengaged from said neck, a valve in said cage seated on the inwardly extending flange thereof, a spring for yieldably holding said valve to its seat, the upper end of said spring being located in the central recess in said cap, said valve having a central aperture therein, an inwardly opening valve for closing the aperture of the aforesaid valve, and v a spring for yieldably holding sai inwardly opening valve to its seat.

2. In a radiator closure device the combination 0! a flller neck having an internal annular formedof sheet metal and connected with said cap body to extend into the neck and sealingly engage said shoulder when the cap body is lockedon the neck, said cage having an opening in its inner end and a valve seat around such opening, a valve in the cage adapted to sealingly engage said seat, and a spring in the cage normally press-- ing the valve against said seat.

3. In a radiator closure device the combinatio of a flller neck having an internal annular shoulder spaced inwardly from its outer end, a vent and overflow pipe connected with the neck outwardly of said shoulder, a cap body adapted to be applied to the outer end of the neck to close the same, said cap body and neck having cooperating portions thereon for releasably locking the same together, a depending hollow cage formed of sheet metal and connected with said cap body to extend into the neck and sealingly engage said shoulder when the cap body is locked on the neck, said cage having an opening in its inner end and a valve seat around such opening, a pressure relief valve in the. cage adapted to sealingly engage said seat, a'spring in the cage normally holding the pressure relief valve against said seat, said pressure relief valve having an opening therethrough, and a vacuum reliei' valve adapted. to seat against the pressure relief valve to close the opening of the latter, and a spring normally holding the vacuum relief valve seated.' v

4. A closure device comprising cap and neck members having cooperating portions providing a detachable connection between such members, said neck having an internal annular shoulder spaced inwardly from the connecting portion thereof, a vent and overflow pipe connected with the neck outwardly of said shoulder, an annular gasket in the neck member and supported by said annular shoulder, a depending hollow cage formed of sheet metal and connected with said cap member to extend into the neck and being of a length to sealingly engage said gasket when the cap member is locked on the neck member, said sheet metal cage having a transverse wall at its inner end with an opening therein and with annular surfaces on opposite sides thereof surrounding such opening, one of said surfaces adapting the cage for said sealing engagement with the gasket and the other of said surfaces providing the cage with an internal valve seat, a valve in the cage adapted to sealingly engage said seat. and a spring in the cage normally pressing the valve against said seat.

ARTHUR L. SWANK.

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