US2449060A - Fluid draining device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 14, 1948. A I I 2,449,060

FLUID DRAINING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1945 INVENTOR HERBERT D. DAIGLE ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1948 NITED 1' FLUID'DRAINING DEVICE HerbertiDrDaigle, Providence, R. I. Application August 1, 1945, Serial No. 608,336

" I Claim. (Cl. 222-566) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

" amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates toa device for draining fluid from one container into another, and more particu1arly,.to the drainingby gravity-of a fluid from a fixed container or tank having no accessible opening other than one located on the bottom of the tank. a

Occasions frequently arise when it is necessary to drain oi the fluid contents of a tank, as for instance gasoline, without permitting any loss thereof by spillage while transferring the contents into another receptacle. Gne such instance is occasioned when it is desired to empty the wing tanks'of an airplane. These tanks are frequently so positioned within the wing that the only accessible drainage element is a disc or screw-type drain plug situated in the bottom of the tank. I

Heretofore, when draining such a container has been customary to unscrew the drain plug by utilizing an ordinary wrench or key held in the hands of the operator. One of the chief d sadvantages of this procedure has been that mstantaneously upon the removal of the plug, the fluid would pour in an uncontrolled flow and a substantial portion thereof would be spilled before it could be properly confined or guided into a lower positioned receptacle. In addition to this loss, if the spilled fluid were gasolme, a greater disadvantage would result from the increased fire hazard. A further disadvantage encountered was that the operator, in his haste to remove his hands from beneath the flow, might drop the drain plug to the ground or it might be lost by falling into the receptacle below.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for safely and rapidly extracting the drain plug and conducting all the fluid contents into a lower positioned receptacle.

The advantages of this device are that when placed in operative position it completely confines the flow of liquid so that no loss occurs from spilling. This not only reduces the fire hazard, but prevents the fluid from soiling the hands or clothing of the operator. In addition, it permits the drain plug to be extracted without danger of its being lost. These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device operatively positioned beneath a fluid container.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partially broken away to closed bottom plate. I in. the

.2. show in cross section certain features of the in vention. p l v V A conduit having a main body portion [and formed of suitable material such as metal or plastic, is providedat its upper extremitywith" an intake opening defined by a circumferential'lip 2. This lip, when in operative position; is designed to form a sea-ling engagement withjthe outer surface of the container 3 and to encircle a drain plug 4 removably positioned on the container. A downwardly extending spout portion 5.is affixed to the main body portion I and serves as a discharge conduit forthecontents of. the container. The lower extremity of thebodyfl constitutes a, trap portion .6 terminating iii. a center of which a guide bushing Sis located, provided with a fluid seal packing gland 9. A movable guide rod Ill, having a handle grip formed on its lower extremity, extends through this gland and bushing upwardly into the body portion I. A key-like member II is attached to the upper end of the movable rod Ill for engaging with and extracting the plug 4.

Having described the component parts of the invention, the following operational description will enable one to clearly understand the advantages to be derived by employing this device.

When it is desired to drain a fuel tank, such as 3 in Fig. 2, the device is manually positioned as shown with respect to the tank. A storage tank or container into which it is desired to transfer the fluid is suitably positioned to receive the gravitational flow from the spout of the discharge conduit 5. The guide rod Ill is then moved upwards by means of its external handle until the key-member ll engages with the drain plug. In the adaptation shown, this key has two finger lugs extending upwards and fitting into matched recesses in the plug. However, any other suitable coupling arrangement may be used for imparting rotary movement to the plug. The key is then turned by means of the handle causing the threaded plug to be released from the container opening. The plug will then remain positioned upon the key and may be lowered (Fig. 2) so as not to partially obstruct the flow of fuel into the discharge conduit 5. If perchance the plug, after being unscrewed, should become disengaged from the supporting key, it will fall down and be retained within the trap 6 from which it can be readily recovered after the device is detached from the emptied tank.

The guide bushing 8 permits free and independent longitudinal and rotational movement of the rod and key elements while maintaining them in axial alignment with respect to the bore of the drain opening in the tank to which the device is attached. This feature permits the reinsertion of the plug into the tank if desired prior to the complete drainage of its contents. After the plug has been removed from within the body I, any liquid retained within the trap portion 6 may be drained out into the discharge conduit by tilting the device.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

Having thus described the construction and operation of the device, what is claimed as the invention is:

A draining device adapted to be detachably associated with a container to be drained of its fluid contents through a removable drain plug,

said draining device comprising a substantially cylindrical body member provided with an open intake end, said body member when in operative position having said open intake end in engaging contact with an area of said container surrounding said drain plug, a base plate secured to andclo'sing said body member opposite said open intake end, a drain plug extracting means, said extracting means comprising means within said body member for gripping said drain plug, a guide rod extending through a fluid seal opening in said base plate, said gripping means being secured to an end of said guide rod, said guide 'rodand said gripping means being movable with 5 Number respect to said body member independently in rotary and longitudinal directions, the end of said guide rod opposite said gripping means providing means for imparting movement to said guide rod, said gripping means when moved longitudinally towards said intake end becomin positioned to engage said drain plug to permit its extraction from said container by rotation thereof, said drain plug after extraction being retained by said gripping means, a fluid discharge conduit attached and opening into said body member, said body member extending from its intersection with said discharge conduit and providing a trap extending to said base plate, said trap being adapted to retain said gripping means and said drain plug during the draining of said container through said discharge conduit upon longitudinal movement of said guide rod away from said open end, the depth of said trap from said intersection to said base plate being greater than the combined longitudinal thickness of said gripping means and said drain plug whereby said trap precludes loss of said drain plug through said discharge conduit.

HERBERT D. :DAIGLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES :PATEN' IS Number Name Date 1,582,758 Jones Apr. 27, "1926 FOREIGN PATENTS V v Country Date 666,920 France May '28, 1929

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