US1402126A

US1402126A - Radiator cap

Info

Publication number: US1402126A
Application number: US309964A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas M Roberts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-07-10
Filing date: 1919-07-10
Publication date: 1922-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1939-01-03

Description

T. M. ROBERTS.

RADIATOR CAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1919.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922-.

stars area castes.

THOMAS M. ROBERTS, 01E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RADIATOR CAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs M. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiator Caps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a cap or closure for the filling opening of an automobile radiator, and is intended to replace the ordinary plain cap which is usually supplied for capping the opening. It may be regarded as a modification and improvement of the radiator cap shown in the pending application of Arthur WValine and Thomas M. Roberts, and is intended for the same general purpose, that is, the provision of a sightly and attractive closure which may be conveniently manipulated to enable it to serve as a filling funnel, or as a ventilating and cooling device. My object is the de velopment and perfection of a device of this description in a highly satisfactory and desirable form, and my invention relates more particularly to'the formation ofthe back wall of the funnel member and a spring diaphragm member with matching shutter openings and consists in the construction, arrangement and form of the cooperating shutter members and associated parts as hereinafter described, the essential elements thereof being more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the appended drawing forming a part of this specification Fig. 1 is a side eleva tion of a radiator cap embodying my invention, showing in dotted lines the position of the funnel member when reversed; Fig. 2 is acentral vertical sect-ion of the same; Fig. 3 is a face view of the apertured back wall of the funnel member, viewed axially of the joint between the funnel and base members; Fig. 4 is a view of the top of the base member, looking in the opposite direction; and Fig. 5 is plan view ofthe spring diaphragm removed.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures of the drawing.

The base member 1 of my novel radiator cap is formed with a tubular screw-threaded connection 2 adapted to engage the regular threaded opening of the radiator of the automobile upon -which-it is designed to be used, and is provided with a lock nut 3 by means of which itmay be firmly secured in place. Above the screw-threaded portion the base Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 10,

Patented J an. 3,1922. 1919. Serial a... 309,964.

member is formed a somewhat contracted neck 4: which merges above into a substantially hemispherical" shell 5, the face of which is inclined at an angle of 45 from the axis of the screw-threaded portion and neck. The upper circular face of the shell portion 5 is formed with an annular counter-bore 6 to form a seat for the funnel member to be later described, below which is formed a shouldered recess 7 extending below and around the bottom of the'counterbore 6, except for a lug 8 which is left in the line of the recess.

The funnel member 9 of the device has anouter flaring or bell shaped opening wh ch at its inner end is continuous with a circular back wall 10 formed with a number of openings 11, seven in the present instance, cut on radial and circumferential hnes, and separated by uncut portions 12 of the wall, these solid portions of the wall being of the same shape and size as the openmgs. Externally the base of the funnel member is shouldered to form a reduced portion 13 adapted to rotatably engage the counterbore 6 of the base member.

Between the base and funnel members and seated in the recess 7 is arranged a slightly dished diaphragm plate 1 1 of resilient metal which is formed with radiating openings 15 adapted to register with the openings 11 of the back wall of the funnel member in certain positions of the latter. As shown, one of these openings, marked 15 is cut out to the margin of the plate so that it may engage opposite sides of the lug 8 before mentioned, whereby it is held against rotation.

The funnel member is secured in its seat in the base member, against the spring resistance of the diaphragm plate, by means of a pivot bolt 16 arranged axially of the joint between the members and engaging a threaded boss 17 formed on the base member, a lock nut 18 being provided to prevent it from becoming disengaged. A spring washer 19 between the head of the screw bolt and the outer face of the back wall of the funnel member is also preferably used to provide additional spring resistance to rotation of the funnel member. I

Adjacent the joint between the funnel and base members the base member is formed with opposite stop lugs 2020, arranged to cooperate with a project ng lug 21 on the funnel member.

lt'will be noted that the openings in the back wall of the funnel and in the diaphragm plate are odd in number, from which it results that a rotation of the funnel member through an arc of 180 will reverse their relation to each other. The arrangement is such that when the funnel is in the horizontal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 theopenings of the parts will be arranged in alternation and communication through the funnel into the radiator closed, and when turned to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure, to serve as a funnel when filling the radiator, the openings in the two members will be in registration. In case the water in the radiator should become overheated and it is desired to open'communication through the cap so that by forward movement of the car air will be driven into the radiator, the funnel may be turned through an arc of one-seventh of a circle, in which position the openings will be brought into registration, and the angular setting of the cap will hardly be noticeable.

Vhile I have described my invention as constituting a cap or closure for an automatic radiator, it is obvious that it is applicable to containers or receptacles of whatever kind which it may be desired to provide with a closure-member serving in one position as a funnel and when reversed serving to close the funnel opening.

I claim:

1. A radiator cap comprising a vertical hollow base member, a funnel member communicating therewith and rotatably engaging said'base member on an axis oblique to the axes of both said members, said funnel member being formed with a .back wall, a dished resilient diaphragm non-rotatably engaging said base member and arranged adjacent the back wall of said funnel member, said diaphragm and back wall being formed with openings arranged to register and havin intermediate solid portions of the same size as the openings, and a pivot bolt engaging said back wall of the funnel member and said base member.

2. A radiator cap comprising a Vertical hollow base member, a funnel member comraoaaae municating therewith and rotatably engaging said base member on an axis oblique to the axes ofbotlisaid members, said funnel member'being formed with a back wall provided with an odd number of openings, a diaphragm non-rotatably seated in said base member adjacent said back wall and formed with a corresponding odd number of openings, said openings in the back wall of the funnel and in the diaphragm being arranged to stand out of registration when the funnel is in horizontal position and in registration when the funnel is in vertical position.

3. A radiator cap comprising a vertical hollow base member, a funnel member communicating therewith and rotatably engaging. said base member on an axis oblique to the axes of both said members, said funnel member being formed with a back wall provided with radiating openings separated by solid portions of the same angular extent as said openings, a circular diaphragm adjacent said back wall and formed with. the same number of similar openings, one of said openings extending to the periphery of the diaphragm and said base member being formed with an arc-shaped seat arranged to receive the edge of such diaphragm and with a lug arranged to engage said lastmentioned opening therein, and a pivot bolt engaging said back wall of the funnel member and said base member.

4. A device of the character described and comprising a vertical hollow base member, a reversible funnel member communicating {therewith and rotatably engaging said base member on an axis inclined from the vertical, said base being equipped with an apertured diaphragm adjacent the joint between it and the funnel member and said funnel being equip 38d. with a corresponding apertured diap ragm contiguous to said first mentioned diaphragm and said apertures being arranged to register when said funnel is in vertlcal position and arranged to stand out of registration when said tunnel is in horizontal position.

THOMAS M. ROBERTS.