US1491137A - Grease-cup plug - Google Patents

Description

April z2 A19.24. A 1,491,137

W. A. GILLESPIE GREASE CUP PLUG Filed May 4A 1922 Patented Apr. 22, 1924. f

iuiiiliTEQ STATES herald?? PATENT OFFCE,

WARREN A.. GILLESPIE, or STAMPS, ARKANSAS.

GREASE-cur PIJ-oe,

Application filed May 1922. Serial No. 558,344'.

TocZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WARREN A. GILLES- Prn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamps, in the county of Lafayette and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Grease- Cup Plugs, of which the following is a specification. f

rlhe invention has reference to a plug for grease cups and particularly to an'improved type of plug having a self locking feature whereby it will automatically become wedged to the cup when screwed therein.

An additional object of invention is to provide a plug having a lock engageable with the threads of the cup to prevent looseness of the plug or loss through vibration, the plug being thereby prevented from any outward movement from the cup until the thread lock is released.

A further and additional object of the invention is to provide a plug which can be manufactured cheaply and which can be applied to any grease cup without requiring the use of special tools.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the continuance of the following description.

1n the drawings Figure 1 is a view disclosing the invention as applied to the side rods of a locomotive.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the plug showing the cap in place.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the center of the plug.

Figure is a similar sectional view taken at right angles to the section shown in the preceding figures, and

Figure 5 is a detailed view, in perspective, of the cap plate.

Although the drawings illustrate the invention as applied to an engine for the purpose of eliminating the danger of losing a plug from the grease cups of the locomotive side rods, it is of course obvious that the invention can be applied equally well to grease cups located elsewhere and it is not intended that the scope of the invention be in any way limited by the present showing.

The plug, indicated at 10, may be of iron or any other suitable material and of any diameter to lit recess 11. The plug is threaded externally as indicated at 12 and screws into the cup which is threaded on the inside as shovvni A portion of the plug is cut away to provide a pocket 13 opening outs wardly through a portion of the top and one side of the plug.

On opposite sides the pocket is provided with vertically extending grooves 14 which have their inner terminals spaced upwardly from the-bottom of the pocket as may be seen in Figures 3 and i of the drawings. These grooves or ways 14 receive the slidearm 1 5 of a cap plate 16 which fits over the top of the plug. Cap plate 16 is fastened to the plug by suitable screws 17 and serves to cover pocket 13,being provided, however, with a square central opening 18, as shown. This opening is to allow a wrench to be in sertedin pocket 13 yfor operating lock niembers 19. Lock 19con`sists of a bar having an end 2G adapted for engagement with the threadof the grease cup and carrying trunnions 21 which have a journalled bearingin grooves 14. Lock bar 19 pivots or rocks on the trunnions and is normally in locked engagement with the rthreads of the cup as shown in Figure 3. It may be. caused to assume this position by reason of the heavier` weightof the bar at its outside end or the inner end of the bar may be forced'up by an elastic element such as a spring 21 which will cause end 20 to press against the inside threads of the cup.

The lock is held firmly in place by reason of arms 15 of the top plate which bear down upon the trunnions of the lock member with sufiicient pressure to hold vthe latter in place although free to rock from side to side.

When plug l10 is screwed into a grease cap, end 2O of the lock bar rideseasily over the thread of the cup but any backing of the plug causes the bar to bind more firmly against the thread, preventing the removing of the plug. In order that the plug may be properly removed from the cup when required, it is only necessary to insert a suitable wrench through the square opening of the cap plate so as to press down the inside end of the lock causing the outer end to raise thereby taking the lock 0E the thread and enabling the plug to be unscrewed from the cap. The top or cap plate 16 of the plug serves to retain the lock units in place and also provides the square opening for the insertion of the wrench. A plug of this character will act indefinitely as 'a self locking feature and eliminate the danger of losing the plug. It may be used with or 19 may be made heavier'er' slightly ed cenwithout spring 21 as the 'outery end of bar ter causing the outer end to maintain a Wedging ei'ect against the inside of the threads of the cup.

No special tools are required tov apply the plug as it can be readily inserted or removed from a grease cup by such tools as are used on ordinary rod cup plug.

From the 'foregoing it is believed that the advantages and novel features of the invention Will be readily understood and therefore further detailed description is deemed unnecessary.

What is claimed is l. A look of the character specified including a grease-cup, a plug threaded therein, a lock bar mounted to rock Within a pocket in the plug, one end of said bar normally engaging the threads of the cup, said end riding easily over the threads during the advance of the plug in the cup and tending to bind against the threads on any reverse movement of the plug, and a cap plate carried by the plug for holding the lock bar Within the pocket of the latter, -said plate being provided with an opening for the insertion of an instrument to release the said lock.

2, grease cup, a plug threaded to screw into the cup and having a portion cut away tov provide a pocket opening outwardly through the top and one side of the plug, said pocket having opposite sides provided with vertically extending grooves having their inner terminals spaced upwardly from the bottom of the pocket, a lock consisting of a bar having one end adapted for engagement with the threads of the grease cup, said bar having trunnions 2l bearing in the grooves of the said pocket for pivotallyT supporting the bar therein, an elastic element disposed in the pocket for normally elevating the inner end of the said bar, and a cap plate covering the said pocket and being provided With slide-arms engaged in the grooves of the pocket and bearing againstv the trunnions of the said lock bar, said cap having a central opening to permit manipulation of the lock bar.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

VARREN A. GILLESPIE.

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