US1627374A - Dust-cap construction - Google Patents

Description

. A. E. BRONSON DUST CAP CONSTRUCTION Fild Feb. 18. 1920 It 2) 6767 v mw m Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED "STAT Es PATENT OFFICE] ADELBERT E. nnonson, or otnvnrAn'n, oH- Io, ASSIGNOR TO THE nrrn MANUFAC- TUBING, conrnnmor CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION or onto, 1

1 DUST-CAP oons'raucrron.

Application filed 'February 18, 1920. Serial No. 359,746.

This invention relates to a dust cap construction which carries as a part thereof, and mounted within the same, a member which forms a cap for the end of a tire valve stem, and also serves as an attaching mem ber whereby the cap and valve stem are secured to each other when the dust cap is slipped over the valve stem. 1

The invention further contemplates the construction of the cap in such a manner as to carry screw-driver provisions which theair valve within the valve stem may manipulated. I Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings'forming a part of this specification, in'which Fig. 1 is an elevation with portions in section showing a dust cap of the invention applied to a valve stem; and Fig. 2 is a section through Fig. 1 ,on the lime-2.

The present practice with respect to the use of protectlng caps fol-pneumatic tire Valve stems is to provide a small cap having a threaded interior portion which screws upon the threaded end of a valve stem. This cap is made to have a projecting portion having extensions which are in the art denoted as screwdriver provisions, their function being to engagewith a proper por 0 tion of the valve within the valve-stem for the purpose of removing or inserting a valve within the stem, and thisoperation is accomplished "by merely "removing the aforesaid cap and reversing-its position, that is to say, inserting the screw-driver provision portion within the open end of the valve stem.

It is customary to provide a-dust cap which has a long tubular shell member threaded adjacent one end thereof in such a fashion as to engage the threads upon the outer portion of the valve stem so that the dustcap may be turned upon the valve stem into engagement with the usual rim nut which is also mounted upon the valve stem.

In the present invention it is proposed to combine the dust cap and the valve cap into one structure thereby eliminating one of the usual parts employed, and furthermore, to utilize the member of the combina- 0 tion which has the function of a valve cap to have the additional function of serving to secure the shell of the dust cap upon the valve stem.

The provision of the construction which has just been described accomplishes not only the results which have been mentioned, but accon-iplishes the. additional result of providing a dust cap shellwhich maybe quickly attached and detached from the valve stem, requiring merely a few turns to secure a threaded engagement as against thep-resen-t practice which requires screwing the shell of'the'dust cap along the entire ex osed portion of the valvestem.

e'ferring to the drawings, 1- indicates a valve stem of usual-construction which is threaded upon its outer surface. -2 indicates the end of the usual valve stem which is somewhat reduced in diameter with 'r-espect to the other portion of the valve stem. While not indicated in the drawings, it will be understoodthat within the valve stem there will be placed the usual or desiredtype of air valve. A rim nut 3 of usual construe tion is threaded upon the valve stem and performs its usual function.

At 4 is indicated the shell or casing of a dust cap. This is preferably, although not necessarily, made by a drawing process from a blank of sheet metal, and'has an'open end indicatedatS and a closed end indicated at '6." Within the shell 4 is'a member 7. This member has a very close frictional contact with the inner wall of the shell 4;, t-he construction-being such'that the member 7 may be moved longitudinally within the shell, but in doing this the frictional engage ment between the outer surface of the memher 7 and the wall of the shell 4 must be overcome, and under normal conditions, when forceis not applied,theinenrber 7 will immovably occupy that posit-ionwithin the shell t-to which it has ;*be'en adjusted.

The ineinber 7'has .a threaded recess'B, and this recess at the upper end thereof is provided with a gasket or packing such as indicated at 9, and is adapted to engage with the end of the valve stem when-the member 7 is attached to the end of the valve stem.

In the present drawing, the shell 4 is shown with a portion thereof formed with angular sides, (see Fig. 2) and the member 7 is formed with sides complementary to the sides of the shell, and in the construction shown, the member 7 is non-rotatable with respect to the shell 4. This is a desirable construction, but should beconsidered only as illustrative of any means to prevent relative zrotation between the shell and the member At the end of the shell 6, an extending member 10 is provided, which at its outer end is slotted, as indicated at 11, thereby forming screw-driver provisions of a form and size required to manipulate the air valve within the valve stem 1.

The lower end of the shell 4 is somewhat restricted, as indicated at 4 thereby forming a shoulder, and by so much limiting the outer position of the member 7 with respect to the shell 4.

As will be at once apparentfrom the construction which has been described, the shell 4 with its enclosed member 7 may be removed from the valve stem by giving the shell 4 a sufficient number of turns to unscrew the member 7 from its engagement with the end of the valve stem. At the most, but a few threads need be engaged so that the shell 4 may be very quickly detached from the valve stem.

The detaching operation which has just been described, not only removes the dust cap shell, but simultaneously exposes the open end of the valve stem so that the pump may be applied, or if necessary, the valve within the shell removed or adjusted, without the usual extra operation of removing the valve cap.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cap for valve stems and the like comprising a shell to cover the valve stem, a member within the shell which is capable of being moved with respect to the shell but has close frictional contact with the walls of the shell and is retained in a given position within the shell by said frictional contact, said member having a recessed portion adapted to cooperate with the end of a valve stem to close the end thereof and to engage the stem to hold the shell upon the stem.

2. A dust cap for valve stems and the like comprising a shell to cover the valve stem, a member within the shell which is capable of being moved with respect to the shell but has close frictional contact with the walls of the shell and is retained in a given position within the shell by said frictional contact, said member having a recessed portion adapted to have threaded engagement with the end of a valve stem thereby to close the end of a valve stem and to secure the shell to the valve stem.

3. A dust cap for valve stems and the like comprising a shell to cover the valve stem, a member non-rotatabl mounted with respect to the shell and within the shell which is capable of being moved with respect to the shell but has close frictional contact with the walls of the shell and is retained in a given position within the shell by said frictional contact, said member having a recessed portion adapted to co-operate with the end of a valve stem to close the end thereof and engage the same to secure the shell to the valve stem.

4. A dust cap for valve stems and the like comprising a shell to cover the valve stem, a member non-rotatably mounted with respect to the shell and within the shell which is capable of being moved with respect to the shell but has close frictional contact with the walls of the shell and is retained in a given position within the shell by said frictional contact, said member having a recessed portion adapted to have threaded engagement with the end of a valve stem to close the end of the same and to secure the shell to the valve stem.

5. A dust cap for valve stems and the like comprising a shell to cover the valve stem, a member within the shell, which is capable of being moved with respect to the shell but has close frictional contact with the walls of the shell and is retained in a given position within the shell by said frictional contact, said member having a recessed portion which is closed at one end, a packing member at the closed end of said recess, said member adapted to have a threaded engagement with the end of a valve stem to close the end of the valve stem and to secure the shell to the valve stem.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

ADELBERT E. BRONSON.

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