US1878687A - Tank cap - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1932. V R FERGUSSQMN 1,878,687 I TANK CAP Filed April 25, 1931 the tank, along in the course of the tank Patented Sept. 20, 1932 ALAN R. rnneusson, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

TANK CAP Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to tank caps'or covers, particularly covers for the filling spouts of gasoline tanks and the like.

The objects of the invention, in particular, are to provide. a practical and inexpensive form of tank cap, which may be applied to the tank spout atthe time of manufacture or assembly of the tank structure, or later, which will have a close fittingsealing connection with the tank, which may be quickly opened and closed, and without becoming detached or lost from the tank and which will be of attractive ornamental appearance and otherwise desirable.

The objects mentioned and others possibly equally desirable are attained in this invention by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts hereinafter more particularly disclosed;

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates certain practical embodiments of the invention and it will be appreciated from these illustrations that the form of the invention may be further varied, all within the broad intent and scope of the claims.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the cap construction; F ig. 2 is a front elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1, showing the cap as it appears mounted on the filling spout of an automo-' bile tank; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view substantially as on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of handle lever; Fig. 4 is a broken side view, illustrating in particular, a modified form of mounting ring for the cap;

In the first form of the invention, as exem plified in Figs. 1-, 2, 3, the cap structure is made up as a unit intended to be applied to manufacture or assembly. A portion of the tank is indicated at'5, this portion carrying the rigid filling spout 6.

1931. Serial No. 532,739.

The cap structure is rigidly and permanently attached to the spout by a rigid sheet metal mounting ring 7 of inverted U-shaped cross section, with the inner wall 8 of such oross-section interlocked with the interior of the spout and the outer wall 9 embracing the edge of the spout and forming the actual lip of the same.

In the illustration, the attachment of the mounting ring to the spout is effected by swaging or spreading the inside Wall of the ring into an outwardly beveled slightly undercut annular seat 10 formed in the mouth of the spout. This joint may be finished off by brazing, soldering, welding or the like, though the swaging action is usually sufficient to permanently anchor the ring to the spout- The cap, which is designated 11, is shown as formed about the rim of the same with a series of partially detached dependent spring fingers 12, bowed to hook under the curved outer portion 13 of the mounting ring. At one portion of the rim the cap is extended in the form of a hood 14, overlying a correspondingly projected hood portion 15 of the mounting ring and a pivot pin 16 is passed through the dependent portions of these hoods to hingedly fix the cap on the mounting ring.

A coiled spring 17 engaged on the pivot pin and acting in opposite directions against the hood portions of the cap and mounting ring respectively, serves to throw the cover open when the holding fingers is overcome.

For releasing the cap, various handle means may be employed. Thus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a substantially straight handle lever 18 may be provided pivoted at 19 on a lug 20, dependent from the mounting ring at a point substantially diametrically opposite the hinge, said lever having a generally cam shaped upper end 21 to engage a curved or cam shaped dependent projection 22 on the grip of the spring rim of the cover. As the cam edge 21 of the lever extends to opposite sides of the pivot 19, it will be seen that the lever may be rocked in either direction, that is, either up or down, to force the cover open against the holding tension of the spring fingers. To limit the throw of the lever, the latter is indicated as provided with a dependent and inwardly directed lug 23, adapted to engage the lower edge of the This limits the throw of the lever to a p0sition where the cam edge 22 of the cover, in the closing movement of the cover, will rock the lever back to its initial position, Figs. 1 and 2, where it is then held by the cap against any rattling movement.

Where there is insufficient space below the ';cap for the swinging of the hand lever, the *lever may as indicated at 18a in Fig. 3. This placing of the handle is more accessible and in some respects more convenient for operation than the sidewise projection of the handle first disclosed.

When the device is used as a closure for gasolinetanks, it may be suitably vented, as indicated particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, where a small vent is shown at 2a in an annularly raised portion 25 .ot the cover, out of alignment with a small opening 26 in a similarly ribbed portion 27 of a washer 28 secured inside the cover by rivet 29. This washer holds in place a gasket 30, which makes sealing engagement with the lip portion of the mounting ring.

Another method of mounting the cap; is illustrated in Fig. 4;, where the mounting ring is secured about the neck of the filling spout instead of being seated over the end of the same. This mounting ring is indicatedas a split collar 31, having the break therein at the pivot lugs 32, these beingheld together by the pin 16 which forms the pivot mounting for the cap and the end of the spoutis shown as finished off by .a rounded bead or flange 33, for engagement by the spring holding fingers or claws 12 of the cover. Thus in this construction the cap makes sealing engagement directly with the end of the spout and the mounting ring serves as ;a;sup= port rather than as a combined support and seat for the cap. I

The cover releasing lever in Fig. 4 difiers from the two previously described in that.

it is extended downwardly, instead of to one side or upwardly otherwise the action of this lever, which is here designated 18?) is the same as the levers previously described. The pivot pin ;19 of the lever is shown as having a seat at 34: in the neck of the spout, so as to hold'the mountingring and cap against rotative movement draw the cap-down over the rounded lip of the on the spout. The invention provides a .sim'ple,-inexpensive reliable and entlrely practical form of supporting lug 20.

be doubled upwardly upon itself.

as in Figs..2 and 3, but

closure, particularly for gasoline tanks and the like. The mounting of the closure as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4:, as a permanent fixture in the end of a filling spout is of considerable practical importance, particularly in that it eliminates the need for providing an extra flange member within this spout as has been necessary heretofore for the securing of a removable closure cap.

In view of the fact that the invention has other uses than those described and is capable of modification in various respects, it should be understood that the expressions employed herein are used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except for such possible limitations as may be required by the state of the prior art.

' What is claimed is:

g 1. In combination. with a filling spout of a tank, said spout having an undercut shoulder in the mouth of the same, a mounting ring engaged over the edge of the fillingspout and having an inner wall set into the undercut shoulder to permanently secure said ringain posltlon on the spout, a cap hingedly mounted having the inner wall of the same secured in engagementw-iththe inner wall of the spout,

a cover hingedly mounted on said ring and having dependent spring fingers yieldingly gripping the outer wall of said mounting r-mg. 3. In combination with .a tank spout, a mounting ring of inverted -.U-shaped vcrosssection engaged over the end of the spoutand having the inner wall of the same secured in engagement with'the inner wallof the spout a cover hingedly mountedon said ring, a cover opening lever pivoted on theouter wall portion of the mounting ring and cooperating stop means on said lever and that portion .ot the mounting ring on which it is supported.

4:. In combination, rounded'lip with an externaliundercut peripheral portion and having the interiortot the sa'me unobstructed and with the mouth portion of the same substantially of :as great external diameter as the rest of the spout, a

cap hinged at one side of said spout and bowed to engage over the outer undercut pea ripherall portion of the spout to yieldingly spout, a handle associated with the cap for overcoming the cap closing force of thespri'n-g a tank spout having'a:

' position forming a lip over the dependent spring fingers and a cap opening spring for throwing the cap open when the grip of the spring fingers is thus overcome.

5. In combination with a tank spout having an undercut shoulder in the mouth of the same, a sheet metal mounting ring of inverted U-shaped cross-section seated over the mouth of the spout and having its inside portion displaced outwardly beneath the undercut shoulder in the mouth of the spout, said mounting ring having at the outside an undercut peripheral portion extending down over the spout and whereby said hollow mounting ring is rigidly and permanently secured in mouth of the tank spout and an external shoulder about the mouth of the spout, a cap having a series of dependent spring fingers about the peripheral portion of the same and bowed to yieldingly grip down over the external shoulder of the hollow mounting ring and handle means for overcoming the cap closing force of said spring fingers.

6. In combination with a tank spout having an undercut shoulder in the mouth of the same, a sheet metal mounting ring of inverted U-shaped cross-section seated over the mouth of the spout and having its inside portion displaced outwardly beneath the undercut shoulder in the mouth of the spout, said mounting ring having at the outside an undercut peripheral portion extending down over the spout and whereby said hollow mounting ring is rigidly and permanently secured in position forming a lipover the mouth of the tank spout and an external shoulder about the mouth of the spout, a cap having a series of dependent spring fingers about the peripheral portion of the same and bowed to yieldingly grip down over the external shoulder of the hollow mounting ring, handle means for overcoming the cap closing force of said spring fingers and hinge means permanently securing the cap in hinged connection with the mounting ring.

7. In combination with a tank spout, a cap mounting ring mounted on said spout, a cap hinged to said mounting ring and adapted to operateas a closure for the spout, a series of fingers carried by the peripheral portion of the cap and formed to yieldingly grip the cap down over the mouth of the spout, a cap releasing lever pivoted on M the mounting ring substantially opposite the hinge connection, a stop lug on said lever cooperating with the mounting ring tolimit the throw of the lever to a position Where it will be operatively engaged by the cap in the dos ing movement of the cap and spring means for throwing the cover open when the cap closing grip of the spring fingers is overcome by operation of said cap releasing lever.

8. In combination with a tank spout or the like, having an outwardly rounded lip portion, a cap having a peripheral series of dependent bowed spring fingers for yielding engagement down over said rounded lip portion, a split ring engaged about the spout, a pin connecting the separated ends of said split ring, the cap being pivotally engaged on said connecting pin, a cap opening spring also engaged on said pin for throwing and holding the cap open when the cap closing tension of the bowed spring fingers is released and handle means opposite the hinge and spring mounting pin for enabling the overcoming of the spring closing force of the bowed fingers of the cap.

In testimony whereof I aflix no signature.

' ALAN R. FERGfUSSON.

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