US2334448A

US2334448A - Pressure receptacle closure

Info

Publication number: US2334448A
Application number: US369293A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert F Sheridan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-12-09
Filing date: 1940-12-09
Publication date: 1943-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1960-11-16

Description

. Nov. 16, 1943.

2,334,448 A. F. SHERIDAN RREssURE RECEPTAGLE CLOSURE Filed Dec. 9, 1940 Z SheetS-Sheet 1 lnvEn'tDT' FLFS heri d an 16, 1 A. .F. SHERIDAN I 2,334,443

PRESSURE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Dec. 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 z /0 v I 2 A v 11:2: i: 6 I l I. ":1. u /4( Patented Nov. 16, 1943 Albert F. Sheridan, Manitowoc, Wis.

Application December -9, 1940, Serial No. 369,293

2 Claims. (01. 220-61) This invention relates to closures for pressure receptacles, which, for the purpose of explanation, will be illustrated and described in connection with a pressure sauce pan, utilized in steam cooking.

Heretofore, in clamping and sealing covers upon receptacles in which pressure is generated, it has been customary to employ a plurality of manually operable clamps, or expansible peripheral wedges, all of which are costly, and require awkward and tedious operations in both the looking and removal of the covers.

The present invention has primarily for its object to overcome the foregoing objections by the provision of an exceedingly simplified mechanism for effectively clamping and sealing a cover upon a receptacle through actuation of a single locking element, annularly shiftable with relation to both the cover and receptacle.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object resides in the provision of a locking mechanism comprising a ring rotatable on the cover and receptacle, and functioning in connection with inclined surfaces disposed between the cover and receptacleto effectlocking and sealing of the cover on its seat.

A still further object is to provide a locking mechanism of the foregoing type, which requires the seal between the cover and receptacle to be broken for venting pressure within thereceptacle prior to removal of the cover.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood-that such changes in the precise embodiment of .the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of the'physical embodiment of the present invention constructed ace cording to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the 'drawings:'

Figure l is an elevational view of a pressure sauce pan with parts broken away and in section, and showing the cover in raised position;

Figure 2 is a plan viewwith parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line t-tof Figure l, with the cover seated on the receptacle; I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modifled form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to. the accompanying drawings, the numeral I designates.

a receptacle, which in the present instance comprises a sauce pan, or cooking utensil. The receptacle is provided with an open top having an internal tapered seat 2 for reception of a cover 3, provided with a depending flange 4, and an external taper 5 for sealing engagement with the.

seat 2.

The cover 3 is also provided with an annular peripheral flange 6 disposed above the taper l5, and equipped with the usual pressure gauge I and relief valve 8.

Mounted on the cover 3 is a lock ring 9, the upper, inturned flange ill of which is supported on the top of the flange 6. To shiftably retain the ring 9 on the cover flange 6, the flange ID of the ring is provided with spaced, arcuate, keyhole slots H for reception'of screws !2 threaded into the flange.

Extending inwardly from the lower edge of the lock ring 9 are a, plurality of spaced fingers l3, while the top of the receptacle l'is provided with a plurality of peripheral, spaced, external flanges It, the lower surfaces of which form inclined planes. To seat the cover 3 on the receptacle,-the fingers l3 of the angle ring 9 are alined with the spaces l5 between the flanges M, and after the cover is positioned on its seat and slightly rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the fingers i3 engage the inclined surfaces of the flanges I l to hold the cover upon the receptacle.

It is old in the art to lock and bind a cover upon a receptacle by means of inclined surfaces engaged by fingers, but in such structures actual binding and sealing of the cover on its seat depends solely upon manual rotation of the cover by means of its handle, and in practice it is found that the leverage is such as to prevent obtaining a tight, seal.

Therefore; a salient feature of the invention resides in the locking mechanism including the ring 9, which permitsthe engaging fingers l3 to be shifted independently of the cover by means of various types of levers.

In the preferred form of the invention, a portion of the ring 9 is. provided with rack teeth l6 formed on its lower edge, while the receptacle is provided with a boss, I] for reception of a handle l8, in which a shaft 19 is journaled. Secured upon the inner end of the shaft IS in vertical alinement with the rack teeth i6 is a pinion 2ll, while the outer end of the shaft is provided with a hand wheel 2i for rotation of the pinion 20.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner end of the boss I! is notched out at I1 to expose the top' of the pinion 20. Consequently, when the cover is seated on the receptacle, the rack teeth iii are alined for engagement with the pinion 2|! upon rotating the ring with relation to both the cover and receptacle.

While the ring 9 may be formed in any desired manner, in the present instance the same is constructed from a. strip of channel iron formed into a ring with its abutted edges 22 welded together. At this point, a plate 23 is welded to the outer face of the ring, which serves not only to reinforce the welded ends ofthe ring, but also increases the width of that portion of the ring in which the rack teeth l6 are formed.

The lower flange of the ring is blanked out to provide the engaging fingers l3. It will, thereis shifted on the flange 6 to aline the enlarged openings in the keyhole slots II with the heads of the screws l2, thusa'llowing the ring to be lifted from the flange.

In operation, the cover 3, which is manipulated by a handle 24, is placed in the position shown in Figure l,-in which the fingers are alined with the spaces I5 between the flanges l4, and

the rack teeth positioned to one side of the pinion 20, at best shown in Figure 4. The cover is then slightly rotated to shift the'flngers l3 under the flanges i4, during which operation the pinion 20 is engaged by the teeth 16 of the looking ring. When the cover has been rotated sufficiently to bring the fingers l3 into engagement with the inclined faces of the flanges i4,

at which point the teeth I6 are engaged by the pinion, final pressure is placed upon the cover by rotating the hand wheel 2|, causing the looking ring 9 to be further shifted to force the looking fingers i3 against the inclined faces of the flanges Hi. The cover is then urged down upon the seat 2 to effectively seal the receptacle against pressure generated therein, and determined by the setting of the relief valve 8.

The position of the cover for proper seating on the receptacle is facilitated by an indication 26 provided on the cover for alinement with the boss I1. I

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, instead of utilizing a rack and pinion for annuiarly shifting the looking ring 9, a lever 21 provided with a hand grip 28 is pivotally connected to the cover 3' adjacent its edge by a threaded stud 84 and friction washer 34'. The lever 21 has a longitudinal slot 29 formed therein for reception of a pin. 30, carried by a plate 3| welded to the outer face of the ring 9. To limit movement of the lever 21 in one direction, for the purpose hereinafter explained, the cover 3' is provided with an abutment 35, which forms a stop. The receptacle l is provided with a conventional boss 82 for reception of a handle 33. 4

Aside from the means for actuating the ring 8 in the modified form of the invention, the operation is the same as heretofore explained in connection with the preferred form of the in= vention, the locking and sealing operation being effected by swinging the lever 21 to the position indicated in dotted lines'in Figure 5, which, through its connection with the plate 3|, serves to shift the ring 9 for engagement of the fingers the cover and receptacle.

l3 with the inclined faces of the flanges ll of .the receptacle.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily seen that a simple form of closure lock has been provided for quickly clamping and sealingthe cover on the receptacle through a single operation, the actuating means being such. as to provide sufficient leverage for effecting a tight seal with minimum effort upon the Part of the operator. As set forth in the preceding objects, during the initial releasing movement of the locking ring 9, pressure contained within the receptacle tends to raise the cover and break the seal, thus venting the pressure. At the same time, the cover is prevented from being blown from the tank and injuring the operator, inasmuch as the fingers l3 are still positioned under the flanges l4. After the seal has been broken, further rotation of the ring and cover is required, in order to remove the latter after venting has occurred. While in' those forms of the invention illustrated, the locking ring is carried by the cover, and the inclined flanges by, the receptacle, it is to be understood that these elements may be reversed without departing from the principle of the invention, and in some instances the inclined surfaces may be incorporated in the ring rather than on either the cover or receptacle, inasmuch as the salient feature of the invention resides in a rotatable locking ring actuated through any desired type of lever in combination with inclined planes to effect forcing of the cover upon its seat to seal the receptacle.

It is also highly important to the princip e of the invention that the annular locking ring be shiftable a limited amount with relation to both This is accomplished in the preferred form of the invention by the length of the rack l6, and in the modification by the abutment 35.

Attention is also directed to the fact that in both forms of the invention, shifting of the ring on the releasing operation is insufficient to clear the fingers l3 from the flanges l4 without further rotating the cover, thus insuring complete venting before the cover can be removed.

I claim:

1. In a pressure cooking receptacle having an annular open top and a separable cover seated thereon, an annuiarly shiftable locking ring carried by and removable with said cover for engaging the periphery of said receptacle to seal the cover upon its seat, a manually actuated pinion carried by the receptacle and having its longitudinal axis disposed at a right angle to the axis of said ring, and a toothed rack carried by said ring for engagement with said pinion when the cover is positioned on the receptacle.

2. In a pressure cooking receptacle having an annular open top and separable cover seated thereon, an annuiarly shiftable locking ring carried by and removable with said cover for engaging the periphery of said receptacle to seal the cover upon its. seat, interengaging means between said cover and ring to permit quick detachment of the ring by shifting the same on the cover, a manually actuated pinion carried by the receptacle and having its longitudinal axis disposed at a right angle to the axis of said ring,

and a toothed rack carried by said ring for engagement with said pinion when the cover is positioned upon a receptacle.

ALBERT F. SHERIDAN.