US2394027A

US2394027A - Drain cock wrench

Info

Publication number: US2394027A
Application number: US554833A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas J Vlass
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-09-19
Filing date: 1944-09-19
Publication date: 1946-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1963-02-05

Description

N. J. VLASS DRAIN COCK WRENCH Feb. 5; 1946.

Filed Sept. 19, 1944 INVENTOR. Il/I/l/II/II/I V4488 BY LA lrrak I Y0 Patented Feb. 5, 1946 DRAIN COCK WRENCH Nicholas J. 'Vlass,'Atlanta, Ga. Application September 19, 1944, Serial No. 554,833 4 Claims. (o 81-55) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in wrench constructions, and more particularly, to wrenches for use in opening and closing conventional drain cocks and similar devices.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a unitary wrench device for engaging the shank or body portion of a conventional drain cook or similar structure to prevent the application of rotative torque thereto, and the inclusion of rotary means for engaging and rotating the drain cock valve stem within the drain cock body while the latter is held, to prevent the rotative torque applied to the valve stem from being communicated to any part of the structure in which the drain cock is mounted. v

A further object is the provision of a wrench device having means for engaging the hexagonal portion or wrench-receiving portion of a conventional drain cock body, and rotary means carried by the holding means mounted for axial movement thereon so as to be moved into interlocking engagement with the drain cock valve stem to retain the wrench portion in operative position on the drain cock body, and the rotary means in engagement with the drain cock valve stem for rotation thereof during the operation of the device.

A further object is the provision of means for engaging the drain openingin the drain cock valve stem for centralizing and retaining the wrench device on the drain cock body against lateral displacement during the operation of the device.

A still further object is the provision of a drain cock wrench device for use in opening and closing conventional drain cocks mounted in fragile or delicate supports, including means for centering and holding the wrench device in operating position on the drain cock body to prevent rotative torque from being applied to the drain cock body or its support, including two relatively rotatable torque applying members for applying relatively rotatable torque in opposite directions between the drain cock body and the drain cock valve stem to effect rotation of the valve stem within the drain cock body. 7

A still further object is the provision of a pair of laterally extending handle members connected respectively to the drain cock wrench-receiving portion of the wrench device and to. the rotary concentric drain cock valve stem-actuating portion of the wrench device, in which each of said handle members is disposed in a predetermined angular relation to the drain cock engaging parts to indicate the relative drain cock engaging positions of said parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts on the severa1 figures.

Fig. 1 i a perspective view of my improved drain cock wrench device, part of the cylindrical body or sleeve portion bein broken away and shown in section to more clearly disclose the rotatable operating stem. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through my improved drain cock wrench device, as seen in Fig. 1, showing its application to a conventional drain cock which is mounted in a relatively fragile support, such'as a. rubber or flexible drain outlet from a flexible tank or container. In the maintenance or servicing of aircraft, certain containers, such as fuel tanks, etc., car-. ried by the aircraft, are necessarily made light in weight, and considerable difficulty is often ex-.

- age the portion of the tank or container adjacent the drain outlet.

Self-sealing or bulletproof fuel tanks for aircraft are frequently made entirely of rubber compounds and fabric and have a flexible hose-like drain outlet portion, as indicated at I in Fig. 1 of the drawing, into which is inserted an annular ribbed nipple 2 of metal, plastic or other rigid material. This nipple 2 is secured in the drain outlet either by a suitable adhesive, or by a pipe wrench-receiving portion at one end, and a valve seat 6 at the other end for engagement with the valve portion 1 on the end of the hollow drain cock valve stem 8.

The stem 8 is externally threaded into the internally threaded portion of the drain cock body 4, and carries a valve head forming the valve portion Iv at one end, which extends beyond the body 4,, closing the central drain passage mas seen in Fig; 2. The drain outlet passage 9 is provided with a plurality of lateral drain opene ings 1a extending through the stem, just under extending crank portion of the arm to move sufthe valve head portion 7. An operating handle It! comprises a pair of arms projecting laterally e in opposite directions from the valve stem,8.

These arms or' drain cock valve stemhandle mem-- bers ID are fixed to the drain outlet portion ;ofthe hollow stem 8. Rotation of the stem 8 by the handles ill in one direction moves the stem. and, the valve head I upwardly to establish a draining communication between the inner bore 910i the valve' stem 8: and the tank outletl, through: the lateral drainopenings 1a.. Rotation; of the handles H1 in the other direction moves: thevalve head 1 downwardly against theseat B inthe. body.

ficiently away from the end wrench portion l3 that the device may be easily and conveniently positioned on a drain cock without the crank extremi-ty of the-arm'1 9'striking the handles llll0. The crank arm [9 and handle I! are rigidly secured to the stem l6 and extend radially in the same direction so that the handle I! serves as an indicator for the position of the crank l9.

In the operation of: the device, the. endwrench portion [-3 of the device is first manipulated: so

that thesocket l4 receives the hexagonal: portion To; secure the draincocklstem against accidental displacement, a wrench or pliers are usually applied to thehandles. l-U, causingexcess applicationof torque. to-be applied to the tank outlet I. This rotative. torque often ruptures the connections between the tank outlet andthe tank,.making itnecessary toremovethetank. from the aircraft: There is: also' danger ofi fire, incase the damage to the fuel tank outlet is notdiscovered before takeoff, or the rupture-occurs-during flight after. having been weakened,.due to previous applications. of rotative" torque to the drain.- cock body' through the stem: while tighten? ing; and loosening thedrain 'cock'valve stem when the aircraft was-beingserviced,

My improved draincock wrench comprisesta cylindrical body or sleeve-portion H formed; at one end with a; laterally and longitudinally bent arm or'yoke member I 2 carrying an:inwardly ex- 7 tending socket: or wrenchportion' l3 havingla; nut

receiving opening or socket member M: disposed concentrically in a plane at. right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical; body H: and inaspaced; relationto thesend of the bodyor sleeve member I I. Projecting laterally from; the side: of: thEZCyIiII- drical body M, adjacenttherother'end thereof; is a handle member I5 forjholding; the body ME nd wrencn'socket M while positioning th Wench device: on a drain. cock, and to: holdxthe'. drain cock. body against rotative: displacement; The handle member I5 projects laterally" from the body-ll: in theopposite" radial direction as the yoke member l2, so that the handle points: in the same direction as the nut receiving socket or openingllda 7' 1' t The cylindrical body or sleeve portion Hf has an. operating, stems Hi rotatably and axiallym'ovable therein, formed: withv an actuatingahandle l1: projecting, laterally from: one end; Thefoppozsite, end ofithe operating stem I16 is tapered. as indicated at l8 to:providearcenteringitip which is. adapted to be;inserted into the end of the; drain cock drampassage fl-to: centralize thefwrench device on the drain cock during thefappli'cationand operation of theewrench device,

This conical tip on the end.- of the stem: i6 is r also/employed as aplug orrstopper for-closing the endoi the drain;- passage whilerthedevica being usedltoloosen the drain valve: l p

5 of the drain cock body- 4-.. The stem: portion L6 is movedla-xia-lly withinthe body H." by theoperating handle member I! to insert the conical tip l8 in the drain opening 9 of the hollow drain passage of the drain cock valve stem 8. This disposes, the actuating stem 16 in concentric relationtto-the stem 8- of the drain cock. The operating stem l6; isthenrotated by the handle member i-I- to'bring the crank arm portion: 19 against one of thehandles: til-til of, the: drain cock valve stem. Torque is then applied in opposite rotative directions by the: handles 15 and I at the? wrench device to cause rotation of the'stem 8, loosening the drain cock While-,, at the: same time,. prevent'- ing. the rotative torque from being: applied. to: the

drain cock body 5 or to thetank outlet or sump I carrying'the drain cock;

It upward pressure'is maintainedyon the operating stem 8 of the drain; cock the conical-extension prevents excessive" leakage through the drainpassage: [9- during: the opening of the drain cock l V In the drain cock valve tightening operation the procedure just described is reversed The handle I5 is heldstationary whiie rotativetorqu'e is applied to the handle H- torotate: the drain cock stem intatig-htlyclosed-position. Thezha'ndle member I5, being held rigid against roliative movement, prevents the application ofv the'rotativel torque communicated. to the; stem from be ing communicated to the: tank outlet portion: l as thestem: 8 of. the drain" valve 1' jammed up tightly against its valveseatv 6.. v

a While I have disclosed awrench device applicable for use with conventional: drain cocks; such as the hollowcenter drain. valve: type; it is obvi'ous that? various changes; may be: made in the construction as illustrated", such as variations inthe shape andzsige: of the'yoke socket" E31 and in" the: formation of the crank member l 9, to adapt the device for securingt'other' rotary fastoning: and: operatingimembers without departportion ingfrom the: spirit of: therinventiorr as defined I member; disposed ina plane normal to the-Ion gitudinaliaxis of the tubular bo'dy'i'rr spaced relation: ta theend' of the tubular body for receiving: and holding against rotationthe body of aconventional drain cock having a centrally rotatable valve stem formed with a drain opening therethrough, an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically and rotatably movable within the tubular body with one end thereof projecting toward the drain cock receiving and holding portion on the yoke member and terminating in a tapered extremity adapted to be received in the drain opening in the drain cock valve stem, means carried by said operating stem adjacent said tapered extremity for interengaging the drain cock valve stem to rotate the same, and handle means carried by said operating stem adjacent the other end, beyond the end of the tubular body, for limiting axial movement of the operating stem within the tubular body, and for rotating said' operating stem within the tubular body to rotate the drain cock valve stem.

2. In a drain cock wrench, a tubular body having an offset yoke member at one end, wrench means formed thereon at the end of the yoke member, disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body in spaced relation to the end of the tubular body, for receiving and holding against rotation the body of a conventional drain cock having a centrally rotatable valve stem formed with a drain opening therethrough, an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically and rotatably movable within the tubular body having one end projecting from the tubular body toward the drain cock receiving and holding portion on the yoke member and terminating in a tapered extremity, adapted to be received in the drain opening in the drain cock valve stem, means carried by said operating stem adjacent said tapered extremity for interengaging the drain cock valve stem to rotate the same, handle means carried by said operating stem adjacent its other end, beyond the end of the tubular body for limiting axial movement of the operating stem within the tubular body and for rotating said operating stem within the tubular body to rotate the drain cock valve stem, and handle means carried by the tubular body for holding the same stationary while the operating stem handle means is being actuated.

3. In a wrench device of the class described, a cylindrical body having a handle extending laterally therefrom at one end and a U-shaped yoke extension secured to the opposite end portion of the body on the side thereof opposite from said handle, said U-shaped yoke extension having a nut socket formed therein concentric with and at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical body in axially spaced relation from the end thereof, a

cylindrical operating stem concentrically rotatable in said cylindrical body having a conical head portion extending concentrically toward the axis of the nut-receiving socket, an actuating arm projecting from one side of said cylindrical operating stem and terminating in an angularly bent end disposed in parallel ofiset relation to the axis of the nut-receiving socket and located between the yoke-carrying end of the cylindrical body and said nut-receiving socket portion thereof, a handle member projecting laterally from the opposite end portion of the cylindrical stem in a direction opposite said angularly bent actuating arm and beyond the end of the cylindrical body, the distance between the actuating arm and handle on said cylindrical stem being in excess of the distance between the ends of the cylindrical body so that the conical head .portion of the stem may be inserted into the drain opening in the drain cock valve stem to prevent lateral displacement of the wrench portion of the cylindrical body and said actuating arm, with respect to the axis of said drain cock, when said handle members are swung toward or away from each other with the axis of the cylindrical body, stem,

and drain cock body in alignment.

4. In a drain cock wrench, a tubular body having an offset yoke member at one end, wrench means formed thereon at the end of the yoke member, disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body in spaced relation to the end of the tubular body, for receiving and holding against rotation the body of a conventional drain cock having a centrally rotatable valve stem formed with an axial drain opening therethrough, an axially shiftable operating stem concentrically and rotatably mounted within the tubular body having one end projecting from the tubular body toward the drain cock receiving and holding portion of the yoke'memher and terminating in an axial guide extremity, adapted to be received in the axial drain opening in the drain cock valve stem, means carried by said operating stem adjacent the guide extremity for interengaging the drain cock valve stem to rotate the same, handle means carried by said operating stem adjacent its other end, beyond the end of the tubular body for limiting axial movement of the operating stem within the tubular body and for rotating said operating stem within the tubular body to rotate the drain cock valve stem while held centralized by said axial extension, and handle means carried by the tubular body for holding the same stationary while the operating stem handle means is being actuated.

NICHOLAS J. VLASS.