US3260276A

US3260276A - Dunnage mattress valve

Info

Publication number: US3260276A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl P Stasiunas
Original assignee: National Destillers and Chemical Corp
Current assignee: Millennium Petrochemicals Inc
Priority date: 1963-10-14
Filing date: 1963-10-14
Publication date: 1966-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1983-07-12

Description

y 1966 c. P. STASIUNAS 3,260,276

DUNNAGE MATTRESS VALVE Filed Oct. 14, 1963 14, n l5 H INVENTOR. CARL P. STASILJNAS United States Patent 3,260,276 DUNNAGE MATTRESS VALVE .Carl P. Stasiunas, Stratford, Conn., assignor to National 7 Distillers and Chemical Corporation, Richmond, Va.,

a corporation of Virginia Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 316,056 1 Claim. (Cl. 137-2345) This invention relates to a valve for use on dunnage air mattresses and the like.

'Dunnage air mattresses are inflated bags which are placed in freight cars and other carriers to fill up unused space andthereby prevent the freight from shifting and being damaged during shipping. By virtue of the inflation, the mattresses are resilient and therefore can provide a cushion for the freight whenever shock loading is applied to the freight car. The mattress material must be capable of retaining air pressure over a long period of time and also have suflicient strength and resistance to moving the valve plug from the valve receptacle in the bag or mattress, the cap or plug assembly and the valve receptacle or body assembly are vulnerable to damage when thrown to the ground in the vicinity of the loading platform. A frequent cause of such damage is the mechanical distortion of the valve parts by lift trucks running over them as they lay on the ground or platform. The external threads, the valve ports, the gasketing and other external portions of the parts, as well as internal portions, become distorted and incapable of further use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dunnage mattress valve which has improved protective features which permit normal rough usage of the valve without necessitating frequent replacement of one or more of the parts due to mechanical distortion.

Another object is to provide a dunnage mattress valve in which the more vulnerable parts are protected from direct contact with the ground when in a disassembled condition.

Briefly the present invention comprises a dunnage mattress valve assembly which includes a valve plug member and a valve receptacle member adapted threadably to receive said valve plug member in respective axial positions of open and closed condition. The plug member and receptacle are interconnected by suitable chain linkage for retaining interconnection between the parts even when disengaged from one another. The valve receptacle is of greater radial width than axial length and has internal and external threaded portions at itsouter end as normally aflixed in place on a dunnage mattress or the like. Said receptacle member has an intermediate enlarged internal chamber portion and an inner cylindrical seat portion of lesser diameter than said chamber portion and of substantially greater thickness at its inner end. Peripheral clamping means is provided on said receptacle member for aflixing said receptacle to a dunnage mattress and includes a threaded retaining member which engages the external threaded portion of the receptacle for adjustment of said clamping means. Said retaining member is of substantially the same increased thickness as said seat portion in order to provide increased protection for said receptacle member against mechanical damage due to excessive forces applied in a generally axial direction relative to said assembly.

The valve plug member has internal and external threaded portions thereon, the external threaded portion adapted to engage the internal threaded portion of the receptacle member, and an internal check valve means is provided in said plug with associated fluid ports in the wall of said plug member, the latter ports being alignable with said chamber of the receptacle in the open condition of said valve assembly. An adjusting flange is provided at the outer end of said plug member, and a cylindrical inner end portion of reduced radius on said plug member includes gasket means retained in the outer surface thereof engageable with said seat portion in the closed condition of the valve assembly. An intermediate shoulder portion is disposed on said plug member at the juncture of the inner end portion with said plug wall. The axially innermost edge surfaces of the flange, the shoulder portion and the inner end portion of the plug member all lie in a plane outward from external threaded portion, the fluid ports, and the gasket means on the plug member, thereby constituting a three-point protective ground support for the plug member when removed from said receptacle member.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent in the following description and claim, and in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a valve assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation in section;

FIG. 3 is an elevation in section of the receptacle memher; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation in section of the plug member showing the ground support features thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, a valve made in accordance with the present invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprises receptacle member 11 and plug member 12 interconnected by link age chain 13. Valve receptacle member 11 is comprised of body portion 14 being of shorter axial length relative to its width or diameter and having an external threaded portion 15 and corresponding internal threaded portion 16 at its upper end 17 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. The intermediate portion 18 of receptacle 11 flares outwardly to provide an enlarged internal chamber portion 19 and has an enlarged end portion 20 of increased thickness which includes inner cylindrical seat portion 21 of lesser diameter than that of internal chamber portion 19.

Included as external components of receptacle member 11 are a pair of clamping rings or discs 22 which have central holes 23 loosely receiving the intermediate portion 18 of receptacle 11 and having opposed circular ridges 24 constituting peripheral clamping surfaces. Sealing washer 25 is disposed adjacent lower end 20 of receptacle 11 to provide the pressure seal between the lip 26 of receptacle end 20 and the bottom disc 27.

Compression ring 28 is disposed outwardly or above clamping rings 22 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 and has circular clamping boss 29 which is disposed against the upper surface 30 of upper clamping ring 31 adjacent its central hole 30 and is adjustable by means of threaded retaining member 32 which engages external threaded portion 15 of receptacle 11 for a preselected pressure against clamping ing 31 and consequently to provide the clamping pressure of clamping ridges 24 in the rings 22. Formed integrally with compression ring 28 is eyelet member 33 which receives connecting link 34 of the linkage means or chain 13.

Valve plug member 12 is comprised of a generally cylindrical body portion 35 having adjusting flange 36 on upper end 37 as viewed in FIG. 2 and is provided with knurled outer surface 37a. Internal threaded portion 38 is provided adjacent upper end 37 and external threaded portion 39 is provided at the intermediate portion 40 of plug member 12 which engages internal threaded portion 16 of receptacle member 11 as shown in FIG. 2. Plug member 12 includes a plurality of outlet ports 41 in central portion 42 of its side wall 43 which proivde communication between its inner bore 44 and externally of side wall 43. Lower end 45 of plug member 12 is of cylindrical shape, of lesser diameter than the central portion 42 of side wall 43 and includes gasketing means 46, such as an O-ring of rubber or the like retained adjacent lower end 45 in recess 47. Ring member 47a disposed around plug member 12 beneath adjusting flange 36 interconnects plug member 12 with linkage chain 13. The juncture of the cylindrical end portion 45 with intermediate side wall portion 43 defines a shoulder 48 which, as will be explained further, provides one element of the protective support as well as an axial limit stop for plug member 12 in its closed position as shown in FIG. 2. Plug member 12 includes internal check valve means 49 comprised of upper sealing ring or seat 50 retained in bore 44 above side wall ports 41 and axially movable valve member 51 comprised of stem 52 slidable in central bore 53 in lower end 45 of plug 12 carrying sealing disc or washer 54' on its upper end 55 which is movable axially upwardly as Viewed in FIG. 2 into sealing contact with sealing ring 50' and has a normal open position relative to side wall ports 41 resting on inner central boss 56 of plug member 12.

In use of the receptacle member 11 is disposed in a hole in the side wall of a dunnage mattress or the like (not shown) and the clamping means, including rings 22, compression ring 28 and retaining ring 32 adjusted to cause clamping ridges 24 to grip tightly the mattress side wall (not shown) between them in pressure tight relation. The plug member 12 is inserted into the receptacle member 11 and is threadably engaged therewith by means of external threads 39 on plug member 12 and internal threads 16. on receptacle 11. By manual adjustment on flange 36 the plug 12 can be axially adjusted relative to receptacle 11 into a closed position as shown in FIG. 2 whereby the lower or inner end 45 of plug member 12 is sealed against cylindrical seat 21 of receptacle 11 by means of O-ring 56. In the latter position air is prevented from entering or leaving the dunnage mattress through the valve assembly 10. By unscrewing plug 12 so that O-ring 46 is at a position above cylindrical seat 21, air can pass downwardly through the valve assembly 10, i.e. through bore 44 outwardly through ports 41, through internal chamber 19 and downwardly past the cylindrical seat portion of receptacle 11 and into the mattress. Because of the check valve, air is prevented from reversing the aforementioned path because any such tendency will cause check valve 52 to move upwardly against sealing ring 50.

Internal threads 38 on plug 12 are adapted threadably to engage suitable air hose fittings or the like to provide the filling air for the mattress.

In order to provide a rugged construction for the above type valve assembly which in its general elements and features as above described are more or less conventional in the art, the plug 12 and receptacle 11 have been provided with new and novel features for protection against damage normally encountered under the conditions of use.

For this purpose, the relationship of the external elements of plug 12 are arranged to provide ground support at points A, B and C as shown in FIG. 4, namely A corresponding to the bottom edge of the inner end 45, B corresponding to the shoulder 48 and C corresponding to the bottom outer edge of adjusting flange 36 so that when plug 12 is in its disengaged position with respect to receptacle 11 it may rest on ground or other base member 60, being supported at the aforementioned three points A, B and C, maintaining gasket 46, side wall ports 41 and threaded portion 39 out of damaging contact with ground 66*.

Receptacle member 11, in order to provide more rugged construction, has an increased thickness of inner end portion 20 and substantially corresponding increased thickness of retaining ring 11 which provide a laterally extending protective arrangement for the other external elements of the receptacle assembly and particularly provide protection against mechanical damage due to excessive forces applied, such as by the wheels of a fork lift truck or the like, in a generally axial direction while the receptacle member is lying on the ground.

The usual materials of construction may be used for the valve assembly and its principal component parts, such as, for example, brass, stainless steel, et cetera, and for the gaskets and sealing means any of the conventional materials known for such purposes.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it is to be undertood that certain changes and additions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A dunnage mattress valve assembly comprising a valve plug member, and a valve receptacle member adapted threadably to receive, said valve plug member axially therein, said valve receptacle member being of greater radial width than axial length and having internal and external threaded portions at its outer end, an intermediate enlarged internal chamber portion and inner cylindrical seat portion of lesser diameter than said chamber portion and said receptacle having a relatively thick inner end, peripheral clamping means on said receptacle member including a threaded retaining member overlying said clamping means and engaging the external threaded portion of said receptacle for adjustment of said clamping means, said retaining member being of substantially the same relative thickness as said inner end of said receptacle seat portion and having a radius substantially greater than said receptacle and said plug member to provide increased protection for said receptacle member including said clamping means against mechanical damage due to ex cessive forces applied in a generally axial direction relative to said assembly, said valve plug member having internal and external threaded portions thereon, said external threaded portion adapted to engage the internal threaded portion of said receptacle member, an internal check valve means axially operable in said plug member with associated fluid ports in the wall of said plug member alignable with said chamber in the open condition of said valve assembly for permitting air flow through said assembly from outer end to inner end of said receptacle, an adjusting flange on the outer end of said plug member for manual adjustment of the threaded engagement of said plug with said receptacle, a cylindrical inner end portion of reduced radius on said plug member including gasket means retained in the outer surface thereof engageable with said seat portion in the closed condition of said valve assembly, and an intermediate shoulder portion on said plug member at the juncture of said inner end portion with said plug wall, the axially innermost edge surfaces of said flange, said shoulder portion and said inner end portion of said plug member lying in a plane outward from said external threaded portion, said fluid ports and said gasket means on said plug member, thereby constituting a three-point protective ground support for said plug member when removed from said receptacle member.

UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS Chew 137-614.2 X Carlile' 220--39 X Shanor 220-39 X Carlisle et a1 251--210 X 6 3,147,763 9/1964 Morton 137234.5 3,190,332 6/1965 Bernard 285-200 X 3,195,932 7/1965 Morton 285200 5 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

ISADOR WEIL, Examiner.

D. LAMBERT, Assistant Examiner.