US3403809A - Vent pipe vandal-proof hooded vent cap - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1968 J. T. KENNEDY ET AL 3,403,809

VENT PIPE VANDALPROOF HOODED VENT CAP Filed June 15, 1967 I 23 230 ll 230 :VHZ /F HQ l5b 4 4 HQ fi INVENTORS. JOSEPH T. KENNEDY 8 NICHOLAS G. SCHEUER ATTO R NEYSV United States Patent 3,403,809 VENT PIPE VANDAL-PROOF HOODED VENT CAP Joseph T. Kennedy, Hamden, Conn., and Nicholas G.

Scheuer, Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Josam Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 15, 1967, Ser. No. 646,388 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-44) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hooded vent cap assembly comprising as two primary elements of cast metal, molded plastic or the like, a hollow frustro-conical cap generally vertically slotted and having an upper end portion terminating in a fiat centrally apertured top end wall, a bottom skirted rim stepped in diameter to engage the end face of and surround the terminal portion of a vent pipe and therebelow to accommodate the end of a pipe flashing sleeve; equally spaced vandal-proof pipe engaging set screws in rim thickening bosses; a sloped-top, bell-shaped hood resting on and secured by a vandal-proof flat head screw and nut to the top of and having a drip-edge circumferentially spaced from the bottom of the cap; spaced integral lugs projecting from the hood top under-surface into the cap end wall at the slot ends for non-rotationally engaging the hood cap; whereby in vandal-proof fashion, the hood is secured to the cap and the cap and hood assembly to the pipe.

The present invention relates to improvements in protective venting closures used on vent ports or vent pipes for tanks, plumbing-drainage lines, soil stacks and other analogous purposes.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in vent guards or caps provided for prevention of rain or snow entry or accidental or intentional introduction of foreign bodies or materials into vent openings of various types. Though the invention is hereinafter particularly described as a hooded vent cap assembly used in the environment of a building drainage system or soil stack vent pipe, it is to be understood that the invention has application to other environments.

Vent pipes for storage tanks, drainage lines, soil stacks of sanitary piping in residential, commercial or similar buildings, and the like are generally provided with protective end assemblies at times to prevent entrance of rain or snow into the vent openings, and more frequently to prevent accidental or vandalistic introduction of objects or materials such as stones, sticks, paper and the like. In addition to these primary functions, it is desirable also that such a protective assembly further be anti-icing and also itself vandalproof, in the sense that the protective closure is not readily circumvented in its protective function nor removed merely by hand but requires rather the use of tools for such purpose.

The present invention provides not only a grated closure or cap for the end of a vent pipe permitting bi-directional passage of gaseous material therethrough, but also a hood thereover in an assembly that is sturdy, anti-icing, relatively low cost in production, easy of installation, and further basically vandal-proof in the above defined sense.

These objects are obtained by providing a basic twopiece cap and hood assembly, suitably fabricated by known methods and materials. A hollow frusto-conical grated vent cap is used having an enlarged stepped skirted base adapted to be telescoped over the end of a vent pipe and also to accommodate a vent pipe flashing sleeve, then secured on the pipe in vandal-proof manner "ice with interposed seal means with accommodation to variations in actual pipe diameters from a nominal pipe size; while a bell-shaped hood secured thereto by a vandalproof fastener, provides a shield with a drip edge in circumferentially spaced relation to the cap. The latter may be a non-slotted, non-projecting, fiat head screw and nut, through central apertures of the hood and cap with further inter-engagement of cap and vent to prevent removal by spinning the hood with respect to cap and so loosening the fastener. Sealing means such as mastic, or if desired, elastomeric gasketing may be interposed between the pipe end and cap to prevent water from running therebetween.

The two-piece assembly hereinafter described provides a simple sturdy structure for achieving at low cost by relatively simple molds without coring, a hooded vent assembly of a type anti-icing and vandal-proof in practical sense, effectively preventing not only entrance of the elements where that is desired, but also introduction even of tiny materials into the vent by any except the most determined and persistent human interference.

A specific embodiment of the invention whereby the above-mentioned functions, advantages and objects can be attained is represented in the drawing and hereinafter described in detail.

In the drawing there is shown in vertical longitudinal section a hooded vent cap assembly installed upon the end of a tubular vent, such as a soil stack or vent pipe projecting through a roof of a building for venting drainage or sanitary lines therein, only a terminal portion of the vent pipe and a surrounding flashing sleeve being shown in the drawing.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing as comprised of a flat-topped vent cap C secured, and preferably at S sealed, by means hereinafter described to the end of a drainage system vertical vent pipe D shown in fragmentary form covered by a roof flashing sleeve F, and a bell-shaped protective hood H, secured thereto by appropriate vandal-proof fastening means M; the hood and cap ordinarily being metal castings, but for some environments of use molded or plastic components being acceptable.

The cap C comprises, as a preferred integral cast or molded structure, a hollow frusto-conical grate portion having a top centrally apertured disc or end wall 10, a vent pipe en-d abutting bottom rim 11, spanned by a closed series of spaced bars 12 forming corresponding vent slots 13, and a stepped skirt 15 integrally depending from the circumference of rim 11 to surround the terminal portion of pipe D and the cuffed end of flashing F. Thus, an ample free vent area is readily provided say three or two times the vent pipe cross-section, to minimize possibility of freeze-up obstruction by freezing condensation or other accumulation of ice in the venting area, to which also the ample free area of spacing between hood and cap is conducive.

In the skirt 15 an upper or first skirt portion 15a, in diameter smaller than that of the bottom skirt portion 15b, may be considered as functionally a part of the pipe-engaging rim 11 with which it is primarily cooperative in forming a pipe-end seating formation for sealing and securing the cap on and embracing the pipe end by a plurality of equi-angularly spaced socket or Allen type, preferably three, headless set screws 16, threaded therethrough at respective externally bossed or thickened portions 151:. With headless set screws, the outer ends may be non-protruding as the bosses 15c provide not only adequate metal for strong thread engagement but also a concealing shroud for the screws when engaged against the pipe.

The inner diameters of 15a and 15b are respectively chosen at 15a to accommodate conveniently normal variations in the outside diameter of vent pipe of the nominal vent pipe size for which a given cap is intended, especially as may occur with cast iron vent pipe and provide space for sealing means S; and as to 15b also variations at the end of the flashing P, such as may arise from variations in the thickness of material or neatness of the end cutting.

The seal means S to prevent water running between pipe end and cap may conveniently be mastic or a similar semi-solid substance applied either to the pipe end face and external margin, or deposited in the circumferential corner between the end of rim 11 and inside surface of 15a; or may be a neoprene or other elastomeric gasket of L-shaped cross-section, or conceivably, say a band of lead wool caulking with mastic thereabove. The inner diameter of the rim 11 above the pipe end may be equal to or slightly less than the inner diameter of the vent pipe to provide an inner drip lip or edge for the same purpose.

The hood H, as a preferred integrally cast member, includes the frusto-conical skirt 21 extending down, to form a drip edge at or slightly below the level of rim 11, from a centrally apertured top wall 22, the latter being slightly upwardly dished for run-01f of water; and a plurality, preferably three or four depending on slot spacing, of angularly spaced downward lugs 23, here shown engaging the top surface of cap wall and having radially outward minor lugs 23a outside the edge of disc Wall 10 projecting into the top ends of corresponding slots 13, i.e., between top ends of bars 12, to center and to prevent rotation of the hood relative to the cap.

Actually, the lugs provided at 23a engaging in the cap are of primary functional importance, the inner edges of 23 functioning in like manner when the hood here shown is used on a smaller vent with a smaller cap having the hood resting directly on the top thereof and the inner ends of the lugs 23 engaging in the ends of the slots in the smaller cap.

The securing means M conveniently comprises preferably an interrupted slot or a Phillips recessed type flat head screw 25 depending through the counter sunk hood and the cap central apertures for engagement by nut 26, whereby the cap and hood are assembled before installation on the vent pipe. As the screw 26 is non-projecting, and especially as non-slotted, with the nonrotational engagement resulting from lugs 23:: in the cap, a vandalproof, tamper-proof assembly is furthered. Conducive to this same end is the non-headed, non-projecting, in eifect hidden, arrangement of set screws 16.

It is seen that the shapes of the elements are such as to be readily made for example as green sand casting, without coring by virtue of the draft inherent in the shapes.

1. As a closure for the free end of a vent pipe or the like forming a tubular, projecting vent opening, the combination comprising:

a hollow vent cap member having a circumferentially spaced series of vent slots therethrough, a bottomskirted integral rim adapted to seat on the vent pipe end; set screw means through the rim to secure cap on the pipe end; and

a bell-shaped hood member secured on the top of the cap by vandalproof fastener means and having a drip edge in circumferentially spaced relation to the rim region of the cap. 2. In the combination of claim 1, said set screws being socket end headless set screws and the skirt portion of said skirted rim having for receiving each of the set screws a thickening boss affording a long threaded aperture therethrough for adequate threaded engagement, whereby said set screws may each be threaded into a vandal-proofing concealed position entirely within a respective aperture.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said hollow cap member has below and dependent from said skirt portion a further enlarged diameter integral skirt portion adapted to accommodate therein an end portion of a flashing sleeve on the vent pipe.

4. In the combination of claim 1, said vent cap and hood each having a centrally apertured top end wall with the hood aperture externally counter-sunk;

said fastener means comprising a vandal-impeding type flat head screw extending downwardly through said central apertures secured by threaded means to the p;

the underside of the hood top wall provided with a plurality of integral downward lugs equi-spaced from and spaced about its central aperture engaged in corresponding slots at the edge of the cap top wall thereby preventing spinning of the hood relative to the cap.

5. In the combination of claim 4, the vent slots of the said vent cap formed by and between a plurality of spaced generally parallel integral bars running from said rim portion to the top wall of said cap, top end spaces between said bars providing said corresponding slots for engagement by said lugs; said cap skirt portion having a plurality of at least three thickened threaded and radial apertured integral bosses for respective hoodless set screws threadable therein to a vandal-proofing concealed position for engagement with a vent pipe.

6. In the combination of claim 4, said hollow cap member having below and dependent from said skirt portion a further skirt portion of enlarged internal diameter adapted to accommodate therein an end portion of a flashing sleeve on the vent pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1931 Lake 220'-44 8/1933 Rice et al. 220-44 the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20231 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,403,809 October 1, 1968 Joseph T. Kennedy et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 57, after "of" insert preferably special Column 2, line 51, "three or two" should read two or three Column 4, line 43, "hoodless" should read headless Signed and sealed this 10th day of February 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer

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