US3526339A

US3526339A - Device for inflating floating bodies of life-saving equipment

Info

Publication number: US3526339A
Application number: US782812A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jost Bernhardt; Georg Hase
Original assignee: Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1967-12-12
Filing date: 1968-12-11
Publication date: 1970-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-01
Also published as: FR1602426A; GB1241229A; NL149450B; NL6817566A; BE725357A

Description

Sept. 1, 1970 BERNHAR'DT ET AL 3,526,339

DEVICE FOR INFLATING FLOATING BODIES 0F LIFE-SAVTNG E UIPMENT Filed Dec. 11, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 O O I 25 =-32 17 & 1 1 1 "35 INVENTORS Jasffieraaraf Sept. 1, 1970 BERNHARDT ET AL 3,526,339

DEVICE FOR INFLATING FLOATING BODIES OF LIFE-SAVI NG EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 11, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 g az 77 61d 43: A5] 43d 7 ,75 i! l r 55/ Q 1 Y 45. 7 3 17 ,A,E(i" I v 78 ii ii ;I H 67 INVENTORS Sept. 1, 1970 BERNHARDT ET AL 3,526,339

DEVICE FDR INFLATING FLOATING BODIES OF LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 11, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

INVENTORQS United States Patent 3,526,339 DEVICE FOR INFLATING FLOATING BODIES OF LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT Jost Bernhardt, Hamburg, and Georg Hase, Wedel, Holst,

Gennany, assignors to Bernhardt Apparatebau G.m.b.H. & Co., Hamburg, Germany Filed Dec. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 782,812 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 12, 1968, 1,531,673; Nov. 7, 1968, 1,807,384 Int. Cl. B67b 7/24 US. Cl. 222- 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for connection with a source of fluid pressure and with inflatable life-saving equipment for controlling the inflation of the latter in which a piercing member operable to pierce the closure member of a compressed air containing container is controlled by a springloaded displaceable spindle so as in one position of said spindle to prevent said piercing member from moving into its piercing position and in response to another position of said control spindle to cause said piercing member under the influence of a spring to move into piercing position.

The present invention relates to a device for inflating floating bodies of life-saving equipment and the like as, for instance, inflatable suits, inflatable rafts, and the like, which are inflated by a pressure gas container. The present invention is based on a device of this type in which the path for the gas under pressure is opened by means of a spring-loaded striker opening a wall normally closing said container. The spring is controlled by a body, which under the influence of water, changes its volume and is adapted, in particular, either to dissolve or to expand.

It is an object of the present inventionso to design a device of the general type set forth above that it can be released selectively automatically or by hand.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device, as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which is simple in construction and very reliable in operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a section through a device according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show portions of the device of FIG. 1, but in two diflerent positions of operation with regard to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a modified locking mechanism for use in connection with the control of the striker of the device according to FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively, illustrate the lower portion of FIG. 4 in two diiferent positions.

FIG. 8 shows a further modification of the locking mechanism for use in connection with the control of the striker of the device according to FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 9 is a section taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

The device for inflating the floating body of life-saving equipment is characterized primarily in that the control of the striker spring is eflected by a spring-loaded (11S- placeable spindle which, by means of a body adapted to be influenced by water, is held in a position in which the striker is blocked, said spindle being adapted independently from said body which forms a supporting member, to occupy a position in which it relieves said striker to permit the latter to act.

The spring acting upon the control spindle may be arranged completely independently of the striker spring and may be pre-loaded in such a way that on one hand it will establish a power connection between the spindle and said body or supporting member until said body or supporting member has changed its volume by the influence of water, and on the other hand when releasing the device by hand the preload of the spring can easily be overcome by pulling the control spindle out of its housing. The said preload may expediently be so selected that it initiates the displacement of the control spindle when the supporting member loses its pressure resistance, for instance, when in view of the water effect said supporting member begins to disentegrate, whereby the automatic response of the device will be accelerated.

The release of the device is also possible by means of a supporting member in which the change in volume caused by the influence of water consists in an expansion which displaces the control spindle. The preload of the spring is to be adapted to the forces occurring in this connection.

According to a further development of the present invention, the control spindle is arranged adjacent to and particularly parallel to the striker in such a way that the control spindle will be able to displace a locking member arranged transverse to said striker. To this end, the spindle is provided with a protrusion associated with the locking position and with two recesses which make possible an escape of the locking member for releasing the striker. Expediently, the locking member is mounted in a passage which establishes connection between the control spindle and the guiding means for the striker. For purposes of reducing the friction, the locking member is advantageously provided with balls as engaging bodies.

According to a modification, the locking mechanism provided between the control spindle and the striker may comprise a latch forming a locking member which is likewise transversely displaceable, but is prevented from rotating in the housing of the device and has one of its ends in engagement with a cam of the control spindle while its other end extends into the path of the striker. The spring-loaded latch assures the start and transfer of the releasing movement from the control spindle to the striker inasmuch as it forms a rigid member which is effected solely by the movement of the control spindle and is independent of the tension of the striker spring. When the device occupies its releasing position, the control spindle keeps the transversely displaceable latch outside the path of the striker, thereby making possible its return to the loaded position. To this end, in conformity with the present invention, the shank of the striker is axially displaceably arranged in the housing of the device but is nonrotatably guided and is provided with protrusions for engaging a nut which is nondisplaceable relative to the housing.

It is particularly advantageous for this purpose to employ a handle which is operatively connected to the control spindle for selectively releasing the device manually,

said handle being adapted to remain connected to the control spindle when returning the striker spring.

According to a further modification of the invention, the striker may be driven forward by a torsion spring which is tensioned by a rotary movement, while the latch under the influence of the control spindle engages a ratched wheel which is nonrotatably mounted on the striker. Between said striker and the housing of the device there are provided inclined guiding means which impose upon the rotary movement of the striker a forward movement of the striker in view of the relaxation of the torsion spring.

The device may have a housing, for instance, of synthetic material in which the control spindle is guided while the striker with its spring is held in a metallic insert to which the pressure gas container is detachably connected. However, if desired, the housing may together with said insert form a single integral piece and may be made entirely of metal, especially light metal.

In addition to being able automatically or by hand to be released, the device according to the invention may also be so designed that it can be released exclusively by hand while still permitting automatic release. To this end, the bearing for the control spindle is designed as closure member which selectively with both ends may be inserted in the housing and, more specifically, in such a way that it comprises at one end, holding means for the supporting member and at the other end merely an abut ment for the spring-loaded control spindle. The operation of the device will also, in this instance, consist of withdrawing the spindle by hand from the housing and thus is the same as is the case where it may be released selectively by hand or automatically.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more specifically to FIGS. 13 thereof illustrating difierent operational positions of the device, it will be seen that the device comprises a housing 1 of, for instance, synthetic material having inserted thereinto a metallic cylinder 2, said cylinder 2 being held in said housing by means of a threaded cap 3. A bottle 6 is threaded into a centrally located thread 5 of the upper cylinder portion 4. The said bottle 6 contains a gas under pressure, for instance, air under pressure and has its opening closed by a diaphragm 7. The cylinder 2 has a first or main bore 8 in which is reciprocably located a piston 9 having an extension 10 which is reciprocably guided in a secondary bore 11. The said extension 10 carries a pin 12, for instance, of a V-shaped cross section, said pin pointing toward said diaphragm 7. As will be seen from the drawing, the piston 9 is under the preload of a strong helical spring 13, one end of which rests against the threaded cap 3.

An annular recess 14 in cylinder 2 communicates with the bore 11 of said cylinder through the intervention of one or a plurality of passages 15 and furthermore communicates with a chamber 17 through one or more passages 16 in the housing 1. The chamber 17 is adapted to be connected to the floating body of a life-saving device, for instance, an inflatable life jacker or the like.

The housing 1 is furthermore provided with a second bore or chamber 23 and a third bore 18 which is substantially perpendicular to the bore 8 of the cylinder 2 and leads into the said bore 8. The bore 18 is filled with a row of balls of which the ball 19a engages a taper 20 of piston 9 when the ball 19b at the opposite end of bore 18 engages a collar 22 of a spindle 21 which is longitudinally displaceable in the second bore 23 of the housing 1. Instead of the central balls 19, also a cylindrical bolt 1% (see FIG. 3) may be interposed between the balls 19a and 19b.

Housing 1, as above mentioned, comprises the bore or chamber 23 which is substantially coaxial with the spindle 21. In a sleeve 24 held by an insert 25 there is provided a body 26 which when in dry condition has a certain pressure resistance, but disintegrates quickly when coming into contact with water. The insert 25 is threaded into a correspondingly threaded bore 36 while simultaneously closing said threaded bore.

When the spindle 21 occupies the position shown in FIG. 1, it is held in this position due to the fact that the spring 27 which has one end in engagement with the plug 29 has its other end in engagement with the flange 28 and thus presses the spindle 21 against the body 26 which, as mentioned above, is held by a sleeve 24 and the insert member 25. The bore 30 of the insert 25 is tightly closed by a protective cap 31. A plurality of passages 32 lead from the chamber 23, which receives the body 26, to the outside of the housing 1. The extension 10 of piston 9 and the spindle 21 are respectively provided with

seals

10a and 21a.

FIG. 1 shows the device according to the present invention in condition of readiness. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the piston 9 is held in its loaded condition with spring 13 compressed, due to the fact that the ball 19b engages the collar 22 of spindle 21 while the ball 19a engages the taper 20 thereby preventing the spring 13 from moving the piston 9 into its effective position. It will be evident that the pressure exerted by collar 22 on the ball 1% is conveyed by the balls 19 to the ball 19a.

The automatic release of the device according to the invention is brought about, for instance, when the carrier of the lifesaving equipment which has the device according to the invention connected thereto through chamber 17, is in the water. It will be appreciated that the water will then pass through passages 32 into the chamber 23 and in a minimum of time causes disintegration of the supporting body 26. As soon as the body 26 disintegrates, the spring 27 will push the spindle 21 into the position shown in FIG. 2. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the ball 19b has entered the fillet 33 due to the fact that when the spindle 21 moves upwardly fillet 33 became aligned with the transverse bore 18, and due to the fact that the ball 19a also now able under the influence 0f the pressure exerted by spring 13 on the piston 9 to move toward the right with regard to FIG. 2 while also pushing toward the right the balls 19 and 19b. In this way the piston 9 is no longer held in its FIG. 1 position so that the spring 13 now throws the piston 9 upwardly with the result that the pin 12 pierces the diaphragm 7 thereby establishing communication between the interior of the bottle 6 and the chamber 17 through

passages

14, 15, and 16 with the result that the compressed air can pass from the bottle 6 through chamber 17 into the life saving equipment, for instance, an inflatable jacket.

If the collar 22 instead of being cylindrical is designed conically for engagement with the ball 1%, the pressure exerted by the spring 13 through piston 9 onto the locking balls 19, 19a, 1911 will, depending on the direction of the taper either aid the spring 27 or aid the supporting body 26 in counteracting the spring 27.

If it is desired to release the device according to FIGS. 1 to 3 by hand, it is merely necessary to provide the control spindle 1 with a handle 34 which is to be connected to the lowermost end (with regard to FIG. 1) of the spindle 21. It will be appreciated that if a person pulls the handle 34 in downward direction (with regard to FIG. 1) against the thrust of spring 27 the fillet 35 comes into alignment with the bore 18 so tht the row of balls 19b, 19, 19a will free the piston 9 as described above and the pin 12 will pierce the diaphragm 7 and compressed air from the bottle 6 will pass through chamber 17 into the life saving equipment to be inflated.

If it is desired to have the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 operated only manually, but not automatically, the device of FIG. 1 can easily be correspondingly converted without requiring additional equipment. It is merely necessary to unscrew the insert 25 and to remove the cap 31 whereupon the extension 38 whose thread 37 is the same as the thread 36a is screwed into the threaded bore 36. This position is shown in FIG. 3 from which it will be seen that the protrusion 39 of the extension 33 now holds the spindle 21 in the position in which the latter was held according to FIG. 1 by the body 26.

If the spindle 21 is now by pulling the handle 34 moved downwardly as describing above in connection with FIG. 1, the diaphragm 7 will be pierced by the pin 12, and compressed air will pass from the bottle 6 through chamber 17 into the inflatable life-saving equipment.

The supporting body 6 may be any material which while being pressure resistant in dry condition will quickly disintegrate when coming into contact with water. Such material may have its outer surface hardened when in contact with air While the inner material remains soft. Magnesium has proved particularly suitable for the supporting body 26.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the arrangement shown therein comprises a compressed air containing bottle 46 having its neck 45 threaded into a housing 41 while the mouth of said bottle is closed by a diaphragm 47. Opposite said neck 45 in the upper portion of the housing 41 there is provided a bore 42 having longitudinally displaceably arranged therein a disc valve body 43 with a needle 52. Said body 43 is under the influence of a striker 44 which in its turn is under the influence of a strong helical spring 53. More specifically, the spring 53 has one end in engagement with a sleeve 48 resting against a flange 55 of a striker body 54, whereas the other end of spring 53 engages a washer which in its turn engages a shoulder 56a of an insert 56 which is firmly threadedly connected to the housing 41 and has a sleeve-shaped extension 57. The said sleeve-like extension 57 is provided with two diametric slots 58 in which is guided a transverse pin 59 located in a bore 44a at the lower end of the striker bolt 44.

The housing 41 is furthermore provided with aligned bores arranged in parallel spaced relationship to the bore 42 and containing the control and release mechanism for the device of FIG. 5. This control and release mechanism comprises primarily a longitudinal displaceable spindle 61 which is held in engagement with a body 66 by a preloaded spring 67. The body 66 may be of the same type as the body 26 of FIG. 1 which means it will be pressure resistant in dry condition to the extent of withstanding the pressure of the spring 67, but when coming into contact with water will quickly dissolve and disintegrate. The body 66 is held in its position on one hand by the springloaded spindle 61 and on the other hand by a hollow sleeve 64, the bore 641: of which communicates through bore 82a and passages 68 with the outside so that when the carrier of the device is in the water, water may pass through passages 68, bore 82a and bore 64a, to the body 66 to bring about its disintegration. Also in this instance,

members

43 and 61 are respectively provided with seals 43a and 61a.

Housing 41 furthermore comprises a rectangular transverse passage 71 in which a locking member '72 is longitudinally, but nonrotatably displaceable. As will be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking member 72 is provided with an opening 73 the confining walls 73a, 73b of which surround a constriction 74 in approximately the central portion of the spindle 61. The profile of the opening 73 corresponds substantially to the profile of said constriction 74 which has the shape of a rounded-off double cone. A helical spring 75 holds the confining wall 73b in engagement with the spindle 61 and more specifically the constriction 34 thereof. By means of a nose 76 the locking member 72 extends into the bore 42 and when in position of readiness as shown in FIG. 4 extends over the flange 55 of the striker body 54 thereby holding the latter and consequently the striker bolt 44 and its spring 53 in the loaded position.

When the body 66 after the admission of water loses its pressure resistance, the spring 67 throws the spindle 61 forwardly so that the lower conical surface of the constriction 34 slides over the surface of the confining wall 73b thereby moving the locking member 72 toward the right so that its nose 36 is withdrawn from the flange 55 of the striker body and the loaded spring 53 throws the striker bolt 44 with the striking body 54 against the valve body 43 so that the pin 52 thereof pierces the diaphragm. 47. Compressed air then passes from the bottle 46 through

passages

77 and 57 which are sealed relative to the housing 41 by the valve body 43 and passes into the life saving equipment to be inflated. The collar 78 of the spindle 61 which collar is now in the opening 73 retains the locking pin 72 in its releasing position.

In order in the position of the locking pin 72 to place the device in readiness after a new compressed air bottle has been connected to the housing 41, there is provided a bushing 79 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) with an inner thread 80 by means of which the bushing is brought into engagement with the transverse pin 59 of the striker bolt 44 and by turning said bushing 79 it pulls the striker bolt 44 back into the loaded position according to FIG. 7. The bushing 79 rests against the insert 56 and the pin 59 of the striker bolt 44 moves in the slots 58. After the insert 65 has been unscrewed and a new supporting body 66 has been inserted into the holding bushing 64,

- the insert 65 is again screwed onto the housing 41 and the spindle 61 is returned to its position of readiness according to FIG. 4. This may be aided by pulling at a cord 81 or the like connected to the lower end (with regard to FIG. 4) of the spindle 61. During this displacement of the spindle 61, the spring 75 moves the locking member 72 to its locking position in which the nose 76 of the locking member 72 extends over the flange 55 of the striker body 54 and thus secures the striking bolt 44 in its position of readiness so that the bushing 79 can be unscrewed and removed from the device.

According to another suggestion in conformity with the invention, the bushing 79 may be connected to the end of the cord 81 and form, so to speak, the trigger for the spindle 61 to thereby also permit the operation of the device by hand. During a manual operation, the above described releasing operation takes place with the only diflerence that instead of the collar 78, the central portion of the spindle "61 moves the locking member 72 to its releasing position. Prior thereto, the now effected elimination of the body 66 is compensated for by the fact that the upper portion 82 of the insert 65 is screwed into the housing 42. In this way, a correspondingly dimensioned protrusion 83 forms the countenbearing for the upper end of the spindle 61 so that the spindle will, for manual operation, occupy the same position of readiness as is illustrated in FIG. 4 for the automtic release. Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the embodiment shown therein illustrates the possibility of employing a torsion spring for driving the striker bolt. More specifically, a torsion spring 91 surrounds the striker bolt 92 and has its lower end 93 located in a stationary housing part 94. The upper end 55 engages a ratchet wheel 69 (see also FIG. 9) which is nonrotatably mounted on the striker bolt 92 and more specifically at the level of the locking member 72 which latter is designed and arranged and the control of which by spindle 61 is the same as in FIGS. 4 and 5. A difference exists merely in that the head 97 of the locking member 72 is so designed that it is able in the manner of a pawl to engage the teeth 98 of the ratched wheel 96, as is clearly shown in FIG. 9. The upper portion 99 of the striker bolt 92 extends nearly below the valve body 100 which corresponds to the part 43 of FIG. 4, so that the striker bolt 92 requires only a short stroke for piercing the diaphragm 47 by means of the pin 52. This stroke is imparted upon the striker bolt 92 by the fact that the locking member 72 as soon as it is moved toward the right (with regard to the drawing) by the control spindle 61 during the axial displacement thereof will by means of its head 97 free the ratched wheel 96. The torsion spring 91 in its tendency to relax will then carry out a rotary movement which by inclined means 101 in the housing portion 94 will be converted into an axial displacement of the bolt 92 whereby the bolt 92 by means of the valve body 100 and the pin 52 pierces the diaphragm 47 of the compressed air containing bottle 46. The inclined guiding means 101 may, as indicated in FIG. 8, form a helical path but may also be designed in a different way, for instance, in the form of fixed protrusions or in the form of rolling bodies which are mounted on the bolt 92 or therein and guided in an ascending groove of the housing part 94. After the releasing movement, the striking bolt 92 can be returned to its position of readiness by tensioning the torsion spring 92. This may be elfected by turning the bolt 92 by means of a fixed or loose handle 102 while the locking

member

72, 97 through the ratched wheel 96 holds the bolt 92 or spring 91 in position of readiness.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the showing in the drawings, but also comprises modifications within the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for connection with a source of fluid pressure and with inflatable life saving equipment for controlling the inflation of the latter, which includes: housing means having a main bore, a first portion of said bore being adapted detachably to receive the mouth portion of fluid pressure container means with a closure member closing said mouth portion, plunger means reciprocably mounted in a second portion of said bore, piercing means likewise reciprocable in said main bore and movable by said plunger means from an ineffective position into said first portion for piercing the closure member of a fluid pressure container received in said first bore portion, spring means continuously urging said plunger means to move said piercing means into said first bore portion, control means normally locking said plunger means in an ineffective position for preventing said plunger means from moving said piercing member into said first bore portion, and means operable to bring about a displacement of said control means to unlock said plunger means thereby permitting said spring means to move said plunger means so as to cause the latter to move said piercing member into said first bore portion for piercing the closure member of pressure container means in said first bore portion, said housing means also being provided with passage means communicating with said main bore and adapted to be connected to the equipment to be inflated, a second bore and also a third bore having its axis intersecting the axes of said main bore and said second bore, said control means including a control spindle reciprocable in said second bore and also including reciprocable means in said third bore for locking said plunger means in its ineffective position in response to a first position of said control spindle and to unlock said plunger means in response to said control spindle moving out of said first position to another position.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said plunger means has a tapered portion tapering in the di rection toward said piercing member, and in which said reciprocable means is formed by ball means pressed by said control spindle into said main bore and against said taper when said control spindle is in said first position, said control spindle also being provided with recess means to receive a portion of said ball means for relieving the pressure thereon when said spindle moves out of said first position to thereby permit said plunger means under the influence of said spring means to displace said ball means out of said main bore and to move said piercing member into its piercing position.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which said recess means of said control spindle are formed by two fillets spaced from each other in axial direction of said control spindle, the spindle portion between said two fillets being operable to engage said ball means and to exert pressure thereon.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes abutment means for holding said control spindle in said first position.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, which includes additional spring means continuously urging said control spindle out of its first position toward said abutment means, and in which said abutment means is formed by a body adapted in dry condition to hold said control spindle in its first position and to disintegrate in wet condition to thereby permit said control spindle to move out of its first position, said housing means including passage means leading from the outside of said housing means to said abutment means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, which includes plug means having a first end portion with holding means detachably insertable into said housing means for holding means for holding said body adapted to disintegrate in wet condition, said plug means also having a second end portion likewise detachably insertable into said housing means and having a water resistant extension operable to act as abutment means in the absence of said body disintegrating in wet condition for abutting said control spindle in said first position of said spindle.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said reciprocable means in said third bore is formed by a latch member having one end portion provided with a longitudinal opening the defining walls of which surround said control spindle, said longitudinal opening extending in the longitudinal direction of said latch member and having a dimension in this direction which is greater than the extension of said latch member in said last mentioned direction, the other end portion of said latch member being provided with a head portion operable in a first position of said latch member to extend into said main bore for preventing said plunger means from moving said piercing member into piercing position, and auxiliary spring means continuously urging said latching member head into said main bore, said control spindle being provided with cam means operable to act upon a wall portion defining said longitudinal opening in said latch member and also being operable in response to a displacement of said control spindle to withdraw said latch member away from said plunger means to permit the latter to move said piercing means into piercing position.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, in which the wall defining said longitudinal opening in said latch member corresponds in contour to the contour of the surface of said cam means of said control spindle.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, which includes means for preventing rotation of said latch member.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, which includes ratched wheel means fixedly connected to said plunger means, and torsion spring means forming said spring means for urging said plunger means to move said piercing means into piercing position, said torsion spring means having one end connected to said ratched wheel means and having its other end fixedly connected to a stationary part of said housing means, rotatable means connected to said plunger means for rotating the latter and thereby said ratched wheel means, the head portion of said latching member being operable in the manner of a pawl to engage said ratched wheel means, said torsion spring means when in loaded condition being operable in response to the withdrawal of said latch member head portion from said ratched wheel means to rotate said plunger means, and means associated with said plunger means and operable in response to the rotation of said plunger means by said torsion spring means to move said plunger means into position for actuating said piercer member.

9 10 11. An apparatus according to claim 7, in which that References Cited portion of said plunger means which is remote from said UNITED STATES PATENTS piercing member is provided with radially protruding means guided by said housing means so as to be movable g gg ?gf n in axial direction only of said plunger means while being 5 3145573 8/1964 Hebenstreit 222 5 prevented from turning about the axis of said plunger means, said apparatus also including nut means with high- ROBERT B, REEVES, P i r E i pitch thread engaged by said protruding means, said thread H 8 LANE Assistant Examiner being non-selflocking, said nut means being movable relative to said protruding means for effecting a return of 10 us CL said plunger means to its inelfective position. 9 313