US3658288A

US3658288A - Stem for cocks

Info

Publication number: US3658288A
Application number: US884762A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lamberto Mazza
Original assignee: Industrie Zanussi SpA
Current assignee: Industrie Zanussi SpA
Priority date: 1968-12-14
Filing date: 1969-12-12
Publication date: 1972-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-25
Also published as: ES154345U; YU310569A; ES154345Y; DE1961499B2; YU32164B; DE1961499A1; NL6918579A; FR2026158A1; BE742906A; AT290071B; NL158905B

Abstract

A sleeve-stem, particularly for a gas cock with a valve provided, which is formed from sheet-metal rolled round and comprises a stop catch for securing the stem to a valve of a cock and an elastic tongue which impedes the extraction of the stem from the cock.

Description

United States Patent Mazza 1 Apr. 25, 1972 s41 STEM FOR COCKS 2,972,262 2/1961 Kunzl er 251/96 x 2,980,386 4/1961 Reinhart et al. ..251/96 1 lnvenwfi Lambert Mam, Pordenone, Italy 3,071,341 1/1963 Wantz et a1 ....251/96 Assigneez Indusri A. Zanussi SIP'A" non Zarybnicky X Italy FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [221 12,1969 79,328 10/1955 Netherlands ..251/96 [21] Appl. No.: 884,762

Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Anorney-Holman & Stern [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 14, 1968 Italy ..25105 [57] ABSTRACT A sleeve-stem, particularly for a gas cock with a valve pro- [52] U.S.Cl ..25l/96 vided, which is formed from sheet-metal rolled round and [51] Int. Cl ,.,F16k31/60 comprises a stop catch for securing the stem to a valve of a [58] Field of Search ..251/96 cock and an elastic ng h h imp es the x raction of Q the stem from the cock. [56] References cued 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,572,507 10/1951 Mueller ..25l/96 PATENTEUAPR 2 5 I972 sum 1 BF 2 INVENTOR l'qmei'erb mflzz n ATTORNEYS This invention relates to a substantially tubular sleeve-stem on to which are secured hand control knobs for cocks, in particular for gas taps, thermostats etc.

Stems of conventional type are usually constructed by machining to remove material, and starting from bars of various materials (brass, iron etc).

The machining operations carried out are those of turningv and milling, for which in case of a large number of pieces be produced special multiple operation machines are employed which require particular setting up and continuous maintenance of the cutting tools. Consequently these pieces are relatively costly. The object of this invention is hence that of providing stems of considerably lower cost than the turned stern already commercially available. This object is attained by a sheetmetal stem, in particular for gas taps and thermostats, which is constructed from one piece of plate rolled round.

Further characteristics of the invention will be clear from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a sleeve-stem constructed according to the invention assembled on the valve of a gas tap;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the surface development of said stem;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the sleeve-stem alone;

FIG. 4 is a lateral elevational view of it.

The stem in object generically indicated by the reference numeral is characterized by being formed from a substantially rectangular piece of plate suitably pressed and successively rolled into tubular form.

The stem comprises a stop catch 11 and appendices 12 on the edge of the circumference at one end.

An elastic stop tongue 13 is formed on the lateral surface of the stem, as will be explained hereinafter, in a central position corresponding to an opening 14.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 it is to be noted that the longitudinal edges of the pressed piece comprise two opposing

symmetrical sections

15, 16, which are staggered one to the other such that they form a slit 17 on mating when the piece is rolled into tubular form (FIG. 4).

An opening 18 is formed on the stem in a position opposed to theslit 17 and symmetrical with it so as to confer a certain amount of elasticity on the stem.

A tooth 19 and a corresponding recess 20 into which said tooth fits in order to avoid elastic deformation of the stem are formed in positions corresponding to the two sections 16 of the longitudinal opposed edges of the shaft.

FIG. 1 clearly shows the assembly of the stem according to the invention on the valve of a gas tap, the assembly being carried out by means of a cap 21, provided with a flange 25, and into which the stem 10 is inserted, said flange being secured to a corresponding flange on the tap itself.

The stop catch 11 engages in a cavity 22 of said cap 21 when the tap is in the closed position (catch drawn with a broken line) while when the tap is in the open position the catch is in contact with an annular surface 23 of the cap. Movement of the stem between the open and closed positions of the tap is opposed by the action of the bias of a spring 24 I with its opposing ends inserted over the appendices 12 of said stem and in an annular hollow 5 in the valve seat respectively.

The elastic stop tongue 13 impedes extraction of the stem 10 from the cap 21 after it has been inserted into said cap.

Such a construction presents advantages which can be thus summarized:

reduction in cost with respect to stems of conventional type formed from bars;

as the stem is provided with a certain elasticity in the zone where the hand control grip is fitted, this latter can be secured in a more reliable manner, at the same time allowing a greater machining tolerance for its hole, and without the need for fixing screws;

it 18 possible to assemble the stem on the cover in a more easy manner, as it is provided with an elastic tongue which impedes its withdrawal after it has been inserted in the cap (in conventional shafts fixing of a stop ring is necessary for impeding withdrawal);

in the case of gas taps with minimum central adjustment in which longitudinal boring of the stem is necessary to give access to the adjusting screw, boring operations (as in the case of those formed from bars) are here unnecessary in that by virtue of the thickness of plate comprising the stern a hole is formed which permits easy access to the adjusting screw.

What we claim is:

l. A valve-control cock comprising a valve-control cock body, valve means to control a fluid flow from an inlet to an outlet, and a sleeve stem which includes: an unitary sheetmetal tubular body with open ends; an integral radial projection at a first end of the tubular body to engage a complementary recess in the valve-control cock body to limit axial movement of the tubular sheet metal body in the valve-control cock body in assembly; at least one longitudinal slit formed at a second end of the tubular body remote from said first end, whereby, said slit end is rendered resilient and adapted to receive a control-knob; and an integral resilient elongated tongue formed in the sheet metal of the tubular body and disposed longitudinally intermediate between said first and second ends of the tubular body, the tongue having a free end pointing in the direction of the first end and biased radially outwards to engage a portion of the valve control body so as to impede withdrawal of the sleeve stem in the direction of said first end from its assembled position in the valve-control cock body.

2. The valve-control cock as claimed in claim 1, the sleevestem of which comprises two slit regions at said second end, diametrically opposed to each other, of which one at least is formed at a longitudinal joint of the sleeve-stem.

3. The valve-control cock as claimed in claim 2, the sleevestem of which further comprises at least one integral lug circumferentially projecting at a region of said longitudinal joint near said first end and a complementary recess in a mating portion of the sheet metal to accommodate said circumferentially projecting lug to prevent deformation of the sleevestem.

4. The valve-control cock as claimed in claim 3, which further includes spring means to bias movement of the tubular body in an axial direction thereof.

Claims

1. A valve-control cock comprising a valve-control cock body, valve means to control a fluid flow from an inlet to an outlet, and a sleeve stem which includes: an unitary sheet-metal tubular body with open ends; an integral radial projection at a first end of the tubular body to engage a complementary recess in the valve-control cock body to limit axial movement of the tubular sheet metal body in the valve-control cock body in assembly; at least one longitudinal slit formed at a second end of the tubular body remote from said first end, whereby, said slit end is rendered resilient and adapted to receive a control-knob; and an integral resilient elongated tongue formed in the sheet metal of the tubular body and disposed longitudinally intermediate between said first and second ends of the tubular body, the tongue having a free end pointing in the direction of the first end and biased radially outwards to engage a portion of the valve control body so as to impede withdrawal of the sleeve stem in the direction of said first end from its assembled position in the valve-control cock body.

2. The valve-control cock as claimed in claim 1, the sleeve-stem of which comprises two slit regions at said second end, diametrically opposed to each other, of which one at least is formed at a longitudinal joint of the sleeve-stem.

3. The valve-control cock as claimed in claim 2, the sleeve-stem of which further comprises at least one integral lug circumferentially projecting at a region of said longitudinal joint near said first end and a complementary recess in a mating portion of the sheet metal to accommodate said circumferentially projecting lug to prevent deformation of the sleeve-stem.