Safety device

Aug. 16, 1960

Filed April 15, 1957

F. L. O. ROEHR1G

SAFETY DEVICE

2,949,129

Sheets-Sheet i

<img file="US2949129A_D0001.tif" />

2,949,129

Aug. 16, 1960

Filed April 15, 1957

F. L. O. ROEHRIG

SAFETY DEVICE

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2949129A_D0002.tif" />

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United States Patent Office

2,949,129

Patented Aug. 16, 1960

2,949,129

SAFETY DEVICE

Frederick L. O. Roehrig, 6762 Valaria Drive, Highland, Calif.

Filed Apr. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 652,990

Claim. (Cl. 137—539)

[ The Use on present invention relates to a safety device for »«rx Stefas?^-*» raXert °^{f tbe inventi}°n is so constituted and ar=fxrr may be incorporated directly in the can bodv Th»

The invention has directly applicability to cans of th» »“· ³⁰

The £v· ^h r V ^muumum of fluid loss.

IS

With the above mentioned and other objects in view formnt-^{entlt>n consiste in the} novel and useful provision’ imation, construction, association, and relative ar’ rangement of parts, members and features, all as shown m certain embodiments in the accompanying drawinns in Te claim^enera,ly’ ^Partioularly Pointed out 45

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a can invention, “^{Ρ incor}P°^ratmg one form of

1ίη?Γ^Γ2 n/V ^fra8?^entary sectional view taken on the the'showing^of⁶ F^e \ ^scale

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a can rectlTa^s ⁸f^aa^m°^dl^{fied fOrm Of the} invention and directly associated with a side wall of the can, - ^{1S a} fragmentary sectional view on the line ⁵ „. ^{of Flgu}.^re 4, and on an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 is a detached parts view of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, and on an enlarged scale from the showing of Figure 4, and,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a further modified form of safety device incoiporating the invention

Referring now with particularity to the drawings, and specifically to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the safety device is shown as incorporated in a cap 1 for a container 2 as shown in Figure 2. The container has a threaded neck 3 and the cap is threaded at 4 for engagement with the threaded neck. The top 5 of the cap is provided with an axial bore 6 and the safety device of the invention is secured^ to said cap top 5 in said bore 6. The safetv device includes a body 7 having an enlarged external betweenupper and lower boss portions and 10. The boss 9 is provided with a central en^bor.^e M, which bore is in communication with a boreM τΓη^{Γ bOTe 12} “^{d a reduced} ca! bnra u ¹⁰·^{K provided with} ™ enlarged coni, X communicating with the base of the boss, and with a smaller conical bore 15 which leads to the reduced diameter bore 13. The two conical bores are m communication. Positioned within the enlarged bore τί,Λ n ^{ba 1 V}-^{1Ve 16 engaging} a tapered ball seat 17. The ball valve is urged to seated position by a coil spring JJ’^als° ^posdl°^{ned within the} barged bore. In asseni bling the safety device on the cap 1, the boss 10 is adapted to be passed through the bore 6 in the cap. A soft washer 19 is externally positioned on the boss 10 Tht ^{the b}°^{ttOnl SUrface of the flan}Se 8.

S enft “V^{5 passed through} Ate bore 6 so that the soft washer 19 rests upon the top surface of the cap Thereafter, a second washer 20 is placed on the boss 10 f °^f l^{he b}°^{SS is} flangefl’ as shown at 21, so as ϊ™ ?^{vasher in} engagement with the usual gasket disk 22 carried within the cap. ^S . 7.^U₁^be/^Peci?^{aIly noticed that the c}°nical bores in boss 10 lead to the valve seat 17, which valve seat in the present arrangement, is above the top of the cap 1. Hence, when the can 2 is filled with a volatile fluid nmVn^{3 the can} being carried within the trunk compartment of a motor vehicle, any excessive heat which wou.d cause the gasoline to vaporize and create a pressure within the can which is sufficient to overcome the pressure exerted against said ball by the snrinv is will lift the ball 16 from valve seat 17 Ϊ ™ the’ vapors to escape through the bore 12. Howe th* vapors condense upon striking the ball valve, the couth ft th ^int0 the can. It is to be observed fmm th?f^dy I ^IS',^exter?^{aI the can} cap 1 and insulated from the cap by the soft washer 19 and the gasket 22 As a consequence, the body 7 may be at a different temperature from that of the contents of the can 2. The wflhhffh^em ’^S m^{Ch tha}n ^{0ny SpIashing of the} ΑΆΑ within the can will not allow escape therefrom throuvh the said safety device. The ball valve 16 is at all times seated in a plane which is above the top of the can 1

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 to ’„55^lusiVe’ Ί j ^be fl^esirable> in certain instances, to th ^safe7.^device/^vhich is located in the side of thk ·^Λ n tb^{ner and nOt ίη the ca}P- ^An instance Fieme 4 ^her °^{n itS side}’ ^{aS shown} ™

Figure 4. The safety device takes two forms, to-wit, in F^gm-eV^ ^{m FlgUreS 4 to 6}’^inclusive, and the other

In the showing of Figure 5, I provide a body 30 which includes a.n upper boss 31 and a lower boss 32, with a substantially intermediate external flange at 33 ^r The lower boss 32 is provided with an axial bore 34 and the upper boss is provided with an enlarged axial bore 35 commumcatmg with bore 34. A reduced diameter bore 36 leads from the top of the boss 31 to the bore 35 A valve seat is provided at 37 at the joinder of the bores 34 and 35 and as before a ball valve 38 rests on said seat, beffig £T^d‘ M , ^p®^sdl.^{on b}y ^{a coil} spring 39 within the bore 35. The boss 32 is externally screw-threaded at 40 for a portion of the length of said boss, the said boss having a reduced diameter unthreaded portion at 41 Adapted to surround the boss 32 in the zone of the unthreaded portion 41 is a washer 42 provided with radial grooves 43 on its top surface.

In the use of this form of safety device, the side wall 44

3,949,120 ³ of a can is provided with a’bore 45 adjacent the top wall 46 of the can. A soft washer 47 is placed against the base of flange 33, whereupon the lower boss 32 is passed through the bore 45,- the soft washer engaging the outer surface of side wall 44 of the can m the manner shown in Figure 5, whereupon the washer 42 is so placed that the radial grooves 43 lie adjacent the inner surface of the side wall 44, with the assembly secured by a nut 48 in engagement with the threads 40 of the boss 32.

The modification of the device of Figure 5 as shown in Figure 7, consists in the use of a body 50 having an upper boss- 51 and a lower boss 52, the lower boss being externally threaded for a portion of its length as shown at 53 for the reception of a nut 54, together with a washer 55, the top surface of which is provided with radial grooves 56 the said boss 52 likewise provided with a pair ot separated bores 57 and 58 which separately communicate with coaxial counter-bores 59 and 60, the bores 59 and 60 in turn, communicating with reduced diameter bores 61’and 62, leading to the external surface of boss 51. Seat portions are provided at the juncture between bores 57 and 59, as shown at 63, and for bores 58 and 60, as shown at 64. Within the bore 59 is a ball valve 65, adapted to be urged to its seat 63 by a coil spnng 66, while a ball valve 67 is urged to engage seat 64 through the medium of spring 68. Thus, the ball valve 65 opens upwardly while ball valve 67 opens downwardly. As before, the can side or top is provided with a bore for passage of the boss 52 therethrough and a soft neoprene washer 69 is placed under flange 70 and engages the outer surface of either a can side , or a can top while the washer 55 is so positioned that the radial grooves 56 are adjacent the inside surface of either the can top or side, the entirety being held in assemblage by the nut 54 when engaging the threads 53 of the boss 52. In addition, the said boss 52 is provided with radial bores 71 which communicate with the unthreaded area 72 of the said boss and with the bores 57 and 58. It is obvious from the showing of Figure 7 that said radial bores 71 are in communication with the radial grooves in the washer 55 due to the unthreaded area or annular groove 72. In this respect, the structure of Figure 7 closely follows the structure of Figure 5, in that the unthreaded area 41 of the boss 32 is provided with radial bores at 49, and these bores 49 are in direct communication with the grooves 43.

The operation, uses and advantages of the torn or the invention shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 resides m the fact that any excess vapor pressure, such as might be generated in the can by temperature elevation, permits the vapor to pass into bore 34 and raise the ball valve 38 from its seat against spring pressure, to escape to the atmosphere through bore 36. Any splash or condensate in the can, however, which strikes the inner surface of wall 44 in the zone of the safety device will pass through the grooves 43, bores 49 into bore 34 and back into the can In this respect, it is to be observed that the ball valve 38 is situated above the radial bores 49 in the lower boss 32. As the radial grooves 43 and the bores 49 are directly adjacent the inner surface of the side wall 44 of the can, any splash of the fluid within the can would quite naturally pass through these grooves and Fores into the main bore 34 without disturbing the ball valve 38 or tending to raise the same from its seat to permit escape of the fluid. On the other hand, any increase of vapor pressure will lift the ball valve from its seat and allow this vapor under pressure to escape from the, can.

In the form of the invention shown m Figure 7, the ball valve 65, together with the radial bores 71, me grooves 56 in the washer 55, and the bore 57, all function , in the same manner as shown for the device of Figure 5. However, the ball valve 67 is urged upwardly so as to seat and close entrance through bore 62 into bores 68 / and 58. The device of Figure 7 performs a double tunc- / , tion in that, in case of a vacuum condition within the. I can,’ which might be incurred in numerous way s, such as y by temperature change, altitude, imposed pressure change^, air is permitted to enter the can upon displacement of ttee ball valve 67 from its seat 64. Thus, ball valve 65 functions as a vent relief for vapor under pressure, and baa valve 67 acts to break a vacuum within the can. The* device of Figure 7 permits any splashing liquids within the can to pass through the radial grooves 56 and theradial bores 71 into bores 57 and 58, thence returning to the can. At the same time, the ball valves 65 and 67 prevent any of said liquid or fluid from escaping through the bores 61 and 62 outwardly of the device and the said 25 can. For the reasons given in the statement of operation of Figure 5, the ball valves 65 and 68 are above the return bores 71 which lead to the bores 57 and 58.