Gas cylinder carrier

[57] ABSTRACT

Luggage for carrying a gas cylinder, characterised by means for preventing rolling of the cylinder and by means for protecting the nipple of the cylinder, and including a handle for lifting particularly adapted for SCUBA gas cylinders.

Claims, 4 Drawing Figures

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U.S. Patent Nov. 25,1975

3,921,872

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FIG. 4

3,921,872

GAS CYLINDER CARRIER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Small gas cylinders of the type used with undersea breathing apparatus customarily are circularly cylindrical which makes them difficult to handle. When the tanks are laid on their side for transportation or storage they have a tendency to roll.

The cylinders carry high pressure gas, with pressure up to several thousand pounds per square inch. The cylinder nipple is on one end, and should the tank fall over, the nipple may be broken and cause the tank to become a projectile.

Back packs have been designed to allow a swimmer to carry one or two tanks on his back, and it is customary, because there is no special carrying luggage, to carry the tanks in the back pack. Spare tanks are carried with resulting danger from a broken nipple or rolling when they are laid on their side.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,431 teaches a back pack carrier for a SCUBA tank. The harness is contoured to the body of the wearer, and it has a strap to fasten the tank to the harness.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,888 teaches another harness construction which allows a SCUBA tank to be carried. The harness has a heavy belt which encircles the body of the wearer and a subsidiary belt which goes over the shoulder. SCUBA tanks are held to the harness by straps.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,747 teaches another harness for carrying SCUBA tanks. The tanks are attached to a fixture 20 by straps 26, and the fixture 20 is quickly attached to the harness of the wearer.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,191,828 and 3,269,129 have other variations on back pack harness for carrying SCUBA tanks.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,219,242 teaches a back pack harness wherein a portion of the harness enfolds the SCUBA tank.

None of the apparatus in the above-identified patents teaches or shows an apparatus for hand-carrying a gas tank nor for protecting the nipple of the tank.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,992 teaches an M-shaped trough for holding cylindrical objects, having a strap attached to the base and encircling the supported object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus contemplated by this invention is a piece of carrying luggage particularly adapted for carrying a SCUBA tank.

The carrier has a body which encircles a SCUBA tank. Slots circumferentially spaced about the carrier carry straps which extend across at least one, and preferably two, chords of the cylinder defining the body of the carrier. The straps center SCUBA tanks within the carrier, deflecting from their chord position to encircle the tank. The strap is drawn tight, preferably, by an over-the-center toggle or latch to hold the tank in the carrier.

The carrier may be made of various materials such as fiber glass or plastics material. A flexible handle and flexible region adjacent the straps ensure clamping of the tank and provide a means for carrying the luggage.

On the side opposite the handle is formed or attached a base which is sufficiently flat or has legs that the luggage may be placed with the tank on its side and the luggage handle up without rolling.

On the end of the luggage carrying the nipple of the

SCUBA tank, the luggage is sufficiently hard and covers the nipple to protect the nipple from being struck or otherwise injured and to keep the SCUBA valve clean.

The luggage, therefore, protects the SCUBA tank from damage and allows the tank to be carried in reclining position without rolling.

It is therefore an object of this invention to protect the nipple, and its connected valve, from damage.

It is also an object of this invention to protect high pressure gas cylinders.

It is a specific object of this invention to transport gas cylinders.

It is a still more specific object of this invention to transport gas cylinders in a fashion whereby they may be placed in a reclining or substantially horizontal position without rolling.

It is likewise a specific object of this invention to provide luggage which accomplishes the aboveenumerated objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken at 2—2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken at 3—3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of this invention is a piece of carrying luggage for gas cylinders and particularly for SCUBA cylinders.

In the figures, a fiber glass or plastics (preferably) body 10 has substantially rigid portions 12 and 14 adapted to enclose a gas cylinder. The portion 12 surrounds the cylinder proper, and the portion 14 surrounds the nipple of the cylinder and the pressure gage and reducing valve.

A pair of handles 16,18 are preferably flexibly attached to the body portion 12. The body portion 12 is substantially a circularly cylindrical member in the region of the top of the gas cylinder. In the region of the handles 16,18, the body 12 is open with the handles 16,18 curving upward and having hand slots 20,22 for carrying the luggage and its enclosed gas cylinder in a substantially horizontal position. The handles 16,18 are separated from the enclosing portion of the luggage body 12 by a pair of circumferentially directed stressrelieving slits 24,26 which have stress-relieving holes 28,30 at the ends.

Positioned around the periphery of the body 12, substantially in the axial region of the handles 16,18, are four axially directed slots 32,34,36,38 for receiving a strap 40. The slots 32,34 are positioned, preferably, substantially symmetrically relative to and near the handles 16,18 in the upper region of the apparatus 10 when the apparatus 10 is substantially horizontal. The slots 36,38 are preferably positioned symmetrically relative to the handles 16,18 and preferably directly below the slots 34,32 when the apparatus 10 is substantially horizontal. As shown in the drawings, the slots 32,34 are about 60° apart, and the slots 38,32 are about 120° apart.

3,921,872

The belt 40 fits into the slots 32,34,36,38, extending around the outside of the portion 12 between slots 34,36 and between slots 38,32. The belt 40 extends substantially across a chord of the portion 12 when a gas cylinder is not enclosed. When a gas cylinder is enclosed within the luggage 10, the portion of the belt 40 between slots 32,34 and 36,38 conforms to the outside of the gas cylinder, clamping it in place.

An over-center toggle 42 is attached to the two ends of the belt 40 to loosen the belt 40 to allow a gas cylinder to be inserted or withdrawn from the luggage and to tighten the belt 40 to grasp the enclosed gas cylinder.

Diametrically opposite the handles 16,18 are a pair of footings 44,46 in form of ribs which prevent the luggage 10 from rolling when the luggage is laid substantially horizontal.

It must be understood that when substantially horizontal positioning of the apparatus is mentioned herein that one means the position shown in the figures. The floor need not be exactly horizontal, but the position is to be distinguished from a vertical position wherein the gas cylinder 50 is upright on its base 55.

A handle 48 is preferably attached to the closed end 49 of the luggage 10 to be grasped to remove the luggage 10 from the gas cylinder 50.

It is to be stressed that the footing 44,46 instead of being ribs may optionally be a substantially flat surface or a plurality (for example, four) of individual feet.

Typically, to insert the gas cylinder 50 into the luggage the cylinder may be placed upright on its base 55, and the luggage 10 is lowered, preferably by the handle 48, over the upright cylinder 50. The strap 40 is then tightened around the gas cylinder 50 by tightening the over-center toggle 42.

When the gas cylinder 50 is to be removed from the luggage 10, the toggle 42 is loosened, the handle 48 is grasped, and the luggage 10 is lifted off of the gas cylinder 50.

Thus, the apparatus of this invention is an improved luggage for carrying gas cylinders, particularly SCUBA cylinders. It has protection for the nipple of the cylinder, and it has features allowing the cylinder to be laid down without iiklihood of rolling. Carrying features are provided by the handles which allow the cylinder to be carried like a suitcase.

Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is not intended that the invention shall be limited by that description, but that the claims shall also be considered as part of the description of the invention.