US2946215A - Press-on closure for filler pipes - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1960 1 E- ESHBAUGH ETAL 2,946,215

PRESS-ON CLOSURE FOR FILLER PIPES Filed Sept. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n mi July 26, 1960 -J, E, ESHBAUGH ETAL 2,946,215

PRESS-ON CLOSURE FOR FILLER PIPES Filed Sept. ll, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l //IIIIIIIII.

nted States Patent C) y PRESS-ON CLOSURE FOR FILLER PIPES Jesse E. Eshbaugh, David G. Keil, and Alvin H. Schmidt, Flint. Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Fixed sept. 11, 1951, ser. No. 683,252

4c1aims. (c1. 'lo-.169)

This invention relates to closures and more particularly .to closures which may be applied to the anged ends of ller pipes such as employed on gasoline tanks by merely pressing the closures without rotation into their positions on the flanged ends.

In automotive vehicles of recent design a difficulty has arisen in securing adequate room in the body or fender structure for rotating the conventional gasoline tank caps or closures in placing them in their locked positions. Not only must suicient room be provided for the width of such a cap or closure, but room must be provided for the operators hand to move in turning the closure to its sealed or unsealed position.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved closure which need only be linearly pressed on the outwardly anged end of a filler pipe.

Patented July 26, 1960 ICS the locking cylinder 20 when the latter is rotated by means of a key which'can be inserted in a keyway 30 (Fig. 5). A thin metal cover 32 is provided having an aperture 34 through which the key may be inserted and the aperture 34 is protected by. asmall elongated cover 36 pivoted in a conventional manner by a pin '40 to the cover 32. A spring 42 cooperates with a snap ring 44 to prevent rattling of the small cover 36 on the assembly. An opening 37 in the frame 14 provides sufficient clearance to permit the end of the pin 40 to move laterally a suiiicient extent for seating or unseating of the cover over the aperture 34.

A cup member 50` is loosely retained within a depending skirt 52 (Fig. 4) which is an integral part of the frame 14. The margin of the cup 50 is in the form of a circular flange 54 from which two upstanding tabs 56 and 58 are struck. These tabs extend loosely up through two slots 60 and 62 formed in the frame and are bent over as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The tabs 56 and 58 are of such length that when the closure is removed from a ller pipe 10 a space of determined maximum extent exists between the flange S4 and the underside of thetop wall in the frame 14. A coil spring 61 is placed under compression between the end of the cup 50 and the frame 14 and is retained in its position by a hub 63 which constitutes a portion of the frame in which the locking cylinder 20 is mounted. A ring.64 is joined or press-litted to the exterior of the cup 50 to retain a sealing gasket 66 Another object of the present invention is to provide a press-on closure which is simple in construction and which may be released from an out-turned filler pipe ange only by the use of a key.

These and other important features of the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1 1 of Fig. 5 through a closure in which the present invention is embodied the closure appearing in its unlocked or unsealed position with respect to the out-turned ange of a filler pipe;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. l, but with the closure in its locked or sealed position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken in section looking in the direction of the arrows 3 3 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 4 4 in Fig. 5 the ller pipe being omitted;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 5 5 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view .looking in the direction of the arrows 6 6 in Fig. 1.

The present closure is of the type which may be used to close the end of a liller pipe having an out-turned ange such as the pipe 10 shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. l and in solid lines in Fig. 2. This liller pipe is illustrated with an out-turned peripheral ange 12 which is conventional in automotive use.

The closure itself includes a die cast frame 14 which is substantially cylindrical in its exterior contour but is extended slightly in diametrically opposed portions 16 and 18 shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The frame is centrally apertured to receive a locking cylinder 20. This cylinder is retained in its axial position by means of a snap ring 22 and a coil spring 24. The latter bears down on the top surface of the frame 14. The upper end of the spring 24 presses upwardly against the cranks 80 which in turn bear against a disk 26 which is seated against the under side of a flange 28 formed on the top end of the cylinder. The disk 26 is so made as to interlock and rotate with in position on the underside of the llange 54. v The extending portion-s 16 and 18 of the frame are formed with right angle passages70 and 72, respectively, and adjacent each of these passages and integral with the frame are two of four upstanding lugs 74. Each of these lugs is notched at its top as at 76 (Fig. 5) for the retention of a trunnion portion 78 which is integral with one of two bell cranks 80. Each crank 80 has a depending end 82 forming a latch with a shoulder 83 adapted to engage the underside of the ange 12. The other end of each of the bell cranks 80 extends inwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, to engage the underside of the disk 26.

Between each of the slots 60 and 62 and the right angle passage 70 or 72 are located two upstanding projections and 92 joined by an inclined portion 94. These projections and the portion 94 are integral with the frame 14 and the construction is clearly shown in Fig. 3. A partially inclined plate 96 connects the tops of each pair of the projections 90' and 92 and a space 98 is defined between the inclined frame portion 94 and the plate'96 which cooperate to form finger guides. The disk 26 is provided with two diagonally opposed fingers 101 and 102 integral therewith and each of these is adapted to bear against the underside and inclined portion of the plate 96. Assuming that the closure is to be applied to seal a ller pipe, ysuch closure is rst placed on the filler pipe ange 12 as discosed in Fig. l. The subsequent application of a slight pressure on the exterior of the closure and in a linear direction will cause the inclined surfaces on the ends of the bell cranks 80 to be cammed outwardly. As a result, the latches 82 will be forced into the right angle passages 70 and 72, the spring 24 yielding to permit swinging of the bell cranks. The closure will then assume the position shown in Fig. 2 with the latches 82 snapping back into position for engaging the underside of the flange 12 and the sealing gasket 66 engaging the topside of the ange 12. In this position of the closure a slight clearance willexist between the ange 54 and the upper wall of the frame 14. Because of this clearance the spring 61 is enabled to perform its function in resiliently holding the sealing gasket 66 in sealing position. The lugs 74 contact the outer cover 32 so that pressure exerted on the latter when the closure is-in sealing position will not unlatch the device from the ilange 12. The locking cylinder 20 must be turned with a Akey if the closure is to be removed from the pipe 10.

With a turning of the locking cylinder 20, the lingers 101 and 102 are cammed downwardy by the two plates 96 to compress the spring 24 and move the latches 82 outwardly. The closure-is` then `unlocked from the filler pipe and `free for removal.

1. A press-on closure for the end of a filler pipe having an outwardly extending circular flange, said closure come prising a frame open at one side to receive said ange, hell crank levers pivotally Vsupported on said frame with opposed latch ends :for engaging said ange, 'the other ends of `said levers extending toward the axis of the closure, a lock cylinder releasably mounted in said frame for rotation, spring 'means acting on said other ends and urging saidbell crank levers to lrotate into latching positions, and cam means mounted Yon said `lockcylinder and frame for rotating said levers away from latching positions upon rotation of said `lock cylinder in one direction.

2. A press-on closure comprising a frame with an aperture adapted to tit over an out-turned flange of a Vfiller pipe, a casing covering said frame and fixed in position relative thereto, a locking cylinder mounted for rotation in said -frame and accessible `.with a key through said casing, a cup'member loosely attached to said frame and having an annular seat for engaging said flange, a rst coil spring compressed axially between said frame and cup member, bell cranks with pivoting means xed in positions on said frame within said casing, opposed latch ends on said bell cranks and adapted to engage said .pipe tiange, a second coil spring urging the .other ends of said bell cranks into their closure locking positions, cam means including a disk with ngers attached to said locking cylinder to rotate therewith and inclined guides xed 4- A press-oa closure for the end .0f a filler pipe having an outwardly extending peripheral ange, said closure comprising atrame open at .one side to receive -said ange, levers pivotally supported on ysaid trame with opposed and inwardly directed latch ends for engaging said ange, other ends of said levers extending toward the axis of the closure, a casing rigidly xed to said frame and covering said levers, a lock cylinder releasably mounted for rotation in said frame and accessible .through said easing with a key to effect the release, :spring means interposed be.- tween said other ends and `said frame and urging said Vlatch ends inwardly, cam means mounted on said lock ,cylinder and Aframe for rotating said latch ends outwardly to their unlocked positions upon rotation of said lock cylinder in one direction by use of said key, and said latch ends hav.- ing surfaces inclined to said axis and effective to force said latch ends outwardly when said. closure is being applied `to said iiller `pipe ange against Ythe force of .said spring means.

References Cited in the til@ of this patent UNITED .STATES ,PATENTS 2,816,433 Friend Dec. 1'7, 1 957

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