Torque-override cap
First Claim
1. A cap for use in a filler neck of a tank, the cap comprisinga housing including means for engaging the filler neck,shell means for providing a hand grip, the shell means including a plurality of drive teeth,a ratchet wheel disposed between the housing and the shell means and connected to the housing for rotation therewith, the ratchet wheel including a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction, andspring means for yieldably biasing the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell means to establish said torque-limited and positive connections, the spring means being separate from the ratchet wheel.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A torque-override cap is provided for use in a filler neck of a tank. The cap includes a housing configured to engage the filler neck, a shell for providing a hand grip, and a ratchet wheel and a biasing mechanism disposed between the shell and the housing for providing a driving connection between the shell and the housing. The shell includes a plurality of drive teeth, while the ratchet wheel includes a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction. The biasing mechanism operates to yieldably bias the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell to establish the torque-limited and positive connections.
101 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A cap for use in a filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including means for engaging the filler neck, shell means for providing a hand grip, the shell means including a plurality of drive teeth, a ratchet wheel disposed between the housing and the shell means and connected to the housing for rotation therewith, the ratchet wheel including a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction, and spring means for yieldably biasing the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell means to establish said torque-limited and positive connections, the spring means being separate from the ratchet wheel.
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14. A cap for use in a filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including means for engaging the filler neck, shell means for providing a hand grip, the shell means including a plurality of drive teeth, a ratchet wheel disposed between the housing and the shell means and connected to the housing for rotation therewith, the ratchet wheel including a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction, and spring means for yieldably biasing the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell means to establish said torque-limited and positive connections, the housing including a pair of spaced-apart axially extending flanges positioned substantially parallel to one another.
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15. A cap for use in a filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including means for engaging the filler neck, shell means for providing a hand grip, the shell means including a plurality of drive teeth, a ratchet wheel disposed between the housing and the shell means and connected to the housing for rotation therewith, the ratchet wheel including a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction, and spring means for yieldably biasing the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell means to establish said torque-limited and positive connections, the housing including at least one driven flange, the ratchet wheel including a circular ring formed to include the plurality of driven teeth, and at least one drive flange being appended to an inner wall of the circular ring and oriented to project in a radially inwardly extending direction to engage the at least one driven flange to establish a connection between the ratchet wheel and the housing for rotation.
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18. A cap for use in a filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including means for engaging the filler neck, shell means for providing a hand grip, the shell means including a plurality of drive teeth, a ratchet wheel disposed between the housing and the shell means and connected to the housing for rotation therewith, the ratchet wheel including a plurality of driven teeth configured to engage the drive teeth to provide a torque-limited connection in the cap-advancing direction and a positive connection in the cap-removal direction, spring means for yieldably biasing the driven teeth of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the drive teeth of the shell means to establish said torque-limited and positive connections, and a sealing gasket, the housing including a radially extending wall having an axially downwardly facing side abutting the sealing gasket so that the sealing gasket engages the filler neck upon tightened engagement of the housing on the filler neck and an axially upwardly facing side, and at least one axially extending flange being appended to the axially upwardly facing side and positioned to receive driving torque from the ratchet wheel.
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19. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including first engaging means for rotatably engaging the filler neck and second engaging means, a shell providing a hand grip, the shell including third engaging means, means for establishing a driving connection between the shell and the housing so that upon engagement of the housing and said filler neck the shell is rotatable relative to said filler neck about an axis of rotation to rotate the housing on said filler neck in one of the cap-advancing and cap-removal directions, the establishing means including a ratchet wheel disposed for rotation between the shell and the housing, the ratchet wheel including fourth engaging means for engaging the second engaging means of the housing to provide a driving connection between the housing and the ratchet wheel which is positive in both of a cap-advancing direction and a cap-removal direction and fifth engaging means for engaging the third engaging means of the shell to provide a driving connection between the ratchet wheel and the shell which is torque-limited in the cap-advancing direction and positive in the cap-removal direction, the establishing means further including spring means for yieldably biasing the ratchet wheel to urge the fifth engaging means of the ratchet wheel into engagement with the third engaging means of the shell without disengaging the fourth engaging means of the ratchet wheel and the second engaging means of the housing.
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23. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
a housing including first engaging means for rotatably engaging the filler neck and second engaging means, a shell providing a hand grip, the shell including third engaging means, means for establishing a driving connection between the shell and the housing so that upon engagement of the housing and said filler neck the shell is rotatable relative to said filler neck about an axis of rotation to rotate the housing on said filler neck in one of the cap-advancing and cap-removal directions, the establishing means including a ratchet wheel disposed for rotation between the shell and the housing, the ratchet wheel including fourth engaging means for engaging the second engaging means of the housing to provide a driving connection between the housing and the ratchet wheel which is positive in both of a cap-advancing direction and a cap-removal direction and fifth engaging means for engaging the third engaging means of the shell to provide a driving connection between the ratchet wheel and the shell which is torque-limited in the cap-advancing direction and positive in the cap-removal direction, and a sealing gasket, the housing including an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, the axially inner portion being formed to include the first engaging means to permit the housing to be mounted on said filler neck, the axially outer portion including means for supporting the gasket on the housing so that the sealing gasket engages the filler neck upon tightened engagement of the housing and the filler neck, and the second engaging means of the housing including at least one driven flange appended to the supporting means.
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28. A cap for use in the filler neck of a tank, the cap comprising
first engaging means for engaging the filler neck, a shell including second engaging means, the second engaging means being formed of a rigid material, drive means disposed between the shell and the first engaging means for providing a drive connection between the shell and the first engaging means that is torque-limiting in a cap-advancing direction and is positive in a cap-removal direction, the drive means including third means for engaging the second engaging means, the third engaging means being formed of a rigid material, and spring means for yieldably biasing the third engaging means into engagement with the second engaging means, the spring means being separate from the drive means.
Specification