US2084231A - Support and protecting device for fluid dispensing cylinders - Google Patents

Description

June 15', 1937. w, G, WATKINS 2,084,231

SUPPORT AND ?ROTECTING DEVICE FOR FLUID DISPENSING CYLINDERS Filed sept. 3,/ 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Summum June 15, 1937. w. G. wATKlNs 2,084,231

SUPPORT AND PROTECTING DEVICE FOR FLUID DISPENSING CYLINDERS Filed sept. s, 195e y2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1937 surroa'r AND rnoTEc'rlNG nEvrcE Fon FLUID- nrsrENslNG crmNnEas Walter G. Watkins, Kansas City, Mo Y to Skelly l Company, Tulsa,

n. assigner voma.

Application September 3, 1936,A Serial No. 99,298

4 Claims.

A was designed to make use of the general principle embodied in said former patent in connection with installations requiring a pluralityof gas supply cylinders.

The primary" object of this invention is to 1l provide an apparatus for supporting conventional iluid dispensing Icylinders at a place convenlent to the point of utilization, and having means -for protecting the individual cylinder valves and thecommon pressure regulator unit o against knocks or tampering. A

Another object of my invention resides in the construction of these protecting members in a unitary assembly whereby a single padlock or other locking means may be employed to simultaneously lock the protectors in'their respective positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a protecting assembly of this character which maybe easily removed for inspection and a0 adjustment of the valves and' regulator, and

readily locked in place.

Finally, it is my purpose to construct a support and protector which is durable, strong and efficient, and one which may be manufactured and installed with a minimum of effort and at a reasonable cost.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, mylinvention resides in the novel features herein |set forth, illustratedl in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. l

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 ls a view,J in front elevation showing my improved support and protector withl twoVv supplycylinders installed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation with one cylinder removed and with the protector assembly in elevated position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view partly in section and partly broken away to illustrate the structure cf the protector assembly.

(Cl. .2M-73.5)

Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofthe same, partly broken away.

(Fig. 6 is adetail of one of the valve cap protectors, and v Fig. 7 is a detail view Showing the regulator 5 protecting hood and its mode of attachment.

In the drawings, I represents a vertical standard which preferably consists oi a metal channel column provided with a base plate or support 2, welded or otherwise suitably secured at its 10 lower end. The base plate 2 is drilled at 'predetermined points to receive bolts or the like 3 by means of which the standard is secured in place on a concrete base or foundation 4. The bolts 3 may be embedded in the concreteI so as 15 to provide rigidsecu'ring means.. f

My improved protector assembly is indicated generally by the numeral 5 and consists of crossarm 6 made up of two metal strips secured together in spaced relation byl a pair of oppositely yg() disposed 4angles l. These angles areV located centrally of the cross-arm 6 andr are so arranged as to slidably embrace the upper endof the standard I, as clearly shown in Figs. Zand 4, the legs of the angles being bolted as at 8 or otherwise 25 rigidly secured to the strips forming the crossarm.

At each end the cross-arm 6 carries avalve cap or bonnet 9 preferably comprising .a metallic cylindrical member open at its lower ex- 30 tremity and rounded in a closed top. As will be seen from Figs. 5' and 6, each bonnet 9 has an opening Ill in its wall adjacent the crossarm 6, the metal which is cut from said opening being bent outwardly to form a pair of vertical 35 flanges II. The bonnets 9 are secured to the ends of the cross-arm 6 by bolts or the like I 2 l which extend through the iianges II and the ends of the adjacent metal strips forming the cross-arm. 40

The cross-arm 6 is of suilicientvlength to span' a pair of conventional iluid dispensing cylinders I3 and I4 when placed on the concrete base 4 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the bonnets 9 housing the valves of the respective cylinders. 45

Gas dispensing installations of nature require the use of a pressure regulator which is arranged in communication with the cylinder valves of the respective cylinders, and in Figs1 1 50 to 3 of the drawings I have shown how my device accommodates this element of the installation.

gaugeextendingwupwardly as at Il in Fig. 3,- on the front face of the standard I. f

In order to protect this regulator against knocks and tampering, as in the' case of the cylinder valves, I provide a hood I1 which is suitably shaped to house the regulator valve, adjuster and gauge assembly I6. will best be seen from. Figs. 4, 5 and -'7, is bolted onfthe outer face and at the central portion of the cross-arm 6, by means of bolts I8, its opposite side lwalls being slotted as at I9 to accommodate the pigtails 20 connecting the cylinder valves with the regulatorl valve assembly I6.

The major portions of the pigtails are disposed between the strips forming the cross-arm 8 when theprotectors are lowered into position on the cylinder valves and regulator. The slots I9 `per mit the protector assembly 5 to be lifted for adjustment or installation of cylinders.

In order to facilitate the locking of the protector assembly in place, I provide a series of openings 2I in one side of the channel standard I to accommodate a padlock or other lockingv means 22 see Figs. 2 and 3).

With the use of my invention. the installation and adjustment of the cylinder valves and regulator assembly is greatly simplied yet at the same time adequate protection is afforded against knocks and-tampering. In order to' replace one or more of the cylinders I3 and I4, the service man simply removes the lock 22 and slides the protecting device 5 upwardly on the standard I. The openings III and slots I9 in the valve bonnets and regulator hood, respectively, permit the upwardmovement of the protecting device 5. When they fresh cylinder or cylinders are placed on the base 4, the protecting device is lowered on the standard until the valve bonnets 9 and hood II enclose the parts to be protected` and the padlock is returned to the proper opening 2| in the side of channel I.

It will be noted that the structural details oi' the protecting deviceare greatly-simplified to the end of economy in manufacture and simplicity of assembly, it being of course understoodthat I do not intend to confine myself to these particular details, as various other arrangements may be employed with equal eiect.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of my invention may This hood as be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A support and-protecting device for uiddispensing cylinder installations comprising an upright standard having at its upper extremity a protecting device for the valves of adjant cylv vinders and for a pressure regulator assembly connected to said valves, said protecting device comprising a cross-arm, valve protecting bonnets carried at opposite ends of said cross-arm and adapted to enclose said valves, a regulator protecting hood carried by said cross-arm intermediate its ends adapted to enclose at least a portion of said regulator assembly, said protecting device being movable with respect to said valves and regulator assembly, and means for locking?- said protecting 'device in place.

lator assembly connected to said valves, and

means for securing said protecting device in place.

3. A protecting device ior the valves of adjacent fluid dispensing cylinders comprising a plurality of valve bonnets, means extending between said bonnets for supporting the same as a unitary v structure, a hood carried by said last named means, adapted to enclose at least a portion of a pressure regulator assembly, an upright standard adjustably supporting said protecting device,

and means i'or locking said protecting device in place on said standard.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said valve bonnetsand hood are provided with Openings to accommodate the connections between said valves and saidpressure regulator assembly. y

WALTER G. WATKINS.

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