Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Richard J Raterman

Richard L Marker

Anh Le

Dallas C Fox

A secondary connector block of the type that is used to reinforce a port through a thin wall so that a mating primary connector block which has a bolt hole offset to the side of a refrigerant line can be used to connect the line concentrically to the port. The secondary connector block consists of a completely cylindrical base with an intermediate annular groove circling its outer surface. The base can be turned on a lathe, since it is completely symmetrical about its axis. The base is first welded concentrically to the port, which is easily done, since no part of the base overhangs the surface of the wall. The side lobe which contains the bolt hole that aligns with the primary block is attached later by a pair of bendable legs that are formed around and into the groove. The legs may be wide enough to fit very tightly into the groove, in which case the side lobe is first turned to the orientation that aligns the bolt holes. Or, the legs may be made slightly narrower, giving enough clearance in the groove to allow the side lobe to be turned to the proper orientation later. In that case, bolting the blocks together acts to slightly tilt the side lobe and lock it tightly in position.

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Kettering, OH, United States of America

Richard J Raterman