The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 13, 1995
Ronald Raboin, DePere, WI (US);
Dallas Schwalenberg, Potter, WI (US);
Western Industries, Inc., Chilton, WI (US);
Abstract
The invention provides a vent cap for automatically discharging a gas container such as a propane cylinder. The vent cap includes threads for securing the vent cap to the neck of the gas container. The vent cap further includes an indicator which has a pin and a button. When the button is manually depressed, the pin engages the valve stem of the check valve which seals the gas container, discharging gas from the container. The button includes a flexible, radially curved central portion which provides oil can action when the indicator is moved between the up position and the down position. A geometrical configuration of the central portion may be adjusted to vary the gas pressure threshold at which the indicator will remain in the down position to automatically discharge a nearly empty gas container.