US2987080A - Drain cock tool - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1961 w. o. CHANDLER ET AL 2,987,080

DRAIN COCK TOOL Filed June 5. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wilbur 0. Chandler James A. Roberts 1N VEN TORS.

BY 2mm".

WW FM J1me 1961 w. o. CHANDLER ETAL 2,987,080

DRAIN COCK TOOL.

Filed June 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

Wi/bur 0. Chandler James A. Roberts INVENTORS.

BY QM WWW M4,

United States Patent 2,987,080 DRAIN COCK TOOL Wilbur 0. Chandler, 415 W. th, and James A. Roberts, 414 W. 6th, both of Chanute, Kans. Filed June 3, 1959, Ser. No. 817,938 Claims. (Cl. 137-798) This invention relates to a multipurpose tool which is principally useful in connection with the operation and use of drain cocks of automotive vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool to facilitate draining of engine blocks and radiators of motor cars and trucks.

The same tool may be used not only to facilitate opening the draining cock but also to bleed off the water and anti-freeze, when used, so that the garage attendant does not become wet in performing this task.

The tool also functions as an adapter by which to connect a liquid conductor to the bottom of the radiator or engine block for reverse flushing.

An important feature of the tool is found in the actual construction thereof. It is very simple and yet it has numerous features. For instance the central passageway of the tool through which water or other liquid may pass, is so shaped and dimensioned as to receive a conventional wrench. When the knurled surface on the exterior of the tool is insufficient for manual gripping and turning the drain cock to the open or closed position, usually the former, the conventional tool may be inserted in the water passageway and the tool very easily turned thereby opening the drain cock. Once the drain cock is cracked open, the tool may be removed and a hose applied to the end of the tool to lead off the liquid before the drain cock is actually opened in an amount suflicient to enable water to flow from the radiator or engine block.

By using this tool for opening and closing drain cocks at considerable amount of damage usually caused by improvised or improper tools, is eliminated. At the present time a hammer, pair of pliers or any other tool at the disposal of the attendant is used for opening drain cocks. The instant special tool for drain cocks will serve the intended purpose effectively and eliminate a source of considerable damage to the radiator, engine block and drain cock.

Conventional drain cocks may actually be inserted or removed from the radiator or engine block by using the tool because of the conventional thread and nut of the drain cock which has been adopted as essentially standard in the current manufacturers makes and models of automobiles and trucks.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a radiator showing a drain cock with a typical tool in accordance with this invention applied thereto.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the tool in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the tool in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on theline 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the tool showing a second use thereof.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the tool of FIG- URE 1 but showing a wrench being used with the tool.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged elevational view of a modification of the tool.

Patented June 6, 1961 FIGURE 8 is an elevational view, parts broken away fication of the tool.

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view, parts broken away in section, and showing a further modification of the tool and also illustrating a further use to which an of the tools may be placed.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a part of aradiator 10 equipped with aconventional drain cock 12 having ahandle 14. The radiator diagrammatically represents any conventional location for thestandard drain cock 12 but has been selected since most of the drain cocks are located at the bottom of the radiator of the motor vehicle.

Tool 16 is shown in FIGURES 1-6 inclusive. It is made of abody 18 having atapered side wall 20 withannular grooves 22 and 24 spaced from each other and also spaced from the ends of the body of the tool. There is a cylindricalupper portion 26 of the body of the tool, and it has a pair ofbayonet slots 26 and 28 therein by which to receive and hold the ends ofhandle 14. The bayonet slots, each has anentrance portion 30 opening throughedge 32 of thecylindrical portion 26 of the Wall of the tool, together with aportion 34 which is parallel toedge 32 but spaced therefrom. The ends ofhandle 14 are received in portion 38 by moving the tool upward, and then they are received in portion 34 (in a corresponding portion of slot 28) by turning the tool about the longitudinal axis thereof.

The longitudinal axis of the tool is coincident with the longitudinal axis ofliquid conducting passageway 40 extending completely through the tool (FIGURE 4). Pas sageway 40 has an upper enlargedpart 42 within which compressible, yieldingresilient bushing 44 is disposed. The bushing is in the shape of a sleeve and may be made of rubber or some other elastomeric substance. The lower edge of thebushing 44 is disposed onshoulder 46 ofpassageway 40, and thebore 48 of the sleeve-like bushing is coincident with the longitudinal axis ofpassageway 40 and actually constitutes a part thereof. Theupper surface 50 of bushing 44 constitutes a yielding seat against which the lower surface of thehandle 14 comes to hear. Theupper surface 50 of the bushing is normally above the lower edge ofslots 28 and 30 so that the bushing must be compressed slightly when the tool is inserted on thehandle 14 ofdrain cock 12 so that there is established a liquid seal at this point.

The lower end of thepassageway 40 is non-circular to form a Wrench receivingsocket 56. A conventional wrench 58 (FIGURE 6) may be inserted insocket 56 to facilitate turning thehandle 14 of the drain cock. This may be in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Inuse tool 16 is applied todrain cock 12 as described. The outer surface of the tool is pressed by one hand and turned thereby opening thedrain cock 12 by rotatinghandle 14. A knurled surface may be provided on the body of the tool to facilitate gripping. In instances where a Wrench is required or desired one may be used as shown in FIGURE "6.Circumferential grooves 22 and 24 are used to enhance a frictional grip withhose 62 that may be attached to the body of the tool by simply slipping it over the lower end thereof (FIGURE 5). This materially aids in conducting the water or other liquid from the engine or radiator without getting the attendant wet. As shown in FIGURE 9 aliquid conductor 64 having ahollow plug 66 at one end, may be attached to the tool by inserting the hollow plug intosocket 56. It is clearly evident that the tool may be used not only for tightening and loosening thedrain cock 12 but also to conduct off the liquid and also to apply liquid under pressure into theradiator 10 or engine block for reverse flushing.

3 Attention is now invited to FIGURE 7.Tool 70 shown in this figure is exactly the same in all details of Christmases"sensor 16 withthesole exception that thebayonet slots 26a and 28a haveshort projections 72 and 74,at the. entrances thereof in. order to latch thehandle 14 in place in the slots. FIGURE 8 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention.Tool 76 is essentially the same as thetools 16 and 70. This figure. illustrates a knurled surface 78.1'eferred to in connection with tool 1 6 and which may be used ontool 70 or any other tool in accordance with the invention. Inaddiiton slots 26b and 28b have angulatedlower surfaces 80 and 82 to serve as cams in locking the tool onto the drain cock.Tool 86 in FIGURE 9 shows a variation in the material of construction. The previously described tools are made of metal, but it is Within the purview of the invention to use a suitable, commercially available plastic such as nylon or some other synthetic resinous material having the proper hardness and heat resistancecharacteristics.

The foregoing is considered as'illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed-as new is as follows:

1. A tool for manipulating the handle of a drain cock, said tool comprising a body having a passageway extending completely therethrough and constituting a liquid conductor, one end of said body having a pair of slots with entrance portions opening through one end edge of the. body and lateral portions registering with said first mentioned portions, a compressibly resilient bushing in said passageway and having a surface'extending beyond an inwardly disposed edge of said slots, said bus-hing having a passageway therethrough and constituting a part of the first mentioned passageway.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein there are means operatively associated'with said slots for locking the tool in an operative position.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein the end of said passageway opposite to that end having said slots is noncircular in cross-section to provide a tool receiving socket.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said wrench receiving socket also is adapted to receive an insertable and removable coupling on a liquid conductor in a manner to retain the liquid conductor therein.

5. The tool ofclaim 4 wherein said tool body has a tapered outer wall by which to receive and retain the end of a liquid conductor.

6. A tool for actuating a radiator drain cock which has a handle, said toolcornprising a bo,dy having a longitudinal passage therethrough, said passage having an enlarged portion at oneendwith a shoulder at one end of said enlarged portion, a compressible and resilient bushing seated on said shoulder and having a bore constituting a part of said passage, said body provided with bayonet slots with surfaces spaced inwardly of the adjacent outwardly disposed surface of said bushing.

7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said body is constructed of plastic material.

8. The tool of claim 6 wherein said body is constructed of metal.

9, The tool of claim 6. wherein the end of said passage opposite to the end having said slots registered therewith is non-circular in cross-section to receive a wrench or similar tool to facilitate turning the body.

10. A tool for turning the handle-equipped valve of a radiator drain cock oif and on comprising an elongated body having a median body portion and end portions, said body being of truncated conical form and provided with an axial passage extending therethrough from one end portion to the other end portion, the end of the passage opposite to said truncated end being counterbored and provided-with a shoulder, a bushing of compressibly resilient material constituting a gasket and locatedinthe counterbored portion and seated on said shoulder, that. portion of the body beyond an outwardly disposed. end of said bushing being provided with deametrically oppositev bayonet slots, and the portion of the bore.adjacent the truncated end of the body being reduced and providing a socket member, the latter serving to accommodate a Wrench.

References Cited in the file of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 169,489 Smeaton Nov. 2, 1875 513,475 Bergmon Jan. 30, 1894 766,753 Brooks Aug. 2, 1904 987,000 Lukens Mar. 14, 1911 1,423,418 Girk-Scheit July 18, 1922

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