Patent ID: 6886587
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A housing operable to secure to a mounting surface and to protectively enclose a regulator and one or more gauges associated with providing a flow of a gas from a gas supply, the housing comprising: a front presenting a regulator hole corresponding to the regulator and one or more gauge holes corresponding to the one or more gauges; a side projecting perpendicularly from the front and presenting a hose hole operable to allow a hose to pass therethrough; a top projecting perpendicularly from both the front and the side, the top including one or more top bolt holes and a bolt flange operable to receive a bolt for securing the top to the mounting surface; a bottom projecting perpendicularly from both the front and the side so as to be parallel with the top, the bottom including one or more bottom bolt holes aligned with the one or more top bolt holes; and a hinge coupled with the bottom and operable to pivotably secure the bottom to the mounting surface, wherein the front, side, top, and bottom cooperate to substantially enclose the regulator and the one or more gauges, and wherein, when the bolt is removed from the bolt flange, the remainder of the housing can be pivoted as a unit upon the hinge and away from the mounting surface so as to expose and allow access to the regulator and the one or more gauges, and wherein given an identical second housing having a second bolt flange, a second bottom, one or more second bottom bolt holes, and a second hinge, the housing and the second housing can be coupled to form a unit by removing the second hinge and bolting the second bottom to the top using the second bottom bolt holes and the top bolt holes, wherein the unit can then be mounted upon the mounting surface using only the hinge and the second bolt flange.